It's the October ROK Newsletter!
By Phil Daulton
October 16, 2008
Hello fellow riders!
Here's what has been happening in the small world of ROK lately – at least since August.
First, I would like to start off with some stuff that should have gotten into the August Newsletter, but did not. Blame my lousy note taking at meetings, if you must.
It concerns the club ride that Geoffrey Greene led, and I'm sorry for not mentioning it, because it was a humdinger! It was 500 plus miles (is that one cheek of a Bunburner, Geoffrey?;-)
Here's were he had to say about it: “An additional note to the newsletter... I think Mike Copenhaver, Paul Brown, Sam Neese, and Andrew Neese (along with the Honda Sport Touring Association folks that joined us) enjoyed the ride to Burke's Garden (I know I did). The route included twisty road highlights of US421 between Bristol and Mountain City, TN, US58 between Damascus and Volney, VA, VA16 between Marion and Tazewell, VA, VA261 and US52 across Big Walker Mountain in VA, VA614 (Grapefield Road), VA623 in and out of Burke's Garden (the paved portion from the north...there's a gravel section of VA623 into Burke's Garden from the south that we didn't do on this trip), and VA80 between Meadow View and Elk Garden, VA. Lunch, or more appropriately, the opportunity to sit on the big wrap-around porch around the store with friends, at the General Store in Burke's Garden is also a highlight.”
I wish't I'da been there, Geoffrey!
There are literally a TON of things happening this month, and I am just tickled about that. Rides and camp outs, baby, we got 'em all.
Let's start with RIDES!!
This past Sunday October 12, Geoffrey Greene led a ride out of Destination Motorcycles. It departed at 10 AM, and was a different version of his Roane County ride. ROK folk spotted there: Roger White, Frank Armbrister, Andre Schutte, Mike Copenhaver, me and Geoffrey. Milton's last e-mail stated that they would be there with coffee about 9 AM – they were. Geoffrey said the ride would be a few big roads, lots of little curvy roads, and a few “driveways”, to paraphrase an old Ed Nabors line. Total length of the ride was about 160 miles out and back to Destination. He said they would be stopping a few places, so bring lunch money... well, I guess it went pretty good, but I'll never know. Because some dweeb on a Triumph triple who was ahead of me neglected to wait at one of the turns for the guy behind (me) to see where the turn was. Guess what – my ride was over. I had several people behind me as I continued on into Kingston, and then they were
gone, too! What the... As it turned out, Roger White was back there and knew the route, rounded up the stragglers and put them back on course. I, of course, escaped. That's my luck. So I had a nice ride by myself and rode over to Grassy Cove and Crossville, and ran some sections of TN 62 between Clarkrange and Wartburg than I had never been across. I did about 260 Quality Miles.
And, here's a ride that I promised to do in August but then I chickened out, because I was not sure if my wreck injuries were “rideworthy”. I'm going to do it on my KLR, because my bigger bikes still pretty much kill me to ride any long distance. It's a trip over to Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley NC, coming to a location near you on Saturday, October 18. As you may know, Dale Walklser has finally had a gut full of Maggie Valley town politics, and he is closing the museum to pack it up for Arizona. Last time I talked to his son, they were looking for a location in the vicinity of Prescott AZ, to locate it, and hopefully be back in business by next spring. Wah! I love this place! And I'm gonna miss it, too. So here's one more pilgrimage to Wheels for a tour, and I hope Dale is there to lead it, because that's always the best tour! They will be open through November 30, if you want to go sooner or later.
My ride will queue up at the Cracker Barrel on Strawberry Plains Pike and Exit 398 of I-40, in East Knox County. That's right across the street from Puleo's Grille, where we do the occasional monthly meeting. So come and chow down on some breakfast about 8 AM, and we will try to chuff off into the sunrise about 9 AM. I'm going to go via Hot Springs and sneak in the Back Way. If Butts on the Creek is still in business, that will be my lunch stop. Then we will tour the museum (it's $12 to enter), and you can either split from there on your own, or follow me back via the BRP to the Smokies National Park and battle the leaf peeper traffic. I'll take the Little River Road to avoid Gatlinburg and Pigeon Farce, and come out through Metcalf Bottoms. Sore Butt Disclaimer: The route may exceed 250 miles. Your butt may vary.
Coming up in November: Dickie Anderson has a ride lined up over to Crossville, to check out the five-story Tree House over there. I saw pictures – it looks pretty wild. You can tour it, too. He plans to stop at the Beanpot for lunch, and says that the ride will include a little dab of Interstate, not much. This ride will be on Saturday November 1, with a rain date of Saturday, November 8. I will pass along time and place details as the date looms near.
Also for October, we have another camp out at TWO Creeks in Del Rio on Friday through Sunday October 24, 25 and 26. The Creeks is the little getaway that Jerry and Cindy Dobrianski have been working on for a couple of years now. We had a camp out there in June I think, and what they have done with the place is really cool. So come on out and pitch a tent and have some fun! More details to come as the date gets nearer. To get there take US25/70 East to beyond Newport, turning right on TN 107 in Greater Del Rio. Cross the railroad tracks, go a little farther and turn right on Old Fifteenth. Once you cross the next bridge, it's another right on some gravel road with the word Cat in it (CRS, damn that stuff...). But I bet Jerry will have the ROK rally signs out at all the turn points, so Fear Not.
While we're talking about rides, Bob Winter led one a few weeks back, on the UT/FL football Saturday. They did a five county loop, and 14 riders were there for the fun. They were back in plenty of time for the dismal ball game. George Upton shot some pix of the ride, and I have forwarded them to Tim Pruitt to run on the web site, so check it out when you are surfing instead of riding. Doug York also filmed some of it with his new video rig, and what I saw was pretty neat, but the file is much too big to run on the website. Maybe we can link it to You Tube or something similar; I'll let you know.
Now what else... Oh hey, we had a monthly meeting this past Monday at the Time Warp Tea Room in Knoxville. We had 26 folks and little Megan Hurley present, and I saw 17 motorsickles on the side walk and the back lot. Lovely riding weather, yes. Our one visitor also became a member. He is Brian Horais, and has recently relocated for the DC Metro area. He was a BMWBMW club member there. Brain has a lovely R90S that he rode to the meeting.
What did we discuss? Rides, rally, camp outs, old bidness, new bidness, ya should have been there. BUT – since you maybe weren't we'll talk about it...
Deb Hurley gave us the budget numbers for the last three months, and basically, we are still solvent. But don't put your retirement money in ROK bonds. Our big expenses were $367 on the TWO Creeks camp out, and we sent along a hundred dollars to the MOA Rally Charity Challenge, which was this year was Youth Emergency Services, a charity to assist children at risk. Thank you, members, for voting this donation.
The Rally – lost money again this year, but only $48. Maybe I should put my retirement money into the Rally, hmmm....
Dave Erny, who IS the Rally, (and that's another story) said that we had a total of 87 full registrations and 93 total attendees. The weather was not a factor, but gas prices (when is that NEVER a factor) were, and thankfully supply was not yet a problem – that would come two weekends later. We had another mishap – somebody got rear-ended coming out of the entrance to the KOA, and crashed. The guy lost his spleen in the accident, which I can certainly relate to. I hope that he is on the mend.
We had another donation from Frank Smith of a Personal Pressure Washer (whoo hoo, that sounds Nasty) for a grand prize. Earlier in the year, Gunter Tillman donated a $500 gift card, which we cashed in order to buy more door prizes. Trees were not shaken for door prizes as in the past, so Dave had to buy them. BIG thanks to Frank and Gunter for their prize contributions. Small thanks to me and Tim Pruitt for things we codged from our secret stashes as rally door prizes. That would have been a book from me (two copies of the same title, who needs that), and a pair of women's riding gloves from Tim. For Tim: Dave says somebody who didn't win the gloves was wondering where you got them – they thought they were nice, and really wanted them. Got any more?
What we hate about the Rally: No Help. The same people are doing it every year, and frankly, They Are Tired!! And I found out to my chagrin, that Jack and MaryAnn Alltop worked the event instead of doing what they had originally planned, because I opened my Big Fat Yap and said that MaryAnn would be there with her spaghetti sauce. Jack and MaryAnn – I am so sorry that what I said messed up your weekend plans, I am truly sorry.
I would like to thank all the Rally volunteers that helped this one to go off without a hitch. You know who you are, but let me beep your horn: Jack and MaryAnn Alltop, Cindy and Jerry Dobrianski, Jason and Gretchen Hinton (I think you were there?), Gunter Tillman, Bobby and Gail Winter, and Dave and Sharon Erny. Especially Dave, because you have made the rally what it is, a winner, even though it loses money. Folks that do our Rally are always bugging Dave about it when they see him. Including a couple of weekends later at Beemers in the Bluegrass. They were after him about it again. That's the best press for a job well done, Dave.
That being said, at this time, I don't see us hosting another rally, unless we get off our Collective Duffs, and volunteer to help staff and run it. This is the only successful thing we are doing right now, and I'm here to testify to that, having experienced nearly five years of running this club as reluctant President for Life. Where's my dang soap box... Yes, folks, you too have a voice in this club! Each year we have Officer Elections. Prez, Veep, Treasurer, and Scribe. And right now, all of them are held by those of us who either care too much or are possibly too dumb to say enough is enough and move on to something else. Somebody made a crack earlier this year about this being the ROK Supper Club, and that's SO right. I have about three people who will venture to lead rides. I have one guy who we darn near kill every year running the rally. Eight, maybe nine solid core vet volunteers amongst about 50 or so paid (call 'em active? I won't) members.
This is The Volunteer State, for Pete's sake!!! Do you want to have a group of vibrant let's-do-stuff people, or do we go on with monthly feeds, have strokes and die? We could do So Much More Stuff, if somebody would just step up. Put away that knife, Brutus, I'm finished here.
We keep meaning to have a meeting at the Magnolia Cafe, but that guy is the second coming of Joe Bfsplkt (extra credit to those who remember Al Capp's Lil' Abner). He is Still. Not. Open. For. Business. This time Knox County is holding him up because he has to change plumbers. Someday, someday...
So – the next monthly meeting on Monday, November 3 will be at Puleo's East Knox location. Haven't been there for a while. Expect the first ghost when the bell strikes... oops, wrong script... Expect an RSVP e-mail from me requesting your presence at the meeting, because I have to give Puleo's a head count. The more, the merrier, which gets us into the nice big room, instead of the cold, noisy little garage.
Here's some other stuff we discussed: The folks at BMW NA, Owner of the Cool Trademarks who also happen to make cars and motorcycles, are and have been very protective of the use of them said Cool Trademarks. So much so, that they have now deemed it necessary for finks like us to quit ripping them off and toe the corporate line. Bottom line here, is this: as MOA and RA Chartered Clubs, our club name and logo have to meet the guidelines handed down from BMW NA. Our club logo has a rendition of the “roundel” (BMW's name for the cute spinning propeller device in their logo. And yes, I know it is not supposed to represent a spinning prop – I read my history) in the “O” character of “ROK”. We have to get rid of that device in the “O”, at the very least. Get out your September copy of the RA monthly rag, “On The Level”, and read along with me. The way I read it, every logo gets a redesign with the words “BMW Club” on line one, with
the club name beneath it, and the club logo below that. The new spiffy 3-D look Official BMW Roundel goes on the right side. Now here's where I believe that we have to drop the word “BMW” from our name and call it “Riders of Knoxville”. The RA is ahead of the power curve on this issue, and have already changed their logo to the new approved version. Look at an old OTL magazine, the upper right corner of the cover has their logo. Little black birdie on top, “BMW Riders Association International” in the middle and approved BMW trademark roundel thingy on the bottom. Now look at the September issue logo. “BMW Club” on top. “Riders Association International” in the middle. Little black birdy on the bottom. Spiffy new Roundel thingy on the right side. The have changed their club name, in my opinion, because BMW NA said you can't use the word BMW in your club name, and you can't use the roundel thingy in your logo.
Before the Monday meeting, I went onto to the MOA website and started a thread on the Presidential Forum about this, namely because MOA haven’t said doodly squat about the whole issue, and have not changed their logo (yet). I got a response from Greg Feeler, the national MOA VP, and who is also president of the MOA chartered club in Idaho. He said that he was concerned with the changes also, and that they would be trying to get something posted soon on the MOA website about these coming changes. I'll let all know when I see it.
Now, I discussed this at the Monday meeting and via e-mail. I got three responses via e-mail. At the meeting and via e-mail, I threw out an idea to have a contest to design a new logo, but it appears that we are most proud of the one that we have. So it would be airbrush the roundel out of the “O”, I guess.
Until I hear more from the mother ship and the two national clubs, I guess this one goes on the back burner.
On With The Show, as Mickey says...
Each December, we do a little get together, instead of a meeting. In the interest of saving some coin, the last three years we have done a gig at different member's houses. Dave and Sharon Erny hosted it for two years, and last year, Jim and Deb Hurley did it. This year, the Hurley's have gracefully offered to host the club again. This event will be held on Saturday, December 6, and the Hurley Manse. As it gets closer, we will dole out time and location info. Bring some sort of side dish or dessert, and the club will pay for roasting up a pork loin or two and maybe turkey bird parts. We aren't paying for your hooch, bring your own beer, wine, etc. We will have coffee, tea and soda. Come on out and have a good time. It will possibly still be good riding weather, too.
November – Officer Elections should be on everyone’s mind. This year you have a choice! I'm not running!! I sent out an e-mail earlier this week on why I'm not going to continue as President, so I won't belabor the point.
If any one of you want to step up and lead this club to who knows where – now's your chance. Please consider giving some of your time and doing something for the club. It might change your life – it sure did mine.
Some months back, I received a message from a book publisher, about if I wanted it, they would send me a new book, “The Art of BMW”. It was supposed to get here before the rally, and I was going to put it in as a door prize. The publisher asked that we do a book report on it, and give them some buzz in our newsletter and website. Tim Pruitt, our Club Secretary has the book and is writing the review, so look for it soon on the website.
I must say, it is a beautiful book, and is signed by the author. But the photography is simply stunning. That guy should have signed it, too!
Since the book arrived late, at the meeting I started to put forth a motion to raffle it off for a charity. Dave Erny motioned that I should keep the book and that idea passed by a voice vote. Wow, thanks guys! I will bring the book by the next meeting and at the December party so that all can see it.
Moving on to general topics, I have spent most of my free time this years attending motorcycle racing meets with friend and fellow member Tim Pruitt. Daytona, Barber, VIR, Road Atlanta, and the Indy Moto GP were my destinations. At VIR and Road Atlanta, I ran into Norman Mills both times. Norman was more hardcore – he camped at these events – at the track! You have to know what kind of noisy hooligans are there in order to appreciate camping at the track. You got my respect, Norman. I also saw Bobby Winter and Gunter Tillman at the Indy race. We ROK folks get around.
The 50/50 drawing went to our newest member, Brian Horais. Talk about beginner's luck!
This coming Monday, October 20, Destination Motorcycles will be hosting a seminar by Lee Parks, who will be speaking about his riding school, Total Control. The seminar will run from 6 PM to 8 PM. and should prove interesting.
The BMW Riders of Nashville have spiffed up their website. These are the people that put on the European Riders Rally in Burkesville, Kentucky in May of each year. Check it out at www.bmwmcon.org.
Finally, I got some mail from and talked to a fellow last week with the national Suzuki Owners Club. Their national rally next year is three weeks before the MOA National Rally in Gray, TN. I spoke with Stone Anthony, their president, who told me what they had planned in the runup to the rally. They are doing events and rides at several places throughout the state, starting in Memphis, and including Knoxville. If you want to see what they are about and what they have planned – cuz I know some of us have Suzukis – take a look at www.suzukiownersclub.org.
Geez, I think I've run out of steam.
Ride safely, and see you on the road – at this weekend's ride, or the camp out, or the November ride, or the next monthly meeting!
Regards,
Phil Daulton
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Old Business –
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Ride Report –
October ROK Club Ride Report
By Phil Daulton
18 October 2008
Today, we did our October Club Ride, which was a little trip to Maggie Valley, for another visit through the Wheels Through Time Museum.
The Good – A great Fall day.
The Bad – Maybe a little cold out there...
The Ugly – Leaf Peeper traffic jam at the foot of the Smoky Mountains.
Sure wish you could have been there – let me tell you about it, instead!
Fall weather. Vibrant smells and colors. 209 mile tour loop. Roads that would make a snake drunk. My KLR 650 is Da Bomb! Able to leap tall dogs at a single bound! If only it had Motard wheels and tars – hoo boy. More fun than I've had in ages. Where's this scoot been all my life? Small bore, lightweight dual sports are the answer to any question you may have asked.
I showed up at 7:50 AM this morning at the Strawberry Plains Cracker for breakfast, anticipating a great Fall ride. Weather report was cloudy but clearing and sunny the rest of the day. High in Knoxville of 61 degrees.
This is why weather people should not play the lottery. Never saw the sun until late afternoon. And I'm betting it never got out of the mid-50's. But hey – it didn't rain.
While waiting on my breakfast to show up, Steve Lange came in to warm up his hands around a cup of coffee. He was riding his screamin' yeller K100RS. As I finished eating, I saw Frank Armbrister arrive on his R1100GS, and shortly thereafter a couple came in on a Suzuki DL650 V-Strom.
The couple were visitors, put onto our trail by John Smith. They are Robin and Sharon Maheu, from Boyd's Creek, over there on TN 338, between Seymour and Sevierville. They asked if they could come along for the ride, and we were glad to have them.
Off we went. I led the riders on a merry chase out Thorngrove Pike, until it trickled down to not much more than a driveway, before terminationg at US 25W/70. We tootled on towards Newport, where I stopped for a bit of a warm up and to see if there was anybody out at TWO Creeks. Planned to stop there, if Jerry and Cindy were there.
Got ahold of Cindy, who said that Jerry was at Daytona, doing Biketoberfest with Bobby Winter, Gunter Tillman and Mike Malloy. She would not be out at the camp ground until later in the day, so I passed on the visit, and we continued on towards Hot Springs.
There, we hung a righty onto NC 209, and reveled, nay, wallowed, in the curves, stopping at the little store in Trust, which is open for bidness again. Had to ingest more coffee to warm the core. My nose was like a hound dog's – cold and wet.
Back on the road, hurtling down 209 to crest the ridge across Hebo Mountain, then cutting a big choagie at the country store and taking a looie onto Fines Creek Road over to I-40. A short jaunt down the slab to US 276, and then we were into Maggie Valley.
We pulled into Butts On the Creek, a nice little BBQ pit, at about 12:30 and 106 miles or so from the start point. Steve got busted by the Parking Nazi; wow, are they defensive about where and how you park! The sign says “no parallel parking” and boy howdy, they mean it! We porked out on the pig sammich, and got to know the Maheus a little bit better. Sharon is a grade school teacher, and I never did hear what Robin's vocation was. They have ridden their DL650 all the way up to the Gaspe Peninsula in Canada, down to the Barber Museum, and to Daytona Beach; Robin says he averages about 20K miles riding a year, so they keep the road hot. I invited them to join us at our next club meeting, so perhaps you all will get to meet them, too. They are great folks.
From lunch, we went down the road a bit farther to the museum, where we got in for $10 a head, a $2 discount, since there were so many groups there that day. Thanks, Mr. Walksler! Dale was not there, however – he was down at the Barber Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, this weekend for the Vintage Racing and Swap Meet that is going on.
Nonetheless, we got to see them fire up a couple of bikes, which is always a Good Thing. The 1917 Harley Carrier Pigeon coop bike, that was used in the old Jimmy Stewart movie “The Spirit of St. Louis, was started for a visitor who had a brought in a picture of his grand dad on a similar bike way back when. And they also started up one of the old 30's model hill climber bikes.
Dale has still not officially announced what is happening with the museum, and as to where it is going. It will still be closing on November 30, though. Please, please, take the opportunity to see this place before it is gone.
We headed for the house at about 3 PM. Steve had departed somewhat earlier, deciding to sprint back on the I-Road. Frank also decided that was best for him, too. The Maheus continued on with me back home, and we traveled via the Blue Ridge Parkway, US 441, Little River Road, Metcalf Bottoms Road, US 321, Goose Gap Road, White School Road, and finally again on US 441 until we parted ways in Seymour.
The BRP was Great. Between the 3,000 and 5,000 foot elevations, and on the Carolina side of the mountains, the leaf colors are at their peak. Not a lot of traffic until we got to the Smoky Mountains National Park, then it was pretty nuts. Coming off the mountain, it was a parade, finally hitting stop and crawl traffic about two miles short of the visitor center, where we found park rangers directing traffic at that bottleneck. Heading out the Little River Road, we then sneaked across Metcalf Bottoms Road, and dodged the Townsend traffic bullet that I suspected would be there, had we continued that direction.
And now... let me bore you with some Bad Haiku. This is what tends to spring to mind, when one is trapped in Leaf Peeper traffic jams.
October Club Ride
Cloudbusting on Newfound Gap
My hands are still cold.
Fall riding season
You can smell it in the air
Colors are at Peak!
Leaf Peeper Creepers
Clutch hand is getting a workout
Musclebound fingers!
Hill climb easy but
Many cars descending grade
Pew! I smell burnt brakes!
Ow, enough of that! I couldn't think up any bad limericks, 17 syllables are hard enough to keep in my head until I can get home and write them down.
After gassing up, I taxied into the hangar at about 6:15 PM. From Butts on the Creek, to Butt on the Couch. Well, that sums up the ride, except for fuel mileage bragging rights. How does 3 gallons of gas for all this fun sound? 65.2 MPG? Get your self a Thumper!
Thanks for reading,
Phil
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Rally News –
Stay Tuned for any new or reports concerning the future plans for the ROK' On Classic Rally
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New Business –
See Phil's newsleeter abov for new business.
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Of Interest
Up-Coming Rallies and Events
Coming Soon!
January:
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October 19, 2008
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