Guests attending: Justin Kramer & Jessica Baldwin; Ted Cox; Ed Kalajainen.

Greg Huber called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

MINUTES: Doc moved that the minutes be accepted as posted to the web site; Rod seconded. Minutes were approved.

TREASURER’S REPORT: According to Gary (who was absent physically, but still represented by “Mini-Gary”) there was a problem with the report for July, 2004, so the Treasurer’s Report was corrected as follows: July’s correct balance was $853.88. Of course, that made all the other entries that followed wrong. August’s balance was corrected to $887.88; September’s balance was $733.72. We now have $829.22 available as of today’s date. John Q. motioned that the corrected reports be accepted; Rod seconded, and the motion passed. (Hopefully, Gary will get his “adder” and “subtracter” repaired.)

OLD BUSINESS: Rose reported on the plans for the Christmas party on December 4. Members are urged to buy their tickets no later than November 15. A flyer describing the event in posted on the web site under “Members Only”. The SoCal Cruisers have been invited to join us, but there haven’t been any definite responses yet. Larry Sammarco is coordinating at their end.

Steve reported on the Christmas In July benefit. Thus far, there has been no particular Senior Center selected, although the Retirement Community directly behind the Country Choice is being considered. Steve mentioned that most of the folks in these communities get a bigger kick out of our visiting than out of any little gifts we might bestow. He suggested that we try to raise enough money for one large gift, and simply stay a while getting to know the residents, or perhaps throw them a small party. All those who volunteered to be on Steve’s committee should contact him at steveogolf@cox.net.

Greg is investigating a group rate for Stomp in the Spring.. Anyone who is interested in attending should e-mail him at greg@thehubers.net as soon as possible.

Leon is putting a ride together to tour the Midway on November 13. There is a group rate for 20 or more @ $10.00 per person (that’s a $3.00 savings each). Leon needs to have confirmation no later than October 30 in order to book the tour at the reduced rate. Members are asked to RSVP to Leon at Rideonmann@aol.com

GOLD PINS: Congratulations to Lucas for having attained his 3000-mile Gold Pin.

NEW RIDES: Please check the web site for up-coming rides.

SAFETY FIRST: Lucas led this discussion off with a very good observation. Many times when we are traveling through heavy traffic, our line is too long to allow other vehicles to safely change lanes or merge. Lucas suggested that we split up long lines into groups of five, noting that 5 motorcycles traveling at speed, in staggered formation, equal approximately one semi truck length. By dividing up, we allow other vehicles to change lanes and merge or exit without cutting in. Steve added that we must allow vehicles to merge smoothly when we are traveling in the right lane, even if it means moving over.

Wanderers protocol has always been to pull over whenever a problem occurs with a bike. This creates a ripple effect which starts with the disabled bike and those behind him (or her) and goes forward to the leader. But sometimes, circumstances decree that “rules” need to “bent” a little. What if there is no safe place for a long line of bikes to get off the highway? In a case like that, the following bikes should pass the disabled one, pulling off at the first available wide spot, and leave it up to the sweep rider to communicate with the leader via radio. This is especially important whenever we are traveling on narrow, curving mountain roads. The law says that whenever you have 5 cars lined up behind you on a two-lane highway, you must use the first available turnout to allow them to pass. By passing the disabled bike and utilizing the first safe turnout, we not only comply with the law, but also are assured that no one is in danger. The unwritten rule is “we never leave a rider behind”, but sometimes it is wiser to pass them and wait further down the road than it is to immediately pull over. If the problem is occurring closer to the front of the line, then that rider should move to the edge of the road and signal the ones behind with a waving motion to pass.

Also discussed was “stop sign discipline”: two bikes pull up at the stop sign side-by-side, and go through as a single unit. When pulling up to a two-lane left turn signal, utilize both lanes, and regroup once everyone is through. If not everyone makes it, the leader should pull off to the side at the first safe place, and wait.

THIS AND THAT: Doc asked the question, “Is your battery over three years old?” His advice is, “Throw it out and buy a new one!” the alternator on a motorcycle is the same size as on many ‘60’s cars, and the load on a small battery causes buildup in the cells, making them unreliable. He also cautioned us not to use a battery charger designed for a car. Get one that is designed for a motorcycle. There are brands out there that can be used for both a car and a motorcycle, and it’s worth the small expense.

Another suggestion was for a “Maintenance/Cleaning/Trailer-Making Workshop” sometime in the Spring. Anyone interested should contact one of the officers.

Rod motioned that the meeting be adjourned; Tina seconded. The meeting adjourned at 10:46.

Respectfully Submitted,