GWRRA - GA - Chapter A Blog

The Gold Wing Road Riders Association in McDonough Georgia (Chapter A) has several new staff members.  Steve and Dottie Fagan are now the new Chapter Directors, Jim and Marilyn Sallee are the new Assistant Chapter Directors,  Phil and Joyce Piotrowski are the Treasurer and Secretary, Bryan and Nina Douglas are the new Chapter Educators, Cindy Allen is the Newsletter Editor, Don & Judy Severs are the Ride Coordinator and Historian, Dick and Peg Hopkins are the Motorist Awareness Coordinators.  Also, Bob and Diane Hickly were selected as our new Couple of the Year for 2010. 

The meeting time and place has changed as well.  The chapter now meets the third Saturday of every month at the Golden Corral on Jonesboro Road in McDonough.  Breakfast is at 9AM and the meeting is at 10AM.  Many new rides are coming up, check them out on their web site

by Basem Wasef (About.com)

Dear Honda,

First, a hearty congratulations on your Gold Wing GL1800! I wasn’t a Gold Wing virgin before I picked up my long term tester about a year and a half ago, but time spent with the bike gave me a much clearer understanding of why GLs have developed such a zealous following.

Washing it got me acquainted with its unique bodywork, comprehensive controls, and low-hanging flat-six powerplant. But the proof was in the riding, which revealed deep reserves of power, stability, and comfort. Not only is the rider treated to a cushy saddle, easy ergonomics, and virtually every creature comfort you could ask for on a bike, there’s also a low center of gravity which makes this 900+ pound leviathan surprisingly maneuverable. Power is also ample, and I enjoyed showing up young punks at stoplights on more than one occasion; heck, once I even donned my race leathers to demonstrate that the GL can actually be ridden like a sportbike. And the stump-pulling torque was so addictive…

Read Basem’s article

by Larry Jensen

It is with a heavy heart that I bring you the news.  Donald Masters has been found at a crash site on Rt 93 around mile marker 322.1 between North Fork, ID and Salmon, ID.

(After a wide area search that began on August 31st and was posted across the internet,) Donald and his bike were spotted by Elk hunters that were out tracking a buck on Sept 20th. There was about 150′ of shoulder and then a steep drop off into a drainage irrigation ditch. The area was covered in thick brush. He was wearing his helmet.

Out of respect to the family and loved ones the ST-Owners group created a memorial page to Donald where you can share some kinds words with everyone.  
http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72851

Thoughts and Prayers are with the Masters family.

By Bart Madson

Honda Motorcycles extends its street bike touring line with the release of the all-new NT700V. A mid-sized V-Twin, Honda pitches the new mount as “a light touring machine that’s fun, easy to ride and ready to carry you to work and play seven days a week.”

A liquid-cooled 52-degree V-Twin powers the new NT700V. The 680cc Twin sports an 81mm bore and 66mm stroke, with 10:1 compression ratio. A single overhead cam operates the four-valve cylinder heads. Like all Honda street bikes, the NT will source Honda’s programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI).

Read Bart’s full article here

by Basem Wasef

When BRP’s unconventionally styled Can-Am Spyder hit the scene a couple years ago, enthusiasts thought it would make for a great touring machine. But in reality, so-so storage capacity limited its long distance abilities, leaving the task better suited for BMW RTs, Honda Gold Wings, and all manner of big bore bikes with saddlebags and top cases.

A semi-automatic SE5 model attracted more buyers for 2009, but luxury touring still eluded the Spyder… until now: behold the touring variants of Can-Am’s Spyder, the RT, RT Audio & Convenience, and the RT-S. Standard equipment includes heated grips, an electric windshield, and a passenger backrest, while options run the gamut from rear speakers and remote adjustable suspension to a dedicated trailer.

Read Basem’s article and view more pictures here

by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Following Orange County Choppers’ frequent use of alt-fuels (see E85 bike and natural gas bike) comes something a wee bit different from what we’re used to seeing from the New York-based custom motorcycle crew: a fully electric chopper. Commissioned by Siemens USA, the zero-emissions motorcycle is powered by a 27-horsepower electric motor from Advanced DC and can go an estimated 60 miles after a five-hour charge. Top speed is listed at 100 miles per hour, likely making this one of the fastest bikes ever to roll out of the OCC showroom.

Naturally, you’ll get to watch the build take place on an episode of American Chopper that’s current scheduled to air on TLC on Thursday, October 22 at 9PM. Says Paul Teutul, Sr.:

Read the entire article at Autoblog

by Scott Dunn

A new virus strain pretends to remove malware but actually does just the opposite: it infects your system.

Fortunately, you can use a few simple steps to tell the difference between these rogue antivirus programs and legitimate security software.
 

Antivirus apps may be malware in disguise

A dangerous new virus is making the rounds in the guise of a legitimate antivirus program. Going by such names as “Antivirus XP 2008″ and “XP Antivirus 2009,” (or “Personal Anti Virus”) this malware, as described in a recent Computer Associates advisory, succeeds by looking like a legitimate Windows program.

The Internet security blog Donna’s SecurityFlash reports that rogue antivirus programs such as these are being promoted through spam messages that link to an automatic download of a virus installer.

With such aggressive methods afoot to fool security-minded users, how do you know when an antivirus product is legitimate? Use the following guidelines to ensure that the security products you download are legitimate.

Read the rest of Scott’s article here

Another article on similar malware

I know this isn’t particularly for bikers, but I think most of us have cell phones and this could help you save money.

David Pogue, NYT columnist, claims that cell phone companies add at least 15 seconds to each voice mail in order to add more time to a user’s phone time in order to pad their coffers and drain minutes. How much do they make? About $620 MILLION a year

David’s creating a “Take Back the Beep” campaign.

Cell phone companies have something called ARPU, or average revenue per user. Pogue says executives have admitted to him that they include these canned instructions on EVERY message. If you have Sprint, you can turn it off but it’s buried and hard to find. Other carriers, however, can’t. You can go to David Pogue’s website and find links to your cell phone carrier to complain about this nonsense.

One can avoid the canned instructions by pressing “*” if the user uses Verizon, “1″ for Sprint, and “#” for AT&T. But you have to know what carrier your friend is using when you’re calling them.

If you wish to send a complaint to your carrier about this, for more information see the full article (Email address links to the 4 major carriers are shown at the bottom of the full article)

Read David Pogue’s Full Article

Those are your minutes they’re spending!!!  Stand up for your rights. 

Demand they give you the option of turning OFF this useless voice mail feature – pass it on!!!!!!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will decide by next year whether or not anti-lock brakes should be mandatory on motorcycles, according to a Detroit News story cited on The Kneeslider. The report also mentions that fatal accident rates are 28 percent lower for bikes equipped with anti-lock systems, and that motorcycle fatalities per million miles traveled have nearly doubled between 1997 and 2007. Though NHTSA frequently enforces the implementation of safety technology into automobiles, their involvement in motorcycling tends to focus more on helmet usage and the prevention of drunk riding.

Read Basem’s Entire Article Here

The Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau and Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) will host the Wing Ding 31 Light Parade on the streets adjacent to the Expo Square, 2100 South Yale Avenue at 9:30 PM.

Crowds in excess of 1,000 are anticipated to attend and enjoy these Honda Gold Wing and Valkyrie motorcycles. For more information go to www.wing-ding.org.

Lot 14 of the Fairgrounds from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM will serve as the staging area.
The parade will go north on Louisville Avenue from 17th Street to 15th Street, east on 15th Street to Yale Avenue, and south on Yale Avenue to 21st Street. Continue west on 21st Street to Louisville Avenue and back north on Louisville Avenue to 17th Street. The motorcycles will travel around the Fairgrounds 2 to 3 times.

Read Full Greater Tulsa Reporter Article

By Basem Wasef (About.com)

Due to a seemingly endless travel schedule and back to back motorcycle testing, my long term Honda Gold Wing spent most of the winter collecting dust– sad but true, the ‘Wing wasn’t getting the love she deserved.

So when the time finally came to start ‘er up, I prepared for the worst: perhaps a slow, indifferent inability to turn over, or a maybe a completely dead battery. Turns out I underestimated the bike’s resilience– a turn of the key and a push of the ‘Start’ button, and the engine sprang immediately to life. Lucky me.

I had missed riding the ‘Wing, and the nav system’s onscreen greeting may as well have read something like this; it sure felt good to saddle up again, mild sensations of guilt aside.

Read Basem’s Full Article Here

Gary Brown of Greenville, S.C., unloads his Honda Gold Wing at Springmaid Beach Resorts on Thursday, April 30, 2009. About 500 people are expected to attend the three-day Gold Wing.

Photo by Janet Blackmon Morgan / jblackmon@thesunnews.com

The Sun Times article by Lorena Anderson - landerson@thesunnews.com

 The Gold Wing Road Riders Association’s motorcycle rally didn’t exactly roar into Myrtle Beach on Thursday. It made more of a purring sound.

“Hondas are a lot different than Harleys,” said rider Charlie West, whose wife, Dale, is the leader of the association’s Myrtle Beach Chapter J.   Gary Brown of Greenville, S.C., unloads his Honda Gold Wing at Springmaid Beach Resorts on Thursday, Photo by Janet Blackmon Morgan / jblackmon@thesunnews.com
 Honda Gold Wing Rally in Myrtle Beach

 Nearly 400 touring-bike enthusiasts are gathered at Springmaid Resort, which is technically in Horry County, not the city, this weekend, holding the kind of festival they like best - complete with safety and maintenance seminars and a talent show instead of beer girls and burn-out pits.

“The average age of our riders is 60,” said regional director Carl Blackston of Easley. “The younger people like the sportier bikes. Our motto is ‘Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge.’”

Blackston and his wife, Donna, rode in on Tuesday to set up the indoor rally. He said he hadn’t slept well because there was a lot to do and because he was somewhat worried about Myrtle Beach’s new rules about motorcycle rallies.

“The size of the Gold Wing rally is not comparable to the other events,” said city spokesman Mark Kruea. “It is a tiny fraction, both in number and volume. They are big road bikes that are properly mufflered. If the Harley rally was 400 quiet motorcycles, I don’t think we’d have a problem with it, either.”

The rallies rotate from city to city around the state, and this year’s gathering was scheduled last year, before Myrtle Beach passed ordinances regulating muffler noise, helmet wear and more.

“I’ve gotten lots of calls,” from people who had questions and concerns about the city’s efforts to curtail the May motorcycle rallies, Blackston said. “But 99.9 percent of our members wear helmets all the time, and we don’t have the loud pipes.”

Click to read the full article

Gary always puts on a big bash, so if you’re in the Atlanta area May 23rd you should stop by and check out the BEST Goldwing and Gold Wing Trike accessory shop on the planet!!!!!!

GET A FLYER and DIRECTIONS!!!!!!

I decided there’s enough little issues that confuse and confound us about computers that we should have a little spot to ask & answer questions about such computer issues, problems, and other things that baffle the &**#& out of us.  Since there’s a few folks around that might be able to help, we’ve created an area to put the questions out there for people to ponder and respond online so everyone can see the answers and learn together as a group. 

The first issue on the table is the latest malware - Conficker.  It’s still being discussed on the TV and web.  So here’s the first thing to do - check your computer by simply going to this link - http://www.talkbiz.com/confickertest/ and if you can view all 6 images, you’re not infected.  If you do not see all six, go to http://gwrra-gaa.com/files/fix_c.htm and find out the steps to rid yourself of this nasty animal.

In El Dorado Springs,  MO you can contact Clear Creek Coach to go out in motorcycle style.

Don Guffey of Schell City, MO, who’s the owner and operator of Clear Creek Coach, built this masterpiece.  With over 30 years as a carpenter Don, considering building a motorcycle hearse,  first began shopping to see what was available.   After seeing the superior quality and workmanship of the Tombstone Motorcycle Hearse the decision was made.  We contacted Tombstone, learning they have been in business since 2001, their original concept was over 10 years old, and were on the series III version of the original concept.       The styling of the coach, modern yet reminiscent of days gone by, exactly what Don was after.

The coach is pulled behind a 2008 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic, which has been ‘triked’  to accomdate the weight of the coach and a regular casket or over-size casket.

See their website here http://www.clearcreekcoach.com/

Washington (AP) - Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he wants to consider taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they burn — an idea that has angered drivers in some states where it has been proposed.

Gasoline taxes that for nearly half a century have paid for the federal share of highway and bridge construction can no longer be counted on to raise enough money to keep the nation’s transportation system moving, LaHood said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled,” the former Illinois Republican lawmaker said.
…
The system would require all cars and trucks be equipped with global satellite positioning technology, a transponder, a clock and other equipment to record how many miles a vehicle was driven, whether it was driven on highways or secondary roads, and even whether it was driven during peak traffic periods or off-peak hours.

Click to read the full article

It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen on two wheels. And for good reason: Honda’s stunning new DN-01 is in a class of its own—the world’s first crossover bike. Its styling and seating position alone set it completely apart, showing influence from the world of our sportbikes, sport touring machines, and cruisers. But underneath that bodywork the DN-01 is even more revolutionary, offering Honda’s radical new HFT Transmission. Yes, it’s an automatic—but an automatic unlike anything you’ve ever seen. You can shift it into six preset ratios, or you can let it function as a stepless, no-shifting Continuously Variable Transmission, or CVT. The DN-01 is a perfect choice if you’re looking to get into motorcycling, if you’re a long-time rider who wants to be on the most cutting-edge bike out there, or if you’re just looking for something completely different. This bike is going to turn heads like no other in 2009.

Read about here

Strange Animal - the Montracer.

Click to look at this video - cool moves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This info is from the PERAVES AG web site (Switzerland).

We’re well aware that words alone are unlikely to convince a true biker of the advantages of cabin motorcycles; nor will they convert a dyed-in-the-wool SPORTCAR driver. SPORTCARS and motorcycles both have their fans, and rightly so. The only way to win them over is to belt them into the back seat of our machine and take them for a spin, taunting the cars and superbikes at every bend in the road. They will soon see the MonoTracer for what it is – the perfect combination of a sporty touring motorcycle and a real “lean machine” SPORTCAR. In short, it’s the ideal vehicle for for year-round-fun and efficient daily commuting.

Vehicle body & structure
Self-supporting composite-monocoque made from glass-, kevlar- and carbon-tissue,
reinforced with aluminium crash- and roll-bars.
Engine frame, steering head and stabilizer axles made from aircraft grade alloy steel.
Front suspension 50mm USD-fork, rear Monolever shaft swingarm.
Glazing made from tinted PMMA in aviation quality.
140 liter baggage compartment.
Mechanics
4 cylinder in-line BMW K-engine 1171cc, 16 valves, liquid cooling.
Sequential PG-gearbox with 4 forward speeds and electrically
unlockable reverse, shifted by push-button selector on left handlebar.
3 steel brake discs with 4-piston-hydraulic callipers, fully
integrated electronic ABS, ASP anti spin control optional.
Computer-supervised electrically operated stabilizer servo
system, with a deployment time of less than half a second.
Equipment + Accessories
Contoured seats with 3-point automatic safety belts.
Heating + ventilation system with intake filter.
Full air-conditioning optional.
GPS-RDS-4LSP-audio-system.
Tempomat cruise control, Bi-Xenon-lights, CD-players optional.

Not sure if I remember building a bike like this when I was a kid.  Seems like we were building push carts (4 wheel) with a drag-the-stick-brake when I was this age.  Kinda like those “apple crate stakeboards” we used to make except these were made with old lawn mower tires nailed to a 2×4 axle.  Obviously, the wheels didn’t stay on long when I plopped my big ole butt on for a ride!!!!

Doom and gloom has been the economic outlook of late and the motorcycle industry is feeling the pain too. Honda is no exception, with the largest motorcycle manufacturer on the planet announcing cutbacks to its racing programs due to the current economic woes. Last week’s year-end speech by CEO Takeo Fukui delivered some promising bright spots however.

Details are scant but Fukui said of the potential bike: “Honda is currently developing a battery-powered electric motorcycle which emits no CO2 during operation, because the characteristics of a battery can be better utilized in the area of motorcycles, which are often used for short distance travel. Honda is aiming to introduce this electric motorcycle to the market about two years from now.”

Read Full Article Here