Four Winds BMW Riders

The 2008 President's Ride and other musings

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:25:16 -0400

The President's Ride was held on Father's Day at the Foggy Mountain Lodge on a perfect sunny day. We ordered off the regular menu, the food was very good, the service was well above par and all in attendance agreed that the Foggy Mountain Lodge in Stahlstown, PA was well worth a return visit. A few even folks even remarked that it might make a good future rally site! And virtually no business was discussed, no meeting was called to order, no notes were taken and nobody seemed to care. It was Father's Day after all, and only 1/2 of the board was in attendance, so goofing off seemed appropriate. So on to other news. This is the time of the year when we prepare for rally season and other epic summer roadtrips. Here's a tale of one roadtrip that may interest you. Last week, I was presented with a press release from Piaggio marketing. Seventy-one-year-old Dr. Bernard Rosenbaum and his long-time travel companion Bob Chase have started a cross country adventure on the Lincoln Highway which started in San Francisco on June 13 and will end in New York City�s Times Square four weeks later. Buddy and Bob will be at Mosites Motorsports July 9th and 10th as the duo stop over for service on their MP3 500s. Please invite your customers to meet and greet Buddy and Bob when they arrive, etc, please provide food, music and pony rides, Here's a link to the website, http://noagelimitpiaggio.us, yada, yada, yada. Not to take anything away from old Buddy and Bob, but among BMW riders the same age, a similar feat would be considered a lazy summer vacation. As I recall, our own Ralph Meyer did his first Ironbutt (1,000 miles in 24 hours) at age 72! Yes, Walt did the Ironbutt ride too, but Walt was still a youngster at the time. So the fact that Buddy and Bob will ride the entire length of the Lincoln Highway in four weeks is not all that impressive from our point of view. In fact, what amazes me personally is that with seniors living more and more active lifestyles, that anyone would think that travelling 3,400 miles in a month (113 miles a day) on a comfy new MP3 500 is even remotely amazing, even at 70+ years old. Hey Buddy and Bob; us Beemer riders are pretty tough customers, so if you really want to impress us, try that same trip on a Chinese scooter. If you even make it to the next state, you'll have earned our respect and a spot in the Guiness book of world records. Okay, 113 average miles per day on paved roads is hardly an awe-inspiring feat, but in all fairness, there are certain aspects of this trip I do find truly amazing, so here are the questions I plan to ask Buddy and Bob when I meet them. How the hell did you get 4 weeks of vacation? How do you muster the fiscal disipline necessary to save up enough money for an epic road trip like this one? How can you afford the gas? And how did you convince your wives to let you go?

Wasting $4 a gallon gas (and loving it)

Mon, 19 May 2008 23:36:30 -0400

A few months ago, I posted a poll on the website asking our visitors what effect $4 a gallon gas would have on American driving habits. Given that the participants were motorcyclists, it is not surprising that 41.38% said we would see more motorcycles and scooters. 24.14% voted for more small cars and hybrids and 34.48% said we would see no big changes in American driving habits. A few folks correctly pointed out that the large displacement motorcycles we ride were not designed with economy in mind. Even 50 mpg isn't much of a bargain when you factor in the expense of a new pair of Metzlers every 6,000 to 9,000 miles and all the necessary gear. A Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris probably has a lower cost per mile as a premium motorcycle and it comes with 2 extra wheels and a roof and doors.

The $4 a gallon price for unleaded regular has not quite arrived, but some trends are already emerging. If you speculated that smaller cars and hybrids would be all the rage, you were right. Want a Smart ForTwo? You will be on a 6 month waiting list. GM found thousands of customers offering to pay a deposit on a future Chevy Volt electric car that is still in the protoype phase and according to the rosiest projections, won't be available until 2010.

If you guessed that motorcycles and scooters would be swarming our streets in greater numbers, you'll probably be half right. Scooter sales are up 24% in the first quarter of 2008, but overall motorcycle sales in this era of $4 a gallon gas are actually down by more than 10%. Which makes a lot of sense, because motorcycles actually waste gas.

What heresy! How can I say motorcycles waste gas?

Raise your hand if you have ever ridden to Meyersdale for pancakes, or to Helvetia for Sunday brunch at the Hutte, or maybe you photo documented every post office and covered bridge in a 4-state region or went on a multi-state quest for the perfect rack of ribs. Sure, some of us are opting to do more of our commuting on two wheels than we did last year, but most of our riding is for pleasure. We even conduct an annual mileage contest and honor our biggest gas waster at our annual banquet with --- drum roll please --- a GAS CARD!

Even my 100+ mpg scooter is a gas waster. My wife and I will grab the keys to the scooter to make a special trip to the store for the slightest reason, like buying ground cloves. After all, you never know when you will want to make a batch of gingerbread cookies.

In fact, next month, we will be riding to the Foggy Mountain Inn in the Laurel Highlands for the Annual President's Ride, and most of us will be riding solo. Now lets say that instead of riding our 50 mpg motorcycles, we were to charter a 40 passenger bus that got only 5 mpg. The diesel gulping bus would only take 20 gallons of dinosaur juice, or roughly ½ gallon of gas per passenger.

But we're not getting on the bus. We'll ride until the last drop of OPEC oil is gone, then we'll tap the Artic National Wildlife Reserve and when we've tapped that, we'll ride a motorcycle that runs on polar bears if it comes to that.

But fortunately, it won't come to that. I have it on good authority that BMW is designing a wind and solar powered electric motorcycle that recharges itself as you ride. The new 2058 BMW K-EV will have so many onboard computers that a rider will no longer be needed. The rider will only be needed to pay for service appointments at the dealership to inflate the tires, but in a nod to tradition, the 2058 BMW K-EV will sport boxer fuel cells and of course, shaft drive.

So let's waste some expensive gas together while we still can. See you at the SUNDAY President's Ride to Foggy Mountain Inn.

Pony Express Ride

Fri, 02 May 2008 12:36:00 -0400

Reprinted from the May, 1998 newsletter via Kay Smith Last summer Beth Ann Brady and I went to the first ever National women's Motorcycle conference in Westerville, Ohio (a 3 day event). It was a fun and exciting experience. One of the things I came away with was a real appreciation for what the organizers of the first Pony Express ride accomplished. They were at the conference and shared slides and experiences of the event. They never dreamed it would be so successful. it was very successful and raised a lot of money for the Susan G. Koman breast Cancer foundation. Now they are about to do it again. Marianne Taylor, one of Heritage BMW mechanics, is going to be carrying the medallion for a short stint out of Erie, Pa. The Four Winds Club contributed $500 toward her effort. The camaraderie and excitement that this event produced last time was enough for me to want to get a taste of this one. Terry Goldring, Stacy Asherman and I are going to join them for a portion of the ride out of Erie to Buffalo. If anyone is interested in getting on the bandwagon (like we are) give me a call At @#$-*)%_!$*

Rollin' on my fiddy'

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:31:59 -0400

One of my young coworkers asked me a question as I was leaving work for the day. �You rollin' on your fiddy'?� �Excuse me Slim Shady, but I don't speak hip-hop. Would you be kind enough to rephrase your question in plain English?� He explained that a �fiddy� is a 50cc scooter (actually 49ccs), which is what I am riding these days. I am currently on day seventeen of a 49 day challenge to ride a 49cc scooter 49 miles a day, rain or shine. I am doing this to promote scooters as alternative transportation and hopefully sell a few. But I have some misgivings about promoting motorcycles and scooters simply for the sake of fuel economy. Riding a motorcycle or scooter just to save money on gas is like making love for the sake of the exercise. It is certainly a benefit, but its the wrong motivation. Perhaps you are old enough to remember when Americans bought mopeds in great numbers during the oil embargo of the 1970's. How many of those mopeds do you suppose ever had enough miles put on them to need an oil change or a first service appointment? An idle scooter saves no gas. If the summer of 2008 is a redux of the 70's, there will be a noticeable increase of motorcycles and scooters on the road. But many of these machines purchased to offset high fuel prices, like the mopeds of the 1970's, will be forgotten by next riding season and left in a corner of the garage to collect dust, develop dry-rotted tires and serve no purpose but to keep company with the stationary bicycle and the Bowflex machine. Simply put, saving money on gas is a lousy reason to ride. Life-long adult motorcycle riders were the neighborhood kids who practically wore out their bicycles, before graduating to a mini-bike and then a dirt bike. When we were old enough to drive, many of us rode small displacement Honda street bikes, and as time went on and we could afford it, many of us upgraded to progressively larger, faster and more expensive street machines, infinitely more capable than those first small displacement bikes that ignited our life-long passion for motorcycles. As an adult rider who has grown accustom to the performance of a 130 hp sport-touring bike, I was surprised to find myself completely enthralled by riding an Aprilia SR50 scooter down a very steep hill at 55+ mph. I was grinning ear to ear when suddenly a childhood memory flashed in my mind. I was reminded of the first mini-bike I ever rode at the age of 13. It was an insanely fast death trap with no brakes and powered by a 2-stroke McCulloch chain-saw engine. In the thirty-six years that followed since that first ride, I have ridden well over 100,000 miles on some very impressive motorcycles; some costing as much as a decent house did in 1972. But like a time machine, that little 2-stroke �fiddy� transported me to that magical first ride when I was 13 years old. As vividly as it was yesterday, I remembered the sensation of speed, and the harsh exhaust note of the 2-stroke engine that seemed to rattle the window panes of each house as I passed. I never felt more powerful in my young life. I was convinced of my immortality, I believed everything was possible and I never gave a thought to the price of a gallon of gas.

Four Winds BMW Riders April 19th Meeting Minutes

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:11:17 -0400

Location: Uno’s Chicago Grill, Cranberry Board Attendance: Tom Primke, Ralph Meyer, Joann Barr, Diane Pears, Ron Latkovik. Treasurer Tom Primke called the meeting to order. Old Business: The President’s Ride was discussed. Foxburg Inn has one large room which cost $150 to rent and is already booked most of June. Considering the less crowded hours they recommend are Sat. before 4pm or Sun. after 4pm, as well as people’s preference for days, it was voted to leave it on Sat. for a late lunch time. If Mitch is not able to get off work, another leader will be found.

We will need an approximate count to make small groups of reservations, so watch the web site and sign up if you are planning to attend.

Rally: Caterer - 322 BBQ in Brookville has been chosen at $1.50 less per plate than last year. Tom rode up for a taste test and others have recommended them.

Cups - Use up current inventory this year, ceramic mugs cost $300 for shipping alone. Look into new insulated travel mugs next year.

Chairman - Still needed . . . as well as many volunteers

Author’s Kudos: Attention was drawn to the April issue of BMW ON magazine where two of our members had articles published. Mitch Kehn’s “For Those About to GS”, and Jurgen Brune’s “BMW Motorcycles in Coal Country Wyoming”.

West Breakfast Ride Location Change: Because of long wait times, the 2nd Sat. of the month ride location has been moved from Eat 'N Park across the road to Bob Evans, 6547 Steubenville Pike, Rt. 60. Phone 412-494-9119.

May 17th Mtg. at Tony Capriotti’s: The club will provide burgers, dogs, buns and drinks. Members are to bring side dishes. Banquet Facility Search: Sean Barrett is searching for a new location for Jan. 2009 which may include later entertainment and overnight rooms. Checking Holiday Inns, The Meadows, and asking for any ideas from members. John Barr asked about the Bradley House on Brownsville Rd. In the past Rabbit used to DJ, hiring one is expensive, any other ideas for music, dancing or entertainment?

Sometimes the venue will have their own music scheduled. October 18th Meeting: Tom rode to Crooked Creek Park on Rt. 66 near Ford City and reserved “Constitution Pavilion”.

Upcoming Rides Mentioned: Tomorrow - HogFather’s BBQ, Beer Barrel Hamburgers, Murraysville Alliance church bike blessing

Redbank Park - May 17. Poker Run 1st annual Ride for Recreation All proceeds benefit the Redbank Park Commission Matching Grant Fund, a Non-Profit Organization dedicated to improving community recreation in the Redbank Valley area. More info here http://www.pittsburghbiker.com/may2008.html

Annual Syria Shriner’s Poker Run - July 6th. It is a 100 mi. ride with food & prizes. Cost $15. Tour De Cure - June 22, American Diabetes Assoc. 50/50 Tickets: Sold by Larry Berner and John Barr. Drawing won by Tom Primke.

The May 17th meeting: At Tony Capriotti’s home. Watch newsletter for directions. Respectfully submitted, Diane Pears Recording Secretary

J�rgen Brune's article on BMWs and Coal Country

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:33:00 -0400

Our own Dr. Ingenieur, Mining, J�rgen Brune who is now settled in Spokane WA has had a great article published in the April 2006 BMW ON, on p. 118 entitled "BMW Motorcycles in Coal Country WY." Check it out!

March 15th 2008 Meeting Minutes

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:58:00 -0400

Location: Bella Luna Trattoria, Monroeville. Board Attendance: Mitch Kehn, Jay Singh, Tom Primke, Ralph Meyer, Joann Barr, Diane Pears. President Mitch Kehn called the meeting to order. New Business: President Mitch’s new job at Mosites Motorsports requires him to work on Saturdays, therefore alternating board members will chair the monthly meetings. He will attend as many of the Sunday breakfasts and rides as possible to keep in touch.

New Members & Visitors: Alex Walters of Murrysville joined. Tom and Bethany Flury from Springdale attended for the first time after contacting us on the web site and recently acquiring a Bumblebee.

Shack Pack This Wed.: A reminder that the March Shack is at Gary Smith’s garage this Wednesday, the 19th from 7 - 10 pm. Sadly this may be the last shack held at this venerable BMW shrine, marking the end of an era, as Kay and Gary announced they will be moving to Florida.

Annual Syria Shriner’s Poker Run: Alex Walters invited the Four Winds BMW Riders to take part in their largest annual fund raiser event on July 6th. It is a 100 mi. ride with food & prizes. Cost $15.

Rally: Caterer - Investigating 322 BBQ in Brookville

Cups -Insulated Travel Mugs to sell at cost

Seminars - *European Motorcycles of Pgh. *Maybe Al Vangura? *Eric Trow volunteered to do a Safety and riding seminar if he is available

T-Shirts - Design is in process

Music - Satellite radio & pre-recorded instead of band

Sat. Night - Eric Trow is willing to do an encore presentation from the banquet IF his schedule permits.

Chairman - Still needed . . . as well as many volunteers

1st Annual Clem’s BBQ Challenge: Ed Syphan will be organizing a ride to Hog Father’s. Watch the website for date. The March meeting will be at Uno’s Chicago Grill in Cranberry.

Respectfully submitted, Diane Pears Recording Secretary

April 2008 President's Message

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:21:00 -0400

By the time you read this message, Puxataney Phil will be making regular appearances without fear of public retribution and motorcycles riders will be everywhere once again. It will be interesting to see if $4 a gallon gas really results in a significant uptick in motorcycle and scooter ridership as many of us have been predicting.

At the March meeting at Bella Luna, an old friend Alex Walters made it official and joined Four Winds. You may have seen Alex and Bill Werksman arrive together at past meetings dressed out in Shriners garb. As a member of the Shriners Motor Corp, Alex invited the Four Winds BMW Riders to take part in the upcoming Annual Syria Shriners Poker Run on July 6th. Last year's winner took home over $1,700. Sure beats a lousy toaster, doesn't it?

But lets take a look at some of the rites of spring we're all looking forward to and start making our riding plans.

March 29th is the Spring Open House at European Motorcycles of Pittsburgh.

The last weekend in March and first weekend in April hails the Maple Festival in Meyersdale, PA. It's a nice ride from Pittsburgh to Meyersdale and the all you can eat pancakes and sausage with fresh local maple syrup is yummy. According to the schedule listed on the website, the best events will be held on April 4-6.

On April 18-20, Mosites Motorsports will be offering test rides of the very unique Can-Am Spyder. There waiting list to buy one of these wild looking 100 hp Rotax powered 3-wheelers from Quebec. If you'd like to test ride one, contact Moto Mitch at 724-864-2800 and make your reservations.

Sunday April 20th marks the 3rd Annual Region 6 "Meet and Eat" at Dennys Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, PA: home of the Worlds Largest Hamburger is Sunday, April 20th. We'll meet up with 100+ riders, mostly from the Pittsburgh area, but some people make a weekend of it and ride there on Saturday, spend the night at nearby lodging and ride home on Sunday after lunch. Join up with Moto Mitch and Dave “Deer Slayer” Thomas at Panera Bread in Monroeville at 9am. Come earlier if you need to get caffeinated before the ride. We will take back country roads and hope to arrive in Clearfield around noon.

If you think your bike may be cursed by demons, you can get it exorcised at along with several thousand riders at the Murrysville Alliance Church for their annual "Blessing of the Bikes."

The weekend of April 26-27 is the Spring Track Day event at BeavRun sponsored by European Motorcycles of Pittsburgh. Go to http://www.bmwpgh.com for the link and sign up. Cost is $130 per day or $250 for the weekend.

And of course the first weekend of May brings the first major rally of the season is the Georgia Mountain Rally in Hiawasee, GA.

The April meeting will be at Uno's Chicago Grille in Cranberry at 2 pm. Until then, ride safe and I'll see you on the road.

Moto Mitch

The Golden Decade

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:15:00 -0500

Contributed by: Walt Halaja Reprinted from March 1998, By Don Poremski THE GOLDEN DECADE There is a very good possibility that when future motorcycling historians regard the 20th Century, the 90's may be reffered to as a golden time. That's quite a statement when you put this ten years up against decades like the 70's and 80's which saw such advancements in technology or even the 60's that saw the arrival and domination, at least sales-wise, by the Japanese. Many would concur and offer that thrill seeking baby boomers are responsible for the recent resurgence of motorcycle sales and the emergence of truly top-class motorcycle dealerships that rival any automobile marque. The basis for that contention is that boomers in their middle and late forities need the thrill and status of motorcycling to keep them vital, at least in their own minds, by providing an offsetting image to the emergence of gray hair and spreading middles. This group's access to disposable funds has done more than any other single factor to revive and enliven "The Motor Company" that we know as Harley Davidson. In the process, the U.S.A. is moving toward a more continental acceptance of persons dressed for riding, whether they actually own a motor-cycle or not. Image is big busniness. Taking the cue from Harley Davidson, many motorcycle distributors rely on the merchandising of related apparel and accessories for the profit once delivered by the service bay. The use of the defunct logos like BSA and Royal Enfield mean something to new riders who wouldn't know one from a Velocette if challenged. Looking like you come from a more romantic era implies that a person possesses qualities like honor, loyalty and manliness that seem to have slipped from our commom experince. Cruisermania is good for persons who like cruisers, good for dealers who need to remain profitable to keep the doors open, good for clothing manufacturers in all countries, good for charities, and especially good for chromium mines. What is especially pleasing about the good health that selling cruisers brings to motorcycle manufacturers, is that they can also cater to all the other factions that exis tin the sport: touring riders, standard riders, those who like exotics and the performance enthusiast for whom appearance is secondary to function. Dirt riders of all likes also commonly benefit from technology improvements made on the road race circuits and vice versa. The fact that more persons even recognize the term "trials riding" is evidence of the spread of general motorcycle acceptance. The introduction of machines like the new V-Twins from Honda and Suzuki in 1897 and the new lightweight powerhouses like the YZF-R1 by Yamaha, the ZX-9R by Kawasaki and the further lightened CBR-900RR by Honda in 1998 have placed more performance per pound into our hands at affordable prices than even the early 90's. Normally staid manufacturers like BMW have joined both groups by unveiling both a cruiser and a sport bike. The same kind of performance from a car would see outlays of $100,00 at least. Just look at a recent buyers guide to be convinced that today's motorcycle buyer has more choices for any type of machine than at any other time. The industry's success keeps attracting new competitors, too. Aprilias and Voxans may soon pull up next to you at a light. What looks like a 1953 Indian could be a 1999 early release Kawasaki. Moto Guzzi offeres at least one of most styles of machine (no, not trials) and could follow the lead of Ducati to introduce a truly revolutionary single sometime soon. Although great strides are being made in the industry and its followers, the application of stereotypes by the general population is still with us. Look no further than the recent Spartanburg, Moodus and Fontana excesses to prove that point. Police forces at each of these locations prepared for troubles that MIGHT have been a part of ladder day gathering of cyclists. It's difficult to remember similar incidents from the two previous decades so our growing numbers must be having some effect. The "bad boy" image is still a part of motorcycling's excitement and nothing can be done about it until someone invents a product more reliable for the job than black leather. That negative karma baggage just can't be dispelled. It's a part of the fun factor that also worries non-cyclist. Riders don't grow up. The fact that they cling to a less-safe, less-sensible, less-comfortable form of transportation is all some folks need to make the assumption that they are also less responsible. Should that matter to us, the infected? Yes. Efforts by govermental groups still unwarrantedly portray us as costly burdens to society. Without vigilance we could lose our favorite past time or have it curtailed to the point where the ultimate irony could take place. The RUBS who have revitalized the industry might be the only ones able to afford continuance. SUPPORT AMA! Should we be glad that we live and ride in the Golden Decade? You Betcha. If the resources were avaible we could taste from every plate. The downside to being a motorcyclist now is that you have to pick from a truly stupendous cycle smorgasborg.

Honda Ohio

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:42:04 -0500

Honda to end U.S. motorcycle production THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Honda Motor Co. plans to stop making motorcycles in the United States next year and transfer the work to Japan, pulling the plug on its first U.S. plant. The 330,000-square-foot Marysville, Ohio, plant, built in 1979, turns out large Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser motorcycles. The work will be shifted to a plant in Japan that can produce bikes more efficiently. The Ohio plant employs 450 workers. Honda said there will be no layoffs when production .ends in spring 2009. The workers will remain with the company, helping produce cars, trucks, engines and parts, and filling other jobs at Honda's operations in west-central Ohio, the company said. "There were a lot of people who felt disappointment," said plant manager Jan Gansheimer, noting many employees are motorcycle enthusiasts who have spent much of their careers at the plant. "There were some emotional considerations.. Realizing it was a business decision and knowing they would not lose their jobs made it easier to accept, she said. Last year, the plant produced about 44,000 Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser bikes. Gansheimer said production of 120 motorcycles a day will continue for now.