The Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi District has shared their list of 2013 events with us. Check it to see if you will be close enough to join in any of their events.
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High Rollers - 12 ACMM members reached or exceeded the 10,000 mile (16,093 km) mark for the riding season, November 1, 2011 - October 31, 2012. One even doubled that...way to ride, Peggy! Point to the pictures to see who they are and how far they rode.
The Year End Wrap Up & Planning Meeting was held Saturday, November 24, 11:00-4:00 at the Community Room at the Dieppe Superstore. Awards, recognitions, games, food, laughter and fun were abundant. Thank you to Denise Murphy for securing the meeting room at no charge!
The first “Gail Neilson” Motor Maid of the Year Award was presented this year. It recognizes a current member for her exceptional service to Atlantic Canada Motor Maids over a 12-month period (November 1 to October 31) in supporting the principles of the Motor Maids and those of the Atlantic Canada District by: · Preserving our history · Supporting our traditions · Presenting a positive image of women motorcyclists through role modelling and mentoring This year the award went to Gail Neilson, the epitome of a true Motor Maid. CONGRATULATIONS, GAIL! Terms of reference for the Gail Neilson Motor Maid of the Year Award are available in the members section (form/docs page). Members celebrated the years of service by outgoing District Director, Anne Weeden, and the incoming District Director, Denise Pelrine. Also included in the celebrations were Lynne Campbell, new ADD for Nova Scotia and continuing ADD for New Brunswick, Heather Henderson. After the meeting, many of the members spent the night in Moncton, where we enjoyed a pizza and wings buffet in a relaxed atmosphere, played a mind challenging motorcycle scrambled words game (thanks, Denise) and witnessed amazing towel art. Who knew Catherine had such talents! A detailed summary of the meeting is in the members section (forms/docs). Pictures of the event are in the photos section. Crystal and Randy's house was the site of another fun filled evening on December 1. The gift exchange appears to elicit lots of competition each year. See album on the Photo page.
Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 60 mph. You start the game of life with a full pot of luck and an empty pot of experience. The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck. If you wait, all that happens is that you get older. Midnight bugs taste just as bad as noon time bugs. Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need. It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed. The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror. Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise. Sometimes it takes a whole tank of fuel before you can think straight. Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone. Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town. Never do less than forty miles before breakfast. One bike on the road is worth two in the garage. Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived. Young riders pick a destination and go. Old riders pick a direction and go. A good mechanic will let you watch without charging you for it. Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night. Whatever it is, it's better to do it in the wind. Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway, it's an attitude. When you look down the road it seems to never end, but you better believe, it does. Winter is nature's way to tell you to polish. Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking. That's why they are called "motorcycle boots." People are like motorcycles; each is customized a bit differently. Sometimes the best communication happens when you are on separate bikes. Good coffee should be indistinguishable from 50 weight motor oil. The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome. A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 a.m. to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down. Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary. If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at every tavern. There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer. Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't. Be careful. Don't argue with an 18-wheeler, a bus, or even a car. Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit. A long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith and use up a lot of fuel. If you can't get it going with bungee cords, wire and electrician's tape, it's serious. If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be. Bikes parked out front mean good chicken-fried steak inside. There are old riders. And there bold riders. There are NO old, bold riders. Always replace the cheapest parts first. You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze. Patience is the ability to keep your motor idling. Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out the car window. There are two types of people in this world; people who ride motorcycles and people who wish they could ride motorcycles. Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you. Gray-haired riders don't get that way from pure luck! The last monthly meeting of the official riding season (Nov 1, 2011-Oct 31, 2012) was held at the Hilton Garden Inn near Halifax International Airport 12:30. This may have been the last ride for most of us this season, but there will no doubt be more riding days in the calendar year. Twelve members turned out for the meeting, with Lynne as the lucky winner of the 50/50 draw. Beth and Ann crossed off another scavenger hunt item, a kite in the air. Nobody said it had to be flying in the air, eh? Conversation centered around how many members have reached their High Rollers mileage, year end meeting plans and officers, among other topics. After the meeting, several of us visited a couple of youngsters who are passionate about motorcycles. After sitting on all the bikes and a round of pictures, we headed out with the strong possibility of a new ACMM recruit in about 10 years. Ann Marie may be longing for a new ride after a test run on Tyler's bike.
JJ's Diner, 216 Roachville Rd., Sussex, NB. Despite the rain, drizzle and fog, 11 members and 2 guests attended. Nine of these rode bikes. Our Guest of the Month (GOM) at the meeting was Melanie Jandreau from Maine/Florida. Mel is a Motor Maid and that's obvious by the way she enjoys pie! She and Gail are close buddies and many of us have met Mel at conventions. She was one of the organizers at the fabulous Lewiston, Maine convention in 2009. So glad you could make it, and please come back often. Thanks, Chris, for the acronym. Welcome also to Mike Shaw, whose cameo appearance is always a treat.
After the meeting, 8 members rode through a covered bridge and to yet another. We met a group of young women, international students at a local university, and took turns taking pictures of the groups. We didn't pass up the opportunity to talk motorcycles and impress upon them the joys to be had. Six Atlantic Canada Motor Maids rode the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, NS, September 8, as part of Gord's Ride 4 the Cure. Over 800 bikers participated in the ride in support of Breast Cancer research. More than $80,000 was raised, bringing the total through the years to over $500,000.
On the trip to Cape Breton Friday, ACMM Jo picked up a nail in her back tire. Veteran participant in the ride, ACMM Ann, spoke to the organizer. Saturday morning, two RCMP motorcycles and one cruiser appeared in the parking lot in front of Jo's bike. One of the officers plugged the tire and it functioned perfectly for the remainder of the trip. Continuing luck followed Jo and she won a helmet and insurance certificate at the awards ceremony. Lady luck was not with ACMM Shan, as she lost a highway peg and pony tail on the ride :( Here are some tips for cleaning our bikes as we are getting them ready for a new riding season:
1. For break dust use Hot Wire - can be picked up at Janitor's Market located at 95 Ackerly Blvd in Burnside Ind. Park. Just spray on and hose off with water. This is quite potient stuff so DONT leave it on or it will stain. (from Cassie) 2. For bugs use fleecy dryer sheets. Just wet the sheet and wash off the bugs. They work better than anything I ever tried. (from Cassie) 3. Rub a dry dryer sheet over your windshield. This will help keep those bugs from sticking in the first place. (from Coleen). These articles are from Peggy and Christine, our safety team. WINTERIZE With thanks to Pro Cycle for their excellent tips, here are some pointers for winter storage. 1. LOCATION. Chose a place that is dry and out of harms way. When possible, choose a location out of direct sunlight as the ultraviolet light can fade paint and plastic parts.. Cover the bike with a specially designed bike cover to avoid moisture trapping , rust and mildew. 2. CHANGE THE OIL. Byproducts of combustion produce acids in the oil that harm inner metal surfaces. Warm the engine to its normal operating temperature as the oil drains faster and more completely. Do a filter change at the same time. Pro Cycle, Canada Tire and probably most retailers of these products will dispose of your old oil. 3. ADD FUEL STABILIZER AND DRAIN CARBURETORS. Fill the tank with fresh fuel to the bottom of the filler neck. This provides enough room for expansion in warmer temperatures. Add stabilizer to prevent gumming up the fuel jets and run the engine to cycle through your lines. Shut off the fuel petcock and drain the carburetors and the fuel lines. Note- Some BMW models can’t use Stabilizer containing alcohol. 4. LUBRICATE THE CYLINDER. Remove the spark plug(s) and pour a tablespoon of clean engine oil into each cylinder. Be sure to switch off the fuel before cranking the engine as this may refill your drained carbs. Also ground the ignition leads to prevent sparking. Turn the engine over several times to spread the oil and then reinstall the plugs. 5. BATTERY STORAGE. If stored for a prolonged period in a cold environment, remove the battery. A convention battery may need its cells topped up with distilled water and to be charged. Charge the battery every 2 weeks using a charger that has an output of 10% of the battery ampere hourly rating. If a higher charge is applied the battery may overheat. Also many motorcycle retailers have battery tenders that provide charging as needed. 6. SERVICE ALL FLUIDS. If the brake or clutch fluids haven’t been changed in the last 2 years or 18000kms do it now. These fluids absorb moisture and can cause corrosion. If your motorcycle is liquid cooled, the coolant requires changing every 2 years or 24000 km. 7. FINAL PREPARATION. Give your bike a good cleaning and dry it thoroughly. If your bike is chain driven apply a quality chain lube. Spray a light oil, such as WD40 into the muffler ends and drain holes and give the painted surfaces and non-coated aluminum parts a good wax coat. Check the air pressures of your tires. If the bike has a center stand, use it and put a block under the engine to raise the front wheel off the ground. If not maximize your load pressure to help prevent flat spotting. Now you can cover your bike and happily look forward to an early spring. SPRING BIKE CHECK It doesn’t matter if you are a hardcore rider, or if you only ride when the price of gas gets too high to drive. No matter the reason, the riding season is here and your motorcycle needs some love if it has been in hibernation mode. Here is a quick checklist of things to inspect (courtesy of cruisercustomizing.com): Tires: Check to make sure tires are inflated to the correct air pressure and examine the tread wear. Also make sure that the rubber is plyable and that there are no signs ageing or cracking. Tires have a tendency to dry out and are sensitive to temperature changes. Examine your valve stems. If they are rubber, make sure there are no cracks or visible signs of wear. If you have any doubts about your tires, valve stems or inner tubes, replace them. They are all that stands between you and the road. Battery: A trickle charger is worth its weight in lead. Hopefully you have maintained your battery’s charge through the winter. If not, you will probably need a new battery. If you have kept your battery on a charger and your bike starts right up after you disconnect the charger, your battery is probably OK. On maintenance style batteries, make sure the fluid level is correct. Have your battery tested if you have any doubts about its condition. Engine Fluids: Check to make sure your coolant level is correct on water cooled motorcycles, and that your coolant is within the recommended service limits. Examine coolant hoses for signs of ageing and cracks. Make sure that your engine oil and oil filter are within recommended service limits and the oil is at the proper level. It is good idea to start with fresh engine oil and a fresh oil filter if your motorcycle has been sitting for 6 months or more even if the oil is within the recommend mileage and still looks clean. Final Drive: Inspect your chain and sprockets. Make sure the chain and sprockets are within wear limitations. Make sure that your chain is properly adjusted, lubed and free from rust, kinks and any other visible signs of wear or damage. Make sure that the final drive oil is at the proper level and within service limitations on shaft driven motorcycles. Air Filter: Inspect your air filter. Replace it if it is a paper type and dirty. If it is a gauze or foam type air filter, it’s always good to start the season with a clean and freshly oiled air filter. Hydraulic Fluids and Control Cables: Check your brake fluid and hydraulic clutch fluid levels. If your bike has been sitting for 6 months or more, it is a good idea to replace both. Hydraulic fluids have a tendency to absorb moisture which will affect performance. When replacing hydraulic fluids, always use new brake and clutch fluid from a sealed container. On cable operated brakes and clutches, engage the levers and inspect the exposed portions of the cables. Make sure that there are no signs of cable fraying or rust. The levers should engage and disengage smoothly. Throttle: Check the throttle to make sure that it operates smoothly. With all control cables, it is best to replace them if there are any signs of possible damage. Nuts and Bolts: Before riding a bike that has been sitting, it is always a good idea to visually inspect the motorcycle. Make sure that nothing looks incorrect or out of place. Check various nut and bolts for tightness. Make sure that spokes are properly tight if your bike has spoked wheels. |
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