February, 2014 Volume 15, Issue 2 G.W.R.R.A., REGION H, TEXAS DISTRICT, CHAPTER W Chapter TX-W Directors Vern & Suzanne Neal January is over and despite some chilly weather the weekends were mostly good riding weather. We got rides in every weekend.recent Rides included: Saturday Jan 4 to Bellville Mexican (led by Vernon) Saturday Jan 11 to Blessing Hotel ( led by Bernard & Roger C) Saturday Jan 18 to Yankees, Carlos (led by Roger C) Saturday Feb 1 to Bellville Mexican ( led by Vernon & Roger C) Chapter W Mee ngs are s ll held every 1 st Thursday @ 7PM at Rudy s BBQ in Katy. The Planning Mee ngs are held at a different loca on each month. These are held the 3 rd Thursday @ 7PM. The first one was held in Sugarland at Live Oak Grill. The next Planning loca on will be in Katy at the La Finca Mexican Restaurant located at 23930 Westheimer. Give us your sugges ons we want to vary the food from BBQ. A few future rides include: Sat Mar 1 Houston Rocket Bike Night ahughes@rocketball.com Mar 10 14 Spring Break ( Florida, Big Ben, Three Sisters) Fri April 3 5 Region H Conven on Marshall (Vernon & Suzanne ) Sat April 12 Linsay Founda on Porter TX (Charley) Sat May 10 Cy Fair Proceeds Fallen Fire, Police, EMS (Charley) July 2 5 WING DING Madison WI Aug 29 31 GWRRA Nashville Lynn is working on the details for Riding Mileage awards. Details to follow. Vern & Suzanne Neal Chapter Directors Our Meeting Place and Time GWRRA Texas Chapter "W" holds its chapter meetings on the first and third Thursdays of each month. The first currently at Rudy s BBQ, 21799 Katy Freeway, Katy, TX 77450 (I-10 just east of Mason Rd.). The second will move month to month so see our calendar. The first is our regular chapter meeting while the second meeting is an informal planning meeting/social gathering.
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 PAGE 2 NORTHWEST HONDA 10102 North Freeway (I-45 @ West Road) Houston, Texas 77037 YOUR ONE STOP TOY SHOP HONDA DUCATI Tuesday thru Friday: 9am to 7 pm Saturday: 9am to 5pm Parts: Service: Sales: Fax: (281) 447-6337 (281) 447-0316 (281) 447-3476 (281) 447-9532 www.lunsfordshonda.com
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 Take time to THINK! PAGE 3 In this hurried generation wherein our roads are occupied by a large volume of vehicles, the chance of being stuck in a heavy traffic is quite high. This is one of the reasons people choose riding their motorcycles to reach their daily destinations with some ease. Another thing is; motorcycles are more fuel-efficient. This enables the bike owners to save more money for their other expenses. On the other hand, due to the increasing popularity of motorcycles, rapid growth in the number of motorcycle accidents has resulted. Each year, at least five percent of all road casualties are attributed to motorcycle crashes. Clearly motorcyclists are considerably unprotected in a motorcycle since it has no protective metal cage to ensure the safety of the rider. In addition, motorcycles also lack any safety gadgets such as air bags (except some Gold Wings) and/or safety belts. Thus, it is no match to a fearsome semi-truck or any other four-wheeler. To lessen the possibility of being involved in a motorcycle accident that can cause serious bodily injuries, the rider may follow these tips: - Be courteous and respectful to other motorist who use the roads - Never practice tailgating Remember 2 second MINIMUM Following Distance Avoid riding a motorcycle when you are under the influence of liquor or any over counter medications like antihistamines Have your medical information and emergency contact somewhere others can readily find it. Do not ride between slow moving vehicles Recognize and follow the traffic rules and ordinances Utilize signals whenever necessary Be cautious especially at road intersections Always check the side mirrors for possible upcoming vehicles Be watchful on road hazards and defects as well as traffic problems ahead Always be in a position where the other motorists clearly see you and you can see all around and ahead Maintain a safe speed that you are most comfortable with consistent with your driving capability and road conditions Wear your protective gears such as a helmet, jackets, proper footwear and gloves There are still other ways to prevent motorcycle accidents and injuries like taking the MSF ERC a/k/a BRC Suite II. Read books like Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling. Ride with riders more experienced than you to learn from them. If they go to fast for you, a good mentor will slow down until you get more comfortable. This is very important in group riding. Remember The RIDE = DESTINATION Lynn & Cindy Harris, Chapter Educators
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 PAGE 4 March, 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Upcoming Events for March 6th Chapter Meeting 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 20th Planning Meeting 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23/30 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 Check our web site calendar for last minute events. www.gwrra-txw.org 3 If you re a rider in Texas, motorcycle insurance from Suzanne Sansom Insurance Services Inc. can protect both you and your bike. At Suzanne Sansom Insurance Services Inc., we believe that good insurance is no accident and our dedicated agents will take the time to find you insurance products that are reliable and affordable. We are an independent agency and we will shop for the top carriers in the country to satisfy all of your personal insurance needs. www.sansominsurance.com/personal insurance/motorcycle insurance/ 3522 S. Mason Rd., Suite 260 Katy, TX 77450 Phone: 832-437-4180 Fax: 832-772-4325 Email: suzanne@sansominsurance.com Motorcycle ~ Life ~ Auto ~ Home ~ Commercial www.sansominsurance.com
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VOLUME 15 15 ISSUE 2 2 TEXAS CYCLE CHROME PAGE 6 Wing and Cruiser Accessory Headquarters Chrome, Safety, Convenience and Maintenance items 713-983-8700 or 866-983-8701 17352 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77040 10:00AM - 6:00PM Monday - Friday / 12:00PM - 5:00PM Saturday / Closed Sunday www.texascyclechrome.com February Birthdays John Palmour, 17th Anniversaries Bernard & Terrie Schmitz, 6th
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 PAGE 7 FLEXING OUR WINGS A LITTLE TEXAS HISTORY BY: JIM VARDAMAN
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 PAGE 8 Katy home of the 2014 goldwing and the Can-Am Spyder RT Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Closed Closed 22515 KATY FWY KATY, TX 77450 Phone: 281 392 8850 Fax: 281 392 6162 www.wildwesthonda.com About Us Located in Katy, Texas since 1983. Wild West Honda is an authorized dealer for Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, KTM, Sea-Doo, & Can-Am. Click, Call, or Come on by! OFFICERS Position Name Phone Number Chapter Directors Vern & Suzanne Neal (281) 295-9150 Assistant Chapter Director Ed & Kerrie Johnson (832) 341-8802 Treasurer Cindy Harris (386) 846-8521 Membership Enhancement OPEN Newsletter Editor Steve Wilkening (713) 899-6855 Chapter Educator Lynn & Cindy Harris (386) 527-4416 Chapter Historian Jim Vardaman (281) 495-2748 Ride Coordinator Roger Caron (832) 868-8976 Webmaster Steve Wilkening (713) 899-6855