GWRRA

Queen City Wings

Chapter B

Springfield, MO

Region E

November 2008

CHAPTER B OFFICERS

DIRECTOR: SKIP SHANNON 417-830-4426 backfistone@gmail.com

CO-DIRECTOR: CHRISTY SHANNON SAME

TREASURER: JANET JOHNSON 417-862-3001 wyhoo@juno.com

RIDER ED: BEN CHRISTIANSON 417-634-3323 benchristianson@centurytel.net

NEWSLETTER EDITOR: SHELIA REED 417-759-2166 reed426@att.net

Come “B” with us and ride along!

Our meetings are the 3^rd Saturday of each month at the Perkins on Sunshine 5pm eat 6pm meeting.. come visit!

HI ALL,

November and I know most of you have to be saying at least the negative advertising will finally stop! I hope everyone did get out and vote!!

We had our operations district meeting in

Versailles, Mo. on Saturday Nov. 01 for the Mo. district and Region E. Dave Carter Region E Director was present and did a presentation on the GWWRRA.

At least the early part of November has been rider friendly weather wise with 70 degrees or high 60’s.

I know I’ve been taking advantage of this Indian summer weather and riding every chance I get. I know it won’t last much longer and I will have to store the Orange Pumpkin (my Goldwing) until next riding season.

The holiday season is fast approaching with

Thanksgiving just about 3 weeks away. Wow where did this year disappear too? I hope everyone is preparing for these fast approaching holidays and enjoy the family and friends we encounter during them.

REMINDER: Chapter B Christmas Party is on December 06, 2008 at the Willard Community Center in Willard, Mo. (The same place as last year). Men are to bring a man’s gift not to exceed $15. Women are to bring a woman’s gift not to exceed $15. No names on either gifts. Also, at last

meeting I pasted out advertising forms and asked everyone to find or get one NEW advertiser for this next year. Please bring these forms to this month’s meeting on November 15th. I thank you for your

help in keeping our chapter strong.

Skip

Pictures of the October Weiner Roast are at the bottom of this page!

DOOR PRIZE LIST

If you have signed up for a month, be sure to bring your door

prizes (or let someone know you can’t!).

November – Ben & Vickie Christianson

October and November BIRTHDAYS or ANNIVERSARIES

October Birthday

Randy Andrews – 14^th

November Birthdays

Denis Anderson – 4^th

Ben Christianson – 21^st

SAFETY CORNER from Ben Christianson

How to be a safe motorcycle passenger by D Klein

Your uncle has a Harley. Your friend has a sport bike. You'd like to go for a ride, but you're nervous. You most likely have never been on the back of a motorcycle before. Here are some tips on how to be a motorcycle passenger. These are things I've learned out of experience and from other riders. If any of my motorcyclist friends have any additions to this guide, I encourage you to add them in the comments!

First, let's discuss the single most important aspect of traveling on a motorcycle; SAFETY. Below is a list of the safety gear that should be worn by motorcycle operators and passengers alike.

1) Helmet
A crash at a speed as low as 15 mph can cause brain damage or death if you're not wearing a helmet. Read that sentence again. A crash at a speed as low as 15 mph can cause brain damage or death if you're not wearing a helmet! Wear a helmet unless you'd like to die or become a vegetable for the rest of your life. Not just any helmet will do, however. Full-face helmets provide the best protection. You'll see a lot of cruiser (Harley or equivalent) riders wearing thin helmets that barely cover the top of their head. While those types of helmets do offer the minimum protection for your melon, they won't do anything to save your face.

2) Jacket
While leather is your best bet for saving your skin in case of a crash, not everyone can afford it. Many textile motorcycle jackets made today are durable enough to withstand a crash, even at highway speeds. If no motorcycle jackets are available for you to wear, any heavy jacket should get the job done, such as a Carhartt.

3) Pants
Wear long pants! Jeans are usually pretty sufficient in most cases, but not the kind that is pre-worn with rips and tears all over them. As with all protective gear for motorcycling, the more durable they are the better.

4) Footwear
The appropriate footwear for motorcycling is a good, durable pair of boots. Why boots? It's really easy to break an ankle when landing from airborne fall at 45 mph. If you don't have boots, wear the most durable shoes that you own. DO NOT wear any shoe that exposes your feet (sandals, heels, etc).

5) Gloves
The natural human instinct to break a fall is to put your hands in front of you. For this purpose, wear durable leather gloves (not fingerless). You use your hands every day; your life would be pretty miserable if you were missing half the skin from them.

6) Accessories
Avoid any articles of clothing that dangle (scarves, purses, bags, etc). You don't want anything to get caught in any moving parts of the bike.

If someone offers you a ride on their motorcycle and does not offer you the appropriate riding gear, do yourself a favor and politely decline. Additionally, a hard-bristled brush does not feel pleasurable on fresh wounds (that's how they get the gravel out, you know). You might get sweatier wearing the appropriate safety gear, but in the event of a crash, your chances of getting up and walking away from it are far greater than they would be otherwise.

Next, let's go over a few basics regarding the physics of motorcycles.

Not falling over
One thing most non-riders don't know is that a motorcycle wants to stay upright when traveling in a straight line. The motion of the spinning wheels creates centrifugal force in the vertical direction. This same principle is the reason that you can ride a bicycle with no hands. It takes no effort for a motorcyclist to keep the bike upright when traveling in a straight line, so passengers should not worry about the bike falling over.

Balance
Everyone remembers what it was like to learn how to ride a bicycle. Motorcycles function on many of the same principles that bicycles do, and the most important of all is balance. Ever ride on the handlebars or the pegs of someone else's bicycle? If so, then you probably know that you'll have to lean into the turns with the bicycle. This is what keeps you stuck to the ground and is also what gives you maximum control of the two-wheeled vehicle. If you've ever ridden a bicycle with someone else on the pegs, then you know how heavily your balance is thrown off when the passenger on the pegs shifts their weight between their left and right feet. These same principles apply to motorcycle passengers. Weight distribution is one of the most important aspects of controlling a motorcycle, and as a passenger, it is your responsibility to understand and apply these principles.

In the following sections, I'll explain what you need to do.

Getting on
Before you get on the bike, you should already be wearing your safety gear. After the operator is seated on the bike with both feet planted on the ground and brakes applied, approach the left side of the bike and place your left hand on the left shoulder of the operator. With your left foot, step onto the left passenger foot peg and swing your right leg over the bike. Do not try to "pull" the bike towards you, otherwise there's a chance it'll end up on top of you and the operator.

Passenger Stance
Riding position varies between different styles of motorcycles. Cruisers (Harleys or equivalent) provide an upright seating position (much like sitting on a barstool), whereas bikes designed for racing (sport bikes) have a more forward seating position. There's not much involved in your stance when on a bike that has a more upright position. Your feet should be planted firmly on the pegs, and you should wrap your arms around the abdomen of the operator. This will help keep you planted to the seat under acceleration, as well as provide you with something to hang onto if you hit a bump or have to make an evasive maneuver.

Being a passenger on a sportbike requires a slightly different technique, since the forward-leaning position makes you apt to slide towards the operator of the bike (which is awfully uncomfortable for the operator). One technique that works great is to wrap your arms around the abdomen of the operator and place your palms on the gas tank. Under acceleration or during an evasive maneuver, this position keeps your arms around the operator at all times, but also gives you a way to stop yourself from sliding forward when stopping.

Turning
When thinking about turning while on a motorcycle, remember the principles of balance as described above. Your body should always be parallel with that of the operator's. Inexperienced motorcycle passengers frequently have the tendency to either lean into a turn early or resist the lean altogether. This is incorrect and dangerous! The operator should know when to initiate the lean into a turn, so all you have to do is lean your body with them. When two riders on a motorcycle are not synchronized in the leaning process, it makes the motorcycle more difficult for the operator to control. Leaning into turns is actually incredibly easy; it's usually anxiety and/or nervousness that influence a passenger to lean prematurely or incorrectly. Let the operator do the work. All you have to do is mimic their body actions, which is incredibly easy since your arms are wrapped around them.

Do's and Don'ts

Don't ride unless you feel comfortable doing so and trust the abilities of the rider. A nervous passenger makes for a more dangerous and uncomfortable ride for both people.

Do listen to any and all instructions that the operator gives you. He/she is responsible for your safety and can tell you what you need to do to help keep the both of you safe.

Don't get on the bike until the operator verifies that he/she is ready for you. The same rule applies for getting off the bike.

Do be as alert and aware as the operator. This means being ready for acceleration from a complete stop, being ready for evasive maneuvers when necessary, and being ready for anything in general. Inattention as a passenger is the easiest way to fall off of a motorcycle.

Don't shift your weight between your left and right feet on the passenger pegs. This tilts the bike to one side or the other, and although it most likely won't cause the bike to tip over, it'll create an unnecessary surprise for the operator and can compromise the operator's handling ability. If you need to slide back in your seat, push on the passenger pegs with both feet at the same time, so as not to disturb the balance of the bike. Reserve these adjustments for when you're at a complete stop if at all possible.

Do familiarize yourself with where the exhaust pipe/muffler is in relation to your feet and legs. It's no fun melting a shoe or getting burns. More so, it's not too easy to remove molten plastic, rubber, or skin from a muffler or exhaust pipe. Similarly, familiarize yourself with where the drive chain is located on the bike and be sure to avoid putting your feet in that area.

Do discuss communication techniques with the operator in advance. If you need to stop and stretch or take a bathroom break, it's a lot easier to tap the operator three times than try to shout over the engine noise to pull over.

Do reserve verbal communication for times when the bike is at a complete stop.

Don't distract the operator, for their full-fledged attention is required at all times to operate the motorcycle.

Do have fun and enjoy yourself!

Motorcycling is an activity enjoyed by millions of people of all kinds around the world. Follow these general tips to help keep you and the motorcycle operator as safe as possible on the roads. Knowing these basics and becoming comfortable on a motorcycle will also help you on your way to one day owning a bike of your own!

http://www.helium.com/items/309018-how-to-be-a-safe-motorcycle-passenger

Until next month, ride safe.

Ben

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

November 15^th – Chapter B Meeting, Perkins on Sunshine near Bass Pro, 5pm eat, 6pm

meet, Skip/Christie Shannon backfistone@gmail.com

December 6^th – Chapter B & N Christmas Party, Willard Community Center, Skip/Christie

Shannon backfistone@gmail.com

(see full 2008 Calendar of Events at www.mogwrra.org)