Saturday July 18, 2020

Chapter PA-R

GUMBALL RIDE Meet at Comfort Inn, Sayre, PA

Winter Get Together

WWW.GWRRAPAR.ORG VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

A hearty group came out for our February Leap Day Lunner - that

is lunch/dinner- gathering! The event took place at the new

Mooney’s Restaurant in Athens, PA. There was plenty of mac and

cheese to go around!!

Welcome to Spring!! I mentioned my buddy, Punxsutawney Phil, last month. I’m not sure I’m happy

with him. On one hand, he is predicting an early spring. And by all accounts, he looks to be correct. I recall last year where I never really got to get the bike going until June! Looks to be much earlier this year. On the other hand, I have a brand-new sparkling snowmobile that cost a ton of money. We’ve not had much of a winter for me to enjoy it. So…not really happy with the groundhog either.

Speaking of that new sled, I’ve just returned from my Great White North Maine trip. Eight days riding for a total of 1100 miles! Check out the pictures. The trails up there are smother than most of the roads we drove to get there. I enjoy snowmobiling for the same reasons I enjoy motorcycling; I get to enjoy the countryside with great friends. Oh, and usually find great places to eat. Like the Blue Moose with their blueberry bread pudding. WOW!!! I travelled with two of my close snowmobiling buddies, Craig & Harrison, which made the drive up and back less boring. Rich, the guy who sets up the trip, contracts the entire motel. At the banquet Friday night, there were a total of 25 in attendance. Groups of four to six would take off and go in different directions daily. A

restaurant was usually the destination for the day. Just a ton of fun!! If you look at Facebook, I posted lots of pictures daily.

On to the present. Happy St Patrick’s Day!! Who in our group is from the Irish decent? Barb & I have ties to St Patrick’s Day as our youngest son, Jim, was born on that day. It’s the only birth date I can remember besides my own…and ohhhh Barb’s. So don’t forget to be a wearin’ of the green at the next Gathering.

Speaking of the next Gathering, don’t forget to set your clocks one hour forward or you will be early.

While we are still in the grips of winter, we’re not involved in much. I’m finishing up this article right after our Leap Year Lunner at Mooney’s. Carla will have pictures for the newsletter. There was a great turn out. Food was good with exceptional service. A real good time. We need to put them on the menu for this summer for a bike ride. For March, we have our Ice Cream Party at the Comfort Inn. Got an idea for a ride or get together? Send them to me so we can get them on the schedule.

Speaking of ideas, we put a Weekend Getaway on our

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My First Selfie!

Me on the trail!

schedule for June 27th – 28th. We have the date scheduled, but not the destination. Anybody got any good ideas? I’m ready to start working on the trip. A

couple of years ago I almost set up a trip to Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Village southwest of Pittsburgh. It is the oldest known site of human habitation on the continent. Check them out at https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/meadowcroft/. Please give me some feedback. June is not that far away.

I know you must think I’m not feeling well as I’ve nothing more to report. Had to happen one month. In closing, from my book, ‘Sit Down, Shut Up & Hang On! A Biker’s Guide To Life’, “You gotta be smart enough to understand the rules of motorcycling and dumb enough to think the game’s important.”

With no winter so far, hoping for an early spring,

Dennis & Barb

Chapter Directors PA-R

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Continued from Page 2

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I’m not so sure about changing positions within our

chapter. Each time we do this, there are more patches to

put on the vest!! I HATE sewing, but I don’t want to

pay to put them on, so here we go again. We just got our

new patches and with another Gathering coming up, I

guess it’s time to bite the bullet and get them on. I am sure

there will be some people who will notice if I leave them at

home!!

There are a lot of events coming up where we will be able to

showcase those pretty new patches! The Ice Cream Social is

this month! All the flyers are listed later in this newsletter,

but the ice cream social is a MUST for us Goldwingers! Did I mention the word ICE CREAM??? And with all the

amazing toppings and extras, I think we might even need to

have a couple helpings!

Then after that, in June, we are planning our Spring Meet & Greet! We welcome all other chapters to ride in and

enjoy a hot dog with us at Southern Tier Honda in Montour

Falls, NY. It’s always a great time. And heck! Even if you

are NOT in another chapter or if you don’t ride a Goldwing - we’d love to have you there as well!

And then as summer gets into full swing, you can’t miss

our annual Gumball Rally. We will be putting together an

amazing ride - you will want to join us and see if you can

win the coveted prize!!! There will be more details on this great event in the next few months.

And then sprinkled around our great events, we have some

super rides planned! A weekend getaway in late June and a

Steamtown ride in August. We want YOU to join us - because we’re a fun bunch!

And of course we are all looking forward to the PA Rally in May. We hope to see you all in

Altoona!

Looking forward to a great riding season...

Ed & Carla

Assistant Chapter Directors

PA-R

Ed and Carla Dawejko

PA-R Assistant Chapter Directors

I have a story to tell. I was out in my back garage and pulled out a sheet of plywood when a large and heavy step ladder

fell, knocking me down so I was under both ladder and plywood.

Sally took me to the Emergency Room and was told I had 9 hurt ribs with 4 broken ones. OUCH.

Safety Sally has been telling me to stay off of ladders, but she didn't say to stay away from them. We decided we should stay off of ladders and our Gold Wing about the same time. We have taken enough Safety courses to

know it was time.

Sally has helped me get better as she doesn't want to be the one to shovel the snow from our driveway. With spring just around the

corner, when you do your spring cleaning, if you have a ladder, watch out, they are evil and may come after you.

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Gathering News

Joining us at our February

Gathering were John & Glenda

Lieb, District Couple of the Year

Coordinators.

Do You Have the Right Helmet?

Motorcycles are all about freedom, adventure and the open road. For many, riding is a way to wash away life's worries and struggles, but true peace of mind comes when you know your helmet will protect you.

Helmet laws vary by state, but you should always wear a helmet. According to the Center for Disease Con-trol and Prevention, helmets reduce the risk of death by 37% and

reduce the risk of head injury by 69%.

Though any helmet is better than none, each helmet provides vary-ing levels of comfort and protection. Style, fit, safety features and overall design varies depending on the manufacturing company and

intended use. It's important to find a well-fitted helmet that suits your riding lifestyle.

When it comes to helmet styles, there are a couple options. Helmets are made with a full face, ¾ and ½. Full face helmets are by far the safest option, since they protect your face from wind, debris and

other hazards. Full face helmets also offer protection to your chin and jaw, a region that often encounters severe impact in an accident. Chin bars, features not found in ¾ or ½ face helmets, help protect your jaw, ultimately making full

face helmets the number one choice for practicality and protection.

In terms of overall protection, look for a shell-built design made of a strong material. Thermoplastic

(typically polycarbonate) is easy to form, making it inexpensive, but it needs to be thick to withstand tough collisions. Fiberglass is lighter, but prone to cracking on impact - which is good for absorbing energy but bad for helmet longevity. Minor accidents may result in the need for a new helmet. The strongest helmets

currently on the market are made of Carbon/Kevlar. Virtually indestructible, these helmets are hard to con-struct, making them pretty expensive.

All helmets must meet quality standards put forth by the Department of Transportation (D.O.T.), so

you really can't go wrong as long as your helmet displays the D.O.T. approved sticker. The most im-

portant part of helmet shopping is finding the right fit. You should also look for an impact-absorbing liner that fits snug to your skull. Helmets are most effective when they don't move away from the skull during impact. To test your helmet's fit, move the helmet all around. Your skin should slight follow the move-

ments of the helmet. Try to remove the helmet with the chin strap fastened. If it comes off, chances are it would also come off during an accident.

Don't forget the fun part about helmet shopping: find your favorite design! While you don't want to com-promise safety for fashion, there are plenty of quality helmets that are available in stylish designs. Pick

your favorite and you're ready to hit the road with the ease of mind that a protected noggin can bring you.

145 Front Street, Owego, New York 13827 Great food, catering, historic bar & hotel

Hi Everyone:

As we prepare to start our trips for the 2020 riding season, another thing we need to prepare ourselves for is towing our Trailer. Make sure you go over

the trailer, pack the wheel bearings, check the lights, make sure the trailer ball is tight and check the tire pressure.

Next you need to hook up the trailer and go to an area where you can practice maneuvering the trailer around and check the breaking distance before you proceed to go out on the road and especially before you start out on a trip.

I feel this article will give those of you who pull trailers something to think about.

Honey, I can’t get all these crafts in the saddlebag and still carry my clothes!!! Does that phrase ring true? Well there is a cure for this, and it isn’t to leave her at home!!!

Soon after the Gold Wing hit the streets, alternative loading (that’s the buzzword for trailers) became quite popular. I am sure that the Gold Wing crowd was not the first to pull a trailer with a motorcycle, but the majority of the motorcycles I see with a trailer are Gold Wings.

Back in the early days the fancy color matched streamlined beauties of today did not exist. You made your own from kits available at various retail stores and put a cargo top from Sears on it for protection of your goodies. These trailers had leaf springs for suspension and were very harsh riding for anything delicate.

As entrepreneurs looked into the motorcycle trailer business, sophisticated suspensions started cropping up and today there are some very good trailers on the market. I am not going to go into the ones I think are good, bad or otherwise.

I am however going to talk about loads and tongue weight. Tongue weight is very important when pulling a trailer. What is tongue weight? It is the weight of the tongue of the trailer puts on the ball/link of the hitch. How much should it be? All the experts say 7 to 12 percent of the total weight of the trailer. Well, how do I know what my trailer weighs? The manufacturer of the trailer supplies that information with the Bill of Sale.

When you load the trailer, weigh each bag or item you place in the trailer and add it to the weight of the empty trailer. If the tongue weight is too light, it can push up on the ball when stopping and de-couple from the hitch. If the tongue weight is too heavy, the trailer will put too much “down force”, on the hitch, unloading weight from the front wheel of the motorcycle, causing longer stopping distances. As we know, 70% of our stopping power is the front brake. Where you place items in the trailer is also important.

The heavy seldom-used items go at the bottom and over the wheels and axles. The items used most often and lighter items go to the front of the trailer and behind the low heavy stuff. Some trailers are outfitted with a cooler in the tongue. When you weigh the tongue, make sure you have the cooler loaded before you weigh the complete package.

To measure tongue weight, you can use a bathroom scale or a hinging fish scale. Whatever method you use, make sure the trailer tongue is on the same level as your hitch when the bike is off the center stand. If you use a bathroom scale, cut a piece of PVC pipe to the proper length, to hold the tongue, at the proper height. The hanging fish scale can be held at the required height with the bike on the side stand.

If you are going to pull a trailer, you need a hitch of some kind. There are many out there and it you read the different message boards, you can really get confused as to who makes the best one. I will not recommend any of them. As far as I am concerned, each of the reputable vendors has a viable product and they are usually covered for liability. However, when you do install a hitch on your motorcycle, purchase a trailer and start traveling, you will probably never leave home without the trailer again.

Now that you have the baby loaded and put the tongue on the ball, and the trailer axis is level with the tike axles, you have to hook up the safety chains. Yes, most states require safety chains on ALL trailers. These chains must be strong enough to hold the weight of anyone stepping on them when connected to the bike and trailer. They should be long enough to allow the trailer to turn without binding and short enough so they do not drag on the ground. They must be crossed under the tongue in the event the trailer becomes uncoupled from the ball. The chains will catch the tongue and keep it from gouging into the pavement as well as keep it connected to

Chuck & Evelyn Stone

PA District Educators

Continued on Page 13

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the bike. A simple way to shorten a chain that may be too long is to twist it a few turns. Remember most insurance companies include the trailer under the bike’s liability coverage.

If they become separated, the trailer may no longer be covered and the damage it does while it is coming to rest is your responsibility, not the insurance company.

When pulling a trailer, you will find your acceleration and stopping are affected. The more the trailer weighs, the more noticeable it becomes. You will have to learn just how much this affects your riding style. The old do-it-yourself models bounced a lot on bumps. The lighter the trailer, the more it will move around on the ruts from the big trucks. You will have to make wider turns and take a longer distance to pass other slower road users. Without going into the specific dynamics of a trailer, you will have to select slower speeds when negotiating curves. Most trailers do not have brakes, so if the trailer and bike get out of alignment when stopping, the trailer will push the back of the bike even more.

We hope everyone has a safe 2020 riding season and remember to become part of GWRRA Rider Education Levels program.

Remember ATGATT.

Ride Safe and Ride Proud

Chuck & Evelyn Stone PA DISTRICT EDUCATORS

As you turn the page on your calendar, you will be looking at the third month of the year March. March is a month that is full of promise and hope for the rest of the year. On Sunday, March 8th,

we return to daylight savings time. This means time springs forward one hour on the 8th, don’t forget to reset your clocks that do not automatically change. Also, Friday, March 20th is the first day of spring. So for those DIY people out there, this is a great time to change your oil and filter, check your battery and consider getting a new one if your battery has not been change in a few years, check your tires to ensure they are road ready and I always make sure my “safety” chrome is shined. In all seriousness, now is a great time to get ready for the riding season that is quickly approaching. And remember when you go out to ride use “ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME” and ride safe! Listed below are PA District events occurring soon: Couple of the Year FUN Day - March 14th RSVP John/Glenda Leib by 03/06/20 at 717-766-5467 or crabcakelady@yahoo.com.

This is a great time to meet couples from other chapters that have been selected to represent their Chapter. You will learn about the honor and what is expected of you.

Officer Conference - April 19th – Trinity UMC 121 S Second St., Clearfield, PA RSVP Harold/Diane Jackson by 04/10/20 at 814-589-1307 or jackson2@zoominternet.net.

We encourage all officers to attend. The purpose of the day is to learn about the office you are holding and the responsibilities of your office along with any changes that home office has implemented. This year you and/or your chapter and the district need to come up with some recruitment ideas so, we can recruit new members in your chapter. Please let us know what your idea is.

PA District Rally - May 14-16th – Altoona Grand Hotel, Altoona, York, PA Discounted Registration due by March 31, 2019

This year’s theme is “Ride Back in Time”; send in your registration and make your hotel reservation. Don’t miss out on the FUN! The current flyer is attached to this newsletter or you can find it on the District website at www.gwrrapadist.org. The trike (TRC) course and Road Captain Course are full. There are a couple of spaces remaining for the Advance Rider Course (ARC) for two-wheel

motorcycles. The Medic First Aid course has space available. This is a great course and helps to prepare you if a

circumstance arises with a family member, friend or co-worker. Additional district events will be itemized closer to the event date. So, keep looking at the 2020 Calendar of Events on the PA District website. There are many activities planned by the district and chapters. This will be a busy year. Remember to always ride safe! Harold and Diane Jackson Your PA District Directors

Harold & Diane Jackson

PA District Directors

7 Saturday Spring Ahead—Set your clocks one hour ahead