Newsletter of Harbor City Wings
Melbourne, Florida
May 2011
Gold Wing Road Riders Association
NATIONAL, REGIONAL
& DISTRICT TEAM
A Word From Your Chapter Director
For those of you in the chapter who might not know,
my Dad passed away on April 16. He was 87. I want to
thank the chapter for their condolences on his passing. I did not attend the
last meeting, as Dad was in the hospital in critical condition. I've pretty much
cleared up the family business, and will attend our next meeting.
I see from the emails floating around that the chapter has been busy visiting other chapters, and of course the chapter bike nites. I would so much
love to be riding again, and hopefully in the future I will.
Our meeting as usual is at MeMaw's on Babcock St., and will be Tuesday, May 3rd. So come early, socialize, have a good meal. Our meeting will
start promptly at 7pm.
Meetings - First Tuesday of each month. Currently meeting at : MeMaws on Babcock in Palm Bay.
Eat, Chat and Mingle at 6:00pm. Meeting starts at 7:00 pm
CONTENTS:
Directors Comments
GWRRA Events
Rider Safety
Birthdays/Anniversaries
Meeting
Poker Run
KT Dos Amigo
Green Eggs
KT Apollo
Sale Items
Advertisers
Sponsors Ads.
pg. 1,2
pg. 3
pg. 4
pg. 5
pg. 6
pg. 8
pg. 10
pg. 11
pg. 13
pg. 21
pg. 22,23
pg. 19
DIRECTOR
Mike Stiger
REGION “A” DIRECTORS
Bob & Nan Shrader
FLORIDA DISTRICT
DIRECTORS
Bill & Gina Berry
863-860-4484
ASST DISTRICT DIRS.
Harry & Lynn Anderson
321-952-1448
CHAPTER FL2-D STAFF
CHAPTER DIRECTORS
Ray & Diane Mercier
321-724-6375
ASST. CHAP. DIRECTORS
Steve & Barb Squires
321-557-7762
RIDE EDUCATORS
Mike & Pat Duquette
321-984-1472
ASST. RIDE EDUCATORS.
Mo & Deb Dalton
321-728-2908
MEMBERSHIP
ENHANCEMENT
Deb Dalton
321-728-2908
TREASURER
Joanne Davies
321-254-8079
SUNSHINE LADY
Rachel Moyer
321-951-0301
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Richard Mitts
321-952-4487
That’s it from me for now; see you all at the meeting on Tuesday.
Ray and Diane Mercier
Chapter Directors
A fifteen year old Amish boy and his father were in a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then
slide back together again.
The boy asked, 'What is this Father?'
The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, 'Son, I have never seen anything like
this in my life, I don't know what it is.'
While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, a fat old lady in a wheel chair
moved up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened, and the lady rolled
between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched the
small numbers above the walls light up sequentially.
They continued to watch until it reached the last number… and then the numbers began to
light in the reverse order.
Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous 24-year-old blond stepped out.
The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son.....
'Go get your Mother'
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(Mar. 25, 2011)
2011 FLORIDA GWRRA EVENTS
May 14
May 21
May 21-22
June 16-18
July 6 – 9
FL1-F2 Chapter Rally
Armed Forces Day Ride to Shrimps ‗R Us
Horizon Program
Georgia District Wing Fling
Wing Ding
Ocala
Welaka, Florida
Seffner
Duluth, GA
Knoxville, TN
Aug 20 - 21
Officer Certification Program
TBD
Sep. 15 – 17
Region ―A‖ Rally/Convention
Eufaula, AL
Oct. 8
FL1- Poker Run
Tampa
Oct. 13 – 15
Mississippi District Rally/Convention
Tupelo, MS
Oct 22-23
Oct 29
Oct 29
Nov 12
Horizon Program
FL1-D Green Frog Getaway
FL1-H2 Howl-O-Ween Harvest Picnic
Multi-Chapter Lunch
TBD
Bear Lake
Orlando/Christmas
Clewiston
2012 FLORIDA GWRRA EVENTS
Jan. 8-9
Jan. 14
Chapter Conference
FL2-L Mardi Gras Rally
Kissimmee
Lakeland
GWRRA MOTTO: Friends For Fun, Safety and Knowledge
Here's a solution to all the controversy over full-body scanners.
Have a booth you can step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you
may have on you.
It would be a win-win for everyone, and there would be none of this mess about racial profiling!!!!!
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Safety Educator
AND NOW A WORD FROM CAPTAIN SAFETY
Bike & Trailer – Trailer & Bike
In reality, our Goldwings are not designed to pull a trailer. But it can. There’s no doubt that the Goldwing has the power and strength,
but it was not designed by Honda to pull a trailer. On the flip side, there are vendors who design trailers, hitches, and other accessories
designed specifically for the Goldwing so that we can pull trailers. This puts us in the middle ground. It is, therefore, our responsibility when combining motorcycling and trailering.
More to the point, it is our responsibility to properly utilize any accessories that are added to our bikes. When pulling a trailer always
check and re-check, hitch connection, electrical connection, safety chains, loading. The hitch connection should be secure but allow
for movement of the trailer. If it is too tight, the binding action will tend to steer the bike and counteract your movements. The electrical connections should be tight and oxidation free, not too long where the cable drags the pavement, and not too short that it will pull
apart on tight maneuvers. Safety chains should be strong enough to keep the trailer from getting away from the bike in the event that
the hitch fails. Remember that chains have to be crossed in such a manner as to form a cradle to catch the tongue in the event the
trailer comes loose from the hitch and keep the tongue from hitting the pavement. One way to test your chains and connections is
while the bike is stationary, release the trailer tongue and let is settle into the cradle formed by the chains. The tongue should not touch
the pavement. Next step up onto the trailer tongue. The chains should support your weight and not allow the tongue to touch the pavement.
Probably the most critical part of pulling a trailer is the total weight load, and the distribution of that load. The total weigh load will
primarily affect your starting, steering, and stopping. Keep your load as low as possible. Just because you can get 500lbs in your
trailer, does not mean you should. The weight that you add to your trailer, including the weight of the trailer, is like added additional
passengers. When you start from a stop, your bike will respond sluggishly. Steering will be affected by the added weight pushing or
pulling on the bike. Stopping becomes more dangerous with increased load. Not only will the stopping distance be increased, but traction control will be adversely affected. The extra weight will push you forward and if you are stopping in a curve, the load pushes the
rear of the bike to the outside of the turn. Keep the trailer weight as low as possible.
As with total trailer weight, tongue weight is extremely important. Don’t ever assume that you have the proper amount of tongue
weight. Always weigh the tongue to verify. The easiest method is to use a 50lb fish scale. Simply use the fish scale to lift the tongue
of your trailer and read the weight. There is no specific guidelines for what the tongue weight should be. Too light and the trailer will
tend to wobble side to side when being pulled. Too much weight and the trailer will tend to lift the front end of the bike causing you to
loose steering ability.
As I said, there are no hard and fast rules as to what the tongue weight should be. From my experience, my bike will perform best with
no less than 20lbs to no more than 30lbs of tongue weight. It is each of our responsibilities to determine what works best for our bike
and trailer arrangement. Take a moment to read the load limits of your Goldwing. For instance, on my 93’ 1500 max load for accessories and passengers (everything added to the bike since original production) is 408lbs. Doesn’t leave must room when riding two up.
Additionally, the trunk limit is 20lbs and the two side bags are limited to 15lbs each. You might want to read your owners manual.
I want to add a last few things about trailering bikes. If you are not sure how to tie down your bike, go to the back sections of your
Goldbook. There is a section on how to tie down your bike. 1500’s are different from 1800’s. For example, on the 1500 the passenger
hang grips are designed as a tie down point. The passenger hand grips on the 1800 are not strong enough to be used as a tie down. On
the 1800 the side covers should be removed and the tie down straps attached to the lower frame components.
Lastly, never put your bike cover on the bike when being trailered. It doesn’t matter how soft your cover is. The constant flapping of
the cover as it is being towed will wear the paint. Also and dust and dirt that is blown up under the cover will become sandpaper and
scratch your windshield and body parts. Your Wing was designed to be ridden in multiple environments; it will be fine without a
cover, and much better off.
Ride safe and ride often.
Mo…
Mike and Pat Duquette Senior Chapter Educator’s
Mo and Deb Dalton Assistant Chapter Educator’s
T-CLOCK CHECK : Tires and wheels, Controls,
Lights and electrics, Oil and fluids, Chassis, Kickstand.
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Birthday‘s
Anniversaries
5/10
5/20
5/23
5/31
5/31
5/18
5/25
5/28
5/30
Paul & Carol Moore
Bob & Trish Rudden
Wayne & Deb Storey
Ray & Rachel Moyer
John & Debbie Colby
Steve Daykin
Deb Dalton
Bob Rudden
Mike Duquette
The awesome power of a wife's love
A very old man lay dying in his bed.. In death's doorway, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookie wafting up the stairs.
He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he
slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs,
gripping the railing with both hands.
With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's
agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven.
There, spread out on newspapers on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate
chip cookies.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left
this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table.. The aged and
withered hand, shaking, made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when he
was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.
"Stay out of those," she said. "They're for the funeral.
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Chapter Meeting @ MeMaw‘s
(Last Months Gathering)
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It is official now! Steve and Barb are Assistant Chapter Directors!
Ride to FL1-K’s DAV Poker Run
Welaka Shrimps R US
All that Shrimp and she wants a
HOT DOG?
…. Man, I pulled that off cool. He
didn’t even know what hit him.
What the ……….
THE HOT POTATO!
He passed off the ….
hot potato!
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A little
“Green
Eggs and Ham”
at Apopka
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“Green
Eggs and Ham”
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Motorcycle Hearing Protection - Earplugs - Street Survival
Hear Me... Before It's Too Late
From the October, 2007 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser
By Evan Kay
Ears Are for More Than Hanging Sunglasses On
Imagine you're getting dressed for that all-day ride-riding pants, jacket, boots, gloves and helmet. Did you forget anything? Yes-hearing protection. But before you dismiss this as just another safety article, you should know that reading
these words may save you from years of debilitating hearing loss.
Most riders think that the majority of noise associated with riding comes from the motorcycle itself. However, wind
noise created by air turbulence produces almost all noise over 35 mph and can exceed by 10,000 times (over 40 decibels
higher) the sound level of ordinary conversation. That doesn't sound good-and it's not. (Sound is measured in decibels
on a logarithmic scale. This means a sound 10 decibels higher is actually 10 times louder, 20 decibels is 100 times
louder, etc.)
If you look at the chart, you can see various sound sources, their approximate intensity and the amount of time in a 24hour period that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says exposure to that sound should not result in
hearing damage.
Measurements of motorcycle riding noise levels vary, but are generally around 85-95 dB at speeds up to 35 mph, climbing to 110-116 dB at 65 mph. According to the chart, you shouldn't ride on the highway for more than 15 minutes a day.
Which is why you need hearing protection-it's ridiculously easy to exceed hearing-safety thresholds in a short period of
time. Don't think wearing a full-face helmet will cut it, either; studies have shown that, at best, they only provide a 3-5
dB reduction in sound reaching the rider's ears.
What's the answer, then? Simple: earplugs. Earplugs lessen the amount of sound reaching your ears, with most having a noise reduction rating of between 20 dB and 33 dB. Looking at our example-at 115 dB and only 15 minutes of
time before exposure is harmful-if we put in 33-dB-rated earplugs, we'd then be able to ride for as long as we wanted
without hearing loss. (Don't forget: Any hearing loss is permanent.)
Foam earplugs will last for at least several days of riding. They're inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes, shapes,
materials and even degrees of hardness.Reusable earplugs can be worn for months on end and can be cleaned. These are
usually made of soft silicone rubber and may contain special filters that allow a greater range of sound frequencies to
reach the ear at lower sound levels (such as conversations at stoplights) and provide a higher level of sound attenuation
at higher sound levels, using technology similar to that found in earplugs worn by gun users.
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Finally, there are custom-molded earplugs. These are made of silicone rubber molded to the user's ear and
can last for years. They provide a snug fit, exactly matching the contours of the user's ear canal. Custom
earplugs can also be made with the same kind of filters found in the reusable plugs for the "ultimate" earplug. They can even have earphones molded in.
Now you can hit the road for that all-day ride.
Special thanks to Tom Bergman of The Ear Plug Super Store (earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net).
NOISE SOURCE
SOUND LEVEL
(in dB)
Maximum OSHA
Exposure Time
conversation
65
unlimited
motorcycle (at rest, idle)
85 to 88
16 to 10.6 hours
lawn mower, shop tools
90
8 hours
leaf blower
95 (up to 105)
4 hours (at 95 dB)
chain saw
100 to 105
2 hours to 1 hour
woodworking shop, stereo
110
30 minutes
sandblasting
115
15 minutes
ambulance siren, rock concert
120
7.5 minutes
jet engine
130
1 minute, 52 seconds
I came across this article and felt it was very good. I want to try and preserve what hearing
I have left! Hopefully I will now make a renewed effort. Hope you find it useful.
Richard Mitts
Well Martha, I told you one day you
would ride with me! Now what do you
think of this ―Dragon Tail road‖?
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A mild-mannered man was tired of being bossed around by his wife so he went to a psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist said he needed to build his self-esteem, and so gave him a book on assertiveness, which he read on the way home.
He had finished the book by the time he reached his house.
The man stormed into the house and walked up to his wife.
Pointing a finger in her face, he said, "From now on, I want you to know that I am the
man of this house, and my word is law! I want you to prepare me a gourmet meal tonight,
and when I'm finished eating my meal, I expect a sumptuous dessert afterward. Then, after dinner, you're going to draw me my bath so I can relax. And when I'm finished with
my bath, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"
"The funeral director," said his wife.
A special thanks to our members who submit articles. We love the support and the good
information. Send them to Richard Mitts rm32904@yahoo.com
May I have your attention please!…………...
A Very Special Thanks to Charlie Davies and Joanne Davies.
They take this publication, make it web ready, and then put it on our
Web Site. Without them, we would not be able to enjoy this on our
computers. Many thanks for a fantastic job.
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MEMBER ITEMS FOR SALE
Trike for Sale
Loaded with show lights and chrome. Motor trike in
2007, 41,400 miles total and less than 2,000 miles on
trike. Garage kept. $17,800. Negotiable. Serious inquires only.
Call Sandy @ 772-664-2470 or 772-643-4642
2010 GOLDWING FOR SALE
A friend has his 2010 Goldwing for sale. Its Titanium in color and has 3600 miles on the odometer. Its
had its first service, using Mobil 1 synthetic oil. It has the factory upgraded audio system, Garmin GPS,
XM with displayed weather warning system, ( XM requires subscription) ABS, TPMS, cruise control,
heated seats ( driver and passenger) heated grips, etc. Added to the bike Kurakyn ISO grips,Kuryakyn
adjustable highway pegs, Factory Honda Led running / fog lights, goldwing carpeted mats for the saddlebags and trunk area, 2 way intercom plugs.
Bike has been garage kept, and owner has all manuals for the bike.
Asking price is $18000, but will consider all reasonable and sincere offers.
If anyone is interested, give me a call, and I'll put you in touch with the owner.
Charlotte Mercer 321-951-1054
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MEMBER ITEMS FOR SALE
GW Trike for Sale
1997 GW SE with California Side Car Conversion
Easy Steer
Lot of Chrome
Custom Seat & Dash
Armrest
Show Quality
Also for sale—Matching Escalade Trailer
Dave Harding Cell 601-527-6282
LUVDATBABY@ GMAIL.COM
FOR SALE
Garmin StreetPilot 2720 GPS w/executive case
Sirius Stratus 5 Satellite Radio for Goldwing
The GPS is in like new condition and works perfectly. Reason I am selling it is I am upgrading
to a newer GPS that receives weather information and XM satellite radio in a single unit. This
unit is easily transferable between motorcycle and auto with all necessary hardware/cables included. The unit is currently installed on my 2006 Goldwing and can be demonstrated to a potential buyer both on the bike and/or in my auto.
Garmin StreetPilot 2720 Package includes:
StreetPilot 2720 GPS w/Remote Control
Executive tote case/accessory storage bag
Weather proof cover
All Goldwing GL1800 motorcycle cabling (easily integrates into the Goldwing audio and
DC pwr system)
Touratech locking shock resistant motorcycle mount and non-locking RAM manual mount
Beanbag dashboard mount for auto w/DC aux power cord
AC power cord for in home programming
USB cord for connection to computer for maps updates
Owners manual/quick reference guide/original packaging/MapSource CD
Latest Garmin Maps (NuMaps 2011) just down loaded.
Price: Call
Please call or email for more details.
Gary Jones
CP: 321-506-8022
popeye@cfl.rr.com
How’s your SEAT?
For Sale
GW1800
Diamond Seat
year 2001-2005
$850 new. Asking $250 or your best offer.
Call Ray Mercier 321-724-6375
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PLEASE PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS,
THEY MAKE THIS NEWSLETTER POSSIBLE
— Thank you —
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