BMW of the Tristate held their Open House March 23rd & 24th and had a very good turnout. Demo rides, 10% off parts, grilled brats & metts, and beautiful weather brought out many riders.
Lynn & Jerry Cummins test rode the F650CS and a R1150GS. Toms Collins was eye-balling a K1200LT. Chris Long came to pick up his RT on Jeff Nutter’s RT. I wonder if you could get that kind of service at a Harley dealership. Pete Wilton picked up his K bike after getting bar-backs. LocalRiders.com had their tent set up passing out information and making a presence. The store was very busy. Danny Thomas was swamped, but he did show me his ATM tie.
Steve Snyder rode in on that red R1100RS cherry of a bike. He straddled the F650CS and thought it would fun, but when he got on that K1200RS he had found the bike for him.
As motorcycle dealerships go, BMW of the Tristate is the best in town in my book. A proud supporter of my local dealer.
Busted
A few weeks ago I was at work dreaming of riding and
catching up on my IBMWR email stack when Kim called and said she was going out
to her sisters to visit. I thought she might want to meet for lunch but
she was in a hurry and I had banking to do anyway. So at lunch I go do my
banking and as I left the bank, making a left turn seemed impossible, so I
turned right and rode down the road a bit on 125 when I come upon a little mom
& pop motorcycle shop with used bikes out displayed out on the curb.
I turned in to check things out, after all I had a lunch hour to kill.
There was a guy working on a sport bike that had the most beautiful paintings of
naked females from the waist up. I never actually found out what kind of
bike it was that I was standing by, but it looked to be 10 years old as the guy
was working on the wiring. There was a Honda Rebel that I thought might make a
good starter bike, a Goldwing, a Vmax and a few other sport bikes, There was
also a few avt's that looked pretty rough. Everything as used and
weathered it seemed, but they did have brand new Whizzers. I go back to
check on the painted sportbike and the guys progress. About that time I
hear my name called from the street. It's my sister in law in her car at
he light. I said hi and asked her where Kim was and she pointed back and sure
enough there's Kim giving me this look ... so I turn away from the
sportbike and point to the mini atv in front of me and ask if she like this one.
She laughed and then I pointed to the Rebel and said that one would fit.
She reminded me that I only had an hour for lunch and that I should get back to
work. I left laughing on my way back to work . I never go out at lunch and
the one time I do I'm busted for looking for another bike...
I shoulda gone back and bought her a Whizzer.
MOA National in Trenton, ON July 11-14, 2002
http://www.bmwmoa.org/rally02/index.htm
What you need
For US citizens entering Canada and re-entering the US, you should carry your Passport if you have one, or your original Birth Certificate if you don't. And of course your license with picture ID.
Drivers must have proof of insurance coverage, which is compulsory in Canada. Ask your insurance carrier for a Canadian Non-Resident Inter-Provincial Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card.
More details can be found at the Canadian Customs site http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/individuals/visitors-e.html
Set your GPSs to N44 06 142 W77 34.132
2nd Annual GCBMWC Poker Run - April 20th
Mike Crum has volunteered to organize our second poker run in as many years. If you missed last years poker run, you miss a great time on some great roads. Troop 8 will be hosting dinner just like last year. The poker run starts at Summit View Middle School in Independence. More details to come.
Pictures
Album Address:
http://www.ofoto.com/AlbumMenu.jsp?UV=872971809305_94786880303&US=0
Motorcycle Safety Tidbits
Eye-Contact
Too many riders think that the so-called "establishing eye contact" means that this will ensure that car driver sees them. Yet how many times have you been thinking of something else while walking along, looked straight at a friend - and looked through them? That could well be what that car driver is doing to you.
If the driver is busy thinking of something else, leaving his/her subconscious mind to make the "give way" decisions, the rule "The One Who Gives Way Is The One With The Most To Lose" is more likely to apply. And, if the driver’s subconscious decides that eye contact has been established with you, it may well decide that YOU have seen him and therefore YOU will give way - as you have the most to lose.
But, if you don’t establish eye contact, the driver’s conscious (or subconscious) mind can’t be *sure* you have seen him/her and thus the driver is that much less likely to try to force right of way.
Not establishing eye contact also makes the rider more wary. If a rider think he/she has established eye contact, he/she is more likely to assume the car driver will give way.
Those who don’t establish eye contact but, instead, look down at the car’s front wheels (which give early warning of the car’s movement and direction of travel) are less likely to be caught out by a car driver who looks "straight through you".