Freedom Rider
DFW Honda Freedom Riders Motorcycle Club
Volume 12 Number 6
Comments from the Prez
Well we survived January weather
with only one dinner ride being canceled during the month. Hopefully
we will have the same good fortune
in February. The average high in
February is 61 and the average low
is 37. Rain chances increase ever so
slightly over January.
Maybe we will have a better idea
what February holds in store for us
weather –wise after Ground Hog’s
Day on February 2nd. According to
folklore, if it is cloudy on the 2nd,
spring should come early, if it is
clear, winter will hang around for 6
more weeks.
And then there is Valentine’s Day
on Friday, February 14th. You just
might want to remember someone(s)
special in your life with a card, flowers and/or something sweet.
Finally, a special thanks to Club
Vice President, Mark Palmer, for his
efforts at recruiting ride leaders for
February (and every month) and to
those Club members who volunteer
to lead a dinner or country ride – one
of the basic functions of the Club.
www.dfwfreedomriders.org
www.dfwfreedomriders.org
February 2014
HRCA Chapter
#364
Let’s just hope the weather on the
weekends is warm and sunny, any rain
or bad weather confines itself to the
work week – holidays excepted.
Upcoming Events
Coppell – Grapevine Police
Motorcycle Rodeo Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday, March 20-22, 2014.
Ride begins on Saturday at DFW
Honda, time to be determined. Competition will be at the Grapevine Mills
Mall parking lot. Come out to see
how the experts handle the toughest courses you can imagine. Finals
completion begins on Saturday at 8:00
a.m. Also see the custom bike show
going on concurrently in the same
general area.
Lake Whitney Picnic Saturday,
April 05, 2014.
Ride begins at 10:00 a.m. at DFW
Honda. Lunch will include hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings
and lots of deserts. And then there are
the games: horseshoes and washers –
Trophies awarded. A great time had
by all.
Kaufman Easter Ride Saturday,
April 19, 2014.
Ride begins at 10:00
a.m. at DFW Honda.
Lunch will probably
be at the Cotton Gin in
Crandall, TX. And then
we head on to the Children’s Emergency Shelter in Kaufman, TX to
hide Easter Eggs and to
hang an Easter Piñata(s)
for the kids.
The Bluebonnet Ride Saturday,
April 26, 2014.
Ride begins at 10:00 a.m. at DFW
Honda. Lunch will be somewhere
in Ennis, TX. Following lunch, we
ride the country roads around Ennis
to hopefully see many fields full of
bluebonnets.
Spring Overnight Ride Friday,
May 16 thru Sunday, May 18, 2014.
Ride begins at 10:00 a.m. at DFW
Inside this Newsletter
2
3
4
5
Club Officer & Staff Contacts
Meeting Minutes
Thought for the Month
MSF Rider Courses
For Sale or Trade
Upcoming Events
New Members
Forum Access
This Month's Birthdays
2014 Rally Schedule
This Month's Calendar
February 2014 Meeting
Thursday February 20th - 7:00 pm
at Fuddrucker's in Grapevine
Next to Bass Pro Shop on NW Highway.
(972) 724-0072
Keep in touch with us on CB Channel 39
Fine Print
The Freedom Rider is a monthly publication of DFW Honda
Freedom Riders Motorcycle Club. It is distributed on or about the
1st of each month, depending on the editor’s mood and whether
the riding weather is good. Deadline for articles or ads is absolutely,
positively prior to publication. Distribution is by internet, or printed
copies can be picked up at DFW Honda. The opinions and views
expressed herein are those of the article’s author, ­who is solely
responsible for its content.
Club Officers and Staff
Comments from the Prez Continued
Honda. Plans are to head south to the
Hill Country and ride the twisty roads
around the Kerrville, TX area. Check
subsequent Newsletters and the Forum
in the following weeks for more
details especially hotel arrangements.
Until next month, Ride Safe!
Bob S
Meeting Minutes
by Sam Tough, Secretary
December 19, 2013
Bob Sympson, Club President,
called the meeting to order at 7:02pm.
Bob welcomed one new member
to the club. Her name is Monique
Swartz. She is absent tonight, but club
welcomed her to the DFW Freedom
Riders. Bob also welcomed another new
member, Mr. Larry Lammey, to the
meeting. Mr. Lammey gave the group
a snapshot of himself as a veteran rider.
He owns and rides a Honda Goldwing
Trike.
Bob asked the club if anyone was
not present two weeks ago when the
Grapevine Police Department was present speaking about the ICE program.
No one responded. Bob stated if anyone
was not here and wanted to sign up, he
would give the information to them in
order to sign up.
Thought for the Month
"If a man is called to be a street
sweeper, he should sweep streets
even as Michelangelo painted, or
Beethoven composed music, or
Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should
sweep streets so well that all the
hosts of heaven and earth will pause
to say, here lived a great street
sweeper who did his job well."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Freedom Rider
Bob then turned the meeting over to
Mark Palmer, Club Vice President, for
his monthly report.
Mark discussed the Ride Leader
sign up list. He also emphasized the
need for leaders for open dates.
Mark gave his report, as shown
below, of the organized club’s rides
from Saturday, December 21st, 2013 –
Sunday, January 11th, 2014.
Saturday, Dec. 21st - Randy Langley Cancelled/ Rain
Thursday, Dec. 26th - Cancelled/
Christmas Holidays
Saturday, Dec. 28th - Mark Palmer
Impromptu Ride/ 4 riders
Wednesday, Jan. 1st - Dan McDonald Polar Bear Ride/ 14 bikes/ 37 ppl
Great Attendance!
Thursday, Jan. 2nd - Bruce Johnson
Cold Weather/ 8 ppl in cars
Sunday, Jan. 4th - Bruce Johnson &
Mike Reed 8 bikes/ Moms on Main in
Aubrey.
Thursday, Jan.9 - Larry Brown 10
ppl/ traveled to Napoli’s in Euless.
Saturday, Dec. 11th - Randy Anderson 15 bikes / Traveled to Bridgeport
and Yesterdays Restaurant.
Mark gave a testimonial to the
attendees of a recent event in which a
bike to bike accident occurred (ED note:
accident not in our club) due to a biker
following too close. Lessons learned.
Mark discussed the Experienced
Rider Class with the group and who
would attend if arranged. Many riders
present agreed it would be a great time
to hold this event. Mark will get details
and advise later. Details to follow.
Mark discussed several issues that
Ride Leaders need to be reminded of
while leading. Mark had open discussion with the attendees.
Mark discussed “Member Recruitment” with the Club. Mark, with assistance of Dan McDonald, discussed
plans and passed out DFW Freedom
Riders business cards to the club members present. These are to be given to
any new riders we encounter that is
interesting in joining us. Dan McDonald also presented a flyer to be given
to new or used motorcycle buyers from
2
Motorcycle Safety
Foundation Courses
HRCA (FREE) reimburses up to
$75 of the cost of a Motorcycle Safety
Foundation (MSF) course with purchase of new motorcycle. Reimbursement forms can be downloaded from
HRCA Web Site.
Available courses by City
Arlington - Texas R.I.D.E.R (817)
246-4016 - Harold Patterson Sports
Center - www.texasrider.com
Burleson - A+ rider Course 1-800-4104549 Burleson High School, 100 NW
John Jones Rd - www.aplusrider.com
Carrollton - Rider Course Center
(972) 317-6322 or 1-888-317-6322
- Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Stadium
Fort Worth - Tarrant County College
Northwest (817) 515-7758
Fort Worth - Moto-Ed (817) 2396686 - Two locations, Boyd Texas and
LaGrave Field in Fort Worth. www.
moto-ed.com
Irving - Brookhaven College (972)
860-4715 or Texas R.I.D.E.R. (817)
246-4016 - American Honda Training Center, 4529 Royal Lane, Irving
- www.texasrider.com
Lancaster - A+ rider Course 1-800410-4549 - Cedar Valley College, Lancaster, Tx. - www.aplusrider.com
DFW Honda, our sponsor.
Mark turned the meeting over to
Bob Sympson, Club President.
Bob asked Randy Langley to discuss his plans for two major ride events
later this spring and summer.
Randy first reminded the club that
our annual “Lake Whitney Picnic” is
scheduled for Saturday, April 5th at the
famous Langley Shack on the “Redneck
Riviera” . He asked that all participants
attending needs to RSVP to Cheryl
Langley. There will more details listed
on the Forum later.
Additionally, Randy discussed his
plans to develop a May 16-18th, 2014
overnight ride to Kerrville. Randy statContinued on Page 3
February 2014
for sale or trade
2003, Candy Orange with Bushtec
Turbo +2 cargo trailer. 83,000 miles
of which 95% is open road riding.
Having to sell due to health issues.
ABS, XM radio and Garmin GPS
mounted on handle bar, extra set of
Metzler 880's and two extra seats. Lots
of art work by Sue Hopper (www.signsandwondersbysue.com). Extra cooler
that will mount to the trailer hitch for
shorter trips and local riding. IT has
Progressive front suspension with fork
brace and Traxxion rear suspension.
Asking $13,500 for all and will only
sell as a complete unit. The art work
is animals coming through Dream
Catchers (Eagle on the front, Buffalo
on the trunk, Bear on one saddle bag,
and a Wolf on the other. All four animals are surrounding a large dream
catcher on the trailer lid.
Contact information is Darryl Kazen.
Can be reached at 817-235-9650 and is
located a couple miles west of Keller.
See Photos on the Forum.
Meeting Minutes - Continued
ed preliminary plans are to depart DFW
Honda on the 16th of May at 10am.
Return to DFW will be on the 18th of
May. Randy stated more details will be
listed on the Forum at later date.
Bob reminded the club that our
sponsor, DFW Honda, is now selling
trikes by California Sidecar. He stated
to contact David Dendy, General Manager/ Owner at DFW Honda for more
details. This is exciting news!
Bob then discussed the additional
“Upcoming Events” for the Club. Bob
advised the club as follows….
Coppell Police Rodeo (in association this year with Grapevine Police)
to be held at Grapevine Mills Mall on
March 20-22, 2014. Finals are on March
22nd. This is a great event to support
the local Police Departments as they
compete on their motorcycles. This
year will be a much larger event. There
will also be a custom bike show at the
event on Saturday, March 22nd.
Kaufman Easter Ride will be
held on April 19th, 2014. Riders will
be meeting at DFW Honda, with more
details to be listed on the Forum. Lunch
The Freedom Rider
will be at the famous “Cotton Gin” Restaurant in Crandell, Texas. This event
will be held for the kids at the shelter.
This is a great event. All should attend.
The Bluebonnet Ride will be held
on Saturday, April 26th. This is a ride
to Ennis, Texas to see the famous Texas
Bluebonnets. The club will also be eating some great BBQ at the local establishment nearby.
Bob changed subjects and discussed
the December Birthdays. Several
people, such as Charles Caffey, Janice Reed and Dennis Francoise, were
wished Happy Birthday. Several additional club members (not present) are
listed in the January 2014 Newsletter.
Bob asked that Larry Brown, Club
Treasurer, take the floor and give his
accounting monthly report.
Larry announced the Club’s Financial Report. Larry gave the numbers and
then delivered / answered any related
questions related to his financial report.
He stated all is also well and good.
Larry then conducted the official raffle.
The results for winners are as follows…
1st Place: Mark Palmer ($22)
2nd Place: Marie Johnson ($14)
3rd Place: Dan McDonald ($9)
Larry turned the meeting back over
to Club President, Bob Sympson.
Bob asked if there was any additional business or old business that needed
to be discussed at this time. Rose Ann
McDonald asked to speak to the club.
Rose Ann wanted to extend her
thanks to the club for participating in
the Kaufman Christmas event this year.
She stated that the children were so
excited in receiving all the gifts.
Bob thanked Rose Ann and Dan
McDonald, along with Randy and
Cheryl Langley, for leading the charge
for the club sponsoring this event
Bob Sympson, Club President,
adjourned the meeting at 8:36pm CST.
He also wished everyone a pleasant
evening.
Luis Santana & Diana Welmers
from Fort Worth.
We are delighted to have you on
board and look forward to many miles
of riding with you.
Our Forum
I appreciate everyone's patience
and understanding with the change a
few months ago in the Forum access.
The SPAM registrations were coming
in faster than I could clear them out,
so it became necessary (as an absolute
last resort) to password protect our
Forum to maintain its integrity.
I will report that since that change
there have been ZERO intrusions in
our system, so it appears to be working. This was in no way intended to
bar visitors from checking out our
Forum for activities and there is a
link set up for guests to e-mail me for
viewing access. We welcome guests
who may be interested in our club,
just not the computer nerds sitting in
their parent's basements trying to see
how many Forums they can invade.
If you have not checked out the
Forum and want access, just e-mail
Dan McDonald at:
Forum@dfwfreedomriders.org
upcoming events
Coppell-Grapevine
Police MC Rodeo
March 20-22, 2014
The event this year is being cosonsored by the Coppell and Grapevine Police Departments and is being
moved to the Grapevine Mills Mall.
Police training days are on March
20-21. The finals competition will
actually be on March 22 from 8am
until finished. Come out and see how
the experts handle the toughest course
you can imagine. More information
will be on the forum when available.
New Members
We want to welcome to our new
members for the past month. GP &
Lynn Howard from Colleyville, and
3
February 2014
the ride. This will be our regular
Saturday ride and anyone wanting to
ride part way is welcome. We will be
having hamburgers and hotdogs with
all the trimmings at the lake and take
part in the Freedom Rider Olympics
of horseshoes and washers. Trophies
will be awarded.
Please RSVP to 972-977-8573 or
e-mail cbateman1@sbcglobal.net so
we will know how much food to prepare.
This Month’s
Birthdays
1
2
2
3
4
5
6
6
7
11
11
12
13
14
15
15
16
18
19
20
23
25
26
27
27
28
Tim Wallace
Rick Nichols
Vernon Vittatoe
Cyndi Salassi
Cindy Womack
Danny Brown
Kilroy Richardson
Mike Strickland
J.B. Seale
Ed Murphy
Bob Tomlinson
John Rowe
John Darden
Kevin Bochicchio
Felipe Bumagny
Bob Sympson
Randy Hochhalter
Sue Perkins
Patsy Wallace
Paul Shows
Danielle Roberts
Bruce Morris
Ed Majors
David Benton
Jean Kelley
Bill Hartmann
Saturday April 19
We will head down south for lunch
somewhere (probably at the Cotton
Gin) then hide Easter Eggs for the
kiddos in the afternoon. Should be a
full day of fun with the kids. If you
can donate some candy, contact one
of the officers.
2013 Freedom Rider Olympics Winners
Blue Knights Fun Run
Saturday April 5th
Lake Whitney Picnic
Saturday April 5
We will be hosting our SIXTH
annual picnic at the Langley Shack at
Lake Whitney on Saturday, April 5.
We will meet at DFW Honda, 10:00
am and Randy Langley will lead
You are invited to participate in the Blue Knights
TX1 Fun Run on Saturday
April 5th. This ride will
benefit the Metroplex C.O.P.S. organization. Tons of door prizes and lots
of fun. The ride starts at DFW Honda
and ends at Bob Eden Park in Euless.
First Bike out is 9:00am and last bike
in is 1:00pm. Lunch is included with
registration and ride pins guaranteed
to first 100 to register.
This is the same day as our picnic, but there may be some who can't
spend the entire day on a ride.
2014 Rally Schedule
Date
City
Event
For Information
Mar 7-16
Apr 2-6
May 15-18
May 23-25
Jun 2-7 Jun 14-22
Jun 13-16
Jun 17-21
Jul 2-5
Jul 21-24
Aug 4-10
Sep 17-21
Oct 16-19
Oct 15-19
Daytona Beach,FL
Scottsdale, AZ
Ruidoso, NM
Longview, TX
Lake George, NY
Chicago, IL
Austin, TX
Hatfield, AR
Madison, WI
Boyne Falls, MI
Sturgis, SD
Ruidoso, NM
Daytona Beach, FL
Hatfield, AR
Daytona Bike Week
Arizona Bike Week
AspenCash
Party in the Pines
Americade
Mother Road Rally
Republic of Texas
CMA National Rally
GWRRA Wing Ding
GWTA Gold Rush
Strugis Bike Week
Golden Aspen
Biketoberfest
CMA Colors Rally
www.officialbikeweek.com
www.azbikeweek.com
www.motorcyclerally.com
www.pinerally.com
www.americade.com
www.ridert66.com
www.rotbikeweekrally.com
www.cmausa.org
www.wing-ding.org
www.gwta.org
www.sturgis.com
www.motorcyclerally.com
www.biketoberfest.org
www.cmausa.org
The Freedom Rider
Kaufman Easter Ride
4
Bluebonnet Ride
Saturday April 26
For our Saturday ride, we will
tour the Ennis area looking for those
elusive state flowers. There will be
a lunch stop somewhere (probably
Bubba's BBQ in Ennis), then more
bluebonnets.
Hill Country Trip
May 16-18
Mark this on your calendars and
save the dates. Randy & Cheryl
Langley are working on putting
together a trip to the biker's Mecca of
the Texas Hill Country. This is always
a favorite place to go with the roads
and scenery.
Further details will follow both
here and on the Forum as the plans
develop.
Be There - Do That Short List of Upcoming Events
Feb 6, 13, 27 Dinner Rides
Feb 1, 8, 15, 22 - Sat. Rides
Feb 20 - DFWFR Meeting
Mar 22 - Police MC Rodeo
Apr 5 - Lake Whitney Picnic
Apr 19 - Kaufman Easter Egg Ride
Apr 26 - Bluebonnet Ride
May 16-18 - Hill Country Trip
February 2014
What’s Happening now
Monthly Calendar of Events
Standing Rides
Thursday Dinner Run, except 3rd Thursdays.
Leaves from DFW Honda in Grapevine at 7:00pm
Sonic Bike Night
Cycle Club of Fort Worth - 2nd Friday - 7:00-8:30 pm Hurst Sonic - 1308 Precinct Line Road
Saturday Ride - Saturday Morning. Leaves from DFW Honda at 10:00am from October 1 through April, then from the Grapevine Chevron McDonald’s at 8:00 am from May 1 through September.
Full Moon Rides - On
Friday or Saturday
close to the Full
Moon, June through
September. Leaves
from the Grapevine
Chevron at 9:00pm.
The Saturday and
Thursday rides are
opportunities to get
together and ride from a
common starting point.
An officer or group leader is normally present,
but if one is not available, then form a group
and enjoy the ride.
Rides scheduled to
leave during times when
DFW Honda is open will
leave from there. The
phone number is metro
(817) 421-4663.
Unless otherwise noted,
other rides leave from the
Chevron/McDonalds on
the corner of Highway
114 and Main Street in
Grapevine.
Talk to us on
CB Channel 39
February 2014
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
10:00AM
DFW HONDA RIDE
3
2
5
4
6
7:00PM
Dinner Ride
7:00PM
CMA FISHERMEN
MEETING
10
9
11
12
13
7
7:00PM - CCFW
SONIC BIKE NIGHT
PRECINCT LINE
ROAD IN HURST
14
10:00AM
DFW HONDA RIDE
15
7:00PM
Dinner Ride
16
23
17
24
18
19
25
26
7:30PM
GWRRA-R
MEETING
20
7:00PM
DFWFR
MEETING
27
7:00PM
GWTA CHAPTER
B MEETING
7:00PM
Dinner Ride
9:00AM
U-2 MEETING
10:00AM
DFW HONDA RIDE
21
22
10:00AM
DFW HONDA RIDE
28
1
10:00AM
DFW HONDA RIDE
grOuprIDINg
ClASS
2
8
DAYTONAbIKEWEEK
3
4
7:00PM
CMA FISHERMEN
MEETING
5
6
7
7:00PM
Dinner Ride
7:00PM - CCFW
SONIC BIKE NIGHT
PRECINCT LINE
ROAD IN HURST
8
10:00AM
DFW HONDA RIDE
DAYTONAbIKEWEEK
Year Calendar - Go to www.dfwfreedomriders.org and click on the Newsletter link. There is a
downloadable calendar in PDF form for the remainder of the year.
The Freedom Rider
5
February 2014
Chapter #364
Local Motorcycle Clubs Monthly Meetings
DFW Honda Freedom Riders • 3rd Thursday - 7 pm
Fuddrucker's in Grapevine (Near Bass Pro Shop)
CMA Fishermen • 1st Tuesday - 7 pm
(not a dinner meeting) Vandergriff Community Ctr. U-2 • 3rd Saturday - 9 am meeting (8:30 buffet) Golden Corral - Hwy 26 @ Loop 820
2350 William D Tate (SH 121) • Grapevine, Texas
817 421-HONDA (421-4663)
or Toll Free 866-83HONDA (834-6632)
Mustang D
An Cli
Parts & p
d
Sa
Accessory
ve
Special
10
%
Off
Any Parts &
Accessory
Purchase
DFW Honda
(817) 421-4663
r.
GWTA B - Last Wednesday - 7:45 pm (6:30 pm Dinner)
Red Barn BBQ - 8204 Bedford-Euless Road - NRH
Hwy 360
Hw
y1
21
DFW
Honda
N
Service
Parts
Special
10
Coupon must be presented
prior to purchase.
Coupon expires end of February 2014.
%
Off
February 2014
This month’s meeting will be at
Fuddrucker's in Grapevine
An Cli
p
d
Sa
ve
Any Service
Related Parts
Does Not Apply
to Labor
DFW Honda
(817) 421-4663
Coupon must be presented
prior to service.
Coupon expires end of February 2014.
Coupons cannot be combined with any other coupon or offer.
Meeting Location
GWRRA R • 4th Tuesday - 7:30pm meeting (6:00 dinner) Fuddrucker's in Grapevine (Near Bass Pro Shop)