Editor: Gregg Mitchell
Saturday, June 16, 2007, we will be meeting at Karl's Cabin restaurant in Plymouth, MI. Karl's is located on Gotfredson Road, just north of M-14. From I-275 / I-96 take M14 West towards Ann Arbor. Gotfredson Road is exit # 15. The meeting begins at 8:30 AM However late arrivers are always welcome!
RED NECK GARAGE - ARTICLE #1
IN THE BEGINNING...
by Russ Weik, HSTA Texas
After 40 years in the automotive business, in an era when mistakes weren’t disasters, I have a lot of sympathy for technicians and mechanics now trying to enter this field as a career. A high level of knowledge in chemistry, physics, metallurgy, and engineering is needed to successfully work on current day automobiles and motorcycles. I am sure there are some “Red Neck” mechanics getting by with minimum skills and many of you have been their victims. Here are a few repairs (er, tricks) that some friends and I got by with in our early days
.
Higher compression seemed to be a performance enhancer to anemic motors. We removed the head from my Cushman Eagle and proceeded to scrub it across the driveway. It took awhile, but two determined teenagers can accomplish wonders. We removed enough metal so that the intake valve would just lift the head without a gasket. We then borrowed (that’s my side of the story) mom’s cutting board and some wet-r-dry sandpaper to put the finish surface to the head. Nothing like the success of a repair to give someone blind courage to venture further.
The rings did not hold the increased pressures long, so the piston came out. There was considerable bore clearance and I had read about this thing called knurling. Knurling, if you didn’t know, was about raising metal by making an impression. As the metal is disturbed, it raises around the indenture. (Sorta like the rim of an impact crater.) There are professional knurling tools and there is the center punch method. We chose the punch method and set about dimpling both sides of the piston. It worked so well that we had to hand-sand the skirt to get the piston back into the bore. New rings, then back together. A little tight would be an understatement. We had to get an adult to kick this engine over. It started but we knew it wasn’t right. Back apart. We learned that carbon build up in the ring lands needed to be removed for the new rings to fit. Back together, again!
This one ran about six months. Someone noticed a rod knock. Plastigage was another item I had studied. Some filing on the rod cap and the plastigage width looked good. (what about roundness?) Back together. Still knocking, and worse. Back apart. More filing. Back to together. Locked up. Back apart. Less torque on the rod bolts. Worse knocking. Back apart. New rod and bearing and some professional crank polishing. This is about the time dad said, “If you stop working on that scooter, it will stop breaking.” (A wise man.)
Chain technology (as most things) wasn’t what it is today. They didn’t knock like the o-ring chains. But you could soak them in oil and ride them until the rollers fell out. The good news was that Montgomery Ward (or Sears) sold industrial chain by-the-link. (They didn’t have to run 150 MPH ) The teeth on the rear sprocket were sharp and pointed in the direction of rotation. It only seemed logical to us to reverse the sprocket and let the chain pull against the hooks. I don’t ever remember changing that sprocket. (Some things don’t change.)
The brake lining on some motorcycles was riveted to the inside of the drum and the shoes were cast iron with smooth surfaces. More than once we replaced this lining and got quite good at working the rivets. Things turned nasty when I broke a shoe and thought I was a good enough welder to repair it. This repair didn’t make it around the block. (And that’s the good news.) Later brakes had the lining riveted to the shoe. We did that a couple times too, but also learned that the leading lining worn faster than the trailing lining. So we switched the leading and trailing shoes at the opportune time and got more miles than the law allowed from our brakes. Stopping distance increased somewhat though.
We picked up a Cushman Highlander for $10, which had suffered a spun rod bearing. We took the crank to Muller’s, a German machine shop, and he took pity on us. He ground the metal below the limits and was able to locate an oversized bearing to fit but we didn’t have a rod. I found the rod from the above engine half-buried in the back yard. We had learned about brass shims along the way and were able to replenish all the metal I had filed away with an abundance of shim layers. The valve job consisted of hand-lapping the valve and seat with compound (no grinding necessary). We borrowed a drill and some rotary stones to hog-out the valve ports. We were feeling pretty full of ourselves when we hacksawed the intake manifold into to straighten a 90-degree bend. We just couldn’t stop. Twelve inches came out of the frame. The body was tossed in favor of a tube (brazed conduit) sub-frame. The handlebars came from a bicycle. Voila, an early mini-bike. Net result; it was faster than the Eagle. (But not quite the world’s fastest Cushman)
A Mustang Pony found its way to my home, in several boxes. One of its sicknesses and there were many, was a stripped out spark plug hole. Back to Muller’s, who was getting to know us. I always liked his attitude. “Sure, we can fix that.” was his reply. These 12-inch wheel semi-scooters were fast for their size, but this one had a habit of lunching rod bearings. The dipper lubrication system could not keep up with our performance expectations. It was soon traded for a 5 window Model-A with a Pontiac V-8 (in a disassembled state, of course).
The madness with motorcycles, cars, and boats didn’t stop here (not that I want it to). Various two and four wheeled orphans have found their way to my garage (or living room) to be nursed back to running condition with the same loving care. Each has left good memories in my life. Each taught me more creative ways to get a few more miles down the road. I hope you have found some Red Neck methods of your own and someday over a couple beers we can swap a few stories. I just noticed an advertisement for a Suzuki that needs some TLC. Gotta go!
MY FIRST T-RIDE
by Pedro Gregorio
Would you carry your bike 1200 miles to ride it 900 even if half of those 900 miles were in 30 and 40 degree rainy weather? 1200 miles is about the roundtrip distance between my house and Park Hills, Missouri, the rendezvous point for our group of winter weary Michigan HSTA members. Friday we would ride from Park Hills to the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge near Mena, Arkansas, to attend the T-19 rally. The first one was actually 16 years ago but was named T-3 for Touring the Talimena Twisties. The Talimena Scenic Drive or Arkansas 88 starts in Mena and heads northwest through the Ouachita National Forest. It climbs the state’s second highest point, Rich Mountain, heads through the Queen Wilhelmina State Park and ends in Talihina, Oklahoma. Every year the rally organizers would add another descriptive t-word like tantalizing or terrific to the name but at some point they ran out of words so this year it was simply known as T-19. We would spend Saturday riding the roads around Mena and then ride back to Park Hills on Sunday.
I had never been to the Ozarks so every year I would read Ian Orr’s tales of beautifully twisty roads with Velcro-like pavement. Last year’s article pushed me over the edge; I had to find out for myself what was so special about these roads. As I drove the borrowed pick-up truck (thanks Gregg) down to St. Louis on a Thursday in April with my ’05 Triumph Sprint ST in the rearview mirror, I was very happy to be inside a warm truck instead of riding the ST. Mid-April weather was doing what it normally does in the Midwest; temps in the 30’s and precipitation trying to decide whether to be rain or snow. Whereas politicians have divided our country into red and blue states, I like to think in terms of trailering and non-trailering states or regions. Trailering regions are those beset by long winters and/or flat topography devoid of twisty roads. With good motorcycle roads at least 200 miles away from Detroit, Southeastern Michigan is firmly in the trailering camp. Being able to get our hands on a pickup truck or trailer makes life much, much easier for us Michigan HSTA’ers. As I neared St. Louis the skies cleared and temps broke the 50-degree mark. The motel in Park Hills was easy to find (thank you Garmin) and soon everyone had arrived and unloaded their bikes. Joining our motley Michigan gang was Doug from Tennessee, Michael from Chicago (who rode all the way!), Tim and Neil from Ohio and Hal from West Virginia. This would be the largest group our fearless leader Gregg had ever assembled for the T-ride. The forecast for Friday was wet and cold but we had come down here to ride and ride we would.
It was in the low 30’s with a light drizzle when we left Friday morning in two groups ½ hour apart. Group riding at a spirited pace is best done in groups of manageable sizes. I’m not going to run through all of the roads on our route because there were just too many. I will say that we didn’t set wheels on the highway for the whole day and that it was probably my most enjoyable rain ride ever. It is truly amazing what modern motorcycle tires can do. At one stop Neil, who was riding behind me, walked up and told me my rear tire was smoking. I wasn’t going that fast but it was so cold and humid that I ended up with a steaming tire. According to the ST’s trip computer, by the time we arrived at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge we had ridden 451 miles and my butt had been sitting on the Triumph for almost 8 ½ hours. Speaking of my butt I need to mention one of the accessories that made the whole weekend much more enjoyable: butt beads. I’m not getting kinky on you; I’m talking about the NYC taxi driver special, you know, the wooden beads loved by thousands of cab drivers the world over. These things really work. I got mine from Whitehorse Gear (www.whitehorsepress.com) for $19.95 + shipping and they have built-in bungee hooks that can either go around the seat or, since my seat is such a pain to remove, clip to the rear subframe and saddlebag frame. After 8 ½ hours on the bike, numb butt was nowhere to be seen. As an added bonus, the wooden beads allowed my rain pants to slide easily on the seat so I could move around in corners without any problems. In the summer the beads also allow air to circulate so your posterior never feels hot and sweaty.
Hot and sweaty was not on anyone’s mind when we pulled up to the lodge. The fog was as thick as pea soup and the wind was howling. I never felt cold all day because of another accessory without which I could not have done this ride: my Gerbing (www.gerbing.com) heated jacket liner. Along with a thermostat that I also bought from Gerbing years ago, I can dial in any temperature I want. The only downside to electric clothing is that sometimes it can stop working, like it did to two riders in our group. Often the problem is with a connection or fuse and can be fixed by the side of the road but you must also have enough warm clothing in case you can’t fix the problem. The Queen Wilhelmina Lodge is right at the top of Rich Mountain and it is a beautiful stone building with a big fireplace right in the middle of a spacious common room. We were all thankful for the heat and enjoyed the tasty and plentiful buffet that night.
Saturday morning dawned just like Friday night, foggy, windy, and cold. The rally organizers had laid out a route for us to ride but many of us decided to wait and see if the weather cleared. A flyer at the reception desk mentioned a guided hike on Lover’s Leap trail at 10 AM so I put on my hiking shoes and rain gear and met one of the park rangers in front of the lodge. No one else showed up so I had a personal tour of the flora surrounding the lodge. A lot of the vegetation had suffered from the previous week’s overnight frost but it was still very enjoyable to walk through the forest in the thick fog. It was also nice to do some walking accompanied only by the sound of the wind after spending so much time on the bike astride a screaming engine. I knew that Sunday we would have another long day back to Park Hills so I wasn’t in any hurry to get on the bike. When I got back to lodge the weather still hadn’t changed and most of our group was still hanging around. After a good lunch none of us were much in the mood to ride through the fog and rain so we just spent the rest of the day in the lodge. Thankfully, there were books and movies to pass the time. After the excellent dinner I predicted that the skies would be clear on Sunday morning and sure enough, that’s what happened.
The skies may have been clear in the pre-dawn light as we suited up Sunday morning but the temperature hadn’t gotten any warmer.
The forecast was for sunshine and temps in the 50’s so we knew that the day would only get better. We also knew that this would be the best riding day of the whole trip. A few Italian mechanical gremlins and 460 twisty miles later, I realized that this was not only the best riding day of the trip but one of the best riding days I’d ever had. Dry, clean pavement made for a pace that generated enough endorphins to last me for weeks. It was on Sunday that we hit my two favorite roads of the whole ride: Arkansas 341 a.k.a. Push Mountain Road, and Missouri 32. Push Mountain Rd was 25 miles of medium speed curves with perfect pavement, no intersections and no straights. Ian had waxed lyrical about this road in his articles and he wasn’t wrong. Twice as long and not nearly as tight as the famous Deal’s Gap in Tennessee, I enjoyed it much more than I ever did the Tail of the Dragon. As for 32, we only rode the 27 miles between the intersection with KK and 21 so I can’t vouch for the rest of the road but the section that we were on is one of the best roads I’ve ever ridden. I’m a sucker for fast sweepers and 32 was wall-to-wall 80-90 mph sweepers. Grippy pavement and cambered corners put the Triumph and me deep in the zone. Once again the ST amazed me with its handling and comfort. It took me weeks to come down from the high of that day’s ride.
I had finally found out what the T-Ride was all about and learned about the mythical traction properties of Arkansas and Missouri roads. The all-night drive back home was tiring but I was happy I had made the journey. The weekend had been a text book example of what sport touring is all about; riding on twisty roads at a spirited pace in all weather conditions with like-minded riders. If you ever have the chance to ride in Southern Missouri and Arkansas don’t pass it up, it’s well worth going the distance to get there. Just one word of warning if you’re going to ride in a group; before you go, cover your lower fork legs and the front lower edge of your fairing with paint protecting film. Those areas of my ST look like they were blasted with tiny rocks, which they were. I don’t mind because every time I look at them I will remember my first T-ride.
TRACKSIDE REPORT – MAY 2007
by John “JC” Cirner
Opening day for Michigan track events was Saturday, May5th with Sportbike Track Time at Grattan Raceway. It was the first track day of the year for most of the riders in attendance. The Michigan HSTA squadron was well represented with a total of 10 riders attending the Michigan season opener. Present were riders Gregg Mitchell, Dave Sallberg, Gary Ibershoff, Larry Job (Loretta also attended and provided moral and spiritual support), Phil Ott, Phil Lurry, Audrey Wicke, Ann Klevgard, Ann Cirner and yours truly. Did I forget anybody?
The “HSTA members’ pit” was split up into several areas due to the complete sellout conditions and limited parking. You couldn’t help but see other HSTA riders and track friends when walking around the main paddock area. It was good to see familiar faces in the early hours of Saturday and catch up on the past 6 months of hibernation. Aside from visiting with Monte and Bonnie, principles of STT, it was good to see STT Instructors Troy and Michelle Stone (who drive this enormous purple land bus of a RV), Travis Poole (from Chicago) and several other riders and vendors like Ken from Superbike Italia and Brian with Sportbike Track Gear (STG) both of which we have seen at various tracks over the years. It’s sort of a family reunion type of atmosphere without all the family hassles.
The weather was cooperating and opening day was looking pretty good going into the lunch break. Today we had Gregg, Dave, Gary and I dueling it out in the Advance group, Phil running in Intermediate and Ann C, Ann K, and Larry Job keeping the Novice group honest. Phil Lurry played along when his Ducati felt like it. Audrey was working as a track coach and control rider with the STT Staff and keeping the Novice group in check. See pic of Ann Klevgard showing me her “go fast tuck” position in pit row.
Saturday evening Gregg, Gary, Ann and I, moved to the Red Roof in Grand Rapids. We ended up across the street at “Logan’s Steakhouse” for dinner. They had great food and fast service considering the number of pre-Prom tables we saw that evening. In most cases the girls outnumbered and out dressed the guys and everyone appeared to be going “Dutch” when the checks came. Not the way I remember things (if I can remember back that far) however I still have nightmares about that powder blue tux with crushed velvet collar – oh my.
Sunday morning got off to a more casual pace with setup time cut in half and most of the first day bugs worked out. Since the bike trailers were left behind the night before it’s just a matter of “re-assuming” your quality spot from the day before and hooking up the trailer. Larry and Loretta Job shared the open parking space between our trailers and together we had quite the complete setup. Larry was left to fend for himself on Sunday as the “Church Lady”,Loretta was off to work. Did you know that our own Loretta Job was commissioned a probationary deacon on May 20, 2007! (Congratulations) I keep asking if she now has a hot-line to the pope but I’m told that’s a different religion. I could still use all the help I can get and most certainly at the track!
We ran into some old friends from Beaver Run on Sunday morning and if you remember the May report from last year about two bikes being stolen off an open trailer at the Holiday Inn – Beaver Falls we have good news. Wade replaced his bike with the Duc 749S he always wanted and Helise has a new SV650 ready for the track. I managed to “jones” some space outside their rented garage space to plug in the Chicken Hawks since my generator retired the day before. (Editors note: Never, never, never use old gas, like 6 months old, in anything that you plan to have running.) It was good to go out on tires that were up to temperature. Instant confidence for only $400! Trackside electricity is not optional.
Sunday started out much warmer than the previous day and as the sun burned off any morning dew it started to get pretty warm. By 3:00PM the opening weekend attrition set in and some riders were packing it up for home. Not unlike many other track events the last few sessions of the weekend always bring about the most excitement. The groups thin out, riders are clocking some of their fastest times and confidence is at a weekend all time high…..until something breaks.
In the second to last session of the Advance group Sunday afternoon a couple of old friends, Audrey and Travis, managed to meet up coming onto the front straight and thought it might be fun to see how far they could toss their bikes down the track. Serious though, both riders were well enough to walk it off. Not so for the bikes. Even considering the late day “accident” in Advance it was a good opening weekend for the HSTA group and great to get back to the track.
See pic of the remaining carnage, previously known as a ZX6R and R6, taking a nap together on the hillside along the front straight at Grattan.
Show me the wheel!
Ann and I decided last year that for the long Memorial Day weekend Beaver Run was the place to be. This year we returned to the “turnpike track” and were joined by Larry Job, Steve Ickes and Katherine B, Gregg Mitchell, Kelly “Sparky” McCrystal (filling in for Keith Danielson who was filling in for Dave Sallberg). The drive to Beaver Falls is about 5 hours and can best be summed up as go south to the Ohio Turnpike, turn left, and get off at the second exit once inside the Pennsylvania state line. The turnpike traffic was light considering the holiday weekend and the service plazas had very short lines. The Ohio troopers, stationed what seemed like every 10 miles, kept traffic at a pace under 70 mph, or else. It’s a boring but nice drive on well maintained roads with great service plazas (Starbucks, Cinnabon, and Panera Bread at some) at a casual pace.
Larry Job, who had been to this track the last two years, met up with us at the Holiday Inn shortly after 5:00. Soon after, Kelly and Gregg pulled in and we all headed to Giuseppe’s Tuscany Grill for dinner. We discovered Giuseppe’s on a trip last year and were most impressed by the selection of authentic Italian dishes. Friday night was no exception as the blue cheese stuffed filet mignon medallions came in first for best dish at the table. The veal piccata (ya I know it’s baby cow) was excellent (sorry) and Gregg’s cheese stuffed whatever was all cheese! The collective gang rolled (literally) out from dinner and headed back to the hotel where we enjoyed viewing the Beaver Falls version of a live reality show known as “My parents rented a banquet hall at the Holiday Inn for my Sweet 16 Birthday Party”. You really had to be there to appreciate. Kids get dressed up. Kids get dropped off at the door by parents. Kids leave shortly after with someone who has a car. Popular girls and athletes, those were the days!
Early Saturday morning we set up shop on some premier real estate with plenty of space for getting around and multiple canopies. We met up with old friend and previous Michigan HSTA member Lance Lau who is now living in the Philadelphia area. Lance is involved in lots of track riding, writing for a track magazine and working with Mirror Image Video (more later). In addition to all that he had the smoker fired up and was planning a group bar-b-q for later that night. He’s also a lot faster on the track than I remember the last time at Grattan. Way to go Lance. See pic of JC auditioning for “HSTA umbrella guy” position at Beaver Run. Still looking for my honorary invite to the Women’s Only Ride (what will you do if it rains?).
Saturday started out cool and overcast, which turned out to be a good thing, as the clouds burned off and the temps jumped into the 80’s by lunch. The track sweeper and blower were out early as there had been some rain at the track the night before. This weekend Gregg, Kelly and I jumped into the Advance Group, Steve and Larry ran the Intermediate group, and after Ann passed everyone on Novice on Saturday graduated into the Intermediate group on Sunday (where she was assigned her own “umbrella guy”). Saturday was a tough day to get a rhythm going as two of the three morning sessions were Red flagged for crashes. The Intermediate and Advance groups were given a good talking to after lunch and things seemed to get much better. There was the one exception of the Michigan rider having to duct-tape up what was left of his leathers after visiting the most abrasive section on the track. Will that be black duct tape or red?
Everyone on our group seemed to be having a good time on Saturday and for the most part it was business as usual. Gregg fell victim to the very rough surface at Beaver Run which is hard on right side rubber. He would be changing the rear tire Sunday morning. At one time there was interest in staying at the track, or going back and cleaning up, and then returning for Lance’s famous bar-b-q, however this somewhat spoiled and hungry group quickly demanded a return trip to Giuseppe’s. By the time we got back to the hotel the skies opened up and it poured, which pretty much confirmed our plans. Party of 7 please!
Sunday was another great day of riding. The day started cool and humid and ended overcast and warm. Gregg, Kelly and I had a good time mixing it up (I know you saw my front wheel at the end of turn one) and getting around some slow riders in addition to being humiliated by several WERA racers who were simply flying. It was still a bit crowded at times and difficult to find clear track. Personal best were not happening this day. We were happy to be riding, duct tape and all, and managed to miss the surrounding rain showers for all but 30 minutes. There were times during the day when it looked as if it would pour but managed to hold off until just after we pulled out of the track to the turnpike. No really. See pic of mystery rider doing a safety check of his headlight. Look at the pretty titanium sparks!
I think it’s safe to say we all had a great time and enjoyed some fast track time. We will be putting Beaver Run on the schedule for Memorial Day weekend in 2008, you should join us!
A special thanks to Russ Weik, Pedro Gregorio and John Cirner for the articles featured this month!
REMEMBER
It doesn't pay a reward, but your articles will be appreciated by all your fellow members and your local editor AND you will earn points toward the 2007 SMOTY Award! If nothing else - you'll get to see your name in print, somewhere other than on the Post Office bulletin board!
MICHIGAN SQUADRON RIDING EVENTS - 2007
One of the traditions of the Michigan Squadron of the HSTA is to organize a few events each year specifically for our State Squadron. These events are not sanctioned or official events of the HSTA, but are limited to those who are current members of the HSTA. Our 2007 schedule is listed below in order of occurrence:
HALACIOUS 9.1
Nine is Devine
Vienna, WV – July 20 – 22, 2007
Event Organizers – Hal and Donna Kramer
Here it is, 2007, and after missing Halacious 9 last year, Donita and I are having Halacious 9.1 to make up for it. Preparations and draft "Quiz" questions are already underway at a feverish pace. Anyway, dates have been set, hotel rooms secured, a blankie will be sewn together for Halacious 8's lucky recipient of the Halacious Blankie Drawing (uh, Jan and Don, that would be you - but ya gotta send the shirts!), and other special features are already in various stages of development. But I won't spill those beans (Mexican jumpings beans, of course) and risk ruining the surprises. Heh, heh....
So without further delay, here's the usual weekend agenda/details/etc:
Dates: Friday July 20 through Sunday July 22
Ride in Friday evening and catch grub at the Kramer Inn
Either stay at our hacienda, or the hotel of choice for you noisy sleeper types
Ride on Saturday on some blame route Cisco (me!) is riding
Donita will sponsor a day out with the ladies if they prefer, but if all want to ride, she will also.
Saturday night grub and antics back at the Kramer Inn
Ride home Sunday and catch lunch on the way (well, hopefully-this is always an adventure with this group!)
One note I need to add. Like Halacious 8, we are asking that all who join us be of legal age. Thanks for your understanding on this.
This year we have the usual accommodations at the Kramer Inn which are available first come, first served and are complete with the usual infestation of bugs, snakes, and insects. The corn crib and the guest "suite" will be available. If you prefer a hotel, you can call and reserve a room in your name at the:
Wingate Inn, Vienna, WV, 304-295-5501
1502 Grand Central Avenue (Rte 14) right next to Lowe's
$ 74.00/night plus tax, 2 queen beds
$79.00/night plus tax, 1 king bed
8 rooms reserved with queen beds, 2 with kings - smoking and non-smoking
Pool and hot tub, and only a couple miles from our house
Ask for the rooms reserved for the "Halacious group" (yes, really), confirmation by Ashley (ID # 17154), and convert one to your name.
Rooms will automatically be released early July, so reserve one before then, this place is known to fill up.
So give us a call and come join Pancho, Tricia, Donita and Cisco in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia for Halacious 9.1! And as you already know, my imagination is somewhat limited on event slogans, so that's why I ask for your ideas! Please pass them along. Also, don't forget to let us know whether you prefer the Wingate or the Kramer Inn. For those of you who are new to Halacious, we encourage couples, so bring your spouse/significant other/riding partner. And we promise, you'll fit right in (heh, heh).
Cisco and Donita
WOMAN’S RIDE
August 10 - 12, 2007, Michigan
Explore the Leelanau Peninsula
Event Organizer – Jan Pennington
A leisurely ride is planned, leaving Friday morning and taking back roads to the Clifford Lake Inn for lunch. Lunch is served on the deck overlooking the landscaped grounds of the Inn and Clifford Lake. This Inn is just west of the community of Stanton. After lunch we will continue north along highway 66 and other connecting roadways to the Traverse City area where we will lodge for the night. We will leave Saturday morning, find a unique breakfast spot and begin riding along the shore line of Lake Michigan, generally following highway 22. The road winds through forests and small towns. We will ride through the Sleeping Bear Sand Dune State Recreation area and stop for a break at Good Hope Bay where we can walk the beach which is one of the best places to find Petoskey stones washed up by Lake Michigan.
Continuing north to the unique community of Leland we will stop to walk the unique shops at “fishtown”.
From Leland we will continue north along Highway 22 which at this point is one of the best twisty roads in the Leelanau Peninsula. The road winds through cherry orchards to the lunch stop at “Fisher’s Happy Hour Tavern” for the best pie and hamburger that can be found in the area. After lunch we will continue on highway 22 through Northport, a friendly town on Traverse Bay, to the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula and the historic Traverse Bay Lighthouse, where the shoreline is rocky and many islands can be seen.
In the afternoon we will ride south via interior twisty roads through cherry orchards, wineries, and vistas over numerous lakes stopping at the community of Suttons Bay, where artistic shops and unique architecture abound. After Sutton's Bay we will again continue along twisty secondary roads through the communities of Cedar and Lake Ann to Traverse Bay for an evenings rest and a good meal at one of the local restaurants.
We will plan to leave Sunday morning on the return ride, generally following highways 115, 66 and 50 to arrive back from a fantastic ride.
Please contact Jan Pennington if you wish to participate in the event.
eMail - janpennington@comcast.net
Phone - 734.482.8188
NOTE:
Riders of the male persuasion are also welcome on this event – provided you meet one of the following requirements –
- You are accompanied by a woman pillion rider.
- You are riding pillion with a woman pilot.
M.O.B. - 2007
Michigan's Ohio Blitz – 2006
Sept. 14 - 16, 2007, SE Ohio
Event Organizer – Gregg Mitchell
Details to be announced!
HAZARDOUS TOUR
Hazard, KY, Oct. 4 - 7, 2007
Event Organizer – Gregg Mitchell
Details to be announced!
June 16, 2007 – Saturday
Michigan HSTA Monthly Meeting
Karl’s Cabin Restaurant
Gotfredson Rd., Plymouth, MI
8:30 AM
June 24 – 27, 2007
STAR – Ashville, NC
Registration Information is available in your latest STAReview!
33 Michigan Members are registered to go!
August 24 – 26, 2007
Mail Pouch Fly-By – Marietta, Ohio
A pre-Registration form for this event is posted in the files section of the Michigan HSTA Yahoo Group site.
Print one out and sign up today – this HSTA / AMA Sanctioned Event is not to be missed!
For the individual(s) listed below - this will be your last Michigan Newsletter if you don't renew within the next 30 days AND advise me with a call. If you feel this information is in error - call me. If you wish to renew and need a form, let me know and I'll send you one or you can print out the copy at the HSTA Website -------- www.ridehsta.com
We’re going to miss you if you don’t renew!
Bonnie Andres – New Boston
Richard Bell – New Boston
Our policy regarding "Prospects" is to provide them with a "local" newsletter for 3 months following their
introduction to the club. Under those guidelines this will be the last newsletter for the following individual(s):
Jerry Wagner – Ypsilanti
Dave Wicke - Northville
If you have decided to join the HSTA, please let me know so I can continue sending your monthly newsletter to you.
Current Squadron Membership – 100
The HSTA Michigan Squadron and Newsletter belong to you - the Membership. Both of them can only be as good and as interesting as you make it --- so take the time once and awhile and contribute. If you've got something to say about a ride, your bike, perhaps a trip you’re planning - whatever -- send it in for the newsletter – To:
Gregg Mitchell
MI_HSTA@voyager.net
Michigan HSTA Squadron Meeting Notes
Saturday, June 14, 2007
A picture perfect day lured 39 members and 1 guest (Jerry Wagner) to Karl’s Kabin for the June breakfast meeting. Strike that! Jerry signed up as a member during the meeting. Welcome to the HSTA, Jerry.
Trip/ride reports:
Don and Jan Pennington reported great NEW roads and good weather for their H2T2 (Hocking Hills Twisty Tour) in SE Ohio. There were a few last minute cancellations for various reasons but many members in attendance encouraged them not to despair and make plans for the 2008 H2T2. The Penningtons attended the BMW National Rally in Asheville, NC. Camping was on the grounds of the Biltmore Mansion, which Jan described as “simply wonderful”. She went on to announce she’s now retired and believes the Biltmore is going be her retirement home. Good luck with that Jan! If it works out this writer needs to re-evaluate his retirement package – apparently mathematics teachers must make some serious coin.
Gregg Mitchell went to an Apex2apex (www.apex2apex.net) track day in early June. The event was well organized with very few riders in the rookie class. Upcoming track dates on July 2, 16 and August 13 will have many Michigan HSTA members attending. Several will be making use of the classes with instruction.
Kelly McCrystal got his money’s worth at the recent American Supercamp (www.americansupercamp.com/). Described on their own website as a “motorcycle technique school” they are focused on making any rider (street or dirt) better.
Upcoming events
June 23 - 28: The annual HSTA national rally, STAR, will be held in Asheville, NC. If you haven’t already made plans you’ve left it REALLY, REALLY late. Go to www.ridehsta.com/star/2007/ for more information. So far Michigan is ranked third in attendance. Several groups are forming for the trip to Asheville, with some trailering down and some riding down. Keep an eye on the Michigan Yahoo site for general announcement about
riding groups. You’ll need a Yahoo ID and password and then look for MIHSTA.
June 30: Bill Preininger and Dave O are organizing an outing to the Pinks All Out event at Milan (www.milandragway.com/2007/pinks.htm). Tickets are $20 and it promises to be a raucous, tire-shredding night. Meet at Karl’s Kabin at 1:45-2:00pm on the 30th. Keep an eye on the Michigan Yahoo site
for more information.
July 20 – 22: Halacious 9.1. Vienna, West Virginia. Despite police knocking on the door our MI-members-at-large, Donna and Hal Kramer, decided to invite us down again. The event hotel is filled up so you will need to Google search for an available hotel in Vienna, WV or contact Donna and Hal to see if space is left in the crib. Check your ego at the door and prepare for a weekend of public self-humiliation … we wouldn’t have it any other way! A group ride will leave from the Toledo area. Contact Gregg Mitchell @ MI_HSTA@voyager.net to let him know you plan to attend and to get on the mailing list for this event.
August 10 – 12: Women’s Only ride event. Jan Pennington confirms the Leelanau area in NW Michigan as the destination. If you don’t have the required chromosome mix you either stay at home or bring along a co-rider
who meets the requirement. More information in this month’s newsletter or janpennington@comcast.net
Round table discussion
Next months meeting will be July 28th at 8:30am at Karl’s Kabin, located at 6005 Gotfredson Rd. Plymouth, MI. Although they offer a limited menu what they have is fabulous and comes in heaping quantities. The newsletter is being distributed in PDF format to those interested. The USPS mailed version will continue for those who choose that method. Note the PDF version may soon contain features that can’t be supported in the mailed version, including color, graphics and photographs. The newsletter editor continues to request new articles! If you have a story to share about a journey, bike purchase or anything that might interest our squadron, please send it to Gregg. Are you receiving the monthly newsletter? Much of the information contained in the minutes should arrive at your residence in the week preceding the meeting. Let Gregg know if you are missing out on this award winning publication! Included in your membership fees, it is also available
o prospective members who visit our meetings. Contact Gregg Mitchell @ MI_HSTA@voyager.net for more info.
Visit Michigan’s award winning website at www.mi-hsta.com for news, events, articles and more.
