IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

Oct 6 - Dinner Ride to Skyline Lodge @ Highland Forest @ 6:30PM

Oct 12 - Monthly Gathering @ Euclid Hotel; Dinner @ 6PM (optional); Gathering @ 7PM

Oct ?? - Tour Comittee Meeting; time and location TBD

Nov 9 - Monthly Gathering @ Euclid Hotel; Dinner @ 6PM (optional); Gathering @ 7PM

Nov ?? - Tour Comittee Meeting; time and location TBD

Dec 8 - Chapter D Christmas Party; Euclid Restaurant;6:00PM

GWRRA Region BNY District - Chapter D:

"There are no wrong turns, only “D” tours!"

OCTOBER 2011 NEWSLETTER

CHAPTER D OFFICERS & STAFFCD: Bill & Julie Spencerbandjspencer@gmail.comACD: Bob & Chris Makai

rmakai10@yahoo.comTREASURER: Jim Tillotson

Ph 315 243-2786MEC: Trish Thayer

pthayer27@gmail.comRIDER ED.: John Van Deusen

vandeusen2@hotmail.comCOY 2011: Rick Reardon & Pam Pearson

TECH. DIR.: Bill Downeybillrpa@aol.com

CHAPTER D COMMITTEES Newsletter: Bill Spencer

Advertising: Henry Jedra & Jim Tillotson

Sunshine: Shirley Hammond Photographer: Will Williams

Historian: Sally Williams Patches & Pins: Laurie O’Brien

Webmaster: Pam Pearson

NY DISTRICT OFFICERSDD: Paul & Suzette Wood 585-343-8903

gwrranydd@gmail.comADD: Bob & Cathy Turner

631-368-8982 ghostriderse@verizon.netADD: Gary & Donna Cork 518-877-4917

Dgcorkny@aol.comDIST. TREAS: Kathy DeGroff

315-289-1308 kdegroff2@yahoo.com

ANNIVERSARIES

Oct 30 - Will & Sally Williams

BIRTHDAYSOct 4 - Sally WilliamsOct 11 - Pam PearsonOct 14 - John Van DeusenOct 19 - Jim TillotsonOct 26 - Lind TillotsonOct 26 - Judi Lotito Oct 28 - Duke Barber

DASH-FOR-CASH 2011

22 pts as of 10/1/11

Website: www.gwrra-ny-d.org

...to our Chapter Directors...

Our September gathering went extremely well and we would like to highlight the many positives. First, we had 31 people attend and the majority came early to enjoy a meal. Rose did an excellent job of serving everyone, on very short notice. This gave all an opportunity to socialize before the formal portion of the gathering and provided a good amount of business to the Euclid in return for our use of their facility. Second, we had seven different individuals speak during the formal portion. It is great to have this many folks contribute. Third, we had two extra special events in the program. One extra special event was the presence of Dick Lawton at his first gathering since suffering a life-threatening health problem earlier this year. Dick looks very healthy now and it was great to have him attend. The other extra special event was a spur-of-the-moment presentation by Bill Nickal about his participation in a 9/11 Memorial Ride. When chatting with Bill before the formal program, he recounted his participation in this event. When asked if he would share this experience during the formal portion of the gathering, Bill readily agreed. He gave a well organized recap of the event and John Van Deusen added some of his thoughts. Their contribution was enjoyed and greatly appreciated. Bill also has provided a written version of his experience which appears below. Fourth, despite the many speakers and material covered, we were able to complete the formal program in exactly one hour so that the gathering did not run too long. The speakers deserve a great deal of credit for keeping their portions concise and the folks in attendance deserve a geat deal of credit for not engaging in side conversations. Fifth, and finally, we had members including Trish Thayer and Laurie O'Brien pitch in and help with the 50/50 raffle and Pam Pearson circulated a card she purchased for Shirley Hammond. We would like to thank everyone for making the gathering a very positive experience.

We would like to take a moment to thank CNY Power Sports in Cortland for extending an invitation for us to attend their "Wing Night" event on September 15. We had 16 people from Chapter D at the event. In addition to providing some very good food, CNY Power Sports had some excellent promotional offers on Gold Wing tires, oil change kits, and other items. It was a particularly good opportunity for us to get to know owners Dave, Lori, and, Tim Law as well as chat with Service Manager Mike Potter and other staff members. We appreciate the outreach by CNY Power Sports and believe this is an excellent example of local GWRRA chapters and Honda dealers maintaining a good relationship in the spirit of the "GWRRA Honda Dealer Program."

We have again been asked to aid with getting the Gold Book information updated. We will be contacting GWRRA folks in our area. We appreciate your cooperation as the Gold Book is a very important benefit of GWRRA membership and having access to correct information is valuable to all of us. We had looked forward all summer to attending the Ride-Out in Lake George. Regrettably, unforseen circumstances prevented us from attending. Our thanks to Bob and Chris Makai for providing details and the great photos they took. We were also unable to attend the covered dish dinner at Rick and Pam's on October 1. We hope all have a good time and our thanks to Rick and Pam for hosting this event.

We need to begin work on the Ride Schedule for 2012. We expect to have a better idea of our scheduling situation this coming week and will send out an email. Please be thinking about participating in this and/or providing suggestions.

Ride and drive safely!Julie and Bill

...to our Assistant Chapter Directors...

Chris and I attended our first Ride Out in Lake George. The ride up was dry and warm. It was very nice to be in Lake George when there was not so much going on. There was an ice cream social on Friday night, and there were a lot of ice cream sundaes being served. The Country Cottages were very nice and it was convenient that all the events were held right there. On Saturday there were some guided rides going out, but we did not take part in any. Instead we got a chance to do a lot of walking around and even some shopping. On Saturday afternoon the sky turned bright, so we took a beautiful ride along the lake almost to the northern tip and back. We got back in time for the barbecue held to benefit Ride for the Kids. After that we went to town and took a boat tour. The only thing missing was some of our area chapters, and we missed Bill and Julie, who were unable to come. There was a good turnout for the event - about 10 bikes from Chapter X and some from Cape Cod, Mass. All said, we had a great time!

Bob and Chris

...to our Membership Enhancement Coordinator...

Here are the answers for last month's hand-out.! No 50/50 folks...just the answers!

1. Sandbox 9. Split level 17. Mind over matter

2. Man overboard 10. 3 degrees below zero 18. He's beside himself

3. I understand 11. Neon lights 19. Backward glance

4. Reading between the lines 12. Six feet underground 20. Life after death

5. Long underwear 13. Circles under the eyes 21. G. I. overseas

6. Crossroads 14. High chair 22. Short program

7. Uptown 15. Double dice 23. See through blouse8. Tricycle 16. Touchdown 24. Just between you and me

Also, the membership numbers drawn for the October Gathering are: 340642 and 290783If these are your numbers, you need to see me at the gathering, let me know you saw your number in the newsletter, and I'll give you a 50/50 ticket for the evening's drawing. Your's could be the winning ticket!Trish Thayer MEC - Chapter D NY

...to our Pins, Patches, Shirts, and, Hats Director…

2011 Pricing for Chapter Shirts that were recently ordered: (Please pay Laurie as follows)

Dark Burgundy Polos Blue T Shirts Ladies Blue PoloS - XL $21.00 Short Sleeve Long Sleeve $27.002XL - 23.00 S - XL $ 9.50 S - XL $15.00 (Being3XL - 25.00 2XL - $11.00 2XL - $16.00 discontinued)Tall - 2.00 additional 3XL - $12.00 3XL - $17.50

Laurie O'Brien

...to our Chapter Technical Director...

Time to Winterize

Sometime in the next month, most of us will be putting up our motorcycles for the winter. This is an excellent time to go over the whole bike and see what needs to be addressed before the next riding season. This list of to do!s is for storage of more than one month, but no more than a year.

Location of storage:

• Decide where you intend to store your bike and what possible effects the weather might have on it.

• If storing your bike outside, get the tires up off the ground. Don!t store on a dirt floor as moisture will get under the cover and cause corrosion. If you must store on dirt, then place some type of moisture barrier between the ground and the bike.

• Cover with a quality cover that will breathe and not cause moisture retention.• Remove battery and store inside off the concrete and or leave in bike and add a battery tender to

control the charge. The battery tender has the reputation of prolonging the battery life.

Preparation for Storage:

• Add fuel stabilizer and run the bike for 10 to 15 minutes through the fill tank completely with gas.• With the oil warm, change oil and filter.• With older motorcycles, it is recommended that you turn off the fuel petcock.• Consider removing spark plugs and spray a fogging oil in the cylinders. This will help the rings

and cylinder walls from rusting. You may use WD-40 spray if fogging spray is not available and not able to spin tires. Once this is done, spin the rear tire in fifth gear to circulate the fogging spray. Place anti-seize on the spark plugs and reinsert them. I would suggest, if not using fogging or WD-40, to about once a month spinning the rear tire to move around the oil in the engine to recoat the rings and cylinders.

Battery Maintenance:

• Remove battery from battery box and clean box and connectors with baking soda wash to prevent wire corrosion.

• If the battery is not maintenance free, then check fluids and top off with distilled water.• Battery storage discussed previously.

Coolant Servicing:

• Liquid cooled engines should have the anti-freeze changed every 2 years or 24,000 miles.• If you are storing your bike for longer than 6 months, it is suggested you drain the system

completely. This will assure that no corrosion will take place during the extended storage.

Tires:

• Inspect and replace worn tires.• Add 5-8 PSI per tire above maximum load so that the tires will not drop pressure as quickly and

will also make it easier to move the bike around if need be during storage.• Try to get both tires up off the ground to prevent any tire flat spots from developing.

Final Preparation:

• Clean and wax motorcycle• Apply WD-40 to all chrome parts to prevent rusting.

Other Miscellaneous Items To Consider Working On Now So In The Spring The Bike Is Ready To Go:

• Check throttle cables for wear and adjust lube cables on older model bikes.• Check brake fluid and consider changing it if it has been 2 years or 24,000 miles, or you ride a lot

in the rain.• Check and change rear drive oil every 2 years, 24,000 miles or each time you change the brake

fluid.• Remove all brake pads and check the calipers for any corrosion. Lubricate and replace any

sticking parts. Clean brake pads and reinstall if still viable.• Check fork oil every 2 years and replace as needed. This is also the time to check and replace

any leaking fork seals. You can try to clean around the seals with an old piece of film. That could possible save doing a seal job. I sat in on a maintenance class given by Howard Halasz(technical contributor for GWRRA)who said that fork oil does not need to be changed at all!

• Place on center stand.• This is an ideal time to change the air filter if you are lucky enough to have ridden 12,000 miles or

ride a lot in dusty areas. I would also suggest that you consider adding some fine wire mesh to cover the air intakes in order to keep critters from making a home on the filter. Also apply plastic bags over the exhausts to keep critters out. Consider moth balls or dryer sheets on and around the bike to keep away mice.

• If you have done the fogging for these cylinders and have 16,000 miles on your present plugs, then Mother Honda says replace them. If you haven!t done the fogging, it is still suggested to replace plugs.

• Clean out crank case breather tube.• Re-tourque all bolts to factory specifications. Do this by first loosening the bolt, then re-tighten.• Check over and visualize as much of the electrical system as you can. Apply a thin coat of

silicone dielectric grease to exposed connections such as battery, etc.• Clean and treat seats, especially those expensive after market seats.• Check steering head bearings to make sure there are no flat spots detected or any cables being

pinched.• Finally, check your maintenance schedule to make sure that you have not overlooked anything.

I think that if all of the above is done, then in the spring the only thing you need to do is a TCLOCK inspection and you will be ready to hit the road.

Written by Bill Downey, Tech Director

...to one of our Sponsors...

...to a Chapter D guest contributor…

9-11 Tribute Rally & Ride“Always Remember, Never Forget”

September 10th

and 11th

, 2011 by Bill Nickal

Our journey began on Saturday, September 10th

as myself, John VanDeusen and Gary Hass would travel to NYC and participate in a “Tribute Ride” for our brother FDNY Firefighters lost in the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center. As both career and volunteer firefighters with over 90 years of service between the three of us, this rally would prove to be very emotional and inspiring.

Our trip would begin at Syracuse Fire Station 8 on South Salina Street, where we would meet up with brother firefighters from the City of Syracuse. With 14 bikes and trikes in line we headed south at 8am sharp. Our route would take us 81 south to Route 17, to Newburg, NY whose firefighter would host the Rally/Ride for FDNY. Our muster point would be the Headquarters for Orange County Choppers (famed by the reality show “American Choppers”). This would prove to be quite a challenge considering the recent rains, which had flooded the southern tier. We arrived safely, after some challenging de tours, signed in and received our packet of information for the ride to NYC on the morning of 9-11-11. The rest of the day was spent meeting other firefighters who had traveled from as far away as California to participate in the ride.

9-11-2011, Ten years since the attack on the WTC. Our ride would take us 72 miles to downtown Manhattan and the Fire Department of New York memorial (not the new WTC memorial, as this was closed to the public until 9-12). We would muster at a new museum parking lot (the “Motorcycle Pedia”), which had opened in April. A collection of over 350 bikes, trikes and sidecars. A must see if you are in the area. At 10 am sharp we would begin our ride. With a police escort down the NYS Thruway (closed to all but the Rally bikes) the motorcade would stretch 12 miles, an estimated 3700 motorcycles! As we got closer to the city and downtown Manhattan, people lined the streets and bridge over-passes to show the support. Entering the streets of downtown, we traveled along the Hudson River, within yards of the same spot “Sully” Sullen burger, landed his fully loaded aircraft and became another modern day hero saving hundreds of lives. Just moving along the streets of Manhattan and looking up at those skyscrapers was a bit exciting! We arrived at the memorial site to cheers of thousands of New Yorkers and FDNY Firefighters. A wreath was laid and the Chaplin from FDNY said a prayer. We all spent 20 minutes or so taking in the moment before preparing to leave the city. In a word “Emotional”!

By 3pm John, Gary and I would begin our long journey home. The long ride would give us plenty of time to reflect on the events that had occurred ten years ago, and the Tribute Ride we had participated in this memorable weekend. As the entire nation reflected on the events both in NY, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C., we would appreciate our opportunity to share in the FDNY tribute and the 343 which had paid the ultimate sacrifice.

(Editor's Note: Check out http://chapterd.shutterfly.com for some photos of this event)

...to our Rider Ed Directors...

Safe Miles

How many organizations make it known how safe they

are, and have a patch for individuals to show how

committed they are to being safe?

GWRRA has such a program, called Safe Miles, which

is part of the Levels Program. Safe Miles are the miles

driven or ridden accident free since joining GWRRA. An

accident is defined as any incident that results in reportable property damage or

personal injury during the operation, or use of a motorcycle. Reportable includes,

but is not limited to, any Law Enforcement accident report or insurance claim that

was filed as a result of the accident. Should you have an accident your safe miles

converts back to zero. Your first pin starts 5,000 and increases at increments of

5,000 miles to 95,000 and then a rocker patch at increments 100,000. The pin is

placed on the Level 1 Patch and the rocker patch in placed under the levels patch.

Whether you are starting out towards your first 5,000 miles or heading towards

200,000 or more safe miles one should feel proud of their accomplishment. If you

don't currently have your Level 1 patch, sign up today to get yours and wear it

proudly. If you already are in the levels program, have you updated your safe

miles?

Riding safe doesn't come easy. One quickly learns that it is a commitment that goes

beyond the notion of wanting to ride safe. GWRRA offers many opportunities for

you to learn and hone your riding skills. Starting with the Table Talks at our

gatherings, Rider Education Articles in the news letters, Seminars offered through

out the year at our conventions and other functions, to the Parking Lot Practices

and Riding Courses offered.

Remember GWRRA's Motto Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge and it all

starts with that first safe mile.

May all your miles be Safe Miles

Pam & John Van Deusen

Chapter D Rider Educators

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