ACHOG Weekly Newsletter & Ride Info 8/06/2019
 

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Safety Tip of the Week 
 

Do Two Motorcycles Ever Have Head On Collisions?


Unfortunately, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Sadly it recently happened to a friend of mine right here in Flagler County on A1A. I waited before I wrote this so as not to seem callous or insensitive and now I’m really glad I did. What the paper said happened, hence what I thought happened and what really happed are two different things. Then it occurred to me that no matter what happened the principles are the same so I decided to write two articles. The first will be what I first thought happened and then next newsletter, what really happened.
The paper said one motorcycle was headed north on A1A and attempted to pass two cars and hit the southbound motorcycle head on. In my mind I’m screaming why? How? Where were the braking and counter steering skills? With three lane positions plus the shoulder, how did this happen.   The real answer will be in the next article.
Many motorcyclists have hit head on lonely stretches of road with no other vehicles in sight. Many motorcycles have left the road and hit the only tree, pole, sign, etc., in an otherwise empty field.
So how does this happen? Motorcycle accident specialists strongly suspect the answer lies in the principle of the motorcycle goes where you look. Probably the last thing anyone sees before one of these collisions was the obstacle they wanted to avoid.  They were looking at the very thing they didn’t want to hit. It’s the same reason many times people hit dogs, pot holes, road gators, and the list goes on.
Folks, that is not what happened to those motorcyclists but there is still a lesson. Should you find yourself in a similar position, please, look at your escape route; not the obstacle. Burn this in your brain and practice every time you ride. I like to practice on manhole covers.
 

Harley Trivia

Hard -Tail vs Soft-Tail
 

The soft-tail frame is the second most popular frame for Harley Davidsons.  I wonder though how many people own them and even know what they are.  I suspect and share this opinion with a lot of others,  the name is a brilliant marketing strategy.

You see Harley has always used the “bad boy “image to their advantage. There was a time, especially when choppers were popular, the frames were hard-tail. These were simply a one piece frame with no rear suspension. The rear wheel was attached directly to the rear of the frame. It was cheap, light weight, and fast. With simplicity and less moving parts it lent itself to chopping or bobbing as it was called back in the day.

In Harley’s effort to keep up with the image and at the same time offer a safer and more comfortable ride, they created the Soft Tail. With a hidden mono-shock and a swing arm, we now have a hard tail look alike and a name that lends itself to the historical hard tail monicker.  Suitable  for bobbing and chopping it is still in production today.

  
Monthly Meeting

Meeting for will be Saturday,  August 10, 2019 at  the VFW, 6184 US Hwy 1 South, Saint Augustine, FL  Please join us for coffee at 9:00 a.m. and the meeting begins at 9:30 a.m.  A short lunch ride will follow.

Tidbits


National Dues

I'd like to remind everyone to be mindful of your national dues. Technically, your chapter dues expire when your national dues do. This is not about nit picking but it is a liability issue. Probably the best thing about HOG is the insurance they provide when we ride as a group. This is one of those things that doesn't matter until it does. I'd also like to ask you, should you realize your national membership has lapsed and you want to participate on a ride, just ask for a waiver from one of the road captains.
Also, if you have never considered a Life Membership, if you have been a member for a few years they usually give you a tremendous break. When I became a Life Member, they applied 5 years worth of dues toward the Life Membership. For me it was a no brainer. I saw in a forum this morning that they are still doing this. I went to the HOG website and it said to call and the prices vary. It might be worth a phone call.

Local Dues Sale

I would also like to remind everyone of a sale we have every year on dues. Please share this with prospective new members. Between July 1 and October 31 our dues go down to $10 for new members. If they join in November, the price again becomes $20 but we will cover them for the coming new year. To avoid any confusion like last year, remember, a member who joins in November must sign a waiver-application for the rest of this year but another for the following year which we can accept after December1.
    
Up and Coming
 

Unity Pink Meeting - Saturday August 10 at new dealership

There will be a meeting at the new dealership Saturday at 4:00 p.m. to discuss the Unity Pink ride scheduled for October 12.
 


HOG VIP Party

Friday, September 6 is the night of the HOG VIP party at Bay Meadows HD. Come out to see the new years motorcycles while enjoying the camaraderie, snacks and beverages. Watch your email for your personal invitation.


Mountain Ride

Les Wuertz has contacted me about a mountain ride in North Carolina. He has a very good friend who is  the Director of the Salisbury, NC Chapter. They have offered to host the ride and put us up. No details available yet but Les is going to talk about it at the meeting Saturday. If there is enough interest, we are looking at September or late October. I'm in. I'll be back on the bike by then.


Progressive Dinner

One of the chapters favorite activities is the Progressive Dinner ride. After noting a scheduling conflict with the Grand Opening, the new date has been set for Sunday October 20.  A ride that visits three of our members homes for hor d'ouevres, entrees, and then desserts. Julie and Ken are doing appetizers, Charles and Francis are doing the entrees, and Ruth and Scott  are doing the desserts.  There will be a sign up sheet in the future.
 

Grand Opening

If all goes well, the Grand Opening of our new dealership is scheduled for the weekend of October 5.


Unity Pink Ride and Chapter Meeting Day

The following week after Grand Opening, we have our first event. The Unity Pink Ride, previously know as Think Pink will be staged out of our new dealership on October 12. We are on the hook for registration for that event and if possible, to also help with staging and parking. So we need volunteers. Please set this date aside on your calendar if possible. Details will be available.
Also note that this is also our usual meeting day so we will be having our chapter meeting at 2:30 p.m. after the Unity Pink Ride. Hopefully many of us will already be on site since the new dealership will also be our new meeting place.



Check link below to see our calendar and upcoming rides, events, and meetings.

http://www.ancientcityhog.com/ 
 
Disclaimer - Since being a member of Ancient City HOG is not a requirement to subscribe to this newsletter, it must be noted that all rides posted on this site are closed rides, unless otherwise stated. A closed ride is composed of members and  guests, with guests being required to sign a waiver, and is not advertised; hence the disclaimer. Also guests can't outnumber the members.

Please Share - Send us stories and member info to share with your Chapter Friends and then see it here!  Just shoot it via email to:  director@ancientcityhog.com  

Come Out and Join Us On Our Rides...Hope To See You Soon... Terry    
          

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