The Monthly Newsletter of the Jerseypine Cruisers Motorcycle Touring Club

June 2013

EDITOR’S CORNER

Welcome to the June newsletter. In this issue we are graced with three (3) articles from Mr. Giggles himself. It must mean that there is no more winter grime to wash off his Wing giving him plenty time to wax poetic.

On the cover of this issue I feature no photo’s. (I figured out how to do without them and

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want to show off). I look forward to seeing all your smiling faces at our meeting. This is where we update you on the latest details for our upcoming events.

Remember that articles, trip reports and photos are always welcome here and I will make sure that they get into the newsletter reading more or less the way you send them to me. As always, the more, the merrier! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

View From the Side

There have been a number of activities during the month of May. We started off the month with a choice of Sunday breakfast runs. Joe Fiedler led a large group at 8 AM to the Rockford airport for the Fly-in/Drive-in Pancake Breakfast. It was a great day to be out for a ride! For our usual breakfast run time, Ken Vicker led a group out to Huntley for the Boy Scout pancake breakfast.

The first campout of the riding season was very well attended. There were several first timers at the event as well as the usual cast of characters. Saturday was a great riding day as we wandered around the Wisconsin countryside led by Steve Mendel. The mosquitoes were out in force but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the campers.

Honoring those who have served, George Gauss and Don Malina led a group that participated in ceremonies at several cemeteries on Memorial Day.

The tour directors have officially begun leading the Sunday breakfast rides in May. Several runs have visited pancake breakfasts and supported various worthy causes. I’d like to thank Steve Czyz for stepping up and leading the breakfast run on May19th while the rest of the tour directors were in Brodhead.

Nine Cruisers came to visit my school to thank the fourth graders for creating the movie for me. My principal told me the students needed to know that their work was appreciated so I got a date and time set. We presented the class with JPC certificates of appreciation and gave them a chance to ask questions. The students asked about several of the patches and tried on some of our vests. It was an interesting experience. Later that afternoon at

the staff meeting, I had several teachers want to know why my “Biker Friends” were in the building. Who knows…maybe next year we’ll be guest speakers in all the classes!

The "Gang of Nine" (Club?)

Madam President presenting Certificate of Appreciation to the 4th Grade Class.

Future Cruisers'?

Turning to June, we have a variety of events on the calendar. We start off the month with the Cinnamon Roll Ride on June 1st where we’ll be cruising up towards Orfordsville for a late breakfast/early lunch. On June 8th, we’ll be hitting the greens for some mini-golf, pizza and a nice ride. There is an ice cream ride planned for Father’s Day and the following week, Ken McCall will lead a three day trip to the covered bridges of Indiana. There are flyers on the JPC website for all of these events.

See you down the road…

Sandy

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Don't expect to find words of wisdom here!

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June Birthdays

Ed Vandyck 6/8

Lynn Vicker 6/8

Dan Kunysz 6/10

Joe Hill 6/20

Roger O'Lena 6/22

Andy Grabowski 6/29

Fly-In Breakfast May 5th

What a great ride!!!!

The weather was nice and cool, yet not cold….dry and yet damp…sunny yet cloudy.

Leading a ride is only as good as the attendees that ride it! Thank you to Bob Graeff for sitting in for the missing Steve Penczak, who is on holiday in Europe somewhere with his “First Wife” Lucy, actually I was hard pressed to figure out the difference between those two but I believe Bob’s bike is usually MUCH cleaner.

I tried a few new things this time.

1) I had Bob and Hugh leave from the traffic light as we left from the other exit egress, they formed kind of a rolling lane keeper ( I hesitate to use the term blocker) with the result that all the rest of the bikes got out at once….worked out very well.

2) I ditched Rte. 72 after crossing Rte. 47 and headed out on all back roads to the Airport.

A 4-wheeled pre-ride last Saturday morning reminded me of a traffic light to avoid at Big Timber & Rte. 47; I remembered from a ride we took last year that this light only gives us 15 seconds to make it through the intersection. This was not sufficient enough time for some of us seasoned riders that take their time at busy intersections to make it through this light, so I altered the route accordingly.

I did come across a spectator on our way to Rte. 47 on Rte. 72. There was a rather large coyote standing alongside the road in full view of everyone, who was trying to coral a goose (if one believes Mike O’Malley), I think he was in awe of the almost glowing "yellow bikes" as we went by, as if to say…”Whazzz up nice bike”(Ed. note: I had no idea how to edit this.)

What a great idea to take the back roads. Rte. 72 is a good, clean, curvy road but also plagued with many slow-downs, many stops, and mild congestion. My adjusted route took us out Melms Road, which is neither the best-maintained road nor the curviest, but with very few stop signs, and

the few that we did come upon, because of the lack of traffic, we did rolling stops at them. It certainly proved to be a good alternative to Rte. 72. In comparison to last year’s ride we made it to the Rockford airport about 30 minutes faster. Speed was not the real issue but the lack of congestion and traffic lights was the difference.

The crew that puts on this annual event does a great job and is able to handle large groups well, so I think maybe we should make this one a regular breakfast ride each year on the first Sunday in May. Similar to the 3rd Sunday ride to VFW in Genoa, creating a kind of a quaint tradition. This will help out future Tour Directors because we will have one more annual event on our breakfast ride calendar that the they do not have to arrange.

Unlike last year we were not pummeled by a torrential downpour as we left the airport. I led part of the group back East via some roads that I have not been on before with 2 wheels…always a good day when that happens. With others in tow, Ken McCall headed to some unknown planet or something, one never really knows and at times, even Sandy is not aware of his plan.…wonder when they finely made it home?

Good ride Good weather Nice roads Great bikers to ride with Don’t get any better than that.

Mr. Giggles ================================

Mr. Giggles and Friends

From The Bleachers

Summer: Spring has whizzed past us and summer weather is upon us! I hope that at this late date all of you have long last shaken the dust off the bike cover, removed it, and got out there to start enjoying this new riding season.

Sailing in the Caribbean

Bike Blessing:

Saturday, April 27th a number Cruisers’ joined the approximate 300 bikes and 400 fellow riders for the annual Bike Blessing at Willow Creek to help us all kick off our riding season. As is usual for Cruisers’ most showed up early to allow for some tire kicking as well as to partake of the free coffee and sweet-rolls. After the

blessing seven of us met up with four riders that Joe had arranged to meet with us and we all took off on a three hour ride that Joe led ending up at the El Puerto restaurant in Fox Lake. The lake was still physically enlarged from the recent rains but the restaurant and parking lots were high and dry. I can report that the food was quite good and hearing no complaint from others I can only assume that the rest felt the same.

Motorcycles:

A number of the things we do to, and with, our motorcycles wouldn’t make financial sense to non-riders. I mean if we looked at a cost-benefit analysis of owning the bike that we ride and making the changes we make (improvements?) to our rides there would probably be little impetus to do what we do. Our motorcycles are more an emotional investment than a physical one. We certainly don’t need a $20 to $30,000 bike to get us from "point A to point B”, and we certainly wouldn’t try to tell any sane individual that we ride a Gold Wing, Harley or any other big-bore motorcycle to conserve fuel and save some money on transportation. No! We must admit to having a motorcycle addiction and must realize that there is precious little help out there to cure us of this affliction, but then again, how many of us want to be cured?

Retirement July 2010, my last day at work (See the big smile) from left: Cary, Jinny (my boss), Jacki and Kathy..

The only trouble with retirement.....is you never get a damn day off!…………..

Steve *****************************************

A BLESSED DAY TO RIDE

April 27th myself and a few fellow members joined the HRR (High Road Riders) for their annual Bike Blessing at the Willow Creek Complex (a city within itself).

The turnout was huge, maybe 300 + bikes of all makes and types. Every time I see this kind of gathering memories of the Midnight Tour come flooding back.….glad they are memories (good ones from a safety stand point…we were lucky). The HRR do a great job of separating, grouping and organizing the bikes and riders, all with separate leaders and tail gunners, and all attendees get mapped copy of ride route in case anyone gets separated. Well done HHR!

The JPC where represented by Steve P, O’Malley, the Wenzon's, Herman V, Dave & Marie, Don M, Brown Card Gregg, and me. When the festivities were over there was a mass exodus from the lot headed for the end point which today was Fox Valley Harley, including Don M who decided to brave the ride and get in on the free food.

We headed out on our own ride, a quest to check out the El Puerto Mexican restaurant in Fox Lake that Ken Vicker had mentioned at last month's meeting. Mike O. soon dropped off the ride. He stuck around long enough to get a ride in but not long enough to know not to push himself and hurt his recovery. I hope that soon he will be riding with us full-time.

We then met up with 4 bikers that I have connected with, and ridden with from the “NoNameMC” on Facebook. It was a real pleasure to again ride with Joan, Amy, Larry, and Joy, they have similar riding styles as we Cruisers' and all of us just want to ride with the minimal BS, share lots of laughs and enjoy the twisty roads….it is that simple. I have ridden with some of them (and even some others of this group) in the past and feel very comfortable\safe with having them “mix it up” with the JPCs. I would not hesitate to ride with them any time…thanks for meeting us Joan and the spending some good time with us.

This was NOT one of my best endeavors at creating a route…sorry guys. I enjoyed the roads that I must have ridden before, thankfully I forgot if I did, so they seemed like a new adventure…the good affects of getting “more seasoned”. I did not have a “comfort stop” planed on the 75 miles ride, bad plan and I know better (I will do better next time I promise)…I still liked the route and will be using it on one of my FART rides this year. Therefore, the CB call came in for a “comfort stop” via my tail gunner Steve. I was scrambling to find the nearest place and low and behold stumbled on the Busy Bee Restaurant in Wonder Lake so this is where I stopped. I myself took advantage of the opportunity, as a wise member once told me “never pass up the opportunity to PEE”.

Plan B. It turns out that the No Stop planning on my part, took it’s wear and tear on the riders physically and ones that had time restraints,.

we passed a bar\restaurant on the way to Busy Bee and decide to blow off the scheduled destination as the route was getting too long..BUT that place was closed for a private party…. but back to Plan A. I did go inside to confirm the closure, and asked if we could join them any way….that went over like a lead balloon.

Plan A. Well the scheduled destination was only 11 miles away. El Puerto is a neat place right on the Nipersink Lake and when the water level goes down one can see the pier, the food was really good I had the combination fajitas and a few had a soup dinner that was the size of Steve’s helmet, with what looked like a half of a chicken inside. So mark this as one your places to go when in the Fox Lake area….don’t ya hate when Ken Vicker is right? I know Lynn does.

Mr. Giggles *****************************************

Joe, what hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

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http://www.elpuertorestaurant.net/http://www.elpuertorestaurant.net/

Brodhead, May 2009

Jun 1 - Cinnamon Roll Ride -Frank Wenzon

Jun 7 - FART Ride-Joe Fiedler

Jun 8 - Mini Golf-Mike O'Malley

Jun 16 - Ice Cream Run-Joe Fiedler

Jun 20 - Old Farts Coffee - Funky Java - Villa Park

Jun 21 - 23 - Covered Bridges -Ken McCall.

Jun 25 - JPC Board / Membership Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Des Plaines Elks Club

Jun 28 - FART Ride-Joe Fiedler

Jul 4 - Parade & Picnic-George Gauss

Jul 12 - 14 - Duck Creek Campout-Bill Lindwall

Jul 18 - Old Farts Coffee - Funky Java - Villa Park

Jul 19 - FART Ride-Joe Fiedler

Jul 23 - JPC Board / Membership Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Des Plaines Elks Club.

Jul 26 - FART Ride- Joe Fiedler

Jul 27 - JPC Autism Fund Raiser- Mike O'Malley

Corp of Engineer's campground in Kentucky,

July 2009

June

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July

SU M T W TH F SA

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Reports From the Board

We just returned from the Spring Campout and want to thank Steve Mendel and Ken McCall for a great event! The weather was great and the riding outstanding. On Saturday, Steve led a relaxed paced ride allowing us to enjoy the beautiful Wisconsin back roads as well as the breathtaking scenic vistas. It was perfect in every way!!!

As we move into the new riding year, let’s support our Editor, Steve Penczak, and submit newsletter articles. It’s another way to share important info and describe those special rides (and we know ALL rides are special)!

On behalf of Ken Vicker, Meetings and Programs Director, remember that we now have a couple of new additions to our monthly meeting festivities.

First of all, the “Crap Table” will be set up during each monthly meeting. Feel free to donate those motorcycle related items that have been sitting around, perhaps collecting dust, in your garage or basement. And …take home anything you’ve brought that is still on the table at the end of the meeting, including the dust!

Also, Ken is encouraging members to give thought to a favorite ride to describe during a monthly “Choice Destinations”. It should take only a few minutes to share a favorite destination with the membership. Last month, Ken shared details about his Choice Destination, El Puerto Mexican Restaurant in Fox Lake. Consequently, a group was recently led by Joe Fiedler to El Puerto and we understand good food was enjoyed by all!

Be safe out there!!!

Lynn Vicker, Chapter Management VP

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Better Riding

What a beautiful Brodhead weekend many of us experienced this May! How could anyone complain about breakfast at Kay's, gorgeous weather, curvy roads, a multitude of hills and a day-ride route by Steve Mendel and Ken McCall that could not be beat! I won’t forget the sight of so many clumsy cows running together as our string of bikes approached their grazing ground!

As I rode along those hills and curves, I thought of my first Brodhead experience maybe 6 or 7 years ago. How nervous I was, how I had to slow down and downshift through every curve which always seemed to approach too fast, my hands gripping tighter…and praying for divine assistance as I slowly rode down the gravelly hill to the “lower level” at Crazy Horse Campground!

Many times, I’ve wanted to thank the JPC’s for making me a better rider – for forcing me into situations I wouldn’t have chosen to experience: gravel, rain, lots of curves, left-hand turns (hated them for some reason), plenty of U-turns (thank you Joe!) steep ascents and downgrades (there's one area in a park in LaCrosse that comes to mind).

As in any sport, I know that one needs to practice with better players in order to increase and improve skills and I know that riding with the very experienced JPC members has made me a much better rider. I wanted to take time to sincerely thank all of you for your part in helping me to enjoy so many wonderful hours of riding the roads of many different states, and for encouraging me to become a much improved motorcyclist! I appreciate every one of you!

Candi Wenzon, Secretary

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Too many Left turns

This one of those biking terms that always sticks in my craw. Think about this, if it were not for left turns we'd be riding in circles! Admittedly, I do ride in circles from time to time. Is it not the riding experience that is the real point to any ride and aren't the turns, either left or right, just an enhancement of that purpose?

Although the science behind the term has some validity, in the real world left turns are more dangerous than right turns only because of oncoming traffic. Which causes one to ponder the question, what if there is no traffic? If on a road in the middle of a rural area, and there no traffic in sight, is it still "more" dangerous? If you fall and drop your bike, and there's no one to see you, do you still yell "OH SHIT"?

A majority of the populous is right handed so right turns seem easier to maneuvered and are less stressful to the average rider than their left turn counterpart. All objects are more visible on right turns due to their relative proximity to the driver, but left turns may give one more time to react with more options of escape. So if that is the case would not left turns be safer, if not at the least less dangerous than they are perceived?

I will also admit that I do try to arrange my stops on a ride to be to the right for ease of access of the group. HOWEVER, considering the safe manner that the Cruiser’s ride, left turns are not that big of a deal. I think that left turns for cagers are more of a threat to bikers than any other type in the traffic spectrum. Which is proven by the fact that it is the No. 1 cause of biker related accidents?

The Use of this term as a description of a ride is often in the negative; for example: “Nice ride but too many left turns” This make no sense to me! If you want to ride in a circle…ride by yourself or with

those of a like mind…like, say NASCAR fans, horse race fans, and dog race fans.

SOOOOOOOO. Left Turns Right Turns Bear to the Left or Right WHO FREAKIN’ CARES…

It’s the RIDE

Mr. Giggles ================================

If you can start the day without caffeine, If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains, If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it, If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time, If you can take criticism and blame without resentment, If you can conquer tension without medical help, If you can relax without alcohol, If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!

(If you can't eat it or play with it, then pee on it and walk away.)

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Dealing with Negative comments

The USA Four Corners Motorcycle Tour

Ten Things I Wish The Motorcycle Manufacturers Would Do

Vololights: Enhanced Motorcycle Visibility

Cars vs. motorcycles: Can't we all just get along?

Motorcycle safety: Perspectives from an emergency room biker

Camp and cruise oin a motorcycle or ATV

Pine Bush motorcycle project brings kids closer to graduation

Retired 72-year-old motorcycle enthusiast graduates from Washtenaw Community College

Motorcycle buying tips for women

Jared Monti’s motorcycle serves as inspiration

Shawn Marion's Fly Motorcycle-Car Demands Your Attention

How To Plan A Motorcycle Trip

Traffic Talk: How drivers, bikers can improve motorcycle safety on the roads

Polaris cuts price of ’14 Indian Motorcycle

VIDEOS:

Never have to wash your BIKE again

Cop breaking the law...says 12 YO

The E-Tracer

China’s Harley knockoff….

New pedal-free bicycle relies on running momentum…down under

Animals Take the Plunge

Watch an epic motorcycle trip from Alaska to Argentina

See Mariah Carey and Miguel Go for a Sexy Motorcycle Ride

New 2014 Indian Motorcycle Sneak Peek

9 CYLINDER motorcycle…crazy!!!!

Lazy summer days heading our way..........................

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Here is the link to the website that Joe mentioned at the last meeting. http://www.localmotohub.com/

http://www.womenridersnow.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=920&sid=bc4ed9bcc95d1ff4e93c0cd3345ed05ahttp://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2013/05/usa-four-corners-motorcycle-tour.htmlhttp://www.wimp.com/oleophobiccoating/http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/05/08/ten-things-i-wish-the-motorcycle-manufacturers-would-do/http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4pSasFQIyH8http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/05/08/ten-things-i-wish-the-motorcycle-manufacturers-would-do/http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=xzK012GjjX4&feature=endscreenhttp://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vololights/vololights-enhanced-motorcycle-visibilityhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzTKhlc_jFU&feature=player_embeddedhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/cars-vs-motorcycles-cant-we-all-just-get-along/article11914926/http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=1xjxg1Y7q8whttp://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=1xjxg1Y7q8whttp://www.dvidshub.net/news/107046/motorcycle-safety-perspectives-emergency-room-bikerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=uFxnBrO9n7ohttp://www.dvidshub.net/news/107046/motorcycle-safety-perspectives-emergency-room-bikerhttp://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/05/15/3010886/camp-and-cruise.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=85VErvTqgWchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=85VErvTqgWchttp://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130518/NEWS/305180332http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130518/NEWS/305180332http://www.spin.com/articles/mariah-carey-miguel-beautiful-video-motorcycle-barn/http://www.spin.com/articles/mariah-carey-miguel-beautiful-video-motorcycle-barn/http://www.annarbor.com/news/72-year-old-motorcycle-enthusiast-to-graduate-from-washtenaw-community-college-this-saturday/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhDvAqLeE8Ehttp://www.annarbor.com/news/72-year-old-motorcycle-enthusiast-to-graduate-from-washtenaw-community-college-this-saturday/http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/05/motorcycle-buying-tips-for-women.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hirsRnytTkUhttp://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x1160895933/Jared-Monti-s-motorcycle-serves-as-inspirationhttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646141-shawn-marions-fly-motorcycle-car-demands-your-attentionhttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/1646141-shawn-marions-fly-motorcycle-car-demands-your-attentionhttp://rideapart.com/2013/05/how-to-plan-a-motorcycle-trip/http://rideapart.com/2013/05/how-to-plan-a-motorcycle-trip/http://rideapart.com/2013/05/how-to-plan-a-motorcycle-trip/http://rideapart.com/2013/05/how-to-plan-a-motorcycle-trip/http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/traffic_talk_what_can_drivers.htmlhttp://www.localmotohub.com/http://www.startribune.com/business/207441601.html?refer=y