Dixie Wings Tennessee Chapter H Franklin, Tennessee

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1 Dixie Wings Tennessee Chapter H Franklin, Tennessee Gold Wing Road Riders Association Volume 6 Issue 12 December 2014 F RIENDS FOR FUN, SAF E T Y A N D KNOWLEDGE Director s Corner Well, it is December now, with Christmas not far off. Many of us have put our bikes up for the winter. Still some ride up until the snow falls will bring in some changes. David & Karen Hill will be taking over as Webmaster and Newsletter editor. But, for Chapter H to continue I need some other people to take and interest. I can t do it all and I won t do it all. When we ride it is usually the same 6 or 7 people who show up. For 2015, I will need some one to take over as Ride Coordinator to plan Chapter rides. This is the simplest job. Get suggestions from everyone and plan who leads and lets go. Then I would like someone to take over as Chapter Director. This position is relatively easy. Without this there is the chance of us closing. But we have a few months to think about this. Now for the News, We visited several chapters in the month of November. We went to Chapters L, Y, Z, G and A. Steve Freeman, Herb Williams and I rode in the Nolensville Veterans Day Parade and David & Karen Hill and I attended the District OP s Meeting. We will have our Christmas Party on December 13th at the Sportsman s Grille at 6 PM. The cost is $12.50 per person. The Chapter will pick up the rest will start off with our meetings on January 24th at Shoney s on Hwy 96, Franklin, TN. Then February 14th will be the District Winter Event at Fall Creek Falls only $20.00 per person. An April is Spring Fling in Chattanooga, TN. There will be no Chapter Meeting this month. Barbara and I will be going to Spring Fling. Starting in January, I will be handling the Rider Education for Chapter H. If you are interested in the Levels program I will have your information on hand. It is just your commitment to ride safe and use the proper riding equipment. We will also plan a Medic First Aid class and Experience Riders Class. David & Barbara Jordan Senior Chapter Director s Inside this issue: GWRRA STAFF 2 Assist Chapter Director 3 TN District Director 4 National Director 5 Motorist Awareness 6 Rider Education 7 Membership Enhancement 8

2 2 GWRRA STAFF Gwrra.org National Director Ray & Sandi Garris Region N Director s Alan & Carolyn Little alanlittle02@yahoo.com TN DISTRICT DIRECTORS Gary & Patti Hamilton garyahamilton@charter.net Region n.org Chapter Director s David & Barbara Jordan pinball1989@gmail.com Assistant Chapter Director Herb Williams williams.herb773@gmail.com Couple of The Year 2014 Jim & Barb Panel jamesbarb2@att.net Chapter Treasurer Don Eckstein d.eckstein@comcast.net Chapter Webmaster & Newsletter David & Karen Hill Karen@ripples-on-water.com Tngwrra.org Dixiewingstn.org

3 3 Assistant Chapter Director By Luigi Fraschini 9 Crucial safety tips for motorcycle season Herb Williams When the weather warms up, motorcycles come out of garages all over the northern half of the country, and riders hit the road. For riders, that first ride of the season is often a memorable one, opening a new summer season of riding adventure. But danger lurks within every other vehicle on the road: More than half of all motorcycle crashes involve a collision with another vehicle, and the driver of that other vehicle is most often at fault. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation urges all drivers to give riders some space and to not be "that guy" who hits a motorcyclist. Killing or injuring a motorcycle rider is something you'd have to live with for the rest of your life, and nobody needs that guilt. Here, from the foundation, are some hints that you, the driver of a car, should know about motorcyclists: 1. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and because of that, some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle. Motorcycles are simply not on their personal radar screens, and they are ignored, usually unintentionally and sometimes with tragic consequences. 2. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car's blind spots (like the door and roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (like bushes, fences or bridges). Take an extra moment to look for motorcycles, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections. 3. Also due to its small size, a motorcycle may seem to be farther away than it actually is, and it may be difficult to judge its speed. If you see a motorcycle when you are checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into or out of a driveway, predict it's closer than it looks. 4. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance -- say, three or four seconds between your vehicle and the motorcycle. At intersections, predict that a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning in the form of brake light activation. 5. Motorcyclists often adjust their position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a legitimate purpose -- not to be reckless or show off or allow you to share the lane with them. 6. Turn signals on a motorcycle are usually not self-canceling; thus, some riders (especially beginners) may forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Don't ignore the turn signal, but be aware that it might not be activated to indicate an imminent turn. 7. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle's better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don't expect a motorcyclist to be able to dodge out of the way of your vehicle. Give them space to maneuver. 8. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping more difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle than behind a car or truck, because a motorcycle can't always stop "on a dime" -- or even a quarter. 9. When a motorcycle is in motion, see more than the motorcycle. Also see the person under the helmet, who could be your friend, neighbor or relative. If a driver crashes into a motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian and causes serious injury, the result is a tragedy not only for the injured person but for the driver of the vehicle that injured him as well. Luigi Fraschini Based in Cleveland, Driving Today Contributing Editor Luigi Fraschini writes frequently about automobile and motorcycle safety issues.

4 4 District Director s Where has the year gone? We have about reached the end of the riding season, for some of us anyway. I know many of you ride all year long. I do ride most of the year but it has to be at least 50 degrees. Wow we already had snow. This was a surprise. Hope it is not a indication of what is to come. The OPS Meeting will be this Saturday, November 15. Looking forward to seeing everyone. I know some of the chapters will be getting new CDs come the New Year. If you are going to be a new CD you are welcome to come to the OPS Meeting also. We are going to cover some important dates that need to have certain items completed and sent in to District. Also we will be covering the how to on Rider Education Forms and who to send to and when to send. Also we will cover when and who to send the Chapter Of the Year paperwork. The main topic of concern is the Tax paperwork. There is a little more but I won t bore you with the details here. I know that many of you will be having holiday get-togethers in the next few weeks and will not be having your scheduled gathering. This is always a fun time when everyone can get together to have fun and enjoy each others company. The Horizons Class is really coming together. The last time I spoke with Max and Richard we had over 20 people already registered to attend. This is great. We can get together and learn about the GWRRA. I Never dreamed that so many of you would sign up. Richard predicts that we may have as many as 30 people in the class. WOW! This is my first time teaching in the Horizon class and I am really looking forward to participating. Our next event will be the Sweetheart Ball on February 14 at Fall Creek Falls. We are asking the chapters to bring a basket. We will auction these baskets off and the money raised will be allotted to cover expenses for our new District Couple in their travels around the state. You know that attending all the chapters around the district can be expensive. We would like to help the new District Couple of the Year to cover some of their travel, and food expense. Spring Fling is coming together and we think that you are going to have a great time. The registration form is now posted on the District Web Page. We are getting registrations already and that is great. Get your registration in, we need you. We are also going to have a dunking booth, so pick your victim and get ready to put them in the Booth. What about the baking contest? Get your best pie recipe and get ready. Round up your chapter and join us! Gary and Patti Hamilton

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6 6 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. How do I get started? One idea is to contact your city, county or state, street and road engineer department. Here you can see if they have a CTST (Community Traffic Safety Team) and how you may volunteer to sit in on this team. Here is where they cover all aspects of safety in regards to the local area, from conditions of the roads, to traffic enforcement to signage and much, much more. By being a part of this team you can learn where the hot spots are causing motorcycle crashes and causes for those crashes. As a motorcyclist, you can offer insight as to how the motorcycles operate and what may be dangerous to a motorcyclist that may be no hazard for vehicles. One example would be when the contractors are resurfacing streets and they cut those grooves when they remove the top layers. To a vehicle that is an inconvenience, to a motorcycle it could be disastrous. There are other areas locally that may be doing this same type of improvements to the roads, so look around and get involved. Another way you can assist in the high crash areas would be to possibly place some of the yard signs Rider Education has available to help bring awareness to drivers that motorcycles are present. Other ways to help safe riding is to approach the local businesses that have the lighted scrolling billboards. You know the ones that change the message from "scratch and dent sale" "Now on sale for only $$$$" "Eat at Joe's Diner," etc... As those signs scroll through the messages ask the business to insert a PSA for motorcycle safety. Try having them use the message that Motorist Awareness uses "Watch out for Motorcycles" or "Look Twice Save a Life" there are many safety messages that can be used. Then, as these signs rotate through the safety message it will be seen 24/7 by the passing vehicles. Choose the locations that have the potential for maximizing exposure to the driving public. Using PSA's is one of the greatest ways to get the message out. In Florida there are Chapters in the Tampa area that has been having Safety PSA's played on the local radio stations. If you contact the Florida Rider Educator he can assist in acquiring those ads that were used. PSA's are Public Service Announcements. All form of media regulated by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) according to the license contract they must provide a certain amount of air time or print space for free PSA's. This in no way guarantees that YOUR message will be the one the station or paper uses. You need to be persistent in your efforts to receive the payoff of getting your message played or printed. As a Motorist Awareness Coordinator you can contact your local associations and ask if you would be able to do a 15 or 20 minute presentation at one of their monthly meetings. Who can you ask? Here are a few suggestions, the Moose, Elks, Eagles, VFW, American Legion, AARP Driving School, Blue Knights, Red Knights, Masonic Lodge, Shrine groups, School PTA's etc. The list can go on and on. Where do I get the presentations? Go to the National GWRRA Rider Education section and find the Motorist Awareness area. Click on that link and you will find different presentations and power points that you can use. Here you can also acquire hand outs and information to use. You can contact your area coordinator, state or region coordinator for assistance also. I hope this gives some insight as to how important your position is to all motorcycle riders in your area. You are the ambassador for GWRRA to the local community as you go out and promote safety. Through your efforts as Motorist Awareness Coordinators we have begun to make changes and are lowering the number of motorcycle involved crashes. While the number of registered motorcycles is increasing, crash data supports a decrease in incidents. You can take the satisfaction of knowing that your actions have played a part in these numbers decreasing. So now you have a better idea of what you can do as a Motorist Awareness Coordinator. "Read More Featured Stories From April 2013 Wingin' It.

7 7 RIDER EDUCATION submitted by: Joe & Gracie Mazza Assistant Director Rider Education Are Trikes Safer To Ride Than Two-Wheeled Motorcycles? A short article written by my good friend "Jake" Jacob from Chapter FL1-A, Tampa, Florida and published in the Chapter newsletter recently peaked my interest. Jake writes "I have been riding trikes since 1999 and I have never really wanted a two- wheeler, a trike suits me fine. I've talked to several people who have trikes and each of them have mentioned to me that they made the right decision to ride a trike. Trikes are much easier to ride on the road because what may be a road hazard to a two-wheeler doesn't affect a trike (most times). Some associate a trike with old age. Yes, many trikes on the road are ridden because of age. But you know, trikes are a lot of fun and much easier to hold up at a traffic light." I had ridden two wheels for many years and now, after having my bike triked in 2005, have been riding three wheels for the last nine years. There have been a number of riders I have spoken to over the years who stated they would rather give up riding than go from two wheels to three. Of course, that is their prerogative. However, that, to me, sounds a little bit like their ego talking. Also, while researching this article, I was surprised to read so many comments stating that trikes are just as dangerous as bikes, and in some cases, even more so. So I went to the experts, insurance companies, whose bottom line, like all big business, is making money. We have our motorcycle insurance through State Farm. In looking back on when we converted to a trike, I found that our insurance premiums stayed the same. Since the value of my motorcycle increased with the conversion and my premiums stayed the same, the logical reason had to be that according to the insurance company, my chances of making a claim just decreased. It's basically like the safe driving discount my driver education students received after completing our driver education classes. Here are some statistics I found from the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2011, 4,612 motorcyclists died in the United States during motorcycle accidents. Of the 4,612 deaths, 4,323 were riders and co-riders of two-wheeled motorcycles. That's 94% of all deaths. The other 6% were riders or co-riders on trikes, scooters, mopeds, mini bikes, pocket bikes and off roaders. Is it possible to be injured or killed on a trike? Of course. Remember, with all our training, there is always going to be some careless motorist who can take us out no matter how careful we are. However, the fact that I can't drop a trike and I would feel more comfortable during a quick (panic) stop on a trike, are just a couple of reasons this 73 year old likes his ride just fine, thank you.

8 8 Contest Announcement: Bob and Karla Greer Membership Enhancement Program Directors Most FUN Chapter Contest We recently sent an out to be distributed to every single Chapter in GWRRA announcing a very simple contest to find the most FUN Chapter in GWRRA. All Chapters are encouraged to participate and it is so easy, all Chapters should. The contest has two rules. You must have FUN The video should be inclusive of the entire regular monthly gathering With the technology we have today hopefully someone in every Chapter has the capability to record your gathering. The quality of the video will not be a factor in judging the most FUN Chapter. This is not a videographer contest to see who can make the best video. It is to see who has the most FUN regular monthly gathering in GWRRA. Amateur videos, smart phone recordings, etc. are all welcome and encouraged. After we find these FUN GWRRA Chapters, we plan on posting some of their videos on the GWRRA web page so non-gwrra members can see some of the FUN we have and also so other Chapters in GWRRA can get some good ideas of how to put some FUN in their own monthly gatherings. Ray Garris, GWRRA Director, has given up three fantastic prizes: First Place FUN Chapter will get a $ Gift Certificate to Dairy Queen Second & Third Place will get a $50 Dairy Queen Gift Certificate each Videos are due by March 20, 2015 and should be sent to: Bob Greer, Director of Membership Enhancement: Electronically at MEPDIR@ATT.NET Hard copy DVD/Flash Drive to me at: Bob Greer, 223 Begonia Court, Griffin, GA 30223

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12 12 Tennessee Chapter H Dixie Wings Franklin, Tennessee Tennessee Chapter H 1989 Mount Road Lewisburg, Tennessee Tel pinball1989@gmail.com We meet at Shoney s 1306 Murfreesboro Rd. Franklin, Tennessee We eat at 8:00 am We have a small meeting at 9:00 am Friend s For Fun, Safety and Knowledge