Greetings! 

 

As I am writing this April issue of Wingin' It, everyone at the Home Office is anxiously awaiting the folks riding the "40 to Phoenix" event. With this being the 4th Annual ride, we hope everyone has a safe and fun ride from North Carolina to Phoenix. The Ride will pick up riders all along the way and has increased in attendance each year. After spending the day in Phoenix, The "40 to Phoenix" Ride will go on to California with some riders heading into Mexico. This ride was organized as the first national ride for GWRRA by volunteers, Greg & Tina McKinney and is now led by Brian McCallum, who has done so since, also as a volunteer.  Thanks Brian and your Team! 

 

Greg and Tina McKinney started this off as a vacation, and then they thought about how many people actually rode to the Home Office. So, he built a FaceBook page linked to the Arkansas District website and here we are. Our first year, (2010) there were only 11 bikes that started and only 30 completed the 2300 mile trip. In 2012 there were over 60 that started and over 250 rode into GWRRA Home Office . Our Goal is to have fun, ride safe, make new friends, and see some new places and perhaps visit old ones. We also want to attract others to GWRRA by showing them what GWRRA is all about.

 

According to Brian, "The "40 to Phoenix" ride is the greatest and longest in GWRRA's history! Each year a group rides from Wrightsville Beach, NC, across I-40 to Flagstaff, AZ., and down into Phoenix to visit the GWRRA Home Office. Only 5% of nearly 70,000 Members get to do such a feat. During our journey we stop to visit local Chapters, making new friends, and seeing old ones." Check back here, as well as their website http://40tophoenix.org/ for the follow up story and pictures of their adventure.

In keeping with updates on GWRRA events, Wing Ding 35 to be held in Greenville, SC is going very well. The preregistrations are well above last year and even above the registrations for the last time we were in Greenville. Personally speaking, Greenville was one of my favorite cities. It is a great riding area, awesome downtown and has a great facility! I know that there are many new events and activities planned as well as many FUN things to do while at Wing Ding 35! The hotels are booking up fast, so I suggest you get preregistered right away and book your hotel NOW!

Now that riding season is upon us, well in most of the U.S. anyway, I understand, as of this writing, there are some parts of the country being hit with exceptional weather, including severe snow storms. I guess the point is, it is time to get the bike ready for riding with all the proper maintenance, including checking those tires and brakes, as well as all the fluids. Make sure you are doing a compete checkup of all the proper maintenance items. This also includes checking up on your own rider skills. If it has been some time since you took a rider ed course, maybe it would seem wise to check this out with your local Rider Educator or the Rider Education website at  http://gwrra.org/regional/ridered/index.html

 

Below you will see a wonderful article from Jim McGinnis, about being a Motorist Awareness Coordinator and an Officer appointment announcement from Ed & Linda Johnson. Thanks to Gene Hanselmann for his latest article, Joe & Gracie Mazza for their Rider Education article about "Motorcycle Safety, Then & Now", and Terri Koslowski, for her great article about "Are You Still Growing?" Finally, don't miss "The Ride of a Lifetime" submitted by Scott Whitener, a Member comment from Dale in KS-H, the latest survey results and the latest featured GWRRA Benefits!

 

For general information about GWRRA, please check out our website at  www.gwrra.org and spend some time looking around. There are many new features, links and products for you there. As mentioned in previous issues, you can even chat live with one of our incredible Member Service Agents (during normal business hours).      

 

GWRRA offers discount programs for travel and vacations, hotels, car rentals, insurance, identity protection, motorcycle parts, financial services and even pet insurance! Just go to http://gwrra.org/benefits.html and check out all of the benefits that GWRRA offers our Members.

 

 

Thanks for all your continued support! 

 

Ride safe and FIND-A-FRIEND!

 

FRIENDS FOR FUN, SAFETY & KNOWLEDGE!

 

Ed Price

 

 

Editor, Wingin' It
In This Issue
Joke of the Month
Looking for YOUR Articles
Inspirational Quotes
Wing Ding Update
GWRRA & Facebook
WING WORLD magazine
GWRRA.ORG Updates
Rescue Plus Reminder
Rider Education Article
Officer Appointment
Member Article-"The Ride of a Lifetime!"
Officer Article
Motorist Awareness Article
Member Comments
Gene's Article-"Wilbur & Harry"
Your Opinion Matters
Featured Member Benefit
GWRRA Benefits
Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List
JOKE OF THE MONTH



When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in.

Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

Sent in by
Tom Hendricks, TX-U
 
Thanks Tom!

Looking for

Articles

Remember, we are looking for articles for YOUR e-Newsletter! 

 

Travelogues, Member

and Officer profiles, Chapter activities, your stories about how joining GWRRA has positively affected your life, etc.

 

And don't forget those great Gold Book stories.

 

Please send your stories to me here .

Inspirational

Quotes

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

 

Mark Twain   

 
"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey."

 

Fitzhugh Mullan   

 
ADVERTISEMENT
WING DING UPDATE

 

Visit our web site

 for more information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Wing Ding 35 is at the TD Convention Center (formally the Carolina First Center) in Greenville, South Carolina, just minutes from the airport and historic downtown. So plan on riding in, parking the bike and enjoying the ceremonies, hundreds of exhibits, manufacturer demo's, seminars, entertainment and more all in one location! We look forward to seeing you in Greenville, South Carolina next July 3-6, 2013!

 

 

GWRRA is on

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WING WORLD
MAGAZINE 
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Our new magazine web site:
* Easy to read
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   of Wing World magazine
* Visit our current list of advertisers
* PLUS Much More!

For advertising opportunities please call one of our Account Executives at  
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ext 231, 250 or 219

To view the magazine online or to sign up as a trial Member, please contact
Member Services at  800-843-9460 or, in the Phoenix area, 
623-581-2500
.
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GWRRA.ORG UPDATES
1. There is now an
events page
where Members
can
post there 
own events to 
our website. 

for the ticket to ride contest are online 
and Members 
can check how 
many points they 
3. There is now 
8 scrolling stories 
on the GWRRA 
homepage, instead 
of just one. 
Visit GWRRA.org

Rescue Plus Reminder  

Tow Truck
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Rescue towing package from GWRRA. PLUS, it only costs $25 per year to upgrade the entire family!!

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RIDER EDUCATION ARTICLE: 
Submitted by:

Joe and Gracie Mazza

Assistant International Director Rider Education

 

 

Motorcycle Safety, Then and Now 

 

 

In researching some safety articles recently, I came across an interesting subject written by Noble McIntyre for "The Motorcycle Safety News". He writes about the various changes that have taken place over the years pertaining to motorcycle safety, especially motorcycle riding gear and safety laws. He writes: "Motorcycles have always evoked an image of freedom, individuality, and as the case may be, rebellion. With that freedom, there is also the possibility of injury. Motorcycle safety has evolved significantly over the years and the rudimentary helmet and classic leather jacket have been replaced by modern materials".

 

Helmets

 

Interest in developing motorcycle helmets began in 1935, when T.E. Lawrence (better known as Lawrence of Arabia) suffered a fatal motorcycle crash. His neurosurgeon, Hugh Cairns, began the research that would eventually lead to the development of the motorcycle crash helmet. The first patent for a motorcycle helmet was submitted in 1935 by Professor C.F. "Red" Lombard. The earliest helmets were made of leather, which didn't do much in the way of impact protection, but did prevent abrasions and "road rash." Later helmets changed radically in design and materials-in the 1960s, safety helmets had exteriors made of fiberglass, and interiors lined with polyurethane foam or cork. Most modern helmets are made from plastic, carbon fiber or Kevlar, and are designed to be impact and puncture resistant.

 

Protective Gear

 

The right gear is considered one of the most important aspects of motorcycle safety, next to awareness, and rider training. The earliest motorcycle "gear" grew out of the use of motorcycles in the military during World War 1. Short coats replaced dusters so they wouldn't get caught in the motorcycle spokes; heavy boots and pegged breeches protected the legs. While these might have been functional, they weren't terribly stylish.

 

The most recognizable motorcycle gear is probably the leather jacket, first made famous by Marlon Brando in the film The Wild One. While a simple leather jacket can help protect from abrasions, modern protective gear may be made of sufficiently thick leather or with ballistic nylon or Kevlar, and some have carbon fiber armor on major impact points, such as shoulders, elbows and the knees. Some high-end motorcycle jackets and race suits even have a built-in airbag system, which inflates to protect the neck and torso. There are also street oriented airbag vests that inflate when a rider has a sudden get-off from his/her machine.

 

Believed by some to be even more durable-but with limited actual lab tests to back up assertions-is motorcycle armor, which is usually constructed of foam or hard plastic with foam laminate on the inside, or hard foam plates designed to protect the shoulders, elbows, and knees. Motorcycle armor was specifically designed to increase the chances of survival in an accident.

 

The Evolution of Safety Laws

 

In 1966, the Highway Safety Act required states to pass mandatory helmet laws in order to receive federal highway funding. In that same year, The American National Safety Standard for Motorcycle Helmets was introduced, which set obligatory performance standards that manufacturers were required to meet. However, Congress withdrew the requirement in 1975, and as a result, many states repealed their mandatory helmet laws. Now mandatory helmet laws vary from state to state.

 

The Hurt Report, published in 1981, showed most accidents involving a motorcycle occurred as a result of car drivers failing to see motorcycles. The report also showed that helmets significantly reduced the chance of death or debilitating brain injury. The MAIDS (Motorcycle Accidents in Depth Study) Report, published in 2000, showed that motorcycles were "over represented" in traffic accidents, and that most motorcycle accidents involved collisions with a passenger vehicle. These studies have left organizations like The Governors Highway Safety Association to encourage the implementation of helmet laws and motorcycle operating training.

 

The Future of Motorcycle Safety

 

Motorcycle safety gear has grown dramatically in sophistication over the last century-full airbag suits, durable materials, even virtual heads-up displays are being developed to increase the safety and survivability of the motorcycle enthusiast. But technology can only go so far. Just as important as gear is training, awareness, and skill needed to stay safe on a motorcycle.

 

I have a quote from Rae Tyson, Motorcyclist and NHTSA spokesperson, when speaking to a group in Philadelphia, on the wearing of proper protection when riding: "It stands to reason, that if you are engaging in an activity where if something goes wrong, you are going to make contact with some sort of hard object. It would be no different than sending the Philadelphia Eagles out on the field without pads and a helmet. It would be the same thing as sending the Flyers on the ice(without protective gear)-you would never do that."

 

  

OFFICER APPOINTMENT
 
GWRRA Director Jere Goodman and the Membership Enhancement Program Team are excited to announce the appointment of John and Lena Bryant to the position of International Assistant Directors, Membership Enhancement Program, Recruiting and Retention.  
 

Their primary area of responsibility will be Recruiting and Retention. They will be assisting Directors and Membership Enhancement Coordinators with the Area Report List, Unassigned Zip Codes, Chapter formation, and Membership data. They have a strong background of service in the Membership Enhancement Program. John and Lena reside in Texas where they have previously served as Membership Enhancement Coordinators for Region H and the Texas District.  You can learn more about John and Lena and get their contact information in their bio on the Membership Enhancement TEAM  

web site.

 

Please join us in welcoming John and Lena to the International TEAM. 

 

 "Recruit a NEW Member"


 Ed and Linda Johnson 
 International Directors GWRRA Membership Enhancement Program 

MEMBER STORY--

The Ride of a Lifetime

 

Article submitted by Scott Whitener
Chapter "L" Rome, GA
 

 

 

Officer Gean Taylor, a Georgia Tech Police Department Motor Officer fulfilled the ride of a lifetime. He departed the Atlanta area on the morning of July 8th and rode his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle to Anchorage, Alaska to attend a Gold Wing Rally. Officer Taylor, a Member of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) with over 35 years experience riding motorcycles, specializes in safe long distance motorcycle riding and is retired from the U.S. Army with 22 years of active duty and has served as a Motor Officer here at Tech for the last six years.  

 

Five days after leaving Atlanta, I linked up with Members of GWRRA in Vancouver, British Columbia and from there 22 of us traveled north through Prince George, Smithers, Stewart and Dease Lake in British Columbia before crossing over into the Yukon Territories traveling through White Horse, Haines, and Beaver Creek before getting to the Great State of Alaska. When you get up there, you're in the middle of nowhere and you're on your own. The scenery was unbelievable. Snow capped mountains, glaciers, miles of open spaces, wild bear, moose and buffalo. After departing the rally in Anchorage, I traveled north to Chicken, AK alone and rode the Top of the World Highway, riding the Alaska-Canadian (ALCAN) Highway to mile marker "0" in Dawson Creek, BC and then into Alberta, Canada through Jasper National Park and Banff, before crossing back into the U.S. in Idaho and then over to Seattle and taking I-5 south to Long Beach, Ca. to visit family.  

 

Riding the Pacific Coast Highway north to San Francisco is some of the most beautiful scenery of the entire trip. The entire journey lasted 30 days, covering 13,547 miles, 3 Iron Butt rides, driving through a south Texas heat wave in 109 degree heat, and a forest fire on the ALCAN. It's a tough job but somebody has to do it.  

 

Gean Taylor
Officer Article:
submitted by:

Terri M. Kozlowski

Georgia Chapter D Director

 

ARE YOU STILL GROWING? 

 

At what age did you stop growing?  Regrettably, most people stop when they get out of college.  Rarely will you find a person committed to comprehensive personal growth.  

 

People always influence others; they always have unreached potential waiting to be fulfilled. In all parts of life, how far you go depends on how much you grow. Your development as an individual is in your control; you CAN do something about it. You'll grow the most when you know the most about how the process of personal development happens. There are three basic laws of personal growth... READ MORE

MOTORIST AWARENESS ARTICLE
written by
James McGinnis
FL1-H Rider Educator/Motorist Awareness Coordinator
Florida Department of Transportation Motorcycle Safety Coalition Board member
MSF/FRTP/GWRRA Rider Coach
 
SO NOW YOU ARE A MOTORIST AWARENESS COORDINATOR,
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I have been asked by several Members what does a Motorist Awareness Coordinator do? The position is one of the lesser known positions within the Rider Education Program with G.W.R.R.A. As Motorist Awareness we work with the public sector to assist in making riding a motorcycle in our community as safe as it can be.
READ MORE
MEMBER COMMENTS
submitted by: Dale, KS-H
I read the article "Pet Peeves" by Gene Hanselman in the February, 2013 Wingin' It.  I agree with Gene except for the Low Wave. I use it because there is less wind resistance and the rider's arm will not be forced back. It is a safety matter for me.   

 

I accept any wave from any rider or cage driver.  I also wave at all bikes, from trikes to mopeds unless it would be unsafe to do so at the time. I enjoy the articles and learn a lot.    

 

GWRRA is what I have been missing and now have found a fantastic group with which to be associated.  Should have known about GWRRA years ago.   

 

My first ride was a Honda 50cc scooter in 1967. I have had Hondas and Kawasakis through the years. Now I have a 2010 Gold Wing 1800 Lehman trike. My wife/co-rider will go with me a lot more now.   

 

We were recently appointed as Assistant Chapter Directors and also write our Chapter newsletter. We have made many new friends in the last year since joining GWRRA.   

 

Hopefully, we can attend many conventions and meetings and ride with the good people of the motorcycle world.


"WILBUR & HARRY"

submitted by 
Gene Hanselman
Member #135067, Chapter OH-D3

It was the summer of 1964 and my high school class were officially Juniors. We were heading into the 11th grade in the fall and a lot of us had turned 16 years old that spring and received our Driver's License. I had already been driving for 2 years on my Farm License which made a lot of kids envious. However, two friends had the envy of every boy, of any age, including me, in my hometown during that summer.

William "Wilbur" Lashly and Harry Ebright were friends of mine since the 6th grade. Bill was short and stout while Harry was tall and thin, both were good guys from great families. They were pranksters that would never hurt or harm anyone even if provoked. They were just common, down to earth good old boys from the mid-west, U.S. READ MORE

2012 GWred 

Your Opinion Matters!

 Remember to check out GWRRA's Homepage at  www.GWRRA.org 

 to let us know your opinion of a variety of subjects in our polls. 

  

We'd like to give you the results of the last survey we have posted on the home page.

    

How do you feel about the new Honda Gold Wing F6B?

  • I'll be first in line! 7% (69)
  • I haven't decided yet. 8% (72)
  • Looks great, but it's not for me. 47% (441)
  • No, Thanks. 38% (363)

  • Total votes: 945

We always have a current GWRRA topic. To let us know your opinion,  

Check it out!

Featured Member Benefits of the Month

 

Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) is pleased to remind you of two Member Discounts in our Benefit Program.

 



 
  • GWRRA Wireless Center- FREE BlackBerrys and more at the GWRRA Wireless Center! Huge savings on phones and accessories - many phones free, plus exclusive rebates put cash back into your pocket! Shop and compare plans and phones from all the major carriers and brands. You'll get the same great rate from the carrier you choose, plus a better phone at a better price. Visit www.GWRRAwireless.com to save on all your wireless needs!

  • TransAmerica Medicare Supplement Insurance:- Don't wait to find out what Medicare doesn't cover, take the time to look at your Medicare supplement insurance options. This private insurance helps fill the gap between health care costs and Medicare coverage. Medicare supplement insurance is available to you through the GWRRA Members' Insurance Program and is designed to go hand-in-hand with your regular Medicare coverage. Click here or call 1-800-556-7614 for details!

    

GWRRA Member Benefit Discounts!
Save
25%
 
Now the Battery Bug offers a backlit display to help with easier reading of battery life."Having tested this device in its various development stages on several bikes and over the course of more than 20,000 miles, I give it my enthusiastic endorsement as the most useful, practical, and accurate device for reporting real time voltage and battery condition."-Stu Oltman,
Wing World magazine

 

Regular Price = $39.99 

 

 

http://cart.gwrra.org/cart/product-info.php?pid93.html  

 

Special price for APRIL..... $31.99

Offer Expires: 4/30--mention April Wingin' It

 

 Contents copyrighted by GWRRA, Inc. �2013