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GWTA Region C News
Volume #31 January/ February 2013
GWTA Region C News is an online publication for Region C, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Saskatchewan and
Manitoba.
Contributions are welcome from all GWTA Region C Members
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January/ February 2013
Region C Directors:
Rick and Penni Hinrichs
Region C Chaplain:
Gary and Betty Smith
Region Membership:
Daren and Paula Fleishman
Region Secretary: Judy
Schaefer
RAD: Doug and Michelle
Sullivan
Region C Treasurer:
Karen Green
Region C RED:
Open
Region C Web Master:
Jeremy Frum
NE. State Director: Dave
Telford
North Dakota State: Open
South Dakota State Director:
Open
Iowa State Director: Karen
and JR Green
Minnesota State Director:
Open
Howdy from Ida Grove, Iowa,
A lot has been happening in your organization. Have you heard about the
empowerment program? This is your opportunity to get a friend in on the $50.00
price. You as a member have for a short time the power to enroll friends at the
locked in price of $50.00 for life as long as they renew on time. All you need to do
is tell them that you can do this, collect their $50.00 and their application and send
it in for them. What a great opportunity for a prospective member to come along
at the reduced price and you have the power to do this. Our organization is run by
its members and it is only with your help and input that we can grow.
Have you checked out Touring News online? Touring News counts on our
members input and can only be as good as what we put in it. Do you have a trip
that you have made that you really enjoyed, a favorite recipe, a funny story? Why
not share it with your friends? Is there something you would like to see included in
Touring News let us know?
Our national Web page (GWTA.org) will be changing as of Jan. 1, 2013. So
much needed updating to the page will be happening and we all should see some
fantastic changes made. Just about every aspect of our modern lives has something
to do with the computers and in order for us to keep up with the demands of
society we are changing with them.
Speaking of Web pages have you been to visit us on Face Book? We have
two Face Book sites one being our Face Book Group and the other being our Face
Book Page. Check them out and be sure if you see something to like it. Once you
hit like on the Face Book Page it allows your friends to see what you enjoy and
helps us to reach out to thousands of others that do not know about GWTA yet.
GWTA Region C Directors
Rick and Penni Hinrichs
Illinois State Director:
Gladys and David
Berkemeier
Wisconsin State
Director:Open
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Gold Rush 2013 will be in Big Sky Resorts in Big Sky,
Montana,
In this Issue
On the cover, the new Honda Gold
Wing 1800 F6B
Page 2 Region Directors update
Page 4 Chapter Directors news
Page 10 Riders Education
Page 15 the Empowerment Program
Page 17 the New F6B
Page 18 Region C Chapters
Page 18 From Where I sit
Page 22 Region C Rally Flier
Page 23 Gold Rush Registration Form
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If your chapter has a newsletter I would enjoy seeing it
and it would be a great help as to including articles and
pictures for all of our Region C Members to enjoy. Please
include me on your online mailing to rd@gwta-c.com
DIRECTORS’ ARTICLE
FOR OCTOBER
Well, we held our elections and starting January 12, 2013 there will be a new Chapter Director
for Chapter B, her name is Judy Schaefer. Ralph and I are excited about our getting to just sit
back and enjoy the meetings next year. We also have a new couple handling the Ways and
Means and they are Kristine and Jeff Rock. Guess who gets to hold the baby while they are
selling 50/50 tickets? The answer is, all of us. We also have a new Secretary by the name of Jane
Howard. Jane will also continue as our Editor of the Newsletter. Kevin Harvey will take over as
Ride Coordinator and Beth Landolt will continue as our Treasurer. We look forward to the
holiday’s, but after January it is a long haul until spring, so we are hoping to have lots of great
ideas for next year’s riding season to think about and plan for during the long winter. We really
hope that you consider the effort that our members put into the thought and planning of the rides
and attend as many as you can. It is not much fun when you show up to lead a ride and no one or
very few join you. Sue and I are going to do our best to make as many as we can. No one can
make all of them and we are no different, but if you have the time open, come on out and have
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some fun with people who will enjoy your company. We are hoping that many of you can come
to the ride planning meeting even if you don’t have any ideas for rides. The fish is always
excellent and it is a great excuse to spend time with your friends. As you know in December we
will once again have our Christmas Party at the McDonald’s club house. This is a great time to
spend with your friends, and a really nice place to have it. This year we are going to have food
brought in. It sounds like a very good idea, so be there and find out. We will also have our gift
exchange which is always fun. Hope to see you there. I want to thank the members who were
good enough to step up and fill the positions that were open. The jobs are not that hard, but
without someone to be willing to do them; we would not have the great club that we have. Sue
and I have enjoyed our position, but after two years we will be glad to support a new leader and
because she has been there before we already know what a great job she will do. Thanks again to
all the new officers.
Be safe and we will see you soon. We are looking forward to the New Year.
Sue and Ralph
Ch. B Directors
DIRECTORS’ ARTICLE
FOR DECEMBER
Well another Christmas party has come and gone. I think this was number twelve for us. It seems like
they come around faster each year. I would think once you reach our age everything would slow down a
little, at least not speed up, but that is not how it seems. For those of you who could not attend, you
missed a lot of fun, being with friends, and some really good food. As you know we had the dinner
catered
this year for the first time. I did not know how it was going to go, would there be enough food, and
would it taste good, would it be delivered on time, but it worked out fine. We ended up with a little left
over, not a lot, but we did not run out. (Oh ye of little faith) A big thanks to the ladies who brought
additional
dishes and to those who made sure we had great desserts. We had a really long fun 50/50 because
of all the gifts everyone brought. We did have a short meeting that was adjourned before the gift
exchange. The gift exchange following the meeting was directed by Beth and was a lot of fun, but
somehow
Sue and I both ended up with the same gifts that we brought, so Jim and JoAnn exchanged with us
so it worked out fine.
We want to thank Phil and Judy for getting the Clubhouse again for us this year. It makes a great place
to have our functions.
Take time to look over the new ride schedule and make plans to attend as many as you can and don’t
forget that Kevin has a lot of open dates that he needs help filling in, so give him your ideas.
Our club is only as much fun as we make it so let’s have fun! Sue and I are looking forward to riding
with you next year and spending time with the best friends we have ever had.
This was the last meeting for most of the officers. We will start out the new year with new people and
new ideas and I hope the support of the chapter.
Sue and Ralph
Ch. B Directors
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Bowling at Bel Air and then FOOD
Jackie hasn’t
bowled in almost 30
years. She bowled
71 and then two
games of 116. We
didn’t have many,
but we had a lot of
fun.
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Nick getting ready to
blast
the pins. Had a pin chip
in a
finger hole in this ball.
Lance loves his biker
friends. We always
need these
cheerleaders.
DIRECTORS’ ARTICLE
FOR NOVEMBER
Our November meeting was the final regular meeting for Sue and me as your
chapter directors although we will have a short meeting at our Christmas party. Sue
and I have enjoyed serving as your directors for the last two years. We want to
thank the members who served with us during this time. They all did an
outstanding job for our group and they made our job much easier. Thanks everyone
for your help. A special thanks to Hollywood for standing in for us when we were
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unable to attend. I think the new officers are going to do a great job leading us into
another year. I am very happy to have Judy leading us again. She always goes
above and beyond no matter what position she is in so I want to say “Welcome
Back and Thanks”. For those who were not at the meeting, Kevin asked for our
input on suggesting rides that we would like to take and restaurants we would like
to go to. Our ride calendar has a lot of blank spaces that need to be filled in. Kevin
can’t be expected to come up with everything for us to do for the next year so give
it some thought and give him ideas to make it a fun riding season. The Honda
Open House was also discussed and the consensus was that over the past four years
we only averaged $200.00 per year profit, and therefore we didn’t feel it was worth
all of our time to continue with the open house. A motion was made and passed to
discontinue the Belleville Honda Open House. We will need to come up with
another idea for a fund raiser for the club. We need to start thinking about who we
might want to nominate as Family of the Year. We are looking for a couple that
has general knowledge of GWTA with the ability and time to represent GWTA on
Chapter, State/Province, Region or National levels. They need to have poise
and personality and function as a family within GWTA. Don’t forget, our
Christmas party is being catered this year for Chapter B members only. If you
are not a member the cost is $10.00 per person. Please bring one wrapped
Christmas exchange gift per person and several nice gifts for our 50/50 table. We
need enough gifts so that everyone who attends will have something to take home.
See you at the Christmas Party.
Sue and Ralph
Ch. B Directors
DESTINATION FRIENDSHIP
A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith,
and use up a lot of fuel.
Asphalt. The world's fastest tattoo remover.
For some there's therapy, for the rest of us there's motorcycles.
Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
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II. PROMISING PRACTICES IN RIDER
EDUCATION AND LICENSING
Research examining the effectiveness of motorcycle rider education on crashes and injuries goes
back to the 1970s (Raymond and Tatum, 1977; Lawlor and Swain, 1978; Osga and Ellingstad,
1978) and continues to this day (Billheimer, 1996). These studies are typically designed to
answer the question, Are riders who receive training less likely to be involved in crashes than
their counterparts who do not? The evidence has been less than decisive, with most studies
finding positive effects of rider education, but other studies finding no effects, or even negative
effects (Raymond and Tatum, 1977; Mortimer, 1982).
In retrospect these findings are far from surprising. None of these studies actually measured
program effectiveness. The authors simply assumed that rider instruction is effective. Yet, it is
more plausible that some programs do a good job at educating riders and others do not. Hence,
findings of no impact or negative impact of rider education on subsequent crashes may merely
reflect poor instructional practices on the part of that program.
This last point highlights the crucial importance of effectiveness of rider education practices in
trying to understand the impact of rider education. What States do and how they do it to (a)
encourage riders to take State-sponsored motorcycle training, (b) teach them basic riding skills,
and (c) encourage riders to become fully and properly licensed are critical to a program’s ability
to affect rider behavior.
The promising-practices model introduced in this report addresses a gap in the research on
motorcycle safety. Documents and studies highlighting what states should do in terms of rider
education and licensing are scant. To date, no integrated model of promising practices in rider
education and licensing has been developed. There have, however, been two concerted attempts
at addressing suggested licensing practices, on the one hand, and suggested rider education
practices, on the other (NHTSA, 1993, 2000). Although neither of these documents is
comprehensive, both provide a basic blueprint from which to build an integrated model of
promising practices in motorcycle rider education and licensing. In the following section we
present what we consider to be a comprehensive model of promising practices in rider education
and licensing, using these two documents as a starting point. This comprehensive model is used
to examine the practices of all 47 States that offer state-legislated motorcycle rider education.
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THE PROMISING-PRACTICES MODEL
The promising-practices framework used to examine State motorcycle rider education and
licensing programs was drawn from NHTSA recommendations about the key features of highquality training (NHTSA, 1993, 2000). High-quality training refers not only to the delivery of
course content to students but also to a carefully designed administrative structure and a
comprehensive licensing system. According to NHTSA guidelines, promising practices should
encompass three elements:



Program Administration
Rider Education
Licensing
These three areas form the core of the promising-practices model developed in this report.
Program administration refers to the structure and organization of a jurisdiction’s rider education
and licensing activities. The second area of promising practices, rider education, focuses on the
details of delivering training efficiently and effectively to motorcycle operators. Finally,
licensing practices encourage operators to ride legally and prescribe procedures for ensuring that
only skilled riders are licensed to operate motorcycles.
The promising-practices model for rider education and licensing is presented in Figure 1. Each of
the three main areas in the model comprises a series of different practices, all of which are
essential for providing quality training and ensuring effective licensing of riders. The key
components of the model are described in greater detail below.
Program Administration
Within the area of program administration, three practices are important for promoting effective
training and licensing of riders:



integration between rider education and licensing;
adequate, dedicated funding source; and
collection of rider training, licensing, and crash data.
Figure 1. Overview of Promising-Practices Model of Motorcycle Rider Education
and Licensing
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
1. Integration between rider
education and licensing
2. Adequate, dedicated funding
source
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3. Collection of rider training,
licensing, and crash data
RIDER EDUCATION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Comprehensive curricula
Effective training and delivery
Outreach and information efforts
Incentives for training
Regular program assessments and
quality control
6. Instructor education and training
LICENSING
1. Graduated licensing system
2. Comprehensive testing
3. Comprehensive procedures for
obtaining and renewing a license
4. Incentives for licensing
The synthesis of rider education and licensing is a recurrent theme in the research literature
because it may encourage riders seeking licensing to also seek training. When motorcycle rider
licensing is separate from training, novice riders applying for licenses may miss opportunities to
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improve their skills through rider classes. Integration also reduces redundancies across
administration, education, and licensing and streamlines the processes for opening roadways to
qualified and safe riders.
Although specific funding amounts will differ across States, an adequate and dedicated funding
source ensures that training opportunities will be available from year to year and that students
will be able to receive appropriate training from a State-certified provider. Across the country,
rider training programs are largely financed through a percentage of the revenue from State
motorcycle registrations. Finally, the collection of rider training, licensing, and crash data allows
States to carefully monitor the impact of program activities by centralizing all information in a
single database.
Rider Education
Practices related to program administration center on the organization of State agencies
responsible for rider training and licensing. The second area of promising practices, rider
education, focuses on the details of delivering training efficiently and effectively to motorcycle
operators. The following key practices are related to rider education:






comprehensive curriculum;
effective training and delivery;
outreach and information efforts;
incentives for training;
regular program assessments and quality control; and
instructor education and training.
Across the country, the most recognized curriculum for rider education programs are the courses
created by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). MSF courses are the product of careful
planning and consideration and, as of 2001, had been adopted by all States with administrative
agencies responsible for the oversight and administration of motorcycle rider education and
safety programs.1 The second feature of rider education, effective training and delivery, reflects a
program’s ability to adequately supply training classes to meet demand. To satisfy demand,
programs should provide training at sites accessible by riders throughout the State and offer
classes frequently and with little delay to interested riders.
Outreach and information efforts about rider training and safety are important not only for
encouraging operators to enroll in classes but also for educating the nonriding public about
motorcycles on roadways. Even with outreach and information efforts, not all riders will be
inspired to enroll in classes. To encourage reluctant operators to seek training, incentives are key.
Keeping costs for training low, or even better, free, is one effective practice. Additionally, to
reduce the burden on operators seeking licensing, States can implement a “one-stop shop,” in
which riders receive their motorcycle license with successful completion of a training course.
Finally, programs can offer reductions of points on licenses for riders who successfully complete
a training course. Point reductions are a particularly strong incentive because they are applied to
violations that occur in all motor vehicles, not just motorcycles.
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By implementing regular program assessments and quality control, States can monitor their
operations and identify areas in need of refinement and improvement. Because rider training
courses are typically held at multiple locations throughout a State, it is imperative that States
institute quality-control procedures to ensure that all riders receive adequate training and
supervision.
The final set of promising practices related to rider education concern instructor education and
training. Quality training depends in large part on a staff of qualified and competent instructors.
States should monitor their instructional staffs through certification requirements and also
provide opportunities for experienced riders to teach classes. New instructors can be recruited
through preparation courses and through offering certification reciprocity for instructors trained
in other States.
Licensing
All States and the District of Columbia require that motorcycle operators who use public
roadways must possess a valid motorcycle license or endorsement and that to receive a license,
operators must pass a written knowledge test. Beyond these stipulations, States vary in their
procedures for licensing riders and for encouraging unlicensed operators to ride legally.
According to the Motorcycle Operating Licensing System (NHTSA, 1997), a promising
practices model for licensing should include the following:




graduated licensing system;
comprehensive testing;
comprehensive procedures for obtaining and renewing a license; and
incentives for licensing.
NHTSA strongly supports the enactment of graduated licensing by States because it compels
novice operators to successfully demonstrate proficiency at several intermediate steps before
being granted full riding privileges. Model graduated licensing programs typically require that
riders obtain learner’s permits with a limited validation period and without automatic renewals.
To carefully measure a rider’s proficiency, licensing agencies should implement comprehensive
testing practices that require applicants to pass both a written knowledge test and a skills test.
Similar to its role with rider education curricula, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is the
primary provider of motorcycle-related test material to licensing agencies.
In addition to providing comprehensive testing, jurisdictions should also institute comprehensive
procedures for riders to obtain and renew motorcycle licenses. Key practices include providing
riders with an operator’s manual to prepare for testing and mandating that riders under the age of
21 complete a rider education course before receiving a license. If possible, licensing agencies
should also employ examiners trained in riding motorcycles to administer skills tests (NHTSA,
2000).
Finally, licensing agencies should offer riders incentives for seeking licensing. The simplest
incentive that jurisdictions can offer is a reciprocal license waiver for riders who were licensed in
another State or the District of Columbia. Upon presenting a valid out-of-State operator’s license
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to the licensing agency, the rider exchanges that license for a license valid in the new
jurisdiction. In addition to reciprocal license waivers, States should also recognize reciprocity for
rider education completed in another State. Under this incentive, when operators present their
certificate of completion for an out-of-State rider education program, the knowledge and skills
tests necessary to obtain a license are waived. Many States currently offer testing waivers for
riders who have completed a rider education course within the State; reciprocity in rider
education simply allows this incentive to be recognized across jurisdictions.
1
Oregon introduced a non-MSF novice curriculum developed by Team Oregon, the State
motorcycle training and safety contractor, in 2004. This curriculum, called the Basic Rider
Training (BRT) course, is approved for use by the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Hello,
Here is a little more information and clarification on our Empowerment Recruitment program. You are
empowered to offer any expired or new member to join GWTA for only $50.00 and as long as they keep
their membership current they will remain at $50.00 per year for life.
How does this work? If you have someone that you know that would be interested in joining GWTA you
may offer them a special rate of $50.00 per year for their family. That is $25.00 less than the regular
rate.
What must you do to make this happen? You must collect the $50.00 fee and the application and send
it into our national office with a note in it that says you have recruited this new member and you offered
them this special rate. If they send it in their self they will be charged the $75.00 rate so you as a
member of GWTA are the only ones that can offer this and make it work.
What happens if a new member does send it in their self? If a new member sends in the application
without being recommended by a current member the office will send it back and ask for the full
$75.00.
Who may offer this to new members? Any current member of GWTA. That means all of us that have
paid our dues and belong to GWTA.
This Program will end on Dec 31 2012. If this program goes over well and our members do take
advantage of it we may have the opportunity to extend this offer to new members after Dec 31, 2012 so
it is up to us, all of us, to get out and to get out and invite new friends to join us
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This program is designed to let all of our members know that they do have the power to make this deal
and only they can offer it to new members.
We are also developing two new Face Book Page’s. Our current National Face Book is currently a group
and right now we have a new page http://www.facebook.com/#!/GWTA.ORG This will offer a great
opportunity to for all of us to see more of what is happening in our organization. I would like to
encourage all of you to get on this page and hit the like button on top. When you hit the like button all
of your friends on Face Book also get a chance to see what is happening and hopefully they will see what
all of us have already found in belonging to this great Organization.
GWTA Region C Director
Rick and Penni Hinrichs
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The all-new 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B brings something different in the life of the Japanese
manufacturer's flagship model. While some already say it's no longer the classic bog touring bike they
loved, some really dig the looks of the new machine.
The new beast brings a different touch to the touring concept, but we at Autoevolution really like the way
things go with the F6B. The classic Gold Wing was large, fat and very... classic. The new Honda Gold Wing
F6B screams a modern approach to the original bike.
We really like the low seat and the leaner lines, the massive front end nicely contrasting with the new,
redesigned rear. The new lines take the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B in the street-fighter aggression zone, and
that's wonderful.
The 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B sports a massive opposed 6-cylinder engine with a 1832cc displacement for
both low-rpm torque and highway-speed fun. Patented fuel injection feeds the beast, while the shaft final drive
ensures easy maintenance. The rear shock also sports a most convenient remote-adjustment.
Base price for the 2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B starts at $19,999 (€15,734), with $1,000 (€786) more for the
Deluxe options, such as center stand, heated grips, pillion backrest and self-cancelling turn signals.
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Region C Chapters
IA A Gold Wing Aces William Warth 319-367-5119 bdwar@hotmail.com
IA H Friendship Riders of Iowa Pam & Bob Beveridge 515-229-1947
beverage8@mchsi.com
IA I Polk County Wings Ben Ress 515-480-1488 gwtaiowachapterI@gmail.com
IA L Loess Hills Riders Jim & Mellanie Lisiecki 712-256-7855 jlisiecki@cox.net
IA P Nishna Valley Wings Yvonna “Jo” Allen 712-527-4229
IL A Central Illinois Wings Marvin W. Young 815-457-2667 n/a
IL B Riverbend Riders Ralph Schempp 618-667-8923 rlf-suz@sbcglobal.net
IL C Windy City Wings Bill Seith 630-217-1829 wdseith@aol.com
IL H River City Riders Russell Lee 309-755-0232 magandrusty2@aol.com
IL M Downstate Cruisers Dave & Gladys Berkemeier 618-566-7096
dgberke@ezeeweb.com
IL P Southern Pride Carl, Barbara Walker 618-897-2376
NE A Heartland Wings Steve and Pam Allen 402-289-3117
pallen2985@gmail.com
NE B Great Plains Riders Rohnda and Darell Kodad gwtachapterb@yahoo.com
NE C Husker Wings Alan Rosenboom 402-797-7335 asrosenboom@yahoo.com
NE E Platte Valley Wings Dale and Deb Kleewein 308-520-3429 d2k1230@q.com
NE G Spirit of Friendship Wings Jim Bose 402-293-0813 hondabose@yahoo.com
NE M Monarch Wings Barbara L. Mills 402-253-2780 blmills19@q.com
NE W Frenchman Valley Riders Lynn Rinehart 308-882-5564 ldrllt@hotmail.com
NE Y The Why Not’s Darren and Paula Fleishman
NE Z Country Wings Melvin Vogt Sr. 712-755-2546 its mlmmv@mchsi.com
WI GB N.E.W. Chapter GB to Steve & Sue Wicker 920-619-3826
wingryder57@gmail.com
___________________________________________________________________
FROM WHERE I SIT...
Oct 19 - 22 Ride to TN/NC...Tail of the Dragon
Three groups totaling 10 Riverbend Riders (IL-B) went on this long-planned outing.
Bob C. & Steve D. left on Thursday with the destination of Robbinsville, NC. Kevin, Kris,
Steve & Nancy left on Fri. morning at 4 a.m....YES...I think that's even earlier than
o'dark-thirty! Their destination was just northeast of Robbinsville where they stayed in
cabins near Lake Fontana. Joe & Mary Ann, Phil and I, also left Friday at about 7:15
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a.m. We traveled to Tellico Plains which is on the Tennessee-end of the Cherohala
Skyway.
Friday evening, Joe & Mary Ann stayed around their hotel for dinner. After Phil and I
checked into our cabin, we headed into town for some BBQ at a local eatery. At the
time, we thought it was pretty good, but more about that later. The four of us met up
again bright and early Sat. morning for breakfast, and then got on the Skyway to
Robbinsville. A little detour along a pretty mountain stream to a beautiful waterfall
provided us with some nice photo opportunities. After a quick lunch in Robbinsville, we
toured the area, stopped at Deal's Gap, and did the Tail of the Dragon twice...once with
Phil leading and once with Joe out front. That Joe...he's a terror on the trike! Ask the kid
on the chopper who tried for the longest time to pass him on those 318 curves in 11
miles! I'm not entirely sure Joe always had all three wheels on the pavement, if you
know what I mean.
The rest of the bunch got their wires crossed on the Sat. breakfast time and meeting
place, so we didn't see hide nor hair of them most of the day. Heck...we didn't catch up
with Bob & Steve D. the entire weekend. They really put some miles on their bikes!
Kevin and his bunch had a mid-day rest before they took a ride on the Skyway into
Tellico where they dined at the same place Phil and I had the night before. Six out of six
of us agreed that we will NEVER eat there again as the BBQ nearly did us all in! Our
two groups finally crossed paths, honked and waved at one another, as we passed
going opposite directions on the Skyway. Too funny! Did I mention...cell phone service
in those hills is practically non-existent and any messages took hours to catch up to our
phones.
Joe & Mary Ann had to go home on Sunday morning, so Phil and I rode the Skyway
again...this time to meet up with Kevin, et al. It was a pretty frosty morning and we had
the road all to ourselves for nearly half the way into town...which took a total of an hour
& a half one way! We/I had to stop for a few pictures as the 'smoke' was blanketing the
valleys making for some breathtaking scenery. We met up with the Harvey/Rader group
at the Robbinsville McDonalds. After I thawed out with some hot coffee, our newlyformed group of six took off for Cherokee, NC for a fantastic day of riding and siteseeing. The hills were absolutely gorgeous as we happened to hit peak time for fall
color! After a bit of shopping in Cherokee...we hopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Have to say...this stretch right out of Cherokee was a really great ride...beautiful, and
probably the best road the entire weekend. We stopped back in Cherokee for an early
dinner at the casino. Kevin was right! That was some buffet because the food was really
good. This group of six parted ways after our ride back towards Robbinsville, and then
Phil and I wheeled our way back across the Skyway for the sixth time that weekend. It
was getting pretty dark when we finally got back to our cabin, and it's not a road you
want to be on after sunset!
Monday morning came too fast...and it was time to head home. With the airwaves along
the interstate, it was much easier to keep in contact with Kevin on the ride west. And,
even though Phil and I left about 2 hours after Kevin and his group, we managed to
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catch up with them in Paducah, KY. We rode the rest of the way home together, with an
hour layover in Mt. Vernon, IL waiting for a lightning storm to pass, and luckily didn't see
a drop of rain afterwards on I-64.
As you know, most all of us made it home safe and sound except for Bob C. who had a
bit of a run-in with a car in TN. But, with just a couple broken ribs, some bumps and
bruises...we are thankful that Bob is relatively ok. Unfortunately, can't say the same for
his bike. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend, and Phil and I are so glad we made the
whirl-wind trip. We both suffered for a week afterwards with muscle aches and pains.
But, you know...we'll do it all over again next time...just for the joy of riding!
Judy Schaefer
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Region C Rally this year will be a four day event June 7, 8, 9, 10, 2013.
Have you started to make your plans to join us? We will be in Marion, Illinois this
year and right next to Shawnee National Forest and some of the best riding and
the most beautiful sights you will ever see. We will have live entertainment at this
year’s rally, we will all have the opportunity to enjoy a family meal with our best
friends and have the opportunity to make new friends. The Rally Days are being
reserved for riding the beautiful country side and we will have lots of activities in
the evenings to enjoy. Invite a friend to join you this year and let them see firsthand what GWTA Region C is all about
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GWTA Region C News is a publication for our Region C members. The
sole intent of this newsletter is to inform and entertain our
membership about what is happening within their organization, to
promote riders safety. If you have something you would like to add to
this newsletter please contact Rick Hinrichs at rd@gwta-c.com
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