1

December 2013 Volume 8 Number 12

Next Gathering is 15 January 2014

GOLD WING ROAD RIDERS ASSOCIATION

Friends for Fun Safety amp Knowledge

wwwtexaschapteruorg

Friends for FUN - SAFETY - KNOWLEDGE

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S T O A L L

This wording is considered by some people to

be ldquopolitically incorrectrdquo But in our minds

and hearts we feel that if it ainrsquot broke donrsquot

try to fix it Wersquore comfortable with this

greeting itrsquos a good fit for us

This takes us back to 2006 when we met a

couple in the WalMart parking lot riding a

yellow Gold Wing trike Olin and Martha

Gover were such a friendly couple They

invited us to a Chapter U meeting apparently

because they thought we would be a good fit

to the group This was the beginning of our

adventures with Chapter U which over the

years has included meetings rallies tours

and just riding together Anyone can check

the Chapter webpage to read about these

events and to see what fun we have

We find that we were and still are a like-

minded group of people - our kind of people

Wersquore happy to be part of such a friendly fun-

loving safety-oriented group Can you tell

wersquore proud of our Chapter U Hope everyone

else is also

Hope to see you all at the Christmas party and

at next yearrsquos Chapter events We want to wish

everyone a M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S

again - and yes wersquoll be telling you the same

thing again at the party politically correct or

not

Ride safe

Ken amp Connie Jordan

TX ldquoUrdquo CDrsquos

From the CDs

Ken amp Connie Jordan

Kenj1attnet

2

Inside this issue

Topic Page Number

From The CDrsquos 1

From the ACDrsquosMECs 2

EventsRide Schedule 4

Rider Education 5

Tux Penguin 7

Perfection 10

Membership Enhancement 11

Birthdays amp Anniversaries 12

Chapter U Officers amp Team 13

Texas District Officers amp Team 13

Classifieds 14

September Rides and Events 15-24

Sponsors Ads 25 26

CB Etiquette amp Age Does Matter Articles 2729

2014 Calendar 32-34

Ride Meeting Location Unless otherwise specified all Saturday rides depart

from Kent PowerSports (YOSA) 15564 I-35 North

between Evans Rd and Olympia Parkway Selma TX

Check the website at wwwtexaschapteruorg for ride

information

Chap U Gatherings 3rd Wednesday of each month at the La Cabana

Restaurant 170 Buffalo Place Cibolo TX 78108 We

Meet-to-Eat at 600 with Information Sharing

beginning at 700 pm Hope to see U there Next

Chapter Gathering is 15 January 2014

Winter Motorcycle Tire Tips

With the winter season almost upon us wersquod

like to remind everyone that this is a good

time to check your tires If your motorcycle is

stored for the winter it is a good time to check

your tires maintain them and determine if you

need new tires for spring Since we live in

Texas and we do ride on occasion itrsquos best to

ensure that your tires are in top condition

because you may see your share of rainy or

windy days

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Product Manager

Mike Manning offered a few tips regarding tire

maintenance and storage

ldquoFor wet-weather riding itrsquos especially

important to be aware that worn tires decrease

the ability to dissipate water Worn tires also

decrease handling and become more susceptible

to punctures so always replace tires before they

reach the tread-depth indicators inside the tread

grooves On the sidewall of the tire there are

little triangles spaced around the tire Looking

in a tread groove at a point indicated by the

triangle you can see a raised-up bar The

surface of your tread must be higher than those

barsrdquo

ldquoListed below yoursquoll find a few more

motorcycle tire tips We hope you find them

useful and wish you a safe ride wherever you

may travelrdquo

- On a regular basis check your tires all the

way around Rotate both tires completely and

make sure there are no nails or other objects

penetrating the tire If you find anything do not

ride until you have your motorcycle dealer

inspect the tire and replace it if necessary

- Check the tire sidewalls for signs of cracking

and never use sidewall treatments or dressings

which can actually accelerate tire cracking

From the ACDs Membership Enhancement Coordinators

Court amp Diane van Sickler

cbvs98hotmailcom

3

- Checking tire pressure is the most

important tire maintenance function you can

perform Maintaining the correct air pressure

is crucial to the tiresrsquo rolling efficiency

steering grip wear and load-carrying

capabilitiesmdashfor every 4 psi a tire is

underinflated you could lose up to 80 pounds

of load-carrying capacity

- Yoursquore not only riding on your tires yoursquore

also riding on the air within them so check

cold air pressure as often as possible with a

high-quality air-pressure gauge and have it

calibrated at least once a year

- If yoursquore storing your motorcycle for the

winter andor if yoursquore storing spare tires try

to avoid frequent and varied extremes of

temperature during storage Do not keep tires

next to radiators or sources of heat Tires

subjected to these conditions will age more

quickly than those stored in a cool constant

environment

- Do not store tires where electric motors are

present the high concentration of ozone will

accelerate tire cracking

- When buying new tires make sure you

select tires that can carry your expected load

including the total weight of the motorcycle

the rider(s) luggage and any equipment

Always match front and rear tires

- After installation of new tires check to

make sure the arrows on the sidewall are

pointing in the correct direction of rotation

and that the balance dot on the tire is lined up

with the valve stem

For more information visit

wwwdunlopmotorcyclecom

This article was provided by Dunlop

Motorcycle Tires and RoadRUNNER

Magazine

Court amp Diane van Sickler

TX Chapter U ACDrsquos

4

Chapter U December EventsRides

5 December Thursday - 1000 am Hooky ride to

Schulenburg Texas and lunch at Franks Restaurant

Depart KPS at 1000 am

7 December Saturday - Road Captain Course for

riders and co-riders Will be held in the meeting

room at KPS (Kent PowerSports) in Selma at 1000

am Lunch afterwards

14 December Saturday 1-5 pm - Chapter U

Christmas Party at Montana Mikes Steakhouse in

New Braunfels TX Will have a white elephant gift

exchange Cost of gifts should range from $1500

minimum to $2000 maximum Gift exchange is not

mandatory but each person who wants to participate

should bring a gift If you have any questions about

the party contact Ken Jordan

18 December Wednesday - ldquoChapter Gatheringrdquo is

cancelled for December

ATTENTION All Hooky rides in the future will be

held on the first Thursday of each month instead of

Wednesday so we can accommodate more riders

December EventsRides

4 December Wednesday - Chapter H monthly

meeting Loganrsquos Roadhouse (12477 I-10 West San

Antonio TX 78230 ndash across I-10 from Alamo Cycle

Plex) at 630 ndash 700 for those that wish to eat and the

meeting starts at 730 pm

Dates to Remember

11 January 2014 - Texas District MWRU Waco TX

3-5 April 2014 - Region H Convention Marshall TX

10-12 April 2014 - Louisiana District Convention

Lafayette LA

11-12 April 2014 - Chapter O Bluebonnet

CampoutRally Lady Bird Park Fredericksburg Texas

7-10 May 2014 - Texas District Convention (A Band

of Wingers) Tyler TX

2-5 July 2014 - Wing Ding 36 Madison WI

21-23 August 2014 - Colorado District Convention

Breckenridge CO

29 - 31 August 2014 - GWRRAs Weekend at the

Opry Nashville TN

Christmas Riddles amp Sayings

What do the reindeer sing to Father Christmas on his birthday

Freeze a jolly good fellow

What do you call a man who claps at Christmas

Santapplause

Who delivers presents to baby sharks at Christmas

Santa Jaws

Why does Father Christmas like to work in the garden

Because he likes to hoe hoe hoe

Why is a cat on a beach like Christmas

Because they both have Sandy claws

Whats Father Christmas called when he takes a rest while

delivering presents

Santa pause

Christmas is that time of year when everyone gets all

Santamental

What did Santa Claus say to all the toys on the night of Christmas

Eve

OK everybody time to hit the sack

Ride Coordinator

Larry Hammond

busman6191gmailcom

5

Hello my fellow Chapter U members I had

this article sent to me by Court van Sickler and

thought it fit in with the riding we will be facing

in the upcoming months The original article is

from Roadrunner Touring and Travel

November 8 2013 and is written by Jim Parks

I hope you find it as interesting to read as I did

Many if not most of us consider riding in the

rain a necessary inconvenience when wersquore

caught out in it while going from point A to

point B The experience is frequently made

more burdensome because of inadequate riding

gear reduced vision of scenery and road

hazards loss of traction increased navigational

challenges and fogged glasses and face

shieldmdashjust to name a few Often we discover

too late that we forgot to pack defogger rain

mittens Rain-X or some other item critical to

reducing the discomfort and increased risk of

riding in the rain

Itrsquos my contention however that riding in the

rain is often less pleasant than it really has to

be partially because we avoid doing it unless

forced to ride in the wet But like most of

motorcyclingrsquos other acquired skills practice

almost always leads to a better riding

experience In that vein here are my top ten tips

for improving your rain proficiency and yes

even enjoyment

1 Expect Rain Even if the sun is out and

therersquos not a cloud in the sky before

leaving home expect the possibility of

rain during any ride that lasts more than a

couple of hours That means riders should

almost always pack rain gear And by the

way most textile riding gear that says itrsquos

rain resistant or even waterproof usually

isnrsquot in a long soaking rainfall

2 Trust Your Tires One of the biggest

phobias of inexperienced riders once

pavement becomes wet is that their tires

will rapidly lose traction The soft rubber

composition of motorcycle tires (especially

compared to car tires) means that most of

them retain about 80-percent of their

traction on wet pavement The presence of

oil antifreeze or any one of a number of

other chemical substances on rain-slick

roads however can significantly

compromise traction If wet asphalt

appears to have a reflective sheen these

chemicals may be present One way to

evaluate a road surface is to lightly drag

the sole of one riding boot to determine if

pavement is actually slippery

3 Avoid Plastic Strips on Pavement

Pedestrian crossings and some other road

markings are actually white plastic strips

adhered to the concrete These strips

become slippery when wet The same is

true for metal road surface coverings tar

snakes wooden planks at railroad

crossings and other similar road materials

not made of asphalt or concrete If these

hazards cannot be avoided then ride over

them at a right angle at moderate speed

with the bike perpendicular to the road

surface

4 Treat Your Face Shield Recently I was

caught in the rain without any treatment

for my face shield The rain accumulated

in drops diminishing my ability to see

down the road in what already was a low

light situation On a face shield treated

Rider Education

Skip amp Beth Surre

skipsurreyahoocom

5

Hello my fellow Chapter U members I had

this article sent to me by Court van Sickler and

thought it fit in with the riding we will be facing

in the upcoming months The original article is

from Roadrunner Touring and Travel

November 8 2013 and is written by Jim Parks

I hope you find it as interesting to read as I did

Many if not most of us consider riding in the

rain a necessary inconvenience when wersquore

caught out in it while going from point A to

point B The experience is frequently made

more burdensome because of inadequate riding

gear reduced vision of scenery and road

hazards loss of traction increased navigational

challenges and fogged glasses and face

shieldmdashjust to name a few Often we discover

too late that we forgot to pack defogger rain

mittens Rain-X or some other item critical to

reducing the discomfort and increased risk of

riding in the rain

Itrsquos my contention however that riding in the

rain is often less pleasant than it really has to

be partially because we avoid doing it unless

forced to ride in the wet But like most of

motorcyclingrsquos other acquired skills practice

almost always leads to a better riding

experience In that vein here are my top ten tips

for improving your rain proficiency and yes

even enjoyment

1 Expect Rain Even if the sun is out and

therersquos not a cloud in the sky before

leaving home expect the possibility of

rain during any ride that lasts more than a

couple of hours That means riders should

almost always pack rain gear And by the

way most textile riding gear that says itrsquos

rain resistant or even waterproof usually

isnrsquot in a long soaking rainfall

2 Trust Your Tires One of the biggest

phobias of inexperienced riders once

pavement becomes wet is that their tires

will rapidly lose traction The soft rubber

composition of motorcycle tires (especially

compared to car tires) means that most of

them retain about 80-percent of their

traction on wet pavement The presence of

oil antifreeze or any one of a number of

other chemical substances on rain-slick

roads however can significantly

compromise traction If wet asphalt

appears to have a reflective sheen these

chemicals may be present One way to

evaluate a road surface is to lightly drag

the sole of one riding boot to determine if

pavement is actually slippery

3 Avoid Plastic Strips on Pavement

Pedestrian crossings and some other road

markings are actually white plastic strips

adhered to the concrete These strips

become slippery when wet The same is

true for metal road surface coverings tar

snakes wooden planks at railroad

crossings and other similar road materials

not made of asphalt or concrete If these

hazards cannot be avoided then ride over

them at a right angle at moderate speed

with the bike perpendicular to the road

surface

4 Treat Your Face Shield Recently I was

caught in the rain without any treatment

for my face shield The rain accumulated

in drops diminishing my ability to see

down the road in what already was a low

light situation On a face shield treated

Rider Education

Skip amp Beth Surre

skipsurreyahoocom

6

with Rain-X (which works better on

glass than it does on plastic) or some

other chemical that increases surface

slipperiness wind will largely clear the

raindrops from view Itrsquos also not a bad

idea to treat your shield before beginning

any ride If your shield fogs up donrsquot

open it completely because that will

enable rain to deposit on the inside

which is hard to clear without stopping

and removing the helmet to do so Make

sure all helmet vents are open and only

crack the shield slightly to increase

airflow and exhaust condensation

5 Inspect Rain Gear Integrity Over time

rain gear can lose its ability to repel

water I learned this lesson once the hard

way when my dated rain gear began

leaking during a daylong ride in heavy

rain The combination of riding wet in

the wind caused me to lose body heat

become chilled and then sick enough

that I couldnrsquot continue riding the next

day Now I replace worn rain gear and

buy suits with heavier gauge material

6 Be Visible I will never understand why

some companies make black rain gear

particularly the jacket Itrsquos hard enough

to see riders in rainy low light conditions

without making them virtually invisible

to human sight If your rain gear top isnrsquot

especially colorful or visible wear a hi-

viz vest over it Because most other

vehicles will have their lights turned on

in the rain reflectors also will improve

other motoristrsquos ability to see and avoid

you

7 Slow Down Although a relatively small

amount of traction is lost on clean wet

pavement it still makes sense to ride

more carefully in the rain by avoiding

(1) excessive speed (2) steep lean angles

(3) close proximity to other vehicles and

(4) aggressive stopping maneuvers

8 Donrsquot Push Your Luck Itrsquos one thing to

ride in rain but quite another to ride into a

thunderstorm or even a heavy downpour

Because your riding risk factors are

already heightened in rainy conditions

know when to get off the road and take

shelter Remember your rubber tires wonrsquot

provide any protection in the event of a

lightning strike and therersquos nothing

between you and flying debris picked up

by high winds Common sense should tell

you when itrsquos time to ldquofold rsquoemrdquo

9 Practice Herersquos a radical idea go riding

in the rain even when you donrsquot have to

As is true with most other motorcycle

riding skills practice improves ability

confidence and enjoyment of the

experience The same is true for riding in

the rain Practice effective rain riding

techniques close to home so they will be

second nature when you need them on a

road trip

10 Learn to Enjoy the Experience The

rhythmic pitter-patter of raindrops while

ensconced in a warm dry cocoon can be

both enjoyable and relaxing It only can be

so though after mastering tips one

through nine above Irsquove heard of some

motorcyclists who enjoy rain riding so

much they actually look forward to rainy

days in the saddle

Long story short a rainy day doesnrsquot mean that

your two-wheeled adventure has to stop being

fun See you on a ride

Skip amp Beth

7

Tuxs Christmas Wish List

Christmas will be a few weeks away when you

are reading this but I want to say I have enjoyed

my association with each member of Chapter U

this year and am looking forward to an eventful

year ahead Enclosed is my Christmas Wish List

1 A Merry Christmas and a happy and

prosperous New Year to each of U and

all my web footed friends

2 A new trike as pretty as Steve and

Donnas If I cant have a trike or

motorcycle I want an icicle Yuk yuk

3 2013 Texas District Chapter of the Year

for Chapter U - Repeat Repeat

4 Pray for the unfortunate for they are not

on 2 or 3 wheels

5 Round trip invitation to Madison

Wisconsin for Wing Ding Hint hint

Sal and Phylis

6 Big turnout on 14 December for the

Chapter U Christmas Party at Montana

Mikes Steakhouse in New Braunfels TX

7 Bird free holiday dinners - I dont want

to be mistaken for a turkey

8 Cold winter nights versus hot summer

days

9 Hooky rides that make you appreciate

missing work More Toyota-type tours

Larry

10 One year subscription to GWRRA

11 DQ for everybody

12 Be safe not sorry I want to ride with U

next year

13 Make sure your riding frequency has a

Chapter U in it

14 Participate be involved and lets have a

FUNtastic 2014

Written by Tux with some assistance from Tom

Hendricks Newsletter Editor

Chapter U Mascot

Tux Penguin

hendricks88satxrrcom

8

Travelling At Christmas

It was a few days before Christmas

The trip went reasonably well and he

was ready to go back home The airport

on the other end had turned a tacky red

and green and loudspeakers blared

annoying elevator renditions of

cherished Christmas carols Being

someone who took Christmas very

seriously and being slightly tired he

was not in a particularly good mood

(Almost a scrooge) Going to check in

his luggage (which for some reason

had become one suitcase with entirely

new clothes) he saw hanging mistletoe

Not real mistletoe but very cheap

plastic with red paint on some of the

rounder parts and green paint on some

of the flatter and pointer parts that

could be taken for mistletoe only in a

very Picasso sort of way With a

considerable degree of irritation and

nowhere else to vent it he said to the

attendant Even if we were married I

would not want to kiss you under such

a ghastly mockery of mistletoe Sir

look more closely at where the

mistletoe is Ok I see that its above

the luggage scale which is the place

youd have to step forward for a kiss

Thats not why its there Ok I give

up Why is it there Its there so you

can kiss your luggage good-bye

As migration approached two elderly vultures doubted they

could make the trip south so they decided to go by airplane

When they checked their baggage the attendant noticed that

they were carrying two dead raccoons Do you wish to check

the raccoons through as luggage she asked No thanks

replied the vultures Theyre carrion

Tux Says

Always back your bike into the curb and sit where you

can see it

Work to ride and ride to work

Two-lane blacktop isnt a highway - its an attitude

When you look down the road it seems to never end

but you better believe it does

Winter is Natures way of telling you to polish

Dont lead the pack if you dont know where youre

going

Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit

A good long ride can clear your mind restore your

faith and use up a lot of fuel

It is good to have an end to journey but it is the journey

that matters in the end

9

Tips And Tricks

Ways to spot a drunk driver A car can be a lethal

weapon when operated by a drunk driver A driver may

be drunk if the vehicle

Makes wide turns

Straddles the center line or weaves back and

forth

Exceeds the speed limit or drives unusually

slow

Comes close to hitting another vehicle or object

Drives off the road or into an oncoming lane of

traffic

Swerves drifts or follows too closely

Stops for no reason or turn abruptly or illegally

Signals inconsistently or drives at night with no

headlights

Remember drunk drivers are dangerous

and may not be avoidable If you suspect

someone is driving drunk keep your

distance jot down the license plate number

and call the authorities

Source News amp Notes from State Farm wwwstatefarmcom

7

Tuxs Christmas Wish List

Christmas will be a few weeks away when you

are reading this but I want to say I have enjoyed

my association with each member of Chapter U

this year and am looking forward to an eventful

year ahead Enclosed is my Christmas Wish List

1 A Merry Christmas and a happy and

prosperous New Year to each of U and

all my web footed friends

2 A new trike as pretty as Steve and

Donnas If I cant have a trike or

motorcycle I want an icicle Yuk yuk

3 2013 Texas District Chapter of the Year

for Chapter U - Repeat Repeat

4 Pray for the unfortunate for they are not

on 2 or 3 wheels

5 Round trip invitation to Madison

Wisconsin for Wing Ding Hint hint

Sal and Phylis

6 Big turnout on 14 December for the

Chapter U Christmas Party at Montana

Mikes Steakhouse in New Braunfels TX

7 Bird free holiday dinners - I dont want

to be mistaken for a turkey

8 Cold winter nights versus hot summer

days

9 Hooky rides that make you appreciate

missing work More Toyota-type tours

Larry

10 One year subscription to GWRRA

11 DQ for everybody

12 Be safe not sorry I want to ride with U

next year

13 Make sure your riding frequency has a

Chapter U in it

14 Participate be involved and lets have a

FUNtastic 2014

Written by Tux with some assistance from Tom

Hendricks Newsletter Editor

Chapter U Mascot

Tux Penguin

hendricks88satxrrcom

8

Travelling At Christmas

It was a few days before Christmas

The trip went reasonably well and he

was ready to go back home The airport

on the other end had turned a tacky red

and green and loudspeakers blared

annoying elevator renditions of

cherished Christmas carols Being

someone who took Christmas very

seriously and being slightly tired he

was not in a particularly good mood

(Almost a scrooge) Going to check in

his luggage (which for some reason

had become one suitcase with entirely

new clothes) he saw hanging mistletoe

Not real mistletoe but very cheap

plastic with red paint on some of the

rounder parts and green paint on some

of the flatter and pointer parts that

could be taken for mistletoe only in a

very Picasso sort of way With a

considerable degree of irritation and

nowhere else to vent it he said to the

attendant Even if we were married I

would not want to kiss you under such

a ghastly mockery of mistletoe Sir

look more closely at where the

mistletoe is Ok I see that its above

the luggage scale which is the place

youd have to step forward for a kiss

Thats not why its there Ok I give

up Why is it there Its there so you

can kiss your luggage good-bye

As migration approached two elderly vultures doubted they

could make the trip south so they decided to go by airplane

When they checked their baggage the attendant noticed that

they were carrying two dead raccoons Do you wish to check

the raccoons through as luggage she asked No thanks

replied the vultures Theyre carrion

Tux Says

Always back your bike into the curb and sit where you

can see it

Work to ride and ride to work

Two-lane blacktop isnt a highway - its an attitude

When you look down the road it seems to never end

but you better believe it does

Winter is Natures way of telling you to polish

Dont lead the pack if you dont know where youre

going

Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit

A good long ride can clear your mind restore your

faith and use up a lot of fuel

It is good to have an end to journey but it is the journey

that matters in the end

9

Tips And Tricks

Ways to spot a drunk driver A car can be a lethal

weapon when operated by a drunk driver A driver may

be drunk if the vehicle

Makes wide turns

Straddles the center line or weaves back and

forth

Exceeds the speed limit or drives unusually

slow

Comes close to hitting another vehicle or object

Drives off the road or into an oncoming lane of

traffic

Swerves drifts or follows too closely

Stops for no reason or turn abruptly or illegally

Signals inconsistently or drives at night with no

headlights

Remember drunk drivers are dangerous

and may not be avoidable If you suspect

someone is driving drunk keep your

distance jot down the license plate number

and call the authorities

Source News amp Notes from State Farm wwwstatefarmcom

8

Travelling At Christmas

It was a few days before Christmas

The trip went reasonably well and he

was ready to go back home The airport

on the other end had turned a tacky red

and green and loudspeakers blared

annoying elevator renditions of

cherished Christmas carols Being

someone who took Christmas very

seriously and being slightly tired he

was not in a particularly good mood

(Almost a scrooge) Going to check in

his luggage (which for some reason

had become one suitcase with entirely

new clothes) he saw hanging mistletoe

Not real mistletoe but very cheap

plastic with red paint on some of the

rounder parts and green paint on some

of the flatter and pointer parts that

could be taken for mistletoe only in a

very Picasso sort of way With a

considerable degree of irritation and

nowhere else to vent it he said to the

attendant Even if we were married I

would not want to kiss you under such

a ghastly mockery of mistletoe Sir

look more closely at where the

mistletoe is Ok I see that its above

the luggage scale which is the place

youd have to step forward for a kiss

Thats not why its there Ok I give

up Why is it there Its there so you

can kiss your luggage good-bye

As migration approached two elderly vultures doubted they

could make the trip south so they decided to go by airplane

When they checked their baggage the attendant noticed that

they were carrying two dead raccoons Do you wish to check

the raccoons through as luggage she asked No thanks

replied the vultures Theyre carrion

Tux Says

Always back your bike into the curb and sit where you

can see it

Work to ride and ride to work

Two-lane blacktop isnt a highway - its an attitude

When you look down the road it seems to never end

but you better believe it does

Winter is Natures way of telling you to polish

Dont lead the pack if you dont know where youre

going

Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit

A good long ride can clear your mind restore your

faith and use up a lot of fuel

It is good to have an end to journey but it is the journey

that matters in the end

9

Tips And Tricks

Ways to spot a drunk driver A car can be a lethal

weapon when operated by a drunk driver A driver may

be drunk if the vehicle

Makes wide turns

Straddles the center line or weaves back and

forth

Exceeds the speed limit or drives unusually

slow

Comes close to hitting another vehicle or object

Drives off the road or into an oncoming lane of

traffic

Swerves drifts or follows too closely

Stops for no reason or turn abruptly or illegally

Signals inconsistently or drives at night with no

headlights

Remember drunk drivers are dangerous

and may not be avoidable If you suspect

someone is driving drunk keep your

distance jot down the license plate number

and call the authorities

Source News amp Notes from State Farm wwwstatefarmcom

9

Tips And Tricks

Ways to spot a drunk driver A car can be a lethal

weapon when operated by a drunk driver A driver may

be drunk if the vehicle

Makes wide turns

Straddles the center line or weaves back and

forth

Exceeds the speed limit or drives unusually

slow

Comes close to hitting another vehicle or object

Drives off the road or into an oncoming lane of

traffic

Swerves drifts or follows too closely

Stops for no reason or turn abruptly or illegally

Signals inconsistently or drives at night with no

headlights

Remember drunk drivers are dangerous

and may not be avoidable If you suspect

someone is driving drunk keep your

distance jot down the license plate number

and call the authorities

Source News amp Notes from State Farm wwwstatefarmcom

10

Perfection

In addition to being a Gold Wing trike rider I am a

hunter I love both activities and during the

holiday season I have to really manipulate my

schedule to ensure I can devote time to both of

them and still participate with family church

Chapter and other fun filled happenings

A few years ago I was hunting and I was in my

usual dilemma of do I harvest one of the first deer

that I see or do I wait for the proverbial Big Buck

and take home venison in addition to a nice set of

horns I sat in my deer blind in Central Texas and

on two hunting sessions I waited for the big one

and he did not show up Sitting in a deer blind

while hunting gives you a lot of time to think and

philosophize on life the world motorcycling and

hunting causeseffects At the end of one of my

insightful contemplations and after passing up

some deer that were not of the trophy caliber I was

hoping to see I realized I was not enjoying the hunt

as much as I should have because I was waiting for

the perfect situation to fulfill all my hunting

expectations I wanted beautiful weather nice

equipment the perfect four legged heavy horned

many tipped specimen of the white tailed male deer

to wander close to my deer blind What I was

forgetting was that I was a hunter and I could enjoy

being in the outdoors on a too cold or too hot day

with less than optimum but still functional

equipment and still enjoy the hunt It did not have

to be a picture perfect situation for me to enjoy the

experience

Sometime a similar situation presents itself when I

am trying to decide to ride my trike or become

involved in a GWRRA activity The circumstance

will probably never be perfect it might be too rainy

or windy I cant find my favorite gloves I only have

time for a short ride maybe Ill wait until later when

my buddy is free or I already went riding this week

The thing riders have to ask themselves just as a

hunter does is Are you a rider If you say yes

then you dont need to look for excuses because you

already know the answer and you need to proceed

and throw your leg over the saddle start your engine

and twist the throttle towards what might not be

perfection but pure bliss of the moment for the

current ride It might not turn into the perfect ride

but a ride it will be good for conversation white lies

and good times Perfection can be sought but a ride

a little less than perfection is still a darn good

experience and a positive way to spend some quality

time with good friends

My thought is for you to realize that when you set

your riding standard make it high But also be

aware any ride is a good ride and sometimes in the

course of an outing you find something close enough

to perfection to say Im a motorcycle loving rider and

this might not be the perfect ride but it will do for

now In hindsight when I look back on todays ride

Ill remember what a wonderful day it was and in the

end I have had some perfect memories of semi-

imperfect settings that turned into days to remember

Ride safe ride often and make them rides to

remember Merry Christmas

Tom Hendricks Newsletter Editor

Newsletter Editor

Tom Hendricks

hendricks88satxrrcom

11

Would you like to have someone else pay for your

next membership renewal If so then check this

outhellip

So if you know a Gold Wing or Valkarie rider and

co-rider that would like to join a group of riders that

likes to have fun enjoys friendship and likes to ride

safely tell them about Chapter U

Tell them about the website -

httpwwwtexaschapteruorg ndash and about our regular

rides and monthly gathering

Recruit five new members and your next renewal is

FREE

Have fun and ride safe

You Can‛t Have Fun If You Donrsquot PARTICIPATE

Live in the sunshine swim the sea drink the wild air -

Ralph Waldo Emerson

From the Membership

Enhancement

CoordinatorsACDs

Court amp Diane van Sickler

cbvs98hotmailcom

11

Would you like to have someone else pay for your

next membership renewal If so then check this

outhellip

So if you know a Gold Wing or Valkarie rider and

co-rider that would like to join a group of riders that

likes to have fun enjoys friendship and likes to ride

safely tell them about Chapter U

Tell them about the website -

httpwwwtexaschapteruorg ndash and about our regular

rides and monthly gathering

Recruit five new members and your next renewal is

FREE

Have fun and ride safe

You Can‛t Have Fun If You Donrsquot PARTICIPATE

Live in the sunshine swim the sea drink the wild air -

Ralph Waldo Emerson

From the Membership

Enhancement

CoordinatorsACDs

Court amp Diane van Sickler

cbvs98hotmailcom

12

Happy Birthday

December

Joan Custer Dec 8

Judy Curtis Dec 8

Rhonda Mayberry Dec 27

Chela Thompson Dec 28

Happy Anniversary

December

Jack and Linda Dowda Dec 11

Ron and Maria DeLaughter Dec 14

Steve and Donna Van Gilder Dec 14

Courtesy MSF

13

Chapter ldquoUrdquo Officers amp Team

Chapter Directors Ken amp Connie Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email kenj1attnet

Assrsquot Chapter Directors Court amp Diane van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068 email cbvs98hotmailcom

Chapter Educators Skip amp Beth Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email skipsurreyahoocom

Treasurer Donna Van Gilder Phone 210-378-8559 email dvangildersatxrrcom

Ride Coordinators Larry Hammond Phone 210-705-4717 email busman6191gmailcom Ken Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email kenj1attnet

2013 Couple-of-the-Year Bill amp Jane Johnson Phone 830-393-3541email wildbill521expressicscom

Membership Enhancement Coordinator Court amp Diane van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068 email cbvs98hotmailcom

Webmaster Steve Van Gilder Phone 210-391-9495 email dvangildersatxrrcom

Newsletter Editor Tom Hendricks Phone 210-262-6532 email hendricks88satxrrcom

Chapter Photographer Connie Jordan Phone 210-658-2136 email kenj1attnet Skip Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email skipsurreyahoocom

Rally Coordinator THIS COULD BE YOU

Friday Night Ride Contacts Jack amp Linda Dowda Phone 210-862-7510 email jackdowdaattnet

Community Service Coordinators Archie amp Sharon Haley Phone 210-410-1748 email archieh3gmailcom

ScrapbookHistorian THIS COULD BE YOU

Chapter of the Year Coordinator Connie Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email kenj1attnet Motorist Awareness Coordinators Court van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068 email cbvs98hotmailcom

Skip Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email skipsurreyahoocom

Road Captains

Ken amp Connie Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email

kenj1attnet Brad amp Jill Severe Phone 210-386-0507 email

usedphotoaolcom Dave Weaver Phone 210-945-0575 email

dwwweaveryahoocom Jack amp Linda Dowda Phone Phone 210-862-7510

email jackdowdaattnet Luis amp Ida Flores Phone 210-373-8482 email

wilkim45yahoocom Steve amp Donna Van Gilder Phone 210-391-9495 email

dvangildersatxrrcom Court amp Diane van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068

email cbvs98hotmailcom

Bill amp Jane Johnson Phone 830-393-3541 email

wildbill521expressicscom Duke amp Chela Thompson Phone 210-260-8626

email drdct1480aolcom Skip Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email

skipsurreyahoocom Hilmer Merz Phone 210-857-8234 email

hilmermerzattnet Mike amp Cindy Edmonds Phone 210-887-8560

email pigpen8808attnet Sal Pesta Phone 210-662-8161 email

spestasbcglobalnet Sam Morris Phone 210-889-7330 email samjgvecnet

Texas District Officers amp Team website

wwwgwrra-txorg District Directors David amp Christina Vidrine TxDDgwrra-txorg

Assistant District Directors Mike amp Robin Thacker TxaDDgwrra-txorg

District Educators Ricky amp Karen Frazier TxEDGWRRA-TXorg

District Trainer Jennifer amp Johnny Ervin TxTrainergwrra-txorg

Couple of the Year 2013-2014 Steve amp Donna Van Gilder TxCOYgwrra-txorg

District Treasurer Diane Shults TxTreasurergwrra-txorg

Membership Enhancement Coordinators (MEC) Steve amp Donna Van Gilder TxMECgwrra-txorg

Chapter Of the Year Coordinators Robin Thacker Txdistchoyyahoocom

COY Coordinators Steve amp Donna Van Gilder COYCoordinatorsgwrra-txorg

Activities Coordinator Phil amp Annette Lockler annetteharrington1verizoncom

Newsletter Editor Tom Sprague NLEgwrra-txorg

Vendor Coordinator Kenny Shults TxVCgwrra-txorg

Entertainment Coordinator Kenny Shults entertainmentgwrra-txorg

Webmaster Tom amp Dawn Sprague webmastergwrra-txorg

13

Chapter ldquoUrdquo Officers amp Team

Chapter Directors Ken amp Connie Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email kenj1attnet

Assrsquot Chapter Directors Court amp Diane van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068 email cbvs98hotmailcom

Chapter Educators Skip amp Beth Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email skipsurreyahoocom

Treasurer Donna Van Gilder Phone 210-378-8559 email dvangildersatxrrcom

Ride Coordinators Larry Hammond Phone 210-705-4717 email busman6191gmailcom Ken Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email kenj1attnet

2013 Couple-of-the-Year Bill amp Jane Johnson Phone 830-393-3541email wildbill521expressicscom

Membership Enhancement Coordinator Court amp Diane van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068 email cbvs98hotmailcom

Webmaster Steve Van Gilder Phone 210-391-9495 email dvangildersatxrrcom

Newsletter Editor Tom Hendricks Phone 210-262-6532 email hendricks88satxrrcom

Chapter Photographer Connie Jordan Phone 210-658-2136 email kenj1attnet Skip Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email skipsurreyahoocom

Rally Coordinator THIS COULD BE YOU

Friday Night Ride Contacts Jack amp Linda Dowda Phone 210-862-7510 email jackdowdaattnet

Community Service Coordinators Archie amp Sharon Haley Phone 210-410-1748 email archieh3gmailcom

ScrapbookHistorian THIS COULD BE YOU

Chapter of the Year Coordinator Connie Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email kenj1attnet Motorist Awareness Coordinators Court van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068 email cbvs98hotmailcom

Skip Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email skipsurreyahoocom

Road Captains

Ken amp Connie Jordan Phone 210-219-3059 email

kenj1attnet Brad amp Jill Severe Phone 210-386-0507 email

usedphotoaolcom Dave Weaver Phone 210-945-0575 email

dwwweaveryahoocom Jack amp Linda Dowda Phone Phone 210-862-7510

email jackdowdaattnet Luis amp Ida Flores Phone 210-373-8482 email

wilkim45yahoocom Steve amp Donna Van Gilder Phone 210-391-9495 email

dvangildersatxrrcom Court amp Diane van Sickler Phone 830-606-0068

email cbvs98hotmailcom

Bill amp Jane Johnson Phone 830-393-3541 email

wildbill521expressicscom Duke amp Chela Thompson Phone 210-260-8626

email drdct1480aolcom Skip Surre Phone 210-787-6653 email

skipsurreyahoocom Hilmer Merz Phone 210-857-8234 email

hilmermerzattnet Mike amp Cindy Edmonds Phone 210-887-8560

email pigpen8808attnet Sal Pesta Phone 210-662-8161 email

spestasbcglobalnet Sam Morris Phone 210-889-7330 email samjgvecnet

Texas District Officers amp Team website

wwwgwrra-txorg District Directors David amp Christina Vidrine TxDDgwrra-txorg

Assistant District Directors Mike amp Robin Thacker TxaDDgwrra-txorg

District Educators Ricky amp Karen Frazier TxEDGWRRA-TXorg

District Trainer Jennifer amp Johnny Ervin TxTrainergwrra-txorg

Couple of the Year 2013-2014 Steve amp Donna Van Gilder TxCOYgwrra-txorg

District Treasurer Diane Shults TxTreasurergwrra-txorg

Membership Enhancement Coordinators (MEC) Steve amp Donna Van Gilder TxMECgwrra-txorg

Chapter Of the Year Coordinators Robin Thacker Txdistchoyyahoocom

COY Coordinators Steve amp Donna Van Gilder COYCoordinatorsgwrra-txorg

Activities Coordinator Phil amp Annette Lockler annetteharrington1verizoncom

Newsletter Editor Tom Sprague NLEgwrra-txorg

Vendor Coordinator Kenny Shults TxVCgwrra-txorg

Entertainment Coordinator Kenny Shults entertainmentgwrra-txorg

Webmaster Tom amp Dawn Sprague webmastergwrra-txorg

14

Do you have something you want to buy sell

or swap Send your ad to Tom Hendricks at

hendricks88satxrrcom

2008 Honda Gold Wing It has less than 6000

original miles with many extras I have added to the

bike Asking $14500 Garage kept covers helmets

with intercom and jackets to go with bike Other

pictures on Chapter U website Contact Stephen

Starr at 210-793-3032

2000 ultra classic 67K miles $9500 AM FM CB

intercom cruise control Dale Earnhardt custom paint

scheme bike cover two helmets with speakers in

helmet and microphones Pig tail cables security

cable extra wind shield hand held low pressure air

pump to adjust the air suspension new oil filter

Harley tool kit owners manual for bike and sound

system three zip and carry in bag liners leather three

compartment windshield pouch plus some odds and

ends Safety inspection and license out of date Needs

new handle grips and in storage for last four years

Contact me at 210-846-0567

GOING ONCE GOING TWICE

if its gone let it be known

Please Ads expire in 60 days

A blonde goes to the Post Office to buy stamps for her

Christmas cards

She says to the clerk May I have 50 Christmas stamps

please

The clerk says What denomination

The blonde says God help us has it come to this Oh well -

give me 22 Catholic 12 Presbyterian 10 Lutheran and 6

Baptist

15

Ride to Elm Creek Fly-In Event

November 2 2013

Airstrip is between the houses

I wonder if Bob Fairey knew that November 2 would

be such a beautiful day for riding when he invited

Chapter U to his subdivisionrsquos Fly-In event outside of

Seguin--because it was Those making the trip met at

KPS by 1000 to leave on the ride over to Seguin

Arrival at the airfield

Steve Van Gilder Sam Morris Larry Hammond

Ed and Helen Smith and Ken and Connie Jordan told Rick Kendrick (who had come to see us off)

good-bye and started out Taking FM 1518 to Trainer

Hale Rd and then FM 467 towards Seguin we had no

traffic to worry about We only had to enjoy the 68

degree crisp sunny day to the Elm Creek subdivision

As we came to the entrance our excitement increased

because you could see several airplanes lined up

along an airstrip The grass airstrip is situated

between rows of homes - homes with garages for their

cars and hangars for their airplanes We were

directed to the motorcycle parking area and as we

were removing our jackets etc Bill Johnson came

over the radio ldquoWhere are yarsquoll Irsquom not sure what

road to takerdquo Before more directions could be given

he and Jane and Earl and Diana Bartolomeo drove

up

Watching planes go by

Planes were landing and taking off constantly so we

all went to watch the activities Planes and gliders

were parked along the airstrip and guests were

checking them out We were told that many of the

aircraft were homemade Apparently many airplanes

were just dropping in for lunch and the event because

25 plus planes could be seen up and down the airstrip

and there were not that many hangars in the area

Chapter U had its own parking area

16

Really good lasagna lunch

Tables were set up inside and outside one of the

hangars This was s where we ate our lunch which

included a large assortment of desserts (This pretty

much helped us all decide that we didnrsquot need a DQ

stop) Raffle tickets could be purchased for drawings

of various donated items and airplane rides None of

us were brave enough to chance winning a plane ride

but two of us did have winning tickets for other items

Guess who won a raffle

We left the grounds for home at about 100 which

gave everyone time to do whatever needed to be

done We want to thank Bob Fairey for his invitation

to this event because everyone seemed to enjoy it and

the ride immensely

Check out this paint job

Write up and photos provided by Ken and Connie

Jordan

Hooky Ride to Toyota Plant

November 6 2013

Toyota Tundra

If you are a native or transplanted Texan and

you are looking for rides that whet the

appetite and intrigue your fellow Chapter

members you cannot beat the combination of

BarBQ and pickup trucks Larry Hammond

took this task to heart and although his first

love is motorcycles and Gold Wings in

particular he scheduled a lunch and tour that

fit this bill

17

Participants in the Hooky Ride to the Toyota

Plant were Tom Hendricks Larry

Hammond Ed and Helen Smith Ron

DeLaughter Art Pena Steve Van Gilder

Ken and Connie Jordan Jack and Linda

Dowda John and Judy Curtis Sal and

Phylis Pesta Sam Morris Mike Whiteside

JD and Mille Kvapil and four women from

the Ladies on Wheels (LOW) motorcycle

organization

Rudys - The Worst BarBQ in Texas

We started out with lunch at Rudys Bar BQ

home of the Worst BarBQ in Texas Rudys

always makes a good spread and today was

extra special as all our Chapter Veterans

received their meals for free This was a few

day prior to Veterans Day and as a proud

Veteran Id like to say thanks to Rudys for

making our day a little more special and a

real thanks for all the Chapter U Veterans

and families who have served our great

nation Well done

One thing you cannot count on in Texas is the

weather and because of the high forecast for

rain the decision was made to not to ride

bikes So instead of two or three wheels we

travelled on our Hooky run by car I thought

being a Road Captain on a bike was tough

but trying to coordinate six or seven cars was

a challenge (Im beginning to appreciate the

need for having a CB radio)

Waiting for the tour to begin

Our destination was Toyota Motor

Manufacturing Texas which is a truck factory

based in San Antonio Texas It is owned and

operated by Toyota Motor Corporation of

Japan This is the home of the Toyota Tundra

(the Tundra is only built at this plant) and one

of the reasons the plant located in Texas is

because Texans buy trucks

Linda showing Tux around

When we arrived at the plant we toured the

visitors center and saw a 10 minute film to get

18

a feel of Toyotas history and how the

assembly line process worked Then we

hopped in a Disney-like tram system and

toured the plant We were unable to see two

aspects of the assembly line process but

Toyotas tour guides lead us through the other

portions of the approximately 2 million square

foot facility The tour normally begins in the

Body Weld shop where stamped steel pieces

are welded together using state of the art

technology This is done by a team of

computer-controlled robots that perform the

welds that result in a completed body shell

From the Weld shop you go to the Plastics

shop where critical components including the

vehicle bumpers and instrument panels are

made If you looked up you could see

overhead conveyors transporting the trucks

from the Paint shop to the Final Line in

Assembly

Millie and JD made it after all

After experiencing the tour I understand why

Toyota can barely keep up with demand for

these fine vehicles The actual tour was one

and one-half hours long and I was very

impressed with the cleanliness attentiveness

interest of employees and the technical

innovation involved in the assembly line

process I often congratulate myself on

finishing a project that has a few hundred

components or steps to it Toyotas assembly

line has millions of pieces coming together on

schedule in the correct color and with

individual accessories resulting in a finished

truck being completed every 61 seconds If

you have a child who is interested in

engineering or just wants some insight on

what it takes to make a product from start to

finish this tour is a must

In truck territory

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company Texas

occupies 2600 acres of this ranchland south

of downtown San Antonio and began

operations in 2006 Toyotas San Antonio

assembly facility produces Tundra and

Tacoma pickup trucks and presently employs

more than 2800 workers It includes roughly

2000000 square feet of assembly space

Write provided by Tom Hendricks and

photos provided by Tom Hendricks and Ken

and Connie Jordan

Author Unknown -

It is better to live richly than to die rich

16

Really good lasagna lunch

Tables were set up inside and outside one of the

hangars This was s where we ate our lunch which

included a large assortment of desserts (This pretty

much helped us all decide that we didnrsquot need a DQ

stop) Raffle tickets could be purchased for drawings

of various donated items and airplane rides None of

us were brave enough to chance winning a plane ride

but two of us did have winning tickets for other items

Guess who won a raffle

We left the grounds for home at about 100 which

gave everyone time to do whatever needed to be

done We want to thank Bob Fairey for his invitation

to this event because everyone seemed to enjoy it and

the ride immensely

Check out this paint job

Write up and photos provided by Ken and Connie

Jordan

Hooky Ride to Toyota Plant

November 6 2013

Toyota Tundra

If you are a native or transplanted Texan and

you are looking for rides that whet the

appetite and intrigue your fellow Chapter

members you cannot beat the combination of

BarBQ and pickup trucks Larry Hammond

took this task to heart and although his first

love is motorcycles and Gold Wings in

particular he scheduled a lunch and tour that

fit this bill

17

Participants in the Hooky Ride to the Toyota

Plant were Tom Hendricks Larry

Hammond Ed and Helen Smith Ron

DeLaughter Art Pena Steve Van Gilder

Ken and Connie Jordan Jack and Linda

Dowda John and Judy Curtis Sal and

Phylis Pesta Sam Morris Mike Whiteside

JD and Mille Kvapil and four women from

the Ladies on Wheels (LOW) motorcycle

organization

Rudys - The Worst BarBQ in Texas

We started out with lunch at Rudys Bar BQ

home of the Worst BarBQ in Texas Rudys

always makes a good spread and today was

extra special as all our Chapter Veterans

received their meals for free This was a few

day prior to Veterans Day and as a proud

Veteran Id like to say thanks to Rudys for

making our day a little more special and a

real thanks for all the Chapter U Veterans

and families who have served our great

nation Well done

One thing you cannot count on in Texas is the

weather and because of the high forecast for

rain the decision was made to not to ride

bikes So instead of two or three wheels we

travelled on our Hooky run by car I thought

being a Road Captain on a bike was tough

but trying to coordinate six or seven cars was

a challenge (Im beginning to appreciate the

need for having a CB radio)

Waiting for the tour to begin

Our destination was Toyota Motor

Manufacturing Texas which is a truck factory

based in San Antonio Texas It is owned and

operated by Toyota Motor Corporation of

Japan This is the home of the Toyota Tundra

(the Tundra is only built at this plant) and one

of the reasons the plant located in Texas is

because Texans buy trucks

Linda showing Tux around

When we arrived at the plant we toured the

visitors center and saw a 10 minute film to get

18

a feel of Toyotas history and how the

assembly line process worked Then we

hopped in a Disney-like tram system and

toured the plant We were unable to see two

aspects of the assembly line process but

Toyotas tour guides lead us through the other

portions of the approximately 2 million square

foot facility The tour normally begins in the

Body Weld shop where stamped steel pieces

are welded together using state of the art

technology This is done by a team of

computer-controlled robots that perform the

welds that result in a completed body shell

From the Weld shop you go to the Plastics

shop where critical components including the

vehicle bumpers and instrument panels are

made If you looked up you could see

overhead conveyors transporting the trucks

from the Paint shop to the Final Line in

Assembly

Millie and JD made it after all

After experiencing the tour I understand why

Toyota can barely keep up with demand for

these fine vehicles The actual tour was one

and one-half hours long and I was very

impressed with the cleanliness attentiveness

interest of employees and the technical

innovation involved in the assembly line

process I often congratulate myself on

finishing a project that has a few hundred

components or steps to it Toyotas assembly

line has millions of pieces coming together on

schedule in the correct color and with

individual accessories resulting in a finished

truck being completed every 61 seconds If

you have a child who is interested in

engineering or just wants some insight on

what it takes to make a product from start to

finish this tour is a must

In truck territory

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company Texas

occupies 2600 acres of this ranchland south

of downtown San Antonio and began

operations in 2006 Toyotas San Antonio

assembly facility produces Tundra and

Tacoma pickup trucks and presently employs

more than 2800 workers It includes roughly

2000000 square feet of assembly space

Write provided by Tom Hendricks and

photos provided by Tom Hendricks and Ken

and Connie Jordan

Author Unknown -

It is better to live richly than to die rich

17

Participants in the Hooky Ride to the Toyota

Plant were Tom Hendricks Larry

Hammond Ed and Helen Smith Ron

DeLaughter Art Pena Steve Van Gilder

Ken and Connie Jordan Jack and Linda

Dowda John and Judy Curtis Sal and

Phylis Pesta Sam Morris Mike Whiteside

JD and Mille Kvapil and four women from

the Ladies on Wheels (LOW) motorcycle

organization

Rudys - The Worst BarBQ in Texas

We started out with lunch at Rudys Bar BQ

home of the Worst BarBQ in Texas Rudys

always makes a good spread and today was

extra special as all our Chapter Veterans

received their meals for free This was a few

day prior to Veterans Day and as a proud

Veteran Id like to say thanks to Rudys for

making our day a little more special and a

real thanks for all the Chapter U Veterans

and families who have served our great

nation Well done

One thing you cannot count on in Texas is the

weather and because of the high forecast for

rain the decision was made to not to ride

bikes So instead of two or three wheels we

travelled on our Hooky run by car I thought

being a Road Captain on a bike was tough

but trying to coordinate six or seven cars was

a challenge (Im beginning to appreciate the

need for having a CB radio)

Waiting for the tour to begin

Our destination was Toyota Motor

Manufacturing Texas which is a truck factory

based in San Antonio Texas It is owned and

operated by Toyota Motor Corporation of

Japan This is the home of the Toyota Tundra

(the Tundra is only built at this plant) and one

of the reasons the plant located in Texas is

because Texans buy trucks

Linda showing Tux around

When we arrived at the plant we toured the

visitors center and saw a 10 minute film to get

18

a feel of Toyotas history and how the

assembly line process worked Then we

hopped in a Disney-like tram system and

toured the plant We were unable to see two

aspects of the assembly line process but

Toyotas tour guides lead us through the other

portions of the approximately 2 million square

foot facility The tour normally begins in the

Body Weld shop where stamped steel pieces

are welded together using state of the art

technology This is done by a team of

computer-controlled robots that perform the

welds that result in a completed body shell

From the Weld shop you go to the Plastics

shop where critical components including the

vehicle bumpers and instrument panels are

made If you looked up you could see

overhead conveyors transporting the trucks

from the Paint shop to the Final Line in

Assembly

Millie and JD made it after all

After experiencing the tour I understand why

Toyota can barely keep up with demand for

these fine vehicles The actual tour was one

and one-half hours long and I was very

impressed with the cleanliness attentiveness

interest of employees and the technical

innovation involved in the assembly line

process I often congratulate myself on

finishing a project that has a few hundred

components or steps to it Toyotas assembly

line has millions of pieces coming together on

schedule in the correct color and with

individual accessories resulting in a finished

truck being completed every 61 seconds If

you have a child who is interested in

engineering or just wants some insight on

what it takes to make a product from start to

finish this tour is a must

In truck territory

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company Texas

occupies 2600 acres of this ranchland south

of downtown San Antonio and began

operations in 2006 Toyotas San Antonio

assembly facility produces Tundra and

Tacoma pickup trucks and presently employs

more than 2800 workers It includes roughly

2000000 square feet of assembly space

Write provided by Tom Hendricks and

photos provided by Tom Hendricks and Ken

and Connie Jordan

Author Unknown -

It is better to live richly than to die rich

18

a feel of Toyotas history and how the

assembly line process worked Then we

hopped in a Disney-like tram system and

toured the plant We were unable to see two

aspects of the assembly line process but

Toyotas tour guides lead us through the other

portions of the approximately 2 million square

foot facility The tour normally begins in the

Body Weld shop where stamped steel pieces

are welded together using state of the art

technology This is done by a team of

computer-controlled robots that perform the

welds that result in a completed body shell

From the Weld shop you go to the Plastics

shop where critical components including the

vehicle bumpers and instrument panels are

made If you looked up you could see

overhead conveyors transporting the trucks

from the Paint shop to the Final Line in

Assembly

Millie and JD made it after all

After experiencing the tour I understand why

Toyota can barely keep up with demand for

these fine vehicles The actual tour was one

and one-half hours long and I was very

impressed with the cleanliness attentiveness

interest of employees and the technical

innovation involved in the assembly line

process I often congratulate myself on

finishing a project that has a few hundred

components or steps to it Toyotas assembly

line has millions of pieces coming together on

schedule in the correct color and with

individual accessories resulting in a finished

truck being completed every 61 seconds If

you have a child who is interested in

engineering or just wants some insight on

what it takes to make a product from start to

finish this tour is a must

In truck territory

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company Texas

occupies 2600 acres of this ranchland south

of downtown San Antonio and began

operations in 2006 Toyotas San Antonio

assembly facility produces Tundra and

Tacoma pickup trucks and presently employs

more than 2800 workers It includes roughly

2000000 square feet of assembly space

Write provided by Tom Hendricks and

photos provided by Tom Hendricks and Ken

and Connie Jordan

Author Unknown -

It is better to live richly than to die rich

19

Christmas in Godrsquos Country

Hondo Texas

November 16 2013

Walking tall through Gods Country

Its that time of year again Its time to get into

the holiday spirit and what better way to kick it

off than to spend a day celebrating Christmas in

Godrsquos Country Hondo Texas

Briefing before leaving KPS

Riding from Kent PowerSport to Gods Country

in Hondo Texas were Tom Hendricks Court

van Sickler Sam and Sheila Morris Ken and

Connie Jordan Ron and Maria DeLaughter

and Jim and Shannon Brown Rendezvousing

in Castroville Texas with these seekers of good

tidings and Christmas cheer were Bill and Jane

Johnson Larry Hammond and JD and Mille

Kvapil Ken and Connie Jordans daughter

Stephanie their granddaughter Kendall along

with Tammy Faulkner Stephanies sister-in-law

also made the trip with Chapter U Thats what

the holidays are all about family good times

sharing and new adventures The only thing that

could make it more special would be if you were

just a day or so away from your birthday Happy

birthday Ken Jordan tomorrow is your day

Happy Birthday Kenny

Fall in Texas is not so much about turning leaves

crisp days and falling snow so much as it is

about glorious shirt-sleeve days in the 80sjust

right for kicking up your heels because the

temperatures are no longer hitting in the 100s and

the cool free feel of the oncoming holidays Our

ride to Hondo was one of those days If you are a

lover of the outdoors a throttle turner of renown

and a seeker of the varying beauty of Texas you

were riding with the right bunch today

20

Fine looking bunch of Biker Babes

Highlites of the Christmas in Godrsquos Country

festivities were the Arts amp Crafts show with over

200 vendors For those wanting to extend their

day in Hondo there was an evening Christmas

night parade Besides tons of Christmas gift

ideas there was entertainment such as tumblers

jazz band square dancing a childrens play area

and mouth-watering food Needless to say Santa

was a guest participant and added to the holiday

ambiance and fun of the day

Sam has his eye on Sheila and his money

Following the Christmas in Godrsquos Country event

we stayed in Hondo and had lunch at Hermann

Sons Steakhouse Arranging seating for 18

people took a minute and once the food arrived

the conversation ceased which indicated to me

the food was either pretty good or we were really

hungry I was hungry and would recommend this

restaurant for anyone going through Hondo in the

future

Waiting for everyone to park

There was one first on this trip and it was that we

did not stop at a Texas stop sign (Dairy Queen -

DQ) on the way home The way the Birthday

Boy loves DQ makes me wonder if his next

birthday is bringing on the first or last stages of

senility Oh well hes in good company

Checking out the local bikes

Write provided by Tom Hendricks and photos

provided by Ken and Connie Jordan

21

Chapter Gathering

November 20 2013

The Gathering

Any time you can get 30-40 motorcycle riders

together in one place you can expect a good time

Such was the case tonight Its really all about the

people add a common affinity for Gold Wings andor

Valkyries and you can expect jokes chuckles teasing

and good times for a couple of hours When I can

walk away from a meeting having laughed a lot with

a few raffle prizes won and plans to get together for a

future ride Id call that a great evening We also

discussed the following in the course of our evening

of entertainment

Whats this all about

Our first order of business was the Pledge of

Allegiance Its always a pleasure to remind ourselves

that whatever goes on in our country we are still

fortunate to be able to meet greet our fellow Chapter

members and talk openly about whatever is on our

minds We are members of a great nation and though

there are disagreements on how this land is

administered there is no disagreement that we love

and appreciate being citizens of these United States

A warm welcome to JC Cane

We had a new participant attending his first Chapter

U Gathering Welcome to Chapter U JC Cane

We look forward to seeing you at our next event or

Chapter Gathering We had two returning couple

visiting for the second time and again we wish to

open our arms to Roger and Kathy Broach and to

Scott and Karen Marshall

The next Gathering event was a drawing for a free

meal which was won by Jack Dowda Jack was on a

streak and won multiple items in the raffle drawings

tonight Beginning with our January 2014 gathering

the Chapter is going to change the policy of drawing

for a free meal and instead will have a drawing for

cash by drawing a Chapter members GWRRA

number If that person is not in attendance the

money will remain in the pool and continue to grow

until a winner is picked who is attending the

Gathering The monthly dollar amount is still under

consideration Hopefully the winner will be in

attendance each month but if not this could grow to a

decent amount over a few months Of course as the

pot grows there is more incentive to attend the

22

Gatherings Either way anyone attending a Chapter

U Gathering is considered to be a winner

Ken Jordan Chapter Director emphasized to mark

your calendars for 14 December 2013 from 100 -

500 pm for the Chapter U Christmas party at

Montana Mikes Steakhouse in New Braunfels Texas

The evening will be highlighted with a fun white

elephant gift exchange with a minimum dollar limit

of $1500 and a maximum of $2000 There will also

be door prizes and more fun than a barrel of penguins

Ken informed everyone of an upcoming event called

the Funny Hat contest At one of our early 2014

Gatherings we ask that everyone attending try to

wear the most bodacious extreme neat-o keen-o hat

to the Gathering The best male and female hat from

Chapter U will represent the Chapter at the

District Rally Funny Hat contest in Tyler Texas

Rumor has it there will be a decent prize for the

District winner so start brainstorming and making

plans for some supreme headgear to wear at one of

our upcoming Gatherings

Road Captains Course preparation

On December 7 2013 the Chapter will be

sponsoring a Road Captains Course at Kent

PowerSports We want to encourage everyone -

riders co-riders old and new Road Captains - to

come out participate and if you are a Road Captain

loan us your expertise to make this a better learning

experience for everyone Remember the more

educated safety conscious and involved our

members are the stronger our Chapter becomes

Parking lot chrome

The Mid Winter Round Up (MWRU) for the Texas

District will be held in Waco Texas on 11 January

2014 All Chapter team members should try to

attend and any other GWRRA members can also

attend Education Riders Education and leadership

courses will be conducted for the benefit of all

GWRRA members

The Chapter is investigating if Javelina Harley-

Davidson will be sponsoring the New Years Day

Blessing of the Bikes this year This Chapter ride was

cancelled due to weather last year but it is normally a

Chapter U annual event More information will be

forthcoming

20

Fine looking bunch of Biker Babes

Highlites of the Christmas in Godrsquos Country

festivities were the Arts amp Crafts show with over

200 vendors For those wanting to extend their

day in Hondo there was an evening Christmas

night parade Besides tons of Christmas gift

ideas there was entertainment such as tumblers

jazz band square dancing a childrens play area

and mouth-watering food Needless to say Santa

was a guest participant and added to the holiday

ambiance and fun of the day

Sam has his eye on Sheila and his money

Following the Christmas in Godrsquos Country event

we stayed in Hondo and had lunch at Hermann

Sons Steakhouse Arranging seating for 18

people took a minute and once the food arrived

the conversation ceased which indicated to me

the food was either pretty good or we were really

hungry I was hungry and would recommend this

restaurant for anyone going through Hondo in the

future

Waiting for everyone to park

There was one first on this trip and it was that we

did not stop at a Texas stop sign (Dairy Queen -

DQ) on the way home The way the Birthday

Boy loves DQ makes me wonder if his next

birthday is bringing on the first or last stages of

senility Oh well hes in good company

Checking out the local bikes

Write provided by Tom Hendricks and photos

provided by Ken and Connie Jordan

21

Chapter Gathering

November 20 2013

The Gathering

Any time you can get 30-40 motorcycle riders

together in one place you can expect a good time

Such was the case tonight Its really all about the

people add a common affinity for Gold Wings andor

Valkyries and you can expect jokes chuckles teasing

and good times for a couple of hours When I can

walk away from a meeting having laughed a lot with

a few raffle prizes won and plans to get together for a

future ride Id call that a great evening We also

discussed the following in the course of our evening

of entertainment

Whats this all about

Our first order of business was the Pledge of

Allegiance Its always a pleasure to remind ourselves

that whatever goes on in our country we are still

fortunate to be able to meet greet our fellow Chapter

members and talk openly about whatever is on our

minds We are members of a great nation and though

there are disagreements on how this land is

administered there is no disagreement that we love

and appreciate being citizens of these United States

A warm welcome to JC Cane

We had a new participant attending his first Chapter

U Gathering Welcome to Chapter U JC Cane

We look forward to seeing you at our next event or

Chapter Gathering We had two returning couple

visiting for the second time and again we wish to

open our arms to Roger and Kathy Broach and to

Scott and Karen Marshall

The next Gathering event was a drawing for a free

meal which was won by Jack Dowda Jack was on a

streak and won multiple items in the raffle drawings

tonight Beginning with our January 2014 gathering

the Chapter is going to change the policy of drawing

for a free meal and instead will have a drawing for

cash by drawing a Chapter members GWRRA

number If that person is not in attendance the

money will remain in the pool and continue to grow

until a winner is picked who is attending the

Gathering The monthly dollar amount is still under

consideration Hopefully the winner will be in

attendance each month but if not this could grow to a

decent amount over a few months Of course as the

pot grows there is more incentive to attend the

22

Gatherings Either way anyone attending a Chapter

U Gathering is considered to be a winner

Ken Jordan Chapter Director emphasized to mark

your calendars for 14 December 2013 from 100 -

500 pm for the Chapter U Christmas party at

Montana Mikes Steakhouse in New Braunfels Texas

The evening will be highlighted with a fun white

elephant gift exchange with a minimum dollar limit

of $1500 and a maximum of $2000 There will also

be door prizes and more fun than a barrel of penguins

Ken informed everyone of an upcoming event called

the Funny Hat contest At one of our early 2014

Gatherings we ask that everyone attending try to

wear the most bodacious extreme neat-o keen-o hat

to the Gathering The best male and female hat from

Chapter U will represent the Chapter at the

District Rally Funny Hat contest in Tyler Texas

Rumor has it there will be a decent prize for the

District winner so start brainstorming and making

plans for some supreme headgear to wear at one of

our upcoming Gatherings

Road Captains Course preparation

On December 7 2013 the Chapter will be

sponsoring a Road Captains Course at Kent

PowerSports We want to encourage everyone -

riders co-riders old and new Road Captains - to

come out participate and if you are a Road Captain

loan us your expertise to make this a better learning

experience for everyone Remember the more

educated safety conscious and involved our

members are the stronger our Chapter becomes

Parking lot chrome

The Mid Winter Round Up (MWRU) for the Texas

District will be held in Waco Texas on 11 January

2014 All Chapter team members should try to

attend and any other GWRRA members can also

attend Education Riders Education and leadership

courses will be conducted for the benefit of all

GWRRA members

The Chapter is investigating if Javelina Harley-

Davidson will be sponsoring the New Years Day

Blessing of the Bikes this year This Chapter ride was

cancelled due to weather last year but it is normally a

Chapter U annual event More information will be

forthcoming

21

Chapter Gathering

November 20 2013

The Gathering

Any time you can get 30-40 motorcycle riders

together in one place you can expect a good time

Such was the case tonight Its really all about the

people add a common affinity for Gold Wings andor

Valkyries and you can expect jokes chuckles teasing

and good times for a couple of hours When I can

walk away from a meeting having laughed a lot with

a few raffle prizes won and plans to get together for a

future ride Id call that a great evening We also

discussed the following in the course of our evening

of entertainment

Whats this all about

Our first order of business was the Pledge of

Allegiance Its always a pleasure to remind ourselves

that whatever goes on in our country we are still

fortunate to be able to meet greet our fellow Chapter

members and talk openly about whatever is on our

minds We are members of a great nation and though

there are disagreements on how this land is

administered there is no disagreement that we love

and appreciate being citizens of these United States

A warm welcome to JC Cane

We had a new participant attending his first Chapter

U Gathering Welcome to Chapter U JC Cane

We look forward to seeing you at our next event or

Chapter Gathering We had two returning couple

visiting for the second time and again we wish to

open our arms to Roger and Kathy Broach and to

Scott and Karen Marshall

The next Gathering event was a drawing for a free

meal which was won by Jack Dowda Jack was on a

streak and won multiple items in the raffle drawings

tonight Beginning with our January 2014 gathering

the Chapter is going to change the policy of drawing

for a free meal and instead will have a drawing for

cash by drawing a Chapter members GWRRA

number If that person is not in attendance the

money will remain in the pool and continue to grow

until a winner is picked who is attending the

Gathering The monthly dollar amount is still under

consideration Hopefully the winner will be in

attendance each month but if not this could grow to a

decent amount over a few months Of course as the

pot grows there is more incentive to attend the

22

Gatherings Either way anyone attending a Chapter

U Gathering is considered to be a winner

Ken Jordan Chapter Director emphasized to mark

your calendars for 14 December 2013 from 100 -

500 pm for the Chapter U Christmas party at

Montana Mikes Steakhouse in New Braunfels Texas

The evening will be highlighted with a fun white

elephant gift exchange with a minimum dollar limit

of $1500 and a maximum of $2000 There will also

be door prizes and more fun than a barrel of penguins

Ken informed everyone of an upcoming event called

the Funny Hat contest At one of our early 2014

Gatherings we ask that everyone attending try to

wear the most bodacious extreme neat-o keen-o hat

to the Gathering The best male and female hat from

Chapter U will represent the Chapter at the

District Rally Funny Hat contest in Tyler Texas

Rumor has it there will be a decent prize for the

District winner so start brainstorming and making

plans for some supreme headgear to wear at one of

our upcoming Gatherings

Road Captains Course preparation

On December 7 2013 the Chapter will be

sponsoring a Road Captains Course at Kent

PowerSports We want to encourage everyone -

riders co-riders old and new Road Captains - to

come out participate and if you are a Road Captain

loan us your expertise to make this a better learning

experience for everyone Remember the more

educated safety conscious and involved our

members are the stronger our Chapter becomes

Parking lot chrome

The Mid Winter Round Up (MWRU) for the Texas

District will be held in Waco Texas on 11 January

2014 All Chapter team members should try to

attend and any other GWRRA members can also

attend Education Riders Education and leadership

courses will be conducted for the benefit of all

GWRRA members

The Chapter is investigating if Javelina Harley-

Davidson will be sponsoring the New Years Day

Blessing of the Bikes this year This Chapter ride was

cancelled due to weather last year but it is normally a

Chapter U annual event More information will be

forthcoming

22

Gatherings Either way anyone attending a Chapter

U Gathering is considered to be a winner

Ken Jordan Chapter Director emphasized to mark

your calendars for 14 December 2013 from 100 -

500 pm for the Chapter U Christmas party at

Montana Mikes Steakhouse in New Braunfels Texas

The evening will be highlighted with a fun white

elephant gift exchange with a minimum dollar limit

of $1500 and a maximum of $2000 There will also

be door prizes and more fun than a barrel of penguins

Ken informed everyone of an upcoming event called

the Funny Hat contest At one of our early 2014

Gatherings we ask that everyone attending try to

wear the most bodacious extreme neat-o keen-o hat

to the Gathering The best male and female hat from

Chapter U will represent the Chapter at the

District Rally Funny Hat contest in Tyler Texas

Rumor has it there will be a decent prize for the

District winner so start brainstorming and making

plans for some supreme headgear to wear at one of

our upcoming Gatherings

Road Captains Course preparation

On December 7 2013 the Chapter will be

sponsoring a Road Captains Course at Kent

PowerSports We want to encourage everyone -

riders co-riders old and new Road Captains - to

come out participate and if you are a Road Captain

loan us your expertise to make this a better learning

experience for everyone Remember the more

educated safety conscious and involved our

members are the stronger our Chapter becomes

Parking lot chrome

The Mid Winter Round Up (MWRU) for the Texas

District will be held in Waco Texas on 11 January

2014 All Chapter team members should try to

attend and any other GWRRA members can also

attend Education Riders Education and leadership

courses will be conducted for the benefit of all

GWRRA members

The Chapter is investigating if Javelina Harley-

Davidson will be sponsoring the New Years Day

Blessing of the Bikes this year This Chapter ride was

cancelled due to weather last year but it is normally a

Chapter U annual event More information will be

forthcoming

23

Rons waiting for Maria

Tom Hendricks organized a quiz of Gold Wing

Chapter U and motorcycle related question and

answers for some Penguin related prizes Its always

surprising who the trivia and subject matter experts

are in the Chapter I believe we have some qualified

Chapter candidates for the Jeopardy television game

show

Tom did a trivia quiz for fun

Ken passed on that Pat Kendrick who was recently

in a motorcycle accident was responding well to

physical therapy treatment and can receive calls

Please put her and her husband Rick in your thoughts

and prayers

Raffle time

The 2030 portion of the 203050 raffle were both

won by Skip Surre If I were Skip Id stop by and

pick up a couple of Lotto tickets on the ride home

His luck was busy today The winner of the Kent

PowerSports gift certificate was Diana Briones

Winners of Dairy Queen gift certificates were Skip

Surre Sharon Haley and Sam Morris

What cha got Clint

A special thanks to JD and Millie Kvapil who

brought a variety of her delicious special cookies and

candies for dessert

24

Millie and Helen serving dessert

Ken gave thanks to the waiters at the La Cabana

restaurant for their dedicated service to sponsor Kent

PowerSports and to those who brought raffle items

The next gathering will be 15 January 2014 There

will be no Chapter Gathering in December due to the

holidays Any business issues can be quickly brought

up at the Christmas Party

What a happy group

Write up provided by Tom Hendricks and photos

provided by Ken and Connie Jordan

Lego Wing

25

24

Millie and Helen serving dessert

Ken gave thanks to the waiters at the La Cabana

restaurant for their dedicated service to sponsor Kent

PowerSports and to those who brought raffle items

The next gathering will be 15 January 2014 There

will be no Chapter Gathering in December due to the

holidays Any business issues can be quickly brought

up at the Christmas Party

What a happy group

Write up provided by Tom Hendricks and photos

provided by Ken and Connie Jordan

Lego Wing

25

25

26

27

The following article by Don and Carol Boucher was reprinted from the

October 2013 New Mexico Chapter F GWRRA Howler Newsletter

CB Etiquette

The use of our CB radios while on our Wings has become not only a

convenience but a necessity They definitely make our group riding

experience more organized and help us to keep it that way but with our ever-growing participation in

rides perhaps a few points should be reviewed

The Ride Coordinator (RC) and Tail Gunner (TG) should set the pace not only of the ride but the radio

chatter as well Most likely the RC will advise all riders of the Channel of the day and all Ride Captains

should pay close attention to radio activity in case they should find themselves leading a group due to

separation of the group

Chapter F appears to have a good handle on the appropriate use of the radio during group rides but each

group tends to have its own pattern If you are joining a group you are unfamiliar with we would suggest

you either ask about the groups radio use or give yourself enough time on the ride to discern the grouprsquos

chatter policy

When keying your own microphone (mike) wait at least 1 second after firmly depressing the key before

transmitting your message Otherwise all of your transmission may not be heard

If you are told you are not being heard or understood it DOES NOT help for you to yell into the mike

Raising your voice inside that helmet only garbles the message further The best way to be heard clearly is

to speak NORMALLY into the mike If you are still not being heardunderstood ask a rider further ahead

of you to relay the message to the intended recipient Large groups can lose message quality with

distance

If you see something interesting you wish to share with the group it does not hurt to share the information

over the radio as long as it does not interfere with information being shared by the RC or TG But if you

see the hand signal of a fist lifted straight up in the air it means the RC needs the channel for an important

transmission

Many of us donrsquot really know much about the squelch so perhaps the following will help you to

understand its function

Using the Squelch

The squelch is the control gate for incoming signals This control cuts off or eliminates receiver

background noise (white noise) when youre not receiving an incoming signal You can either set the

squelch so that you receive all signals within your range or so that you can only receive the strongest

signals (usually those signals closest to you)

28

Writers Wanted - If you have a story about your recent motorcycle adventures we would

love to share it with the other GWRRA Chapter U members by publishing your story in our

Newsletter Please submit articles that you think will be of interest or informative to the

chapter The articles may be about your favorite ride bike accessory or just a funny story

All articles submitted may be edited at the discretion of the newsletter editor depending on

the space available Controversial subject matter may not be submitted Please submit your

article by e-mail to Tom Hendricks at hendricks88satxrrcom by the 25th of each month

for the next monthrsquos issue We need 5 articles per month from our members to make the

best showing for our newsletter and our readers

If you are riding a Honda Gold Wing you should be a member of the Gold

Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) With membership in the GWRRA

you receive the following Wing World magazine the Gold Book Member

Directory Towbusters Emergency road-side Assistance Program Affinity

Credit Card Program USA hotel discounts and much more Call any staff

member listed in this newsletter and ask how you can become a member of the

GWRRA

28

Writers Wanted - If you have a story about your recent motorcycle adventures we would

love to share it with the other GWRRA Chapter U members by publishing your story in our

Newsletter Please submit articles that you think will be of interest or informative to the

chapter The articles may be about your favorite ride bike accessory or just a funny story

All articles submitted may be edited at the discretion of the newsletter editor depending on

the space available Controversial subject matter may not be submitted Please submit your

article by e-mail to Tom Hendricks at hendricks88satxrrcom by the 25th of each month

for the next monthrsquos issue We need 5 articles per month from our members to make the

best showing for our newsletter and our readers

If you are riding a Honda Gold Wing you should be a member of the Gold

Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) With membership in the GWRRA

you receive the following Wing World magazine the Gold Book Member

Directory Towbusters Emergency road-side Assistance Program Affinity

Credit Card Program USA hotel discounts and much more Call any staff

member listed in this newsletter and ask how you can become a member of the

GWRRA

29

The following article was reprinted from the October 2013 Newsletter from Chapter O Austin Texas

httpwwwgoldwingaustinorgNewsLettersNL_2013-10pdf

October 2013 Gold Wing Road Riders Association - Newsletter

Educatorrsquos Desktop

By Randy Reese

Age Does Matter

OK - before you start guessing that Im talking about our ages this is an interesting article I found by Rick

McCalla Region K Educator Central Canada

Good information

At a recent GWRRA trailering course before allowing the members to use the course the instructors had everyone

attending check their motorcycles trailers and helmets for safety One of the things they checked for was that the

helmets should not be over 7 years old It was quite a surprise to a member when he found out that the new helmet

he had purchased only a month before on sale was actually over 7 years old and no longer suitable for use The

helmet has since been returned to the dealer who sold it

All DOT approved helmets must include a date of manufacture on them It might be a label on the chin strap or

you might have to carefully peel back the cloth liner of the helmet and look for a label or a date stamp on the

styrofoam The industry recommendation is that a helmet should be replaced after a maximum of 5 years of use or

after 7 years from the date of manufacture ndash whichever occurs first Even an old helmet that appears to be brand

new may have deterioration due to many factors that can affect its ability to properly protect you in the event of an

accident

Patrick Houlihan a representative from Shoei Helmets (Tustin CA) had this explanation ldquoA helmet should be

replaced 5 years from date of purchase or 7 years from date of manufacture whichever comes first This

replacement recommendation is based on a consensus by both the helmet manufacturers and safety standards

Glues resins and other materials used in helmet production can affect liner materials Hair oils body fluids and

cosmetics as well as normal wear and tear all contribute to helmet degradation Petroleum based products

present in cleaners paints fuels and other commonly encountered materials may also degrade materials used in

many helmets possibly degrading performance Additionally experience indicates there will be a noticeable

improvement in the protective characteristic of helmets over a five-year period due to advances in materials

designs production methods and the standards Thus the recommendation for five-year helmet replacement is a

judgment call stemming from a prudent safety philosophyrdquo

Gordon Murphy GWRRA National Director - Rider Education ndash Canada had this to say ldquoThe Canada Safety

Council in Canada and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in the US (I have been a CSC Senior Instructor for 7

years) teaches that helmets should be replaced between 5 and 7 years depending on whether or not the helmet has

been dropped or not The experts tell us that the foam breaks down after that period due to the natural oils in our

head sunlight and the normal aging process While there may not be any visible sign to the naked eyes that

doesnt change this process Therefore the helmet will have lost its optimum protective qualities and leave the

person vulnerable in the event of an impact with the pavement or other surface3 My strong advice for anyone is

that they always check the date on a helmet before they purchase it Even if it was never worn the foam naturally

breaks down becomes more brittle and less absorbent during the space of 5 to 7 yearsrdquo

30

Before you head out for your next ride please take a minute to check the manufacture date on your helmet Is it

within the recommended date ranges The next time you are out shopping for a new helmet especially at shows

and sales check the manufacture date before you buy it

On a similar note tires are another critical part of our motorcycle for which age does matter Even a new tire

purchased at a dealership can be several years old rather than a fresh new one and that age can affect itrsquos safe

performance and life Check the date of the tire before you buy it to make sure you are getting a fresh one

You can determine the date of manufacturer as follows ldquoThe manufacture date is in a code printed on the sidewall

It will be the last four digits (for tires made in the year 2000 or later) in a string of letters and numbers starting

with DOT The first two digits are the week of manufacture and the last two digits are the year of manufacture

For example if it says DOT817AD472200 look at the last four digits 2200 means that your tire was made in the

22nd week of the year 2000 Tires manufactured prior to the year 2000 will have a three-digit code For example

DOT733AC297means (looking at the last 3 digits 297) that your tire was made the 29th week of 1997rdquo

I checked all our helmets - Out of 9 helmets only 1 was less than 5 years old I knew how to read my tires and I

dont buy them if they are older than a year Take a few minutes to check the age of your equipment your life may

depend on it

Ride often Ride safely and HEY Be careful out there

RMR

A fool and his motorcycle are soon parted

31

32

2014 CALENDAR

33

Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) will host a brand new National Event at the world-

famous Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville TN named GWRRAs Weekend at the Opry The social event of the year will be open to all Members as well as non-

members and include tours of the famous city dinnerdance seminars openingclosing ceremonies and many more fun group events On August 29 - 31 2014 GWRRA is coming to

Nashville for this Labor Day Weekend at the Opry and its going to be spectacular Check out the event at opryeventgwrraorg or call GWRRA at 800-843-9460

34

35

Ol Blue

A young cowboy from Texas goes off to college Half way through the semester he has foolishly squandered all his money

He calls home

Dad he says You wont believe what modern education is developing They actually have a program here in Austin that

will teach our dog Ol Blue how to talk

Thats amazing his Dad says How do I get Ol Blue in that program

Just send him down here with $1000 the young cowboy says Ill get him in the course

So his father sends the dog and $1000

About two-thirds of the way through the semester the money again runs out The boy calls home

So hows Ol Blue doing son his father asks

Awesome Dad hes talking up a storm he says but you just wont believe this - theyve had such good results they have

started to teach the animals how to read

Read says his father No kidding How do we get Blue in that program

Just send $2500 Ill get him in the class

The money promptly arrives

But our hero has a problem At the end of the year his father will find out the dog can neither talk nor read

So he shoots the dog When he arrives home at the end of the year his father is all excited

Wheres Ol Blue I just cant wait to see him read something and talk

Dad the boy says I have some grim news Yesterday morning just before we left to drive home Ol Blue was in the living

room kicked back in the recliner reading the Wall Street Journal like he usually does Then he turned to me and asked So

is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives in town

The father exclaimed I hope you shot that son of a gun before he talks to your Mother

30

Before you head out for your next ride please take a minute to check the manufacture date on your helmet Is it

within the recommended date ranges The next time you are out shopping for a new helmet especially at shows

and sales check the manufacture date before you buy it

On a similar note tires are another critical part of our motorcycle for which age does matter Even a new tire

purchased at a dealership can be several years old rather than a fresh new one and that age can affect itrsquos safe

performance and life Check the date of the tire before you buy it to make sure you are getting a fresh one

You can determine the date of manufacturer as follows ldquoThe manufacture date is in a code printed on the sidewall

It will be the last four digits (for tires made in the year 2000 or later) in a string of letters and numbers starting

with DOT The first two digits are the week of manufacture and the last two digits are the year of manufacture

For example if it says DOT817AD472200 look at the last four digits 2200 means that your tire was made in the

22nd week of the year 2000 Tires manufactured prior to the year 2000 will have a three-digit code For example

DOT733AC297means (looking at the last 3 digits 297) that your tire was made the 29th week of 1997rdquo

I checked all our helmets - Out of 9 helmets only 1 was less than 5 years old I knew how to read my tires and I

dont buy them if they are older than a year Take a few minutes to check the age of your equipment your life may

depend on it

Ride often Ride safely and HEY Be careful out there

RMR

A fool and his motorcycle are soon parted

31

32

2014 CALENDAR

33

Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) will host a brand new National Event at the world-

famous Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville TN named GWRRAs Weekend at the Opry The social event of the year will be open to all Members as well as non-

members and include tours of the famous city dinnerdance seminars openingclosing ceremonies and many more fun group events On August 29 - 31 2014 GWRRA is coming to

Nashville for this Labor Day Weekend at the Opry and its going to be spectacular Check out the event at opryeventgwrraorg or call GWRRA at 800-843-9460

34

35

Ol Blue

A young cowboy from Texas goes off to college Half way through the semester he has foolishly squandered all his money

He calls home

Dad he says You wont believe what modern education is developing They actually have a program here in Austin that

will teach our dog Ol Blue how to talk

Thats amazing his Dad says How do I get Ol Blue in that program

Just send him down here with $1000 the young cowboy says Ill get him in the course

So his father sends the dog and $1000

About two-thirds of the way through the semester the money again runs out The boy calls home

So hows Ol Blue doing son his father asks

Awesome Dad hes talking up a storm he says but you just wont believe this - theyve had such good results they have

started to teach the animals how to read

Read says his father No kidding How do we get Blue in that program

Just send $2500 Ill get him in the class

The money promptly arrives

But our hero has a problem At the end of the year his father will find out the dog can neither talk nor read

So he shoots the dog When he arrives home at the end of the year his father is all excited

Wheres Ol Blue I just cant wait to see him read something and talk

Dad the boy says I have some grim news Yesterday morning just before we left to drive home Ol Blue was in the living

room kicked back in the recliner reading the Wall Street Journal like he usually does Then he turned to me and asked So

is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives in town

The father exclaimed I hope you shot that son of a gun before he talks to your Mother

31

32

2014 CALENDAR

33

Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) will host a brand new National Event at the world-

famous Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville TN named GWRRAs Weekend at the Opry The social event of the year will be open to all Members as well as non-

members and include tours of the famous city dinnerdance seminars openingclosing ceremonies and many more fun group events On August 29 - 31 2014 GWRRA is coming to

Nashville for this Labor Day Weekend at the Opry and its going to be spectacular Check out the event at opryeventgwrraorg or call GWRRA at 800-843-9460

34

35

Ol Blue

A young cowboy from Texas goes off to college Half way through the semester he has foolishly squandered all his money

He calls home

Dad he says You wont believe what modern education is developing They actually have a program here in Austin that

will teach our dog Ol Blue how to talk

Thats amazing his Dad says How do I get Ol Blue in that program

Just send him down here with $1000 the young cowboy says Ill get him in the course

So his father sends the dog and $1000

About two-thirds of the way through the semester the money again runs out The boy calls home

So hows Ol Blue doing son his father asks

Awesome Dad hes talking up a storm he says but you just wont believe this - theyve had such good results they have

started to teach the animals how to read

Read says his father No kidding How do we get Blue in that program

Just send $2500 Ill get him in the class

The money promptly arrives

But our hero has a problem At the end of the year his father will find out the dog can neither talk nor read

So he shoots the dog When he arrives home at the end of the year his father is all excited

Wheres Ol Blue I just cant wait to see him read something and talk

Dad the boy says I have some grim news Yesterday morning just before we left to drive home Ol Blue was in the living

room kicked back in the recliner reading the Wall Street Journal like he usually does Then he turned to me and asked So

is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives in town

The father exclaimed I hope you shot that son of a gun before he talks to your Mother

32

2014 CALENDAR

33

Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) will host a brand new National Event at the world-

famous Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville TN named GWRRAs Weekend at the Opry The social event of the year will be open to all Members as well as non-

members and include tours of the famous city dinnerdance seminars openingclosing ceremonies and many more fun group events On August 29 - 31 2014 GWRRA is coming to

Nashville for this Labor Day Weekend at the Opry and its going to be spectacular Check out the event at opryeventgwrraorg or call GWRRA at 800-843-9460

34

35

Ol Blue

A young cowboy from Texas goes off to college Half way through the semester he has foolishly squandered all his money

He calls home

Dad he says You wont believe what modern education is developing They actually have a program here in Austin that

will teach our dog Ol Blue how to talk

Thats amazing his Dad says How do I get Ol Blue in that program

Just send him down here with $1000 the young cowboy says Ill get him in the course

So his father sends the dog and $1000

About two-thirds of the way through the semester the money again runs out The boy calls home

So hows Ol Blue doing son his father asks

Awesome Dad hes talking up a storm he says but you just wont believe this - theyve had such good results they have

started to teach the animals how to read

Read says his father No kidding How do we get Blue in that program

Just send $2500 Ill get him in the class

The money promptly arrives

But our hero has a problem At the end of the year his father will find out the dog can neither talk nor read

So he shoots the dog When he arrives home at the end of the year his father is all excited

Wheres Ol Blue I just cant wait to see him read something and talk

Dad the boy says I have some grim news Yesterday morning just before we left to drive home Ol Blue was in the living

room kicked back in the recliner reading the Wall Street Journal like he usually does Then he turned to me and asked So

is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives in town

The father exclaimed I hope you shot that son of a gun before he talks to your Mother

33

Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) will host a brand new National Event at the world-

famous Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville TN named GWRRAs Weekend at the Opry The social event of the year will be open to all Members as well as non-

members and include tours of the famous city dinnerdance seminars openingclosing ceremonies and many more fun group events On August 29 - 31 2014 GWRRA is coming to

Nashville for this Labor Day Weekend at the Opry and its going to be spectacular Check out the event at opryeventgwrraorg or call GWRRA at 800-843-9460

34

35

Ol Blue

A young cowboy from Texas goes off to college Half way through the semester he has foolishly squandered all his money

He calls home

Dad he says You wont believe what modern education is developing They actually have a program here in Austin that

will teach our dog Ol Blue how to talk

Thats amazing his Dad says How do I get Ol Blue in that program

Just send him down here with $1000 the young cowboy says Ill get him in the course

So his father sends the dog and $1000

About two-thirds of the way through the semester the money again runs out The boy calls home

So hows Ol Blue doing son his father asks

Awesome Dad hes talking up a storm he says but you just wont believe this - theyve had such good results they have

started to teach the animals how to read

Read says his father No kidding How do we get Blue in that program

Just send $2500 Ill get him in the class

The money promptly arrives

But our hero has a problem At the end of the year his father will find out the dog can neither talk nor read

So he shoots the dog When he arrives home at the end of the year his father is all excited

Wheres Ol Blue I just cant wait to see him read something and talk

Dad the boy says I have some grim news Yesterday morning just before we left to drive home Ol Blue was in the living

room kicked back in the recliner reading the Wall Street Journal like he usually does Then he turned to me and asked So

is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives in town

The father exclaimed I hope you shot that son of a gun before he talks to your Mother

34

35

Ol Blue

A young cowboy from Texas goes off to college Half way through the semester he has foolishly squandered all his money

He calls home

Dad he says You wont believe what modern education is developing They actually have a program here in Austin that

will teach our dog Ol Blue how to talk

Thats amazing his Dad says How do I get Ol Blue in that program

Just send him down here with $1000 the young cowboy says Ill get him in the course

So his father sends the dog and $1000

About two-thirds of the way through the semester the money again runs out The boy calls home

So hows Ol Blue doing son his father asks

Awesome Dad hes talking up a storm he says but you just wont believe this - theyve had such good results they have

started to teach the animals how to read

Read says his father No kidding How do we get Blue in that program

Just send $2500 Ill get him in the class

The money promptly arrives

But our hero has a problem At the end of the year his father will find out the dog can neither talk nor read

So he shoots the dog When he arrives home at the end of the year his father is all excited

Wheres Ol Blue I just cant wait to see him read something and talk

Dad the boy says I have some grim news Yesterday morning just before we left to drive home Ol Blue was in the living

room kicked back in the recliner reading the Wall Street Journal like he usually does Then he turned to me and asked So

is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives in town

The father exclaimed I hope you shot that son of a gun before he talks to your Mother

35

Ol Blue

A young cowboy from Texas goes off to college Half way through the semester he has foolishly squandered all his money

He calls home

Dad he says You wont believe what modern education is developing They actually have a program here in Austin that

will teach our dog Ol Blue how to talk

Thats amazing his Dad says How do I get Ol Blue in that program

Just send him down here with $1000 the young cowboy says Ill get him in the course

So his father sends the dog and $1000

About two-thirds of the way through the semester the money again runs out The boy calls home

So hows Ol Blue doing son his father asks

Awesome Dad hes talking up a storm he says but you just wont believe this - theyve had such good results they have

started to teach the animals how to read

Read says his father No kidding How do we get Blue in that program

Just send $2500 Ill get him in the class

The money promptly arrives

But our hero has a problem At the end of the year his father will find out the dog can neither talk nor read

So he shoots the dog When he arrives home at the end of the year his father is all excited

Wheres Ol Blue I just cant wait to see him read something and talk

Dad the boy says I have some grim news Yesterday morning just before we left to drive home Ol Blue was in the living

room kicked back in the recliner reading the Wall Street Journal like he usually does Then he turned to me and asked So

is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives in town

The father exclaimed I hope you shot that son of a gun before he talks to your Mother