January/February,
2001
Editor:
Don Presten
Ó2000
San Diego Wanderers
Motorcycle Club
·
Letter
from the Prez…
I’ve heard it said that in most organizations,
10% of the membership does 100% of the work.
I’ve thought about that a lot in reference to the Wanderers, and
I’ve come to the conclusion that we must be different.
Thinking back over the past year, we’ve accomplished a whole lot. To
name a few: getting
this newsletter of the ground, establishing our own web site, organizing a first aid training course, sponsoring
the Steve Laszko benefit ride and co-sponsoring the SD Toy Run, nearly doubling our membership, and having a lot
of fun on the various rides led by a variety of ride captains.
I’m sure there are others things worth mentioning…these are just
examples.
Just around the corner we will
be seeing our very own Wanderers’ patches and a Safety Course for Experienced Riders.
I make mention of this because a lot of people
have contributed a lot of effort into making these things happen and for no other reason than to make our club
successful. I’m not mentioning names here as this is not about lavishing
praise on anyone.
But in thinking about this, I know we have a
lot greater than 10% of membership contributing in some degree to these efforts, and my hat’s off to all of you!
I
think that one of the things that has made our club successful is the diversity of people we have. With that comes a diversity of
ideas, and we encourage everyone to present their ideas and opinions. In
the past three years that I have been a Wanderer, I have seen the club grow and evolve tremendously, and I would
like to see that growth continue. But
we need your help to do that. Next
month (March) we will hold nominations for officers with elections to be held in April. A
sure fire way to ensure fresh ideas and continued growth in our club is to involve different people in the organization
of the club. All
of us who are present or past officers have taken time from our own schedules at home and work to serve in our
respective positions with the sole intent of making the Wanderers a better club for all of us, not just for ourselves. Soon it will be somebody else’s
turn.
I’m asking
each of you to consider what you may have to offer and not to be hesitant about stepping up and volunteering to
hold an office for the next year. Or
if you think someone else would make a good candidate, nominate him/her. Think
about it.
This is your
club and it will be what you help to make it.
·
Editors
Note
Soon
my tenure as Newsletter Editor will be coming to an end. As
I look back (taking note of Ron’s message), I have to agree that it has been a great 3-4 years. From the beginning, when the
“Pioneers” started this club, it has been one hell of a ride. In
each of these years, I have held office on the Board of Directors. I
would be lying if I said that holding office did not take some time on my part, but I would also be lying if I
didn’t say that I received a lot of satisfaction from my efforts on the behalf of the club.
It
is my intension to not hold office next year – in effect,
to take a year off. My
work and personal schedule (I am starting a new job soon and Bobbie says if I don’t get started on that Kitchen
remodel soon, it will be the couch for me) will not allow me to set aside enough time to properly execute an office.
I want to take this space to
encourage those of you who can, to step up and let folks know that you would be willing to accept a nomination
for a Wanderer’s office.
The last thing we need is to hold nominations
in March and no one wants to run.
Ron is right – we have had
a great year. Let’s keep that trend going, OK?
The only way that can happen is for everyone
to dig deep and volunteer to shoulder the fun!
I hope to see a lot of names
on April’s ballet!!
Don
·
Wanderers
Governing Officers
President – Ron Growel
Vice-President – Larry Sammarco
Secretary – Bill Edwards
Treasurer – Gary Steinweg
Webmaster – John Q. Lawrence
Newsletter Editor – Don Presten
Honorary Boardmember – Rick Moyer
·
Finally,
Wanderers Patches are Coming!
Recap by Don - The Board of
Directors met on Monday, January 30 to review the quotes I gathered in order to finally put our new logo on fabric. We
decided on an outfit in Colorado who does very nice work (we had samples) for a respectable price.
After
careful review and discussion, it was decided to sell the patches to the membership for a slight profit so that
the extra funds can be placed in the treasury for future patch re-stocking. The
initial order will be for 50 pieces which should cover everyone who wishes to purchase one.
The
specs for the patch is it will be 100% embroidered, in full color, high detail and approx 12” in diameter. This will be perfect for the
back of your vests and jackets.
The
patches have been ordered and are expected to arrive in time for the March monthly meeting. In order to cover the entire
cost of the patches, we would like to pre-sell them. If
you are interested in purchasing a patch, please send a check for $25 per patch made out to Gary Steinweg, and
"Wanderers Patch" should be written on the check memo line.
Please mail the check to:
Gary Steinweg
13171 Carolee Ave.,
San Diego, CA 92129
Note
that patches will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Gary
will also be collecting money for patches at the monthly meeting on February 21. If
you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a note or give me a call.
·
Vote
to Approve ByLaws
Vote on Charter Amendment(s) - Resulting from the Wanderers' decision to withdraw our charter from the Virago Owners' Club,
a proposed Charter revision (By-Laws) was presented to the Membership in November of 2000, and a copy of the proposed
By-Laws was e-mailed and/or hand delivered to all members at that time. According to our By-Laws, a
60 day notification is required prior to voting upon the acceptance of these changes, and accordingly, we have
scheduled a vote for our next meeting on February 21, 2001.
A copy of this document is available on our web site at http://www.redrival.com/sdwanderers/ , or I can email you another
copy upon request. Please take the time to carefully review these By-Laws prior to the meeting.
A majority of the Wanderers Membership must vote to approve these changes in order for the By-Laws to take effect,
so we urge you to make every effort to attend February's meeting.
Proxy voting by mail will be allowed for those who cannot attend this meeting. If you know that you are unable
to attend February's meeting, please complete the proxy form included in this newsletter and follow the instructions
included.
Ron Growel
President,
the Wanderers of San Diego
·
Dues
Due!
This is a heads up. The
Wanderers $15 annual dues will be coming due in the month of April. They need to be received NLT April 30,
2001. Your check for $15 should be made out to Gary Steinweg, and "Wanderers Dues" should be written
on the check memo line.
At the same time, we'd also like you to fill out a new membership application. This will ensure we've got
the most up-to-date information on you (address, phone #, e-mail, etc). A membership application has been
included with this newsletter for that purpose in case you'd like to renew your membership early.
Please mail the completed membership application and the $15 dollar check to:
Gary Steinweg
13171 Carolee Ave.,
San Diego, CA 92129
Regards,
Gary
·
Wanderer's
Annual FYAO Ride
Recap by Bill Edwards - Today
was the day, and the weather was nearly perfect. Don Presten and his better half Bobbie led this ride, departing
Denny's in Kearney Mesa at 10:00AM, followed by myself, John Q. Lawrence, Darrin, Ron Growel and Lorn, and Rod
& Rose Fleming. We rode at a relaxed pace up Pomerado Rd. to the Scripps Rancho Pkwy, and east to Hwy
67, and then "over the hill" into Ramona. I'd come down with a pretty bad cold late in the week,
and wasn't sure I should be out riding yet, but I figured..."what the hell?" That's what electrics
are for. Still, the air seemed damper than it had the day before, and there was some resultant haze in the
air. I was a bit disappointed, since it had been spectacularly clear yesterday.
Well, we picked up two more riders at Packard's in Ramona, Jim Hotz and Jim Hunt, who fell in behind us on 78,
and we continued on towards Santa Ysabel. Hwy 78 is misleading in some ways, and you are hardly aware of
gaining altitude riding along that road, yet between Ramona and the point where Old Julian Hwy rejoins 78, you
gain almost 1600 feet. Along this stretch the air cleared, and we had our first nice view of the snows up
on the mountains ahead of us and to the north of us. It was gorgeous now. And we had somehow found a "hole"
in the traffic to ride along in, giving us the illusion of light traffic. That was nice, but it was an illusion.
We
stopped at Dudleys, which was jam packed, and watched huge lines of cages driving east towards Julian. This
was not unexpected, and we decided to change our plans (the original destination was Sunrise Hwy) and head north
on Hwy 79 towards Warner Springs and a stop at the Glider Port. Don and Bobbie had packed up lots of fresh
pastries and several thermos of coffee for us, so we didn't dawdle long at Dudleys.
Riding north on Hwy 79 we reached probably our highest altitude of just over 3900 feet somewhere between the Mesa
Grande Rd and Hwy 76, and there were patches of snow along the side of the road, and snow on the hills around Mesa
Grande itself. I'd couldn't help but think about how the east side of Mesa Grande would be, what with all
the shade in those oak groves, and perhaps black ice lurking for the unwary. We're lucky to live in SoCal,
where we can ride all year, but ya gotta be smart about it too.
We had a nice sorta coffee picnic out there at the edge of the runway at the glider port near Warner Springs, and
some photos taken by a nice couple who happened along and stopped to eat some pie. It was a great place to
stop actually, even though Jim Hunt and I kept banging our heads on the gazebo hanging over the picnic tables.
Ouch!
Leaving there, we had a very pleasant ride west on 79 towards Temecula passing through Sunshine Summit and Oak
Grove. Palomar Mountain has a much more imposing look to it from that side, and I always enjoy that road.
We made a brief gas stop, and then took Rainbow Canyon road back up to Old Hwy 395. Here we stopped, and
most everyone decided to jump on the freeway and head for home, but Jim Hotz and I rode on down Old 395, and stopped
for some lunch at the Deerpark Winery Deli.
It was a another great ride today, even though nobody froze their butt off.
Thanks to Don and Bobbie for making this happen. And thanks to everyone who came along.
·
“Tuesday”
Ride
“Up on Kitchen Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one”
Recap
by John Q… Ok, so I took a little liberty with lyrics from that classic
tune by "The Band."
It was the song running through my noggin as
Ron Growel, Dick Useted and I took a midweek tour of
the sometimes closed by snow at this time of
year Kitchen Creek Road.
The three of us, one retired, one "between
assignments" and the other on vacation didn't want to waste an 80 degree Fall day so gathered with no particular
destination in mind. Dick was the one who suggested Kitchen Creek and we were off.
Through Bonita, out Otay Lakes Rd. East on 94
then across
to Old Highway 80 (more on that road later) and a hookup with scenic Kitchen Creek.
During one of our "check out the scenery" stops Dicks bike decided to play dead. Ron and I were already running, looked in our mirrors to see the Virago's headlight blinking
an "I'm really sick" message as poor Dick kept hitting the starter only to be greeted by clicks. Without a word exchanged between any of us Ron and I dismounted, walked around behind the ailing Virago and began pushing. It wasn't long before Dick's Jardines were singing a nice healthy song. As we strolled back to our own machines Ron and I decided the next time we pushed a bike...it
shouldn't be "uphill.." Gasp Wheeze.
Once on Kitchen Creek Road we took a short tour of a hideaway campground where it was decided
we and any others who cared to join us would be spending some time telling tall tales around a campfire in the
Spring. It's a perfect launch point for a "Desert in bloom" ride.
Up Kitchen Creek we went, stopping often to ooh and aah With the air cleaned by Santa Ana breezes you could see all the way to the Pacific from up
there. Awesome.
From Kitchen Creek we headed down Sunrise highway and back onto Old Highway 80 where we were
greeted by the famous orange jacketed, stop sign wielding, walkie talkie equipped road construction newbie. (Have you ever wondered who gets the cush job of stopping traffic while others on the crew
are digging ditches and putting down asphalt?) Anyway, this was not the first time we would be halted in our tracks...Old Highway 80 is
littered with work crews laying fiber optic cable from Alpine to Yuma apparently. Don't use that road if you're in a hurry.
We stopped at an Alpine doughnut shop for coffee, pastry and conversation. Time to head for the barn but not via the freeway, no siree. We toured Harbison Canyon wondering, as we passed, if the Swallows Resort was crowded with
folks not wearing a button or a bow on a beautiful day like this.
For me, 130 miles in good company and another fantastic ride.
Cheers JQ
·
First
Day of Winter
Recap by Bill Edwards…First of all, I'd like to thank Rod Fleming, Ron Growel, John Q. Lawrence,
and Dick Usested for "coming along for the ride" with me today. We met in Clairemont Mesa at 9:00AM, and it was sunny but still pretty cool. John said it was 40 degrees in his garage this morning. Nonetheless, I got some good natured ribbing about my new electrics.
Well, this was my big idea, so off we went about 9:20 with me in the lead, destination Rainbow
Cafe. I had in mind to visit some scenic areas on the way, hit a few twisties, and avoid traffic
as much as possible.
A brief ride up I-15, and then I had 'em on Highland Valley Rd. From there it was Bandy Canyon back down to 78, and west to Citrus Ave., north to Lake Wohlford
Rd. and then Woods Valley Rd. to Lilac Rd., where I surprised them with West Lilac Rd. Treacherous that one, tight and twisty. It's becoming one of my favorites. Rod dragged a heel and had a "moment".
Then it north on Old 395, and a stop for gas and restroom at the intersection with 76. On to breakfast, which was quite good, with some lively service, at the Rainbow Cafe.
That was about what I'd planned, but after breakfast and some discussion, it was enthusiastically
agreed to continue north, and ride Dehesa Rd. back down into Fallbrook. So we did. And this was only my second ride down that great road. A real scenic treat, sorta like Sleepy Hollow or something.
In Fallbrook we visited Baron's customs shop (Ron's idea). It took us awhile to find it, and we never woulda had John (the owner) himself not come out
and waved his arms at us! It's not a "storefront" type shop, but rather manufacturing, testing, and shipping. But he gave us a great tour. Yamaha Road Star and V-Star owners are lucky to have a place like Baron's to consult with
and purchase innovative products. He will soon be doing Kawa's and Honda's also, he told us. While there, he replaced Ron's passenger floorboards, due to some beginning corrosion.
Ron said he knew a "kinda scenic route" into Oceanside, where we wanted to visit
the Yamaha dealership on Coast Hwy., so he took the lead. Wow, what an understatement! Olive Hill Rd, and Sleeping Indian Rd, took us all the way down to Douglas Drive, and it
was great....waaay better than cruisin' down Mission. On the way into town we toured the beach, and saw the Top Gun house.
There was a really cool "used" Virago 1100 at the dealership, which only had 1750
miles on it. Dick got the details for Tera. After that we putted down to Carlsbad for some banter and designer coffee at Cafe Elys. It was 3:45 when we left there, and putted down the coast through Del Mar (surprisingly smooth sailing through the coastal cities....northbound was
another story), and the boys jumped on I-5 at Carmel Valley Rd.
Well, I want to thank the guys again. This was a pretty cool all day ride, and did a lot to refresh my heart and soul after the
recent passing of my sister. Just what I needed. Regards, Bill E.
·
New
Years Day Ride
Recap by Gary Steinweg - It was the best of times, . . . it was the worst of times. And, off in the distance, a dog barked. But, I've gotten ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning.
Today started cloudy along the coast, but it was warmer than previously expected. So, the ride was on.
I left the house at 8:40 with Dawn and Chi Wei. As we rode through Poway we were joined by 4 more bikes bringing our total to 7 bikes and
3 passengers. We reached Packards a little ahead of time, and there were already several bikes there from
south county. The coffee server seemed to have been taken by surprise and was a little slow filling our
orders, but everyone who wanted coffee got it, and had time to enjoy it.
When we started out at 10 a.m., we had 21 bikes and 27 people. A big turnout. Since the traffic was so light, we decided not to break into two groups, and that worked
just fine. I was leading with Dawn right behind me, and John Q. rode shotgun keeping the herded cats
in line. It was the best of times. The ride from Ramona to Julian is always a delight. Today was no different. As I mentioned earlier it was a little warmer than earlier expected, and the ride was perfect.
We passed through Julian and re-formed on the bypass road to 79, just east of Julian. The ride down the Cuyamaca was great also, although here it got a little cooler. Any thoughts of making a direct shot over the Sunrise Hwy scuttled at that point.
After re-forming at the intersection of 79 and Old Hwy 80, and again at Old Hwy 80 and S-1,
we were on the last leg on Old 80 out to Live Oak Springs. There was evidence of new electrical lines being put in along side the road, but today being
New Years Day, there was no work taking place and we were not affected.
At approximately 11:45 a.m., we arrived at Live Oak Springs.
It was the worst of times. Slowing on the downhill approach, the asphalt driveway came into view, and I turned in. Only after hitting it did I notice that there was sand spread out on about the first five
or so feet of driveway. My bike squirmed just a little, but it wasn't a problem since I was only going about 5 mph.
Right
after clearing the sandy area, I glanced in my mirror to see how Dawn was faring with the sand.
Disaster had
already struck.
She was on the
ground, and her shiny bike was laying on her left leg.
I jumped off
my bike and got back to her about the same time a couple of others got there.
Someone asked
her if she needed any help.
She allowed as
to how she did.
Dawn's knee was badly bruised, but when we pulled her chaps, pants leg and leggings to take
a look, all she could think about was that she hadn't shaved her legs for this trip. Gay took her to urgent care "just to be on the safe side" to have it looked at
(she didn't think she needed to go, but others did).
We got into the restaurant around 12:00 and that's when the dog barked. Even after speaking with the cook and the restaurant manager the day before, the serving
time was LOUSY. Some of us didn't get served for over an hour. Someone mentioned that some of the help had shown up hung-over, and was sent back home. That may be true, BUT for the food that was being ordered and served, there was no excuse
for how slow it was. Been there three times before, and it was great each time. I'll never take a ride there again, though. It only takes one "ah-shit" to wipe out three "atta boys". We didn't leave the restaurant until 2:00 p.m.
For the return journey, I asked Simon to lead the North County contingent, and a couple others
to take care of the South County people. They took the planned return route. Dawn, OTOH, didn't feel confident to ride anywhere where she'd have to put her feet up and
down a lot. So for us, I-8 to I-15 was it. Took us an hour and fifteen minutes to get home that way. We were accompanied by Chi Wei, John & Fran, and Jack and Jenny. Thank you guys for accompanying
us home.
Our ride on the freeway was unspectacular. Fortunately, it wasn't crowded. Someone else is going to have tell you about the rest of the ride.
My next week is going to include some cosmetic work on Dawn's bike. There's a scratch on her left rear turn signal housing, a small scrape on the left side of
her gas tank, one of the handle bar risers looks to be bent a little, the handle bars may or may not be bent, the
left foot peg is bent as is the shift lever. The front left turn signal mounting is a little loose, and the lens is scratched. All fairly easy to fix.
I had this overwhelming feeling that I'd somehow let Dawn down.