Feb - BMW Club of Houston
Transcription
Feb - BMW Club of Houston
Published by the BMW Club of Houston Since 1967 www.bmwclub.org Activities Calendar Weekly/Monthly Houston Activities February 2007 Buescher State Park Camp-In January 20-21, 2007 Every Sunday Breakfast with Beemers Two locations: 1. Goode Company Taqueria, 4902 Kirby Drive at Westpark 2. Denny’s Restaurant, FM 1960 at Highway 290 Start the day with breakfast at 8:00 AM with fellow BMW riders. There is often a ride afterward, departing at 9:00 AM. Every Thursday evening social gathering at Hickory Hollow, 101 Heights Blvd. Folks start gathering at 7:00 PM. Business meeting, second Thursday of the month, 7:00 PM at Hickory Hollow, 101 Heights Blvd. Come early, or stick around afterward for tire-kicking and story-swapping. March, 2007 Wait a minute… wasn’t this event in Smithville, TX? 2 Dinner & a movie: Wildhogs Meet at Café Adobe at 6:00 PM 7620 Katy Freeway. Watch website for updated info and show time. Well, since the weather was so crummy in Smithville, we decided to move the Buescher camp-in to Big Bend Country, and have ourselves a nice little ride along the river road. 2-11 Daytona Bike Week 8 Club business meeting, 7:00 PM No, just kidding!! Not about the weather, of course. It WAS crummy. But we had some hearty folks show up on their motorcycles, the rest came in their cars and trucks, and we all enjoyed some great chicken and steak fajitas cooked on the grill with all the fixin’s, some cobbler a-la-mode and, best of all, some great company to share it with. April, 2007 12 Club business meeting, 7:00 PM 20-22 Texas National BMW Rally, Lake Belton, at Cedar Ridge Park. For more info, contact Mike Moon mmoon1948@aol.com 20-22 Honda Superbike Classic, Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham AL Details on page 2. For more info, and to buy tickets, go to: www.barbermotorsports.com Mike prepares fixin’s May, 2007 4-6 Annual Ride the 3’s, Leakey TX. Details on page 9 10 Club business meeting, 7:00 PM Klaus, Jim, Charlie, Beverly, Kathy share a laugh June, 2007 7-10 BMW RA International Rally Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC Visit www.bmwra.org for more info. 14 Club business meeting, 7:00 PM For details on these and other events, visit the club website at www.bmwclub.org Riding to Moulton on Texas 95 Floyd, Les, Jay enjoy the fire BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 2 February 2007 Upcoming event: Honda Superbike Classic April 20-22, 2007 Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham AL . Dianne Seeger took these while riding a few laps of the track sitting on the back of Klaus’s LT. Dianne relaxing in the camping area at Barber. Barber Motorsports Park is the second stop on the circuit for the annual AMA Superbike Series, which comes to Birmingham in April, after the first race of the season at Daytona in March. The 5th annual Honda Superbike Classic will be held the weekend of April 20-22, with finals on Saturday, April 21. Come enjoy the Barber Motorsports Park, the track, the grounds, and especially Doesn’t this look like fun?? the motorcycle museum. Come to Superbike Classic and ride a few A group will be going to Barbers, laps on the track on your own motorcycle. departing Houston on Thursday, April 19, arriving that evening to set up camp. Camping is available at the Park, or for the non-campers, there are many motel/hotel options nearby. Visit www.barbermotorsports.com for more information and to buy tickets. Contact Klaus Seeger at kseeger@houston.rr.com to be added to the distribution list for further information and updates. More details and trip itinerary will be given in the March issue of the newsletter, or watch the website for these details. Barber Motorsports Park racetrack. BMW Club of Houston BMW MOA Charter #12 BMWRA #287 Officers and Directors Welcome New Members! December: Daniel Gately January: Percy Hardy Mark Ittleman Ralph Reynolds Winston Zaleski Joseph & Rebecca Knisel Leonard & Estella Simmons February: Jim Knight Information taken from meeting minutes, submitted by Charlie Storer, Secretary President Mike Doyle mhdoyle2005@yahoo.com Sergeant-at-Arms Mike Doyle Vice-President Klaus Seeger kseeger@houston.rr.com Web Editor Janice Yeager jlyeager@sbcglobal.net Secretary Charles Storer cpk@hal-pc.org Club Historian Diane Cox dianec@swbell.net Treasurer Beverly Ruffin bwruffin@swbell.net Newsletter Editor Barb Smith erythros@aol.com Dealer Liaison Ignacio Flores iflores@tristarco.com Direct membership inquiries to the Secretary. Send all articles, ads and other submissions to the Newsletter Editor. Web Editor No Photo available BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 3 Colorado, June 1978 by Floyd Crow Floyd asked me to run this story again for those who weren’t around back when it ran the first time. It’s a great and timeless story, one we can all relate to. Ed. This past June I took the ‘Ole Red Racer’ - my first BMW was a 1977 red R100S - to Colorado for the BMW Riders Association’s San Juan Tour held in Ouray, Colorado. I would like to share with you some of the highlights. When packing for the trip, I ask my wife, who from now on will be referred to as Dessie, if she thought I should take my snowsuit and cold weather gear. Her reply was “if you don’t take it and the weather turns cold you will be miserable and wish you had.” “Heck,” I said, “we’ve been going to Colorado in June for the past 10 years, and the weather hasn’t been so bad as to need a snowsuit.” So I left the suit at home. I did, however, take a set of thermal underwear. I left Beaumont the morning of June 6th and rode the 300 miles or so to Dallas in the rain where I spent the night with some friends who said I would stay much drier if I drove my car. Non-motorcyclists just don’t understand how much fun we have, do they? The next day I pressed on to Raton, New Mexico. I did get out of my Dry Rider rain suit just west of Wichita Falls. Although it was cool, there was no precipitation that day. The next morning there were broken clouds and a temperature of 26 degrees! On with the thermal underwear, jackets and the Dry Rider. Boy, it was cold!! I kept thinking, “It’s bound to warm up.” Little did I know how badly I was going to need that snowsuit hanging in my closet back in Beaumont, Texas. From Trinidad, Colorado I took state highway 12. The 64 miles from Trinidad to highway 160 is one of the best rides of the trip. It’s an absolute must if you are going to Southwest Colorado. The scenery is magnificent. The highway follows the North Fork and Cucharas Rivers. It’s up and down hills with fantastic curves, which seem to drift forever, or have that unexpected switchback you don’t see from the top. I stopped at one point to take it all in. The quiet is deafening - I seem to forget how quiet the high country really is. Not a sound; even the chipmunks don’t rustle the grass when they scurry from one mound to another. The area is a camera nut’s delight, and this nut snapped his share of the beauty. Heading west on highway 160, there’s not much scenery to slow one down except the Colorado Highway Patrol. I don’t have a CB, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that folks out there still use the flashing headlights as a warning system. This kept the red racer down to a reasonable pace. The thunderheads were building in the west, and from South Fork on, it is in the mountains. I stopped at South Fork and bought a heavy-duty sweatshirt and a wool shirt. “No thank you, don’t wrap them. I’ll just put them on right now.” “Yes ma’am, going all the way to Ouray today.” “You say the weather forecast for the mountain area is rain, with a chance of sleet and snow and temperatures in the middle to lower 30’s? Better give me one more sweat shirt.” The ride from South Fork to Durango was not too bad, just a little snow shower at the Wolf Creek Pass area and no rain at all. A stop at Pagosa Springs for a late lunch and two fingers of Jack Daniels to warm the ole “bod.” continued on page 9 February 2007 Upcoming event: 8th Annual 100,000 Foot Motorcycle Ride August 4, 2007 Registration is OPEN and limited. If you’re interested, please register soon. You won’t want to miss the world class scenery for which Denver is famous—mountain vistas, majestic peaks, wide open meadows, valleys, and beautiful streams. Ride begins and ends in Denver and is approximately 450 to 500 miles over ten mountain passes totaling more than 100,000 feet! Registration fee includes a commemorative 2007 ride pin, embroidered patch, continental breakfast, catered lunch and dinner, door prizes during or after dinner, and commemorative ride tee-shirt! All riders and all brands of motorcycles are welcome. Due to the popularity of this annual ride, the event now regularly sells out. Check out their website for more information and to register: http://www.coloradobeemers.com/ If you’re interested in coordinating motel accommodations and your ride from Houston, contact Beverly Ruffin at bwruffin@swbell.net Submitted by Beverly Ruffin BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 4 This month’s Point…Counterpoint contributors: February 2007 Point…Counterpoint: Camping vs. Motels A regular feature of opinion and preference Kevin Churchill speaks: Motorcycles and camping; it’s as natural as oily hands after an oil change. The natural exuberance of the average motorcyclist and his affinity for the outdoors should preclude any preference for swaybacked beds, smoke tainted rooms, and noisy air conditioners. Camping brings independence. A rider with his camping gear feels free to ride deserted roads late in the day, miles from a town, absent concern over where he will sleep. There will always be a corner of a field or a wooded lot without fences that will provide a suitable camp spot. Kevin Churchill “El Groucho” Guest contributor “El Groucho” speaks: Who needs camping? I’ve swatted bugs. I’ve spent nights as a human water heater, in a soaked sleeping bag. I fought the good fight to get the Thermarest pad back in the ridiculously small bag that it comes in. I’ve eaten those gourmet dinners of Ramen noodles and crackers. I’ve even succeeded in convincing myself, once or twice, it was a good meal. I’ve enjoyed all the pleasures of cold showers (and no showers). In other words, I’ve been camping. Now I say, “Who needs it?” What sensible person leaves the comfort of his own home to enjoy a motorcycle ride and spends his nights in self imposed torment? Gimme a break! Please! Let us not burden the sport of motorcycling with the whole Camping Thing. Hundreds of years ago man invented indoor plumbing. Later he invented the motorcycle and discovered that a nice hot shower is the perfect end to a long ride. Getting up in the middle of the night to avail myself of my rightful plumbing heritage, I shiver at the recollection of the tribulations that accompany this same act on a rainy night in a tent. Some things are best not dwelled on. Morning comes early. What a pleasure it is to get out of bed, without contortions, plug in the coffee maker and stand upright on a dry carpeted floor to get dressed. Motorcyclists are (continued next column) not Luddites… Point…Counterpoint Next month: Trailer the bikes or ride? Who will write the “ride” side of the story? Got an opinion?? Get your point across – select one of the following topics and give us your take on things: • Communications systems • “Dressed” or “Naked” bikes • Music or silence while riding • Road food or “fine dining” Or choose your own favorite soapbox topic and write your essay. I’ll solicit the counterpoint. Send your 200-300 word essays to erythros@aol.com. Paired commentaries will be published in future issues. Independence is as integral to motorcycling as DNA is to every living creature. Take a poll at any collection of riders that have ridden more than 200 miles from their own bed. Ask why they ride. At the top of the list of reasons given will be the sense of independence they derive from being a motorcycle rider. Camping expands this liberty, while dependence on motels constrains the rider to a web of reservations made or missed, check-ins, checkouts, and all to often, lugging all your stuff up two flights of stairs, terminated by anxiety over the security of the bike. Camping brings quiet. The camper can easily arrange for his overnight to take place adjoining a lightly traveled county road where the traffic all but disappears after dark. Campers in state campgrounds will commonly find themselves a mile or more from the nearest highway. Camping allows time for a rider to reflect. I cherish the time to think; appreciate nature and my place in it. To be able to look up and see familiar constellations brings a serenity that is never present in my own bedroom, where I always seem to fall asleep with some sense of anxiety over the next day’s tasks, chores as well as regret over my day’s delinquencies or procrastinations. It is impossible for me to spend a night under the stars without contemplating the whole panoply of ‘big thoughts’. How grateful I am for the fact that I am still healthy enough to enjoy travel by motorcycle. What new subterfuge might convince my wife to join me on one of these trips? No person can crawl into his sleeping bag, gaze up at the sky, consider his own small place in the Cosmos, and not know that Life is good. (continued on page 7) (continued from adjacent column) …Motorcycling is a modern 21st century mode of travel. Why mess it up by combining it with a lifestyle that was obsolete 200 years ago And let us not forget the first law of motorcycle rallies has three parts. 1) If you attend one of these affairs and actually do stay in a tent, it will rain, guaranteed. 2) The site chosen by the organizers for camping will become a sodden, slippery, muddy bog. 3) The spot where you erect your tent will be located where water collects. On the other side of this debate will be some motorcycle camper. Dollars to donuts, he or she rides an airhead. The essay will attempt to be poetic on the subject of camping. But, hey, you’ve been there and know better. Life is short. Sleep dry. Ride more. Please note: “El Groucho” asked that his identity not be revealed. Ed. BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 5 February 2007 Tech Tips Meet a Member Name: Ed McCullough Location: Tomball, TX Ride: 2003 K1200LT Stats: - born in Houston, TX - member since 2003 Years riding: 50 years First motorcycle: 1951 Harley Dream road: US-71 in Arkansas Best memory: trip to Mt. Evans, CO Essential road food: Hamburgers Did you know: … I ride for the Son, through the Christian Motorcycle Assn. … I attend rallies weekly, all over Texas. BMW National Rallies - 2007 BMW RA International Rally Asheville, NC at Biltmore Estate June 7-10, 2007 (BMW Riders Association) For more information go to www.bmwra.org/rally/ BMW MOA International Rally West Bend, WI at Washington County Fair Park July 12-15, 2007 (BMW Motorcycle Owners Association) For more information go to www.bmwmoa.org/rally/rally07/ Start making your plans now to attend one or both of these events. Contact Klaus Seeger at kseeger@houston.rr.com if you wish to organize a group ride to a rally or while at the rally. by Mike Murphy I recently had a problem with the brake light on my R1150 GSA, it stayed on all the time. This situation is as bad as the brake light not working, as following traffic can’t tell when you’re braking. I’ve had two oil-heads, a ’96 R1100RT and the ’02 GSA, and both had similar problem with the brake light switch. The oil-head BMW front brake uses a very small micro-switch that is activated by movement of the front brake lever. Simple, and I’m sure much less expensive than the pressure switch on Air-heads. The switch is operated by a small, springsteel leaf which rests against the brake lever. As the lever is depressed, this small leaf moves and allows the plunger in the micro-switch to move and activate the switch. My theory is that over time this spring loses its temper and deforms and no longer depresses the plunger. A big problem? Not really. The spring can be bent back to its original shape very easily. The R1100 and R1150 are each a little different. The mirror must be removed in both cases, and numerous screws taken out to release the housing. Be careful to lay the screws on the bench in a certain order, maybe even make a few notes as to which screw goes where. On the R1150, there is a built in “go by” as the hydraulic clutch master cylinder on the left handlebar is a mirror image of the brake master cylinder. The whole assembly is held in place on the handlebar by an Allen head cap screw, Loosen this screw and the master cylinder can be rotated to a horizontal position. Look under the assembly at the working end of the brake lever. That is where you’ll see the micro-switch. Operate the lever several times and you can see how the spring rests on the lever. The micro-switch is held in place by a very small machine screw. The R1150 uses one screw and a locating pin and, as I recall, the R1100 uses two screws. Remove the screw/screws and the switch will drop down for easy access. The spring leaf can be bent with a small pair of needle-nose pliers. Be gentle, this is a delicate piece of equipment. Put the micro-switch back in position, hold it with a finger, and see if the lever activates the switch. If you listen closely, you can hear the “click” of the switch. Once you get the spring leaf adjusted, you are ready to put everything back together. This is where your detailed notes will come in handy. Ride Safe - Mike BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 6 February 2007 BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 7 Destination: Central FL Roads to Daytona By Barb Smith If you’re going to Daytona for Bike Week, here’s a suggestion for some great riding through interior FL to get there.. I volunteered to work a motorcycle event held in Central Florida in October, so I packed up my bike and headed to Tarpon Springs. The event was scheduled to start Saturday morning leaving from beautiful Howard Park, located on the Gulf coast in Tarpon Springs, ending at Sunrise Park in Daytona, nearly 200 miles later. While the event itself was outstanding raising money for Lymphoma Society - it is the rally route that is worth mentioning to any of you headed to Daytona next month. Who knew there were such terrific riding roads in Florida? Twists, turns, curves, lakes, bridges, canopies of live oak trees dripping with moss. But getting back to Tarpon Springs for a moment…this adorable little town sits a few blocks off of US-19, sheltered from the “through traffic” and preserved in time. I stayed at Best Value Inn, on the corner of W. Tarpon Ave and Spring Blvd. It’s a great Florida vintage motel, within easy walking distance of the Tarpon Springs Historic District area, with its wide selection of restaurants, cafes, and shops. Or choose a B&B. A short ride from the motel took me by saltwater bayous to the lush and wooded Howard County Park, which boasts fabulous views of natural water frontage and a causeway that leads out to a small island with beachfront views of the Gulf. The rally started in this park well before sunrise, where entrants registered, picked up their packets, and were sent off for their memorable – and challenging – ride to Daytona. Howard Park, Tarpon Springs February 2007 Point…Counterpoint (continued from page 4) One night on a recent trip, I awoke, aware of a change in illumination. A late rising, full moon was arcing upward into a clear sky. The shadow of the nearby moonlit trees stretched across the small clearing where I slept, onto the bike a few feet away. In the absolute stillness, I heard a dead leaf as it gently careened off a nearby branch and seconds later as it settled on the ground a few feet away. Perfection. As motorcyclists we embrace the ride more than the destination. Camping enhances motorcycling while ‘moteling it’ anesthetizes the rider at the end of each day. I am not the only person who feels this way. Peter Egan, the Prose Laureate of motorcycle writers, maintains that in all his travels he has never forgotten a campsite, yet he could not recall a single motel room. I will never be able to explain it better. (continued from adjacent column) then east on Number 2 Road to SR-19. In Eustis, we took SR-44 to CR-4053, and worked our way through numerous small, winding roads to SR-40 which took us into Daytona to shut down the last checkpoint at Sunrise Park. Then it was off to the Holiday Inn and the evening banquet and awards. So, if you find yourself headed to Daytona, be sure to check out some of these roads. Volunteers and organizers rode “sweep” on the course, picking up lost strays and responding to calls from riders broken down. Heading out of Tarpon Springs on CR-582 it wasn’t too long before the fun began and we started jumping off the county road onto little winding diversions that took us to Collier Parkway, then to Parkway Blvd, both in Land ‘O Lakes. Yalaha Country Bakery CR-583 took us up to SR-52 to just past I-75, where we turned left onto Pasco Rd. This small twisty road was the first of several that ultimately took us north to CR-48 and to Yalaha, FL, home of Yalaha Country Bakery, just in time for lunch. This was a rally checkpoint, as well, and it gave us a chance to check on the entrants’ progress and pick up stragglers, of which we found several. At German-owned Yalaha Country Bakery, they work a grill out back on Saturdays and serve ‘brats and sauerkraut on rye, but inside there’s also a sandwich menu to order from. Leave room for dessert, because the baker’s cases are filled with delectable cakes, cookies, tortes, and other sweets. Leaving the bakery, we turned south onto Bloomfield Avenue, (Continued next column) Bloomfield Ave heading toward Number 2 Road near Yalaha, FL. Photos taken while riding these great roads, courtesy of Jason Jonas. Details: Tarpon Springs to Daytona Distance to Tarpon Springs 936 miles from the center of Houston Best Value Inn, Tarpon Springs 110 W. Tarpon Ave at Spring Blvd Location: 28.1465 N 82.7582 W Yalaha Country Bakery, Yalaha 8210 CR-48 www.yalahabakery.com Location: 28.7395 N 81.8167 W Contact Barb Smith at erythros@aol.com for routing details BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 8 February 2007 BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 9 Colorado June 1978 (continued from page 3) It began to rain at Hermosa just north of Durango. I didn’t have to stop to put on the Dry Rider - had not taken it off since leaving Raton, New Mexico that morning. The weather had really turned “crummy,” with the rain turning to sleet. My left leg was getting wet, and when I looked down to check it out, I saw the Dry Rider was freezing up with ice and tearing off in bits and pieces. I stopped at the Purgatory Inn to spend the night and then press on in the morning. “No sir, I’m sorry but we are closed for re-modeling and won’t be open till July. You might try Silverton.” Oh well, out with the duct tape for a few repairs on the rain gear. Onward, northbound across Molas Pass -10,910 feet - through Silverton and then the big climb up Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 feet. The rain and sleet had stopped, but the fog was unbelievable. The visibility had dropped to a mere few feet; I could not see the width of the highway. This stretch of highway is famous for its switchbacks, vertical drop-offs, and steep grades. Because I was north-bound, my lane was the lane next to the drop-offs. I had to go so slow that I thought the odometer might be broken, and listened continually for any traffic coming up behind me. Luckily there were no cars behind me and only a couple coming up the divide toward me. About three miles from Ouray I was suddenly out of the clouds and in reasonable weather. I had intended to camp in the U.S. campground on the side of the mountain above Ouray, but as I came around the last curve to the entrance it was barricaded with a “closed for the season”. The Best Western motel was to be my campsite for the next few days. The room was warm and dry, but it took 4 fingers of JD and a hot shower to stop the ole “bod” from shaking from the cold. For those who have not been to Ouray, it is a “must.” It’s a very small village nestled at the end of a canyon called “Switzerland of America,” and believe me it is aptly named. February 2007 Upcoming event: February Up-Date: Ride the 3’s Trip, May 4-6 Dessie and I went to Leakey this month to find lodging for those who are planning to go to Leakey and have not yet found lodging. If you are planning to go - and I hope you are you should make lodging arrangements NOW! I have been told there is going to be another motorcycle event in Leakey the same weekend, so lodging accommodations are going to be tight. This is a fun event and should not be missed. We headquarter at The Frio Canyon Lodge and spend all day Saturday riding those famous Three Roads 337,336,335 - the best of the Hill Country. The following is a list of lodging accommodations in Leakey and within 5 miles of The Frio Canyon Lodge. • Camp Live Oak - 830 232 4151 www.campliveoak.com Ask for Joyce or Buddy and tell them you are with the BMW Club. They have two 2 bedroom cabins and six 2 room cabins. They will hold st these cabins for the BMW club till March 1 . • Frio Springs Lodges – 888-232-4174 • Clearwater Ranch and Resort 830-232-6686 • River Haven Cabins on the Frio – 830-232-5400 A great mountain road near Ouray The weather continued to deteriorate through the next day and began to snow the next night. The Colorado highway department closed the passes throughout most of the state that night and until afternoon the next day. Needless to say, the rally did not win any attendance records. Bud Fritch, the rally chairman, a gentleman from Nevada, and I were the only ones who showed up. Saturday afternoon we went to town and began to round up all the bikers we could find and invited them to the San Juan Tour. We gathered together 15 bikes of various brands, and had a grand time Saturday night with a cookout (bring your own steak) and beer bust. Sunday was bright, clear, cold, and beautiful. We gathered the bunch together and toured over to Telluride, where we spent most of the day. Although the rally had a slow and unsure beginning, we had a good time and a very successful ending. It is always exciting for me to ride west toward Colorado and those Majestic Rockies. They seem to be on the horizon for two days before you get there, but when you head southeast from Durango toward Farmington, New Mexico, with your back to them they disappear in a matter of minutes. I always have to stop one last time to see all I had wanted to see. But I never get to see it all, so will just keep going back until I have. The trip home was long, hot, and sunny with no rain. When I head west next summer, you can bet that snowsuit is going with me!! For Your Information: The BMW Club of Houston, Ltd is 40 years old this th th year. Yes, our 40 Anniversary is this year! Help celebrate our 40 by attending as many club events and rides you can. Floyd Crow, “The Pope” e-mail: rhc@hctc.net RiverHavenCabins.com Ask for Bill or Margie Davis Reference BMW Club • Frio Pecan Farm Log Cabins & RV Park 877-832-0674 east of The Frio Canyon Lodge on FM337 For a complete listing of all lodging accommodations log onto: http://www.hill-country-visitor.com/ I will try and answer any question you may have about this event. Contact me via e-mail flyncrowflyncrow@yahoo.com or phone 409-866-2920. Submitted by Floyd Crow Left: sharing the road with a few 4-legged tourists on FM 336. Below: view from the roadside on FM 337. BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 10 February 2007 BMW Club of Houston LTD. Page 11 MINUTE BY MINUTE Minutes of Monthly Business Meetings ~ BMW Club of Houston, Ltd Meeting Date: February 8, 2007 Meeting called to order by Mike Doyle, President, at 7:00 PM Welcome and recognize visitors Jim Knight, from Houston Changes to last month’s meeting minutes –.none; minutes accepted Officer’s Reports Treasurer’s Report: - Beverly Ruffin Starting balance $4300; receipts $633; ending balance $3600. Notes: Expenditures include costs for monthly newsletter and remainder of fees for the Buescher campout. Vice President, Activities - Klaus Seeger, Details on the April ride to the AMA races in Alabama will be in the February newsletter. The 2007 Club Rally will be in Smithville, TX at Riverbend Park. Rally will be the 3rd weekend in October. Unfinished Business from previous meeting(s) –. Mike Murphy reminded everyone that Tech Day will be on Saturday, Feb 17th at his house. February 2007 New Business Beverly Ruffin is putting together a dinner and movie at the Edwards Cinema. The movie will be a motorcycle-related comedy. Details to follow at website There is the upcoming 100,000 foot ride on August 4, sponsored by the Colorado Beemers. This ride has limited registration and can be found at www.coloradobeemers.com website We already have a number of club members signed up, so don’t dilly-dally. Registration includes t-shirt, pin, and meals. New Members, Other Announcements Jim Knight was voted into membership. He rides a R1200RT. 50/50 Drawing Mike Muphy won the $32 pot. He promises to put the winnings toward shop towels for the upcoming Tech Day . The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm. Submitted by Charles Storer, Secretary Classified Advertising Motorcycle Parts/Accessories: Apparel & Miscellaneous (continued) GIVI E360 MonoKey System top case and BMW universal mount with hardware. $265 new. $100 Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713-942-9901 (01-07) BMW Battery Charger with zipper tote bag. $25 Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713-942-9901 (01-07) Works Steel Trackers Low Shocks—front/rear. DualRate Springs (DRS) and cast Adjustable Rate Suspension (ARS). Can be rebuilt. Fits early models 850/1100R; lowers the bike one inch. Approx 50k miles. $900 new. $150 Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713-942-9901 (01-07) RCU Design Backrest with integrated nylon bag and luggage rack. Backrest pad is marine vinyl and the frame is ¼inch aircraft alloy aluminum stock with a black powder coated finish. $350 new. $100 Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713942-9901 (01-07) AeroFlow two-piece handlebar mounted Half Fairing for 850/1100R. Clear windscreen, smoke body. Uses stock BMW mounting brackets (not included). $350 new. $125 Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713-942-9901 (01-07) Apparel & Miscellaneous: Family Size dome tent (RedHead 16’ x 10’ Sportiva Ultimate). Used twice. $50 Kelty rectangular sleeping bag (74”x34”). $20 Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713-9429901 (01-07) Harley-Davidson Women’s Monsoon Jacket--lined, hooded and reflective. Black with gray trim. Size Large. Never worn. $115 new (tags still attached). Will throw in HD Women’s leather gloves, size large; worn twice. Asking $60 for both. Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713-942-9901 (01-07) Delphi XM2Go MyFi personal satellite radio. Includes a rechargeable integrated battery pack, antenna, remote control, headphones, home kit and vehicle kit. $300 new. $75 Beverly at bwruffin@swbell.net or 713-942-9901 (01-07) Motorcycles for Sale: 2004 BMW R1200 CL, 7,000 miles great shape. $10,500. contact Wayne Kessler 281-455-6843. (01-07) 2000 BMW K1200LT-C, Excellent condition, 22,000 miles, $9000. Contact Richard Wearing 713-589-5830, rwearing@houston.rr.com (02-07) Clean out your closets! Clear out those odds and ends in your garage! Make some $$! To place your ad, e-mail info including your contact information to Barb Smith at erythros@aol.com. Classified Advertising is free to BMW club members. Nonmembers may list BMW motorcycle items only. Ads will run for 3 issues, unless otherwise cancelled. Neither the club nor its members or officers are liable for any misrepresentations in these classifieds. Please contact the seller(s) for detailed information or photos of the items being sold. BMW Club of Houston, LTD. P.O. Box 7542 Houston TX 77270-7542 In this issue Articles and Announcements Buescher State Park Camp-in Honda Superbike Classic – Barber’s Colorado, June 1978 8th Annual 100,000 Ft Motorcycle Ride BMW National Rallies – dates/info Destination: Central FL to Daytona Ride the 3’s – Update and information page 1 page 2 page 3 page 3 page 5 page 7 page 9 Regular Columns & Features Activities Calendar Mike’s Meanderings List of Officers Point …Counterpoint Meet a Member Murph’s Musings: Tech Tips Meeting Minutes Classified Advertising page 1 page 2 page 2 page 4 page 5 page 5 page 11 page 11 2007 Display Advertisement Annual Rates Ad Insertion: (dimensions are maximum “live” area) Business card - $100/yr ¼ page - $200/yr 2” x 3 ½” 3 ½” x 4” ½ page $300/yr Vertical 3 ½” W x 9 ½” H Horizontal 7 ¼” W x 4 ½” H Full page - $400/yr 9 ½” H x 7 ¼” W All ad materials should be sent to the newsletter editor. Deadline st for insertion is the 1 of the month for mid-month publication. Monthly rates for display ads are available upon request.