NorCal Voyagers Newsletter

Transcription

March 2011
This Month…
RIDE: (Meet Fri Hollister) Hearst Castle
Ride (18-20)
NCVC MEETING: MANTICA (3/26) 11:00
am Perko’s
Next Month…
RIDE: (MANTICA) Featherbed Railroad
Ride (4/8-10)
TRIATHLON SUPPORT (LAKE
ANTONIO) Wildflower Tri (4/29-5/1)
NCVC Newsletter
SAN
You have something you want to see in the
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter??? Send it
along to news@norcalvoyagers.org and
we’ll get it in the next issue. You can also
send articles to any board member in the
club and they will get it to the editor.
We’re especially interested in doing
personal stories about our members. You
don’t have to go into a lot of detail, but
knowing a bit about our members goes a
long way towards a more enjoyable
friendship. Get those pictures, campfire
stories, and humorous biking experiences
out and send them off to the editor for the
next newsletter!
NorCal Voyagers Newsletter is developed for the
Northern California Voyagers Club and is freely distributed
as a benefit of membership.
The NorCal Voyagers Newsletter is not a policy or
formal arm of the Northern California Voyagers Club, but
rather an informational source for it’s’ members.
Some or all of the opinions expressed in the NorCal
Voyagers Newsletter may not be those of the Northern
California Voyagers Club, its’ officers, sponsors,
advertisers, or the newsletter staff.
The NorCal Voyagers Newsletter reserves the right to
edit or correct any mistakes within information submitted
for publication.
The NorCal Voyagers Newsletter is not responsible for
the accuracy of content printed within these pages.
Any questions concerning content or information
contained in the NorCal Voyagers Newsletter can be
submitted to editor@norcalvoyagers.org for review.
The words “Voyager” and “Kawasaki” are registered
trademarks of the Kawasaki Corporation and are used for
reference purposes only.
Useful Internet Links
Northern California Voyagers Club
http://www.norcalvoyagers.org
American Voyager Association (AVA)
http://www.amervoyassoc.org/
American Motorcycle Association (AMA)
http://www.ama-cycle.org/
Page 1
March 2011
Club Info and Activities
I posted on the NorCal Voyagers Club forum
about the accident that Jerry Zimmerman had. It
was one of those warm days in the valley; Jerry
wanted to ride so he invited a friend, Deborah.
Together they were traveling Hwy 99 south past
Lodi, when the car in front of Jerry swerved
hard left into the other lane leaving Jerry a clear
view of the 4x4 log across the whole lane in
front of him. 1200 Voyagers are not dirt bikes,
the Voyager went one way and Jerry and
Deborah went the other. Deborah was bruised
and battered, with very little road rash. Jerry on
the other hand was beat up - four broken ribs,
some compound, and a broken clavicle, with a
lot more road rash then Deborah. Even Jerry‟s
hands took a beating since Jerry was wearing
lightweight summer gloves. Jerry was released
from the hospital within two days. Which one
of Jerry‟s three Voyagers was he riding, hmmm.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
By Don Medina, NCVC President
We just passed the only month of the year where
the NorCal Voyagers Club had no activities. I
hope everyone had time to prepare for the next
10 months of activities.
The first weekend of February, a small group of
us met Betty Walls in Fresno and presented her
with Ray‟s flag case. Betty looked charming,
but she said life is hard without Ray. Roger and
Shirley Allen, Wayne Bright, Fred Andrews and
a buddy, Trisha Blue and Don Medina were in
attendance.
In this issue of the newsletter you get your first
view of the Ray Walls Classic/Banff, Canada.
Take time to read and study the route and cost.
This is one of those tours you‟ll be talking about
for years to come. I want to thank Michele
Smith for coming up with the idea then
following through with all of the planning.
Michele was smart; she enlisted help whenever
she could. Roger Allen helped with the return
part of the tour. Kirk Ehnisz helped with the
general planning of the tour.
At this month‟s meeting I have no after-meeting
ride planned yet. If you have an idea that would
be fun, call or email me.
For the Hearst Castle Ride, we‟ll meet in
Hollister on Friday, March 18, 2011. The
location is the Hollister Inn, with a dinner time
of 6pm. I hope to see you there. Remember to
make reservations for the Hearst Castle tours,
cost is $24.00 and they fill fast. Our ETA to the
Hearst Castle Visitors Center will be 1:30 pm.
A 2 pm tour is best, that is what I have reserved
for myself. Tours are about an hour and fifteen
minutes plus a thirty minute bus ride, for a total
time of one hour and forty five minutes.
Hank Speaks Up
By Hank Thompson
"Any VV1700 riders, I need some pictures and
information about the new Voyager.
I know Ernie wants to mount a luggage rack. Hank
has had the recall on his VN1700 installed.
Page 2
March 2011
Hank how has that made that VN1700 perform?...."
O.K., here's the answer:
As far as I can see, there is no difference in
performance, the recall was to address an issue
whereby the Voyager engine would sometimes
stall when slowing down.
This could leave to some interesting issues in the
event that you needed to rapidly accelerate,
especially when coming out of a corner, or in
heavy traffic. Flame out = mucho problems,
so Kawasaki, after some prodding by several
owner's calls to NHTSA, finally issued a recall
order to have the ECU (Engine Control Unit, the
"Computer") replaced.
Since purchasing this bike, (about a year) this is
the second trip to the dealer for recall issues - not
a very good thing for a "flagship" bike like these.
The first recall was to add heat shields to the
exhaust system in an effort to stop frying the
rider‟s legs from the extreme heat. That recall did
not seem to make much difference, on long trips
or in traffic, my legs are still getting fried. Ernie,
does your bike heat up in high summer heat this
same way?
I am beginning to think the real issue is the
Catalytic converter getting hot, like it does on a
car. Harley also has issues with engine heat, to
the degree (like the pun?) that the rear cylinder
can be shut down in order to reduce the heat. It is
my understanding that this #2 cylinder shut down
is something the rider can control himself........
All Bikes have some weirdness though, but I am
thinking that a lot of these problems are a result of
newer technology - computer controls, catalytic
Page 3
converters, fuel injection, cruise controls, etc. I
started riding in 1959, a Cushman Eagle, a PAL,
and finally a Triumph tiger cub. That was a pretty
basic machine, hard to start, screws constantly
vibrating
out, and so on, but that bike really got me
started on REAL bikes, and from there it was:
1. BSA 440 Victor (That one was a leg breaker,
but a very fun bike)
2. Triumph 650 (THAT was a fast bike!)
It is now about 1960, and Honda just came out
with that little 50 CC plastic bike, The local dealer
in Pasadena used multiple Honda 50 CC engines
for racing. His name was Ted Furnace
of Sports Motor Sales, a really crazy guy 3. Honda Four, one of the first sold in California,
and probably one of the best bikes I ever owned
4. A Kawasaki (or was it a Yamaha? I only had it
for 2 months, then sold it after one day of kicking
my brains out in an effort to start it, I broke my
foot. That two stroke dirt bike was almost my
demise
5. Another Honda Four (Purchased when I moved
to Ohio, better throttle linkage for the 4 carbs, but
not nearly the power of my original 750/4)
6. Honda VT1100 Shadow Spirit. A nice tame
bike, very dependable, (just don't ever break off an
oil fitting on the bottom of the engine block, it
cost me a small fortune to get that fixed!)
7. HD FLHTCU a beautiful bike, but I did not
trust the dealer on an issue of trade-ins & rust on a
new $28,000 bike, so I gave it back and got a:
8. 2009 Kawasaki Voyager VN1700/ABS
The 1700 is a strange bike, it's hot to ride, heavy
(almost 900 pounds) noisy (Engine clanks and
bangs around until it all heats up) hard to shift,
you don't want to lean too far into a corner,
things DO drag BUT is extremely comfortable to
ride, no wind in the face at all for me, has plenty
of power for two-up riding, and is the correct
color of blue to suit my wife.
I guess I'll keep it.
March 2011
Prince of Wales Hotel. The town of Banff in
Alberta, the Columbia Icefield Glacier, the town
of Jasper, and Kamloops, British Columbia will
be the stops before we head back to the U.S.
Plan to make your way from Bellingham, WA to
Astoria, OR via the Washington State Ferry
from Coupeville to Port Townsend and then
meander down Hwy 101 to the Bandon Beach
Motel located on the beautiful Oregon coast
before you return home.
You may note that this tour might be more costly
than past Ray Walls Classic Tours. Finding cost
efficient properties was challenging, especially in
the tourist towns of Banff and Jasper. In some
cases you will find less expensive properties if
you are willing to travel outside the downtown
areas. The attached document provides the
itinerary, miles covered per day, hotel
information, and route we will follow. Are you
interested in joining us? You are not obligated to
stay at the hotels we have selected.
Additional costs that you should be aware of in
your decision making process include:
Ray Walls Classic Tour
“Dice to Ice”
By Michele Smith
The 2011 Ray Walls Tour itinerary has been
finalized. The Tour begins in Fallon, NV
departing early morning Friday July 8th and
arriving in Bandon, OR on July 18th 2011.
Touring the United States and Canada, we will
cover over 2500 miles. Explore with us Glacier
National Park, crossing the Canadian border into
Waterton Lakes National Park where we plan to
enjoy a picnic lunch while viewing the famous
-
Passport
-
Daily/Annual International Park pass Waterton Lakes National Park, Banff,
exploring the Columbia Icefield and Jasper are
all located in an international park and that
means you will pass kiosks that are
inescapable at entry points and will be
accessed a daily fee or you can elect to pay for
a yearly pass. You can buy a pass over the
phone by calling
(403) 760-1343. The costs are:
Adult - $9.80 per day
Senior $8.30 per day
2 up on the motorcycle counts as 2
separate fees
Adult - $67.70 annual pass
Senior - 57.90 annual pass
Page 4
March 2011
Possible Additional Activities:
-
and beautiful lakes are on your bucket list, join
us for the 2011 Ray Walls Classic Tour „Dice to
Ice‟.
Banff Gondola Ride – travels to the summit
of Sulphur Mountain and enjoy the easy 1
km self guided boardwalk along the summit
ridge. Dining and shopping of course.
Please take a moment to let us know if you plan
to join us on the 2011 Ray Walls Tour. You can
let us know via email: michele-s@att.net
Cost: $29.95 Roundtrip
Reservations (800) 760-6934
Editors Note:
Motel contact info and costs attached
separately at end of newsletter.
-
Visit the famous Fairmont Chateau Lake
Louise hotel and enjoy a cup of tea
-
Lake Minnewanka Lake Cruise - $44
Sponsors
-
Upper Hot Springs
-
Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience and
Tour – 1 hour 20 minute tour - $49
-
Enjoy lunch overlooking the Athabasca
Glacier
-
Jasper Gondola Ride – experience being
gently transported into Jasper National
Park‟s alpine tundra. Jasper Tramway is the
longest and highest guided aerial tramway in
Canada and the only guided aerial ropeway
in the Canadian Rockies. Providing visitors
with unprecedented views of six mountain
ranges, glacial fed lakes, the Athabasca
River (Alberta‟s longest) and the scenic
mountain town-site of Jasper.
In December of 2010 I received a call from
Dave Wertz telling me that the next AVA
membership roster would run business card
sized ads. The ads would help offset the cost of
printing the membership roster. Here is a short
bio on each of the northern California
businesses that bought ads for the AVA roster.
La Di Da Café: Located in the heart of Half
Moon Bay, this is where all of my articles are
written. They are very motorcycles friendly.
The owner, Luz, offers a warm friendly
atmosphere, light meals, gluten-free snacks,
WiFi, really good coffee and best of all is the
espresso. This is a great place to stop when
traveling down the San Mateo coast.
$30 per person – reservations (866) 8508726
- Miette Hot Springs
- Enjoy Maligne Canyon
- Pyramid Lake
Please make arrangements for additional
activities in advance. We have not contacted
these vendors about group availability.
This is a grand undertaking in some beautiful
rustic areas and we made every effort to employ
cost containment strategies. If seeing and
exploring mountain ranges, glaciers, hot springs
La Di Da Café, 500 Purissima St, Half Moon Bay, CA 650-712-8808
Page 5
March 2011
Squash Blossom: The owner, Sharon, has been
helpful by updated the logo for the NorCal
Voyagers Club. They have a wonderful quaint
storefront just off of Main St in Half Moon Bay.
They have a large assortment of shirts, hats, golf
towels and even some great baby gifts. Best of
all, Sharon can often embroider your shirt while
you wait. Remember to call ahead if you want
that service.
Dr. Wong: AKA Doc Wong at Active Life
Chiropractic. He will make your body perform
at its best. If you get the flu, backache or
headache while you‟re on vacation or you‟re just
riding through, call or stop by and let the staff
know you saw the ad in the AVA roster. They‟ll
squeeze you in even if they‟re booked. Doc
Wong provides motorcycle riding clinics once a
month, cost FREE. Doesn‟t matter if you‟re
riding a touring motorcycle. Doc Wong has had
40,000 attend his clinics. Located in Redwood
City CA.
Sharon of The Squash Blossom, 707 Mill St, Half Moon Bay, CA,
650-726-6300
Mission Motorcycles: Wendy, the owner of the
dealership, rides her motorcycle to work every
day. Weekday ride is a Yamaha FZ1, weekends
is a Goldwing. Wendy knows about Voyagers,
if you‟re on vacation in San Francisco, and you
need help for your Voyager, Honda or Yamaha,
this is the place to stop. Located in Daly City,
CA.
Dr Harry Wong & staff, Active Life, 1391 Woodside Rd, Redwood
City, CA 650-365-7775
Zooni Leathers: Juan or J. Leno makes some of
the best leather riding gear. You want a full set
of leathers or just a leather touring jacket, no
problem. Have you tired of just being a large or
XX large size, when buying leather gear off of
the shelf, grouped with every other
motorcyclist? At Zooni Leathers, that‟s not the
case. You‟re you, J. Leno measures you, then
cuts the leather of your choice, assembles all of
those pieces, you then come in for another
fitting. When you leave with your new outfit, it
will be custom, just like the motorcycle you
ride. I have a touring jacket and so does Trisha.
Zooni is located in San Jose CA.
Wendy & husband Bruce, Mission Motorcycles, 6232 Mission St, Daly
City, CA, 650-992-1234
Page 6
March 2011
Gear and you‟ll see brake lines. Wayne Bright
is now handling all orders.
These businesses are supporting NorCal and the
AVA. They offer great services and products,
check them out! Don't forget to tell them that
you are with NorCal Voyagers.
My Health
J. Lindo, Zooni Leathers, 459 Leland Ave, San Jose, CA 408-313-9638
I‟ve been retired now for two and a half years.
My thought was that once I was retired all work,
whether as a job or around the house was done.
Was I wrong! I just went and had a physical
with blood work and a GI. The news was
alarming; high blood pressure, high sodium,
cholesterol high for me and blood sugar high.
State Farm Insurance: Pirie Jensen, as an agent
Pirie has helped us all. Pirie sponsored the
plaques that were given to the winners of the
events at the Western Regional Rally in 2010.
What we all forget is that insurance is a large
expense, so why wouldn‟t you have an agent
that‟s there for you. When you need your
insurance agent, most people have to call an 800
number. I don‟t, I call my agent Pirie, who will
then direct me who to call next. Combine State
Farm and Pirie Jensen you have a winning team.
Located in San Jose CA.
The doctor wanted to start with prescribing me
medication. No, I felt like I was going to die,
quickly I thought of Iron Bill Burns. Bill takes
no medications of any sort, will maybe a
vitamin, that‟s all. Bill kept telling me that he
always goes to the gym and does a good work
out every day. I had been going to the gym four
times a week a doing a little candy-ass workout.
But if you asked me, I would tell you that it was
an intense workout.
I‟m looking at the doctor and she‟s telling me
something, I can‟t hear because I‟m in shock. I
look her in the eye and ask, “What can I do to
stay away from medication?” Her reply was,
“Two things, lose weight and start working out
hard.” I weighed in at 181 lbs and to have a
healthy BMI or body mass index, I have to get
my weight down to 165 lbs. Eat less, cut down
on animal protein, no sugar and no salt.
Bummer, but potential side effects and spending
money on medication is a bigger bummer.
Pirie Jensen & staff, 1871 The Alameda, Suite 120, San Jose, CA
95126, Ph: 408-985-2755
NorCal Voyagers Club: Selling stainless steel
brake lines for Voyager 1300 and Voyager 1200
with delivery beginning in mid-February 2011.
Go to www.norcalvoyagers.org, click on Club
Now when I go to the gym, there is no time limit
to my workouts. I now sweat and sweat, my
Page 7
March 2011
body hurts with my heart rate staying high. I
only live a half mile from the gym, so I walk to
the gym. Even when we got that two inches of
rain, I walked and even ran a bit. I started riding
my bicycle again, after a ten-mile ride my legs
felt like rubber. I‟m beginning to feel pain all
the time, the good working out achy pain. I
tested my blood pressure the other day and it has
come down to 141/82, heart rate 53. Not good
yet, but it has come down. One side effect is
that I‟m looking good in front of my mirror; my
clothing is starting to hang off of my shoulders
and chest.
Hearst Castle Ride
Friday: March 18, 2011
Hollister Inn: Phone 831-637-1641 Price $65.00
per night
Dinner: 6pm Where?
Saturday: March 19, 2011
Breakfast: ?
Depart: 9am
stop
What does this have to do with insurance?
Plenty! When you buy coverage, the healthier
you are the lower the cost, and they will sell you
coverage. Remember Pirie Jenson can take care
of our insurance and financial needs. Pirie
cannot take care of the internal you, this is up to
you. The healthier you are, the longer you‟ll be
able to ride and the longer Pirie will be able to
take care of all your insurance and financial
needs.
48 Miles to the first rest & gas
Gas stop in Carmel, the Chevron Station at the
bottom of the hill, on the left side of the Hwy 1. 95
miles to Hearst Castle, with a lunch stop at a
location with a great vista.
Lunch will be Brown Bag, bring your cooler. If you
need help carrying your picnic lunch, I will have a
cooler on the back of my Voyager.
Hearst Castle: Tours $24.00 per person, all tours
last 1hr 15min with a 30 min round trip bus ride.
ETA Hearst Castle 2pm.
Morro Bay: 28 miles
Morro Shores Motel: $69.00 per night Phone 805772-0222
Dinner: Tus Amigos, 905 Los Osos Valley Rd, Los
Osos Ph 805-528-7149. 10 miles past the Motel.
Sunday: March 20, 2011
Depart: 9am Chevron station on the other side of
Hwy 1 on Hwy 41. We will ride Hwy 41 until it
merges with Hwy 46. To the James Dean Memorial,
46 miles where there‟s a diner for breakfast.
END OF THE RIDE
Page 8
March 2011
Howdy Nor-Cal Riders!
This write will show how to replace the tiny ZG1200 rack with the larger 1300 rack which will then hold a
much larger bag on the lid of the trunk. This is the second phase; the prerequisite is to firmly secure the
trunk to the bike in order to handle the extra weight which was my last article.
The only downside to this mod is four new holes are required in the lid of the trunk.
Upgrading the XII with the ZG1300 Trunk Rack
Ever tried to carry anything on the tiny ZG1200 trunk rack? Even if you remove the speakers, there still
ain‟t much of a rack! It‟s easy to see why the 1300 rack will carry more cargo…..
1200 Rack vs. 1300 Rack
After removing the existing rack from the trunk, the challenge before you is marking the correct layout for
the new holes as the 1300 rack is not a drop-in replacement. A quick check of my 1300 rack revealed the
front to rear post distance was the same on both racks yet the 1300 rear were wider and the front were
narrower than the 1200. This means all the new holes will be on the same left to right axis which helps
simplify the process a lot!
What it Looks Like All Done
Step One:
Accurately measure the center line distance between the rear mounting posts of your new rack and write it
down. Take the exact same measurement of your old rack; this is where the rear rubber grommets are
located in the trunk. Subtract the old rack distance from the new rack distance and then divide by two. This
number is how much distance is added to each side of the existing rear holes along the same left to right
axis.
Page 9
March 2011
Step Two:
Measure out from the center of the existing rear holes the number obtained from step one and mark the trunk
at this distance using a grease pencil. To carry out the left to right axis, one could try to align a straight edge
by eye, I chose to align across the tops of both grommets and mark the trunk, and then drop down to the
center line at the distance mark from step one. Verify the two locations you just made align to the new rack,
and then accurately drill the holes. I start small and work up in diameter to reduce wandering.
Rear Locations Marked and Drilled
Step Three:
Loosely install the rack in the new rear locations to check for fit, make any adjustments to the holes if
needed to avoid binding. I used washers on the rear locations to help spread the load over a larger area.
Rear Rack Posts Installed
Step Four:
With the rack held in place by the rear bolts, the front post positions are reviled. The 1300 front posts are
narrower yet on the same axis as the 1200, make any adjustments needed so as both front posts are the same
distance from the existing rubber grommets. Once done, mark the front post locations onto the truck lid, I
used a fine point Sharpie for accuracy. Drill away…..
Marking Front Post Locations
Page 10
March 2011
Step Five:
As with the rear, I used washers on the front posts to spread the load over a larger area. Make sure there is
no binding when all the bolts are loosely installed.
Front and Rear Posts Loosely Installed
Step Six:
To plug up the old 1200 holes, I installed the metal sleeves from the four rear sliders which were removed
when hard mounting the trunk to the frame. Now the old 1200 chrome caps which were removed with the
rack could be reinstalled with bolts as a dressed-up plug.
1200 Holes With Sleeves
Bonus Option:
I further beefed up the inside of the trunk with additional support as shown below. By doubling up the
mounting locations with angle iron, the rack does not flex the lid at all!
Inside Braces
Page 11
March 2011
Pirie Jensen
State Farm Agent
1871 The Alameda, Suite 120
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 985-2755
pirie@piriejensen.com
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Page 12
March 2011
2011 Club Events Calendar
JAN 08 – Roger Allen's pizza party
JAN 29 – Meeting: Manteca (11AM),
after-meeting chocolate run
No events planned
MAR 18-20 - Hearst Castle ride,
18th meet in Hollister
MAR 26 - Meeting: Manteca (11AM)
MAY 01 - Wildflower Tri
APR 8-10 - Featherbed Railroad ride
& breakfast
APR 29-30 - Wildflower Tri
MAY 13-15 Quail Motorcycle Gathering
at Quail Lodge, Carmel CA
JUN 17-19 – Wayne Bright’s 70th
Campout/BBQ @ Ft Washington
Campground, Fresno
MAY 28 - Meeting: Manteca (11 AM),
after-meeting ride to Castle Air Museum
JUL 02-03 - Don & Trisha leave for
AVA Rally
Ray Walls Classic/Banff Canada
JUL 11-14 - AVA Rally, DeGray, Arkansas
AUG 02-04 - Western Regional Rally,
Wallowa Lake, OR
Aug 20-21 - Coast ride
SEP 23-25 – Half Moon Bay Ride-In
SEP 24 - Meeting: Half Moon Bay
followed by Club picnic and
anniversary celebration
JUL 30 - Meeting: Manteca (11 AM)
NCVC 11th birthday
OCT 08-09 - Ripley TN BBQ?
OCT 15-16 - Leaf Peeper ride,
meet 10/14 Lake Topaz
NOV 19-20- International
Motorcycle Show
Page 13
DEC 09-10 - Club meeting
& Christmas Party
March 2011
The Last Page
And finally…
Thanks for reading the NorCal Voyagers Newsletter. We
appreciate the input from the club membership and hope
you enjoy this newsletter. If you have any comments,
additions, corrections, articles, submissions, please send
them along to: editor@norcalvoyagers.org
NORCAL VOYAGERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Sergeant at Arms
Activities Director
Web Admin.
Newsletter Editor
Don Medina
Tony Curtis
Trisha Blue
Wayne Bright
Marvin Deatherage
Vacant
Ron Aikins
Trisha Blue
If you have any questions about the club or
comments to the Board of Directors, please
use the following e-mail addresses:
president@norcalvoyagers.org
vicepresident@norcalvoyagers.org
secretary@norcalvoyagers.org
treasurer@norcalvoyagers.org
tours@norcalvoyagers.org
Page 14

NorCal Voyagers Newsletter

Transcription

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