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June 2020

Gold Wing Road Riders Association

Monthly Chapter

Gathering

is

canceled for June

Chapter Directors

Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg

(607) 427-8777

Gwrra.ed.dottie@gmail.com

2020 Couple of the Year

Kenny & Deb Weberman

JUNE EVENTS

Ride Fresh Country Cafe

June 6

Ride Papa Joes

June 13

Ride Mystery Picnic

June 20

Ride Sunrise Eatery

June 27 2017 Florida District

Chapter of the Year

National Director National Assistant Director Florida District Directors

Jere Goldman Bob Shrader Bill & Cheryl Smith

Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge

Rick & Madalena Buck

Assistant District Directors

District Contact for the Fireballs

Stay safe!

WWW.lakelandfireballs.org

Page 2

May you live in

Interesting Times

Whenever the world was in some sort of upheaval my Dad would quote this ancient Chinese proverb. It has never been truer at least in my lifetime.

We are all trying to figure out how to resume our lives with knowledge that we have no idea what is going to be the new “normal”. Here in Florida, we are moving into Phase 2 with a relaxing of some restrictions. Many people are conflicted as to if it is too soon or way overdue. Your Chapter Team is try-ing its best to do what is right. We did shut down all rides for a month plus but have established an unofficial ride plan for those who feel comforta-ble in riding while main-taining social distancing.

At the Team Meeting on May 20 it was decided that we would not restart our Meet and Eats or have a Gathering in June. We would decide at the June team meeting about those items for July. We will commence our scheduled rides in June that involve a restaurant. We have found some restaurants that offer outdoor seating. As always, eating at the restaurant is optional so people can still join us for a ride and then return home if they wish.

Dottie and I are heading north to visit family for several weeks. Your Chap-ter Team continues to run everything smoothly. We are just a phone call away if someone wants or needs to talk about Chapter busi-ness. Most everyone in the Chapter is one of our friends so phones calls, emails and Facebook things are welcome. In re-ality, our being north is not much different than the early stages of this virus thing as everyone pretty much stayed home. We certainly hope that when we return in July that things will be more back to normal--- Whatever that is. LOL!

Stay Safe and Healthy

Ed Bahrenburg CD for

the Fireballs

Page 3

Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg

Chapter Director

None of the Motorcycles in this picture

can be seen in the trucker’s mirrors or

other blind spots.

Great News! We will be having the GWRRA Florida District Motorcycle Drawing for 2020 on June 13th at 11:00 am. The location is the FOP Lodge at 9001 North Taylor Road, Seffner, FL. Due to Covid-19 there is restricted attendance. Please check with your CD for further information. More good news is that the Coronavirus Re-strictions are slowly being lifted and riding is once again going to be the order of the day. Let us review how we should be thinking about the potential of en-countering animals when riding. One of the things you should be considering when scanning the road-way is also looking for ani-mals. Different environ-ments (city vs. country) or time of day (sunrise or sunset) might determine what type of animals you should be looking for. In a city environment you are more likely to see the common dogs, cats and squirrels. In the country you will also possibly see deer, armadillo, raccoons, turtles and possums. There are other possibili-ties, but I think you get the idea. Each animal type has its own individual move-ment characteristics. Deer, armadillo, raccoons and possums are more likely to show up at dusk or dawn. Different animals react differently when they see (or do not see) you. Knowing how different what type of strategy you

are going to have to use to deal with them. I will now cover some of the more common animal encounters. A dog usually wants to chase you. Do not let the approaching dog scare you to where you begin to veer away from him and wind up hit-ting something else (like an approaching car). The dog really does not want to catch you. He is just mes-merized by your motion. Simply maintain your com-posure and course, down-shift a gear, and accelerate away from the dog. A cat usually will maintain a fast, direct course straight across the road. A squirrel will run back and forth and back and forth. A squirrel is best dealt with by ignor-ing it and leaving its fate up to God. Armadillos and possums don't see very well so they usually will not try to get out of your way until the last moment. Plan on going around them but do not be surprised when they jump away from you. Deer are probably the most dangerous be-cause they approach quick-ly, usually from between bushes or trees and with-out warning. They are big enough to cause some real damage. Braking or swerving are your only two options with a deer. (Or you do nothing and are just lucky that you didn’t hit it.) Of course, there are other animals I haven't men-tioned but the aforemen-tioned are some of the most common.

Page 4

Remember if you choose to swerve to avoid an animal you cannot also be on the brakes. In a swerve you are on the sides of your tires with a lot smaller tire contact patch on the roadway, and centrifugal force is pushing out on your bike. . The tires cannot handle the extra stress of also braking. Decisions when dealing with an animal must be made quickly. If you begin to swerve to avoid the animal and it becomes evident you are going to hit it away, quickly straighten up the bike and get off of the brakes. You do not want the nose of your bike down and its weight forward if you hit the animal. You are more likely to lose control of your bike if the nose is down and the weight is forward when you hit any-thing. Get back on the throt-tle and knock the animal out of the way. I am in no way advocating hitting a live ani-mal, if you could have other-wise avoided contact. But, if you can’t avoid hitting the an-imal, hit it with authority.

Dominick & Diane DeSiato Rider Education

Having the throttle on when you make contact will knock the animal out of your way and you have a better chance of maintain-ing control of your motor-cycle. If the animal is al-ready dead you can revert to the dirt bike technique of holding on to the han-dlebars, standing up enough to get your bottom off the seat, leaning back, and give the throttle a quick blip-on to lighten the front wheel just before it makes contact with the an-imal. Then quickly close the throttle so the weight transfers back forward off the rear wheel so it hits lightly when it goes over the animal. This method is your best bet for the small-er animals up to the size of a small deer. Larger animals such as cows, horses, bison, and moose require more crea-tive thinking. Do what you have got to do with those larger animals. I cannot give you all the answers. What comes to mind here is something I saw in a Mel Gibson movie. He was in pursuit on a Police motor-cycle and encountered a semi-tractor trailer rig across his path. He laid his bike down on its side and slid under the trailer, then up righted the bike and continued on his course. That method may or may not work for you with a big animal such as a moose but, that’s just the way I think sometimes. The purpose of this arti-cle was just to get you to plan ahead. Safe motorcy-

cle riding is best achieved The purpose of this article was just to get you to plan ahead. Safe motorcycle riding is best achieved by having a pre-planned strategy on what you would do under different hazardous situations. This way of thinking applies to all possible hazards you might encounter. Hope to see you out there riding soon. Ride safe, Dominick & Diane

Page 5

Dominick & Diane DeSiato Rider Education

When you are out and

about on your motorcycle

would you have any of

the following at hand to

give someone that you

might strike up a conver-

sation with?????

I. GWRRA Membership

Application......

2. Hang tags for any

bike you might see

parked......

3. Chapter flyer or

newsletter......

4. Copies of past Wing

World magazine......

These items will lay flat in

the back box, and you

could put them in plastic

zip lock bag. When mak-

ing up your kit, be sure to

always fill in your GWRRA

member number. The

person you are having a

conversation is really

showing interest in having

a motorcycle (or they

have one) you can just

about judge what items

you may want to give

them. So, always keep in

mind that anyone we meet

and have a great conversa-

tion with about riding our

Gold Wing and all other

motorcycles in general is

"ALWAYS" a perspective

new member. Make sure

to always invite them to a

Chapter meeting.

THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE BETTER IT GETS!!

Page 6

PROSPECTIVE NEW MEMBERS BIKE KIT

Membership Enhancement

Jim & Alice Bontrager

Want to be a better hu-man being and live a bet-ter life? Find out how motorcycles will do more than just make you look cool. There’s a good chance that if someone has to ask you why you ride a motorcycle, they’ll never really under-stand. For most of us, we ride because we can’t not ride. It’s who we are. It’s why we are. This though, is the internet, and on the in-ternet we make lists and explain things. So here are 12 reasons you should ride a motorcycle. 1. To be Cool Motorcycles are cool. Peri-od. They tell the world, “I live my life large! I laugh at fear, I am adventurous!” Everyone who sees anyone on any bike thinks that per-son is cool. This is very true for kids, and slightly less true for in-laws—but even they are still secretly im-pressed. Unless you ride in sandals or flip flops, or without a helmet – then you look silly. 2. To Find Your Zen On a motorcycle, your thoughts are occupied by the moment, and only the moment. In that moment you feel very, very big and at the same exact moment, you are very well aware that you are also very, very small. Those two concepts collide in your mind simulta-neously, and that is why we have that look in our eyes. We see the universe for

what it is and transcend re-ality. 3. Commuting Is Easier And More Fun Sitting in traffic sucks. But it sucks a lot less if you live in one of the states that allow lane splitting. Even if you don’t I guarantee your run through traffic will be faster, more enjoyable and more rewarding than if you were stuck in a car listening to news reports. People who arrive at work and take off their helmet are 1,000 per-cent more like to be smiling than people who arrive in a Dodge Journey. 4. You Learn About Per-spective Set your sights further down the road. Look where you want to go. Be aware of your surroundings. Live in the moment. The solutions to most problems we en-counter on the road while riding are the same as the solutions to most of life’s problems. Look further down the road when you’re feeling unstable and you’ll be alright in the end. 5. You're Less Of A Drain On The System Riding a bike is better for

the environment than driv-

ing a car. You use less fuel.

Your transport uses less re-

sources to build. You take

up less space. You even

take less of a toll on roads

and infrastructure. Motor-

bikes as a single-person (or

two-person) transport are

far more efficient. Page 7

Newsletter Editor’s

Motorbikes are generally also cheaper to buy, oper-ate, and maintain than a car. 6. A Motorcycle Can't Be Hacked (Yet) Okay, so we’re taking crea-tive license a bit here be-cause even cars can’t be hacked really—there have been some stunts online but all of them required someone having physical access to a vehicle at some point. We know, however, that the march of autono-mous technology continues to advance and invade our driving experiences. While that technology is finding its way into motorcycles, (Harley-Davidson develop-ing group-riding cruise con-trol for example), it is a lot harder to divorce the or-ganic component from the equation when it comes to riding a bike. Take that Cyberdyne! 7. Because Authenticity Even the most basic, uni-versal, and utilitarian mo-torcycles are a reflection of their owners' personality. In a sea of SUVs, a motor-cycle is the last bastion of automotive authenticity. A bike is as individual as a vehicle can be, and no two are ever alike. There’s also an inherent simplicity to a motorbike and that allows you to create a deeper con-nection. You work on it,

12 Reasons To Ride A Motorcycle A article from Ride Apart

byJacob Black

Rita Willis

Continue on p7

tinker with it, and per-form basic maintenance on it almost daily, forg-ing your bond with your machine. 8. Your Health Will Improve A study once found that a motorcyclist in traffic makes more decisions per minute than a fighter pilot in a dog fight, or a race-car driver engaged in a battle of position. There are numerous medical journals that show a link between in-creased brain activity and long-term cognitive function. In short, a bike is good for your brain. Many people who strug-gle with depression and other mental health is-sues find motorcycles therapeutic. 9. You Meet the Nicest People Every time you wave at a fellow rider, a little smile fills your soul. Most of my best mates are people I met through bikes. Whether it’s rid-ing, talking about riding online, racing, or just plain perving on bikes, some of my favorite people are bike people. They’ll help you work on your project. They’ll help you move house. They’ll take care of you and your stuff when you wipe out. In short, bike peo-ple rule.

Page

Continue from page 6

10. Because Freedom A motorcycle can take you a lot of places a car can’t, but that’s a very superficial concept of “freedom”. Really, a motorcycle gives you complete and total au-tonomy and agency over your decisions. Twist the throttle, weight the peg—your actions are yours and yours alone. You can’t even reach your cell phone. Your distractions are non-existent. It’s bliss... 11. Connection To The World Around You In a car, you’re driving through the world, let-ting it pass you by. On a bike, you’re immersed in the world around you. Its sights, its sounds, its bug splatter. When you ride on the streets, you’re a human like the other humans, not a cage. You have an iden-tity and a connection to the world that you can’t get from inside a car. and your smile wide… motorcycles are life.

12. Because It Is To-tally Rad. That’s it in a nutshell. You should ride a bike because not riding a bike is never as good as riding a bike. Ever. Mo-torcycles are fun, excit-ing, stimulating, and sexy. They can be fast, or slow, or big, or small, but a motorcycle is fuel for your soul. You can ride any way you like and get unfathomable amounts of joy. Wheth-er you are knee down on a racetrack, carving a wooded trail, or just cruising down the high-way with your head high and your smile wide… motorcycles are life.

Why Do You Ride?

Ride Coordinator

June 2020 Riding Adventures:

Greetings Fireballs from your chapter

Ride Coordinator. Please note that the

restaurants are not taking reserva-

tions at this time so we will try to ar-

rive at their opening usually 11:00 am

(Fresh Country & Papa Joe’s)

June 6 — 9:30 AM departure from

RaceTrac North (US 98 North & Mar-

cum Rd.) Lunch ride to Fresh Country

Café in Zephyrhills.

June 13 — 9:30 AM departure from

RaceTrac North (US 98 No. & Marcum

Rd.). Lunch ride to Papa Joe’s in

Brooksville.

June 20 — 9:30 AM departure from

RaceTrac North (US 98 No. & Marcum

Rd.) Mystery ride. Please bring a pic-

nic lunch and drink.

June 27 — 9:30 AM departure from

RaceTrac North (US 98 No. & Marcum

Rd.) Breakfast/brunch ride to Sunrise

Eatery in Zephyrhills.

Please check the Fireball calendar and

watch for the weekly “Happenings”

emails with additional information for

each destination. And more to come in

July 2020!

Let’s Ride!

Leo Soucy

Joe Lupo 2nd

Carolyn Andrew 2nd

Dottie Bahrenburg 17th

Leo Soucy 22nd

GWRRA Anniversary for June

Joe Lupo 1993

Bob & Sandy Kelly 1998

Jeff Goldblatt 2009

Jim & Alice Bontrager

June11th

Gary & Carolyn Andrew

June 18th

Bob & Sandy Kelley

June 27th

Page 10

2020 Fireballs

A challenge was placed on Facebook

for the way out ideas our members

had for passing time during the

quarantine. Here are the results.

Sue & Leo’s ultimate safe distancing

(in the shadows).

Dragon fly

hitching a ride.

No words necessary.

Page 11

The prices for advertising in our Monthly Newsletter are as

follows:

(Yearly Rates)

$25—business card

$50—1/4 page

$100—1/2 page

$150—full page

Page 12

Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg

Chapter Directors

2448 Snowy Plover

Lakeland FL