The Monthly Newsletter of the Jerseypine Cruisers Motorcycle Touring Club

September

2012

Doc’s Dreams

Well I have been talking with most of the members and find that most all of you have been out and about riding in spite of our recent ungodly hot weather. For those that I haven't talked to lately I can only assume (and hope) you have been doing the same.

It was certainly nice to see some of you on the Moonshine Run a few weekends ago. The Illinois roads may be a little boring but the stop in Pontiac for the museums and lunch was worthwhile and should be considered as "must-sees" when you are in this area. Our dinner at the Mexican restaurant across from the hotel was delicious and afterward Linda and I had a soak in the hot tub with two of our practicing Olympic hopefuls. The next morning I was running a little behind, which delayed our departure a few minutes from the scheduled 8:30 leave time, so of course everyone took the opportunity to harass the hell out of me. (Some might want to consider that I won't be President forever and that payback can be a bitch.) Our ride to the restaurant took us down some very rural farm roads which was conveniently located in the middle of nowhere. There was a pretty massive number of bikes and cars present when we arrived a few minutes after 11 a.m. and there was already a long line for placing your order. The line moved surprisingly quickly and almost before you could say "where's my burger" they were calling your name at the pick-up window. After our leisurely lunch, and a visit from Ken and Lynn's grandchildren, we headed for home. Both days were absolutely gorgeous riding days. You could not wish for anything better, the sun was out and the temperatures were in the 70's with roads that were mostly free of traffic. Thanks Ken and Lynn for planning this event and leading the ride.

* * *

On Sunday morning, August 26th, at 0'Dark-Thirty in the A.M., Linda and I joined with

Chairman Mike O'Malley and his Co-Chair Joe Fiedler to participate in our Annual Cruiser's Memorial/Sunrise Breakfast Run to Montrose Harbor on Chicago's lakefront. We were joined on this ride by approximately 21 bikes and 25 of our fellow Cruisers and were graced with the presence of Al's family at the lakefront. In addition to the annual reading of the names of our departed members, Co-Chair Fielder read his tribute to Al, Bill and Fred. After the ceremony most of the group headed north on Sheridan Road for breakfast at the Full Moon restaurant in North Chicago. The weather looked threatening most of the morning but I managed to get within 5 minutes of home before we got rained on. Thanks Mike and Joe for hosting this important Cruiser event.

* * *

While I was unable to attend the River Road North Run up to Winona, it was relayed to me that the weather was perfect and the roads chosen by Ken and Rick can only be described as "AWESOME". It was reported that all attending had a good time and I surely wish we could have attended as we certainly missed a good one.

* * *

We have a few events on our calendar this month so don't forget the following: Autumn in the Irish Hills, September 7, 8 and 9th and the Earlier than Dinner run on Saturday, September 15th. Please consult the JPC website for additional information on these events.

Ride safe.

Dennis ’Doc’ Hyde

Words of wisdom from Bill Lindwall:

Save the earth.

It's the only planet with

chocolate!

River Road North

Ken McCall

Rick Tymczuk

Moonshine

Ken Vicker

Lynn Vicker

Sunrise Memorial

Mike O’Malley

Joe Fiedler

JOB WELL DONE

It is through the sacrifices and efforts of

members like the above that keeps the JPCs

the best darn club around.

Awards & Recognition

River Road North

Perfection means different things to different people. What is perfection? The River Road North event was one definition of perfection. The weather for the event was perfect – cool temperatures, sunny, blue skies

and not a drop of rain, although the skies threatened on Sunday. The roads were perfect – a mix of twisties and curves, tree lined roads along the river, no gravel, light traffic and great scenery along the Great River Road. There were some great roads coming back through Wisconsin, especially through Mindoro cut. The group was perfect- a smaller group of veteran group riders that got along very well and had a great time together. We started out with 12 people and nine bikes from the Marengo Travel America truck stop. Two people left and returned home after lunch in Potosi, WI at the Potosi Brewing Company. There is an interesting display of the history of the brewery and a big display of beer bottles in the building. Across the street, there is a wine and candy shop that we visited. After lunch we headed up the Great River Road to Winona. On Saturday, we headed up along the river towards Stillwater, MN, where we encountered

the most traffic of the day. When we came back to Winona, we went up to Garvin Heights, which is a scenic overlook over Winona. At this point Ken had led us almost 600 miles without a U-turn. The group followed Joe to dinner, about three miles, and made a U-turn, which was the only one for the weekend. Sunday, we traversed over the county roads of Wisconsin as we meandered back to Illinois. Truly, it was a weekend of good roads, good weather, a good group of people and a good time or in other words a perfect event.

From the High Chair Greetings and salutations fellow cruisers. August has been a very nice month for riding as it wasn’t as hot as July. And we had many events for the month: Ken and Rick had the River Road North Ride earlier in the month, then Ken and Lynn had the Moonshine

Overnight Ride. The following week we had our Sunrise Memorial Breakfast Run, this in addition to our regular Sunday Breakfast rides. Indeed a full month. Our August meeting included the initial planning meeting for the 2013 calendar year. And we are off to a good start with the usual campouts and many reoccurring events. Please remember, we always have room for more, nothing is cast in stone. If you have an idea for a ride or an event please bring it up, as we can always add it to the calendar. We had additional discussions on whether to move our starting point for the Sunday rides, or not. Sorry to say, nothing was resolved, but we did get additional viewpoints, as well as the results of the survey that Tom had asked to be done. The results should be in the newsletter. More to follow in September's meeting. Oy vey. September again looks like a full month. Starting out with the "Autumn in the Irish Hills Campout" by Joe and Steve P., followed by the "Earlier than Dinner Run" by Tom and Sandy (the 15th). For those of you interested in a charity ride the next day, you have the Ride for Autism Speaks on the 16th. Also, it's time to think about running for office, or should I say for the board. We do need people involved in the club to guide it along for the following year. My two-year stint will be up in March, and I'm looking forward to a one-year hiatus to recuperate and have some additional time for rides and events. So please consider spending a little quality time for, and on the club.

On a personal note, I'm glad I had three wheels on the Memorial ride. I took a corner a little too hot, and did some unexpected off-roading. That sure wakes you up in a hurry. Surprisingly, no scratches on the bike. I will return to the scene sometime soon, and make sure I get it right for the next time. So what did I learn? It does take a while to learn your limits on a new bike. Take the time to learn your bike, its limits, and yours. As usual, drive safely, and avoid those crazy bicyclists, cagers, and especially politicians this year. See you around.

Stephen Czyz

The following photos were submitted by Bill and Jean Mumford depicting the Motorcycle memorial in Door County Wisconsin and showing a portion of the bricks.

Moonshine Overnight Run Picture a cool, calm, August morning, without a cloud in the sky, and you’ll understand the beauty of the

recent day when 14 of us with 12 bikes departed from Elburn, Illinois, on the Moonshine Overnight Run. It soon warmed up to perfect temperatures and at the first stop, layers were shed. With Pontiac, IL being the first destination, and after a stop in Dwight, we headed down Route 66, which follows the old paved highway looping through towns that still house buildings, many now restored, that were once busy with travelers before the Interstates were developed. In Pontiac, we visited the Livingston County War Museum, which proved to be a moving experience. It was founded in 1917, and among other War memorabilia and exhibits, it houses a huge number of mannequins dressed in authentic uniforms from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and even current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The uniforms have either been donated or lent by veterans and/or their families. Each uniform was labeled with as much information as possible about the person who wore it (sometimes even a photo of the person in the uniform). Many local military veterans were available and anxious to explain all there was to see. This treasure of a museum respectfully honors the service of America’s veterans and is highly recommended as a destination in and of itself. While in Pontiac, we also visited the U.S. Route 66 Museum, the Wall Dog Museum and the Oakland-Pontiac Museum. Lunch was handled efficiently by the staff of DeLong’s Restaurant in downtown Pontiac. Before leaving town, we gathered in front of the U.S. Route 66 mural. There, a nice lady from the museum volunteered to patiently take our photos with approximately six of our cameras.

The time spent in Pontiac seemed to be enjoyed by all. From Pontiac we had a leisurely ride, with only one manageable construction detour, to the Quality Inn in Forsythe, IL., where our numbers increased by one. We walked across two parking lots to the local Mexican restaurant and without reservations, they quickly set up a long table for the 15 of us. Salsa, chips and meals were good, as were the beers, margaritas and sangria. One of the most “interesting” dinners in our group was a completely whole tilapia, head, skin and all, served staring up at a shocked guest. It was very quickly sent back to the kitchen and soon replaced with extremely acceptable and deliciously filleted tilapia. After dinner, our evening then became one of socializing in the parking lot, hotel lobby, and watching the synchronized swimming exhibition in the hotel pool. We were happily joined by two more Cruisers who boogied down to Forsythe to join us. The next morning we left at approximately 8:35 (be sure to ask who was late for the 8:30 kick stands up!). The count was now up to 17 people and 15 bikes. The weather was picture perfect again, and we enjoyed the ride to Moonshine Store, population 2, arriving there at approximately 11:15 a.m. We were greeted with a scene of hundreds of motorcycles parked everywhere and the line to order Moonshine Burgers was out the store door and about ½ block down the road. We were joined by four JPC’s family members

and we had a total of 21 (including two children) in our group at Moonshine. The line moved at a surprisingly fast pace, giving those who were interested enough time to pick out souvenir t-shirts, patches, etc. The burgers were served by calling out the names of the person who ordered, and the picnic tables outside were packed with diners. Especially entertaining was the event chairman, who was walking around holding his five month old granddaughter, being certain that every single member of our group met her. She didn’t seem to mind and loved sucking on a corner of her grandpa’s newly purchased Moonshine t-shirt. Our ride left Moonshine after all the Moonburgers had been inhaled and we headed in the general direction of home. A few of the group chose to ride back home taking a variety of “alternative” routes (stories worth repeating by some) leaving about 11 of us to enjoy the leisurely route planned by the chairman. All-in-all, the two day event was a success, and we truly hope that everyone enjoyed themselves on this unique ride to Pontiac and the Moonshine Store.

Ken Vicker, Chairman Lynn Vicker, Co-chair

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From The Bleachers

Late-Night Musings

Every now and then I forget (purposely?) the

stage of life that I am currently a resident of. I

know some of my friends would argue against

this, but my mind functions as nimbly as it did

when I was in my 20's yet my body doesn't,

and that is unfortunate.

For starters, I find myself every now and then

getting on the Wing late at night, which for me

is now around 7 p.m. There was a time, before

all, the "legally-impaired" drivers and our

exploding deer population made it so

dangerous, when my late-night riding would

start at 11 p.m. and last for hours, sometimes

until the morning sun made its appearance. But

for a number of reasons, that ship has sailed

and my real late night escapades have virtually

stopped.

Lucy has the good sense to just let me go

when I have a yen to make one of these late-

night runs. I think she just enjoys the peace

and quiet when I am gone. Anyway, I head

west on the semi back-road route I have

worked out since moving to Addison to get to

the farm roads west of Elgin. On these in

frequent evening jaunts I usually ride around

100 miles by the time I return home and for

those of us that reside in this part of Illinois this

ride on these roads is about as good as it gets.

I thoroughly enjoy my own peace and quiet that

riding alone affords me and sometimes even a

hint of a cool evening breeze; refreshing after a

sweltering summer day. In times past I even

enjoyed a sky full of stars on these rides, but

living in this area, with our suburban sprawl

and all the light and brightness emitted into our

nighttime sky, stars in the sky are only a

memory.

I have taken to firing up the Wing and riding off

on early morning excursions There's something

to be said about starting the day bright and

early, cruising on what passes for winding

roads with the wind hitting you in the face and

the ever present, but not overpowering

morning smells that you can't quite experience

from behind the wheel of your car. Bugs

whacking you in the windshield rocks flying up

from the passing cars & trucks. Ah, isn't

motorcycling fun?

I have realized that I do not get enough of

these special mornings and I suppose that it is

my own fault as, even in retirement, I need to

make more time to enjoy these little pleasures.

I've ridden every hour on the clock but I have

found there is nothing like a late night or early

morning run on a two-lane road. Everything

about a motorcycle comes into play when you,

your bike and the road are all alone. The

engine seems to run harder, I'm sure it sounds

better, and the suspension has just the right

feel and perfectly absorbs the roads

undulations and the rumble strips.

It's a real bummer getting older but it does beat

the alternative. And while I can't get out there

and ride those 1,000 mile days as I once did, I

still get out on the bike and remember why I

ride, and why riding is what it's all about.

Steve Penczak

Rick Tymczuk- Sept. 1

Bob Crosson- Sept. 13th

Special tribute to Al Large and Bill Thedorf

Sept. 7-9 – Irish in the Autumn Hills Camp out Sept. 15 – Earlier Than Dinner Run Sept. 20– Old Fart’s Coffee Sept. 25- Board & Membership Meeting

September

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October

SU M T W TH F SA

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For flyers of club events, click on

the event name below:

Sept. 15 - Earlier Than Dinner Run

Oct. 19-21 Fall Campout Nov. 3 Mexican Pot Luck & Bunco Fiesta Sundays- Breakfast Rides 3rd Thursday of the Month - Old

Farts Coffee

New Event Added to the

Calendar at the August

Meeting!

Oct. 6 –Jelly Belly Ride Oct. 13 – Fall Color Tour Oct. 18 –Old Fart’s Coffee Oct. 19-21- Fall Camp out Oct. 23 – Board & Membership Meeting

Ride for Autism Speaks

Sunday, September 16th

For details, visit: http://ride.autismspeaks.org/faf/home/

default.asp?ievent=1003036

Results of JPC General Membership Survey –

August 2012

Survey was sent to 65 members (Life, Regular, Associates & Browncards). As of August 21st there were 34 responses.

Yes NO Question 1. Do you feel that leaving our 22 12 McDonalds by making a left turn 64% 36% onto Oakton is unsafe? Question 2. Should we look at alternative ways 23 6 to leave our McDonalds that would 79% 20%

be safer?

Question 3. Pick the options you would prefer Turn Right from K-Marts parking lot 20 3 onto Lee Street

87% 13% Question 4. Should we continue to meet at our 25 9

McDonalds? 73% 26%

Question 5. Suggestions for alternative locations

-West of Route 53 -Further west (between Randall Road and Route 53) -West of the Woodfield corridor but no further west than Barrington Road or south of route 72. -Anywhere West of Rt. 53 -The Hoffman Estates McDonalds works for me. -Des Plaines should remain our "Official" Sunday morning meeting place but we should allow the advertising of an alternative leave point if someone is willing to lead a ride from another location. This is just like what we have been doing for some dinner runs and overnight club events. -No location is perfect, old friends of club won’t find us -Locations are the responsibility of the leader and is allowed in our by-laws -Market Square Restaurant in Wheeling opens early has a large parking area coffee is available and there is easy access to main roads such as Dundee and 83 Elmhurst Road

Question 6. Should we meet at our McDonalds 5 22 During the non-riding season and 18% 81% meet at the alternative location during the riding season?

Question 7. Is the being separated by traffic control 34 0 devices, traffic, trains, etc. just a 100% 0% condition of group riding?

Question 8. To minimize the problem of group separation pick the options you prefer. Ride in smaller groups 6 23

20% 79% Have the leader stop and let the group 23 9 regroup 71% 28% -Simply follow the established rules for group rides and review group riding rules before each ride. -Require members to lead rides if they wish to retain their right to vote -State destination. Ride normally. Re-group only at SAFE location. Man turns. The group will come back together without major pull-offs as stops become less frequent. This is based on leading past rides. -Have 5-10 bike groups, and rejoin into full group when past major towns by having pre-arranged meeting point. -On a longer ride maybe we ought to designate re-grouping spots along the route, where the leader will stop for X-number of minutes for the group to re-constitute itself. -Often leaders do not have CB very difficult to always be together with no direction from leader of ride without CB. -People need to listen at riders meeting instead of talking; we give clear destination info always. -What is GWRRAY? -Though the groups are smaller, they could all be going to the same destination. CB communication in a group of any size is an over looked help to all rides -Meet out west to avoid the Woodfield Corridor with all of its lights -Have a designated waiting stop out of the traffic zones. The stop would change as to the route taken. People just need to learn how to group ride and not worry about staying in one big line of bikes. -Continue as we have been doing. as long as the last bike stays at a turn until the rest catch up we all get to the destination together. -Have the leader slow down in the right hand lane and let the group catch up. -Having bikes with CB's throughout the group will also make these separations easier. If I wanted to drive like the GWRRA I would join them -Our ride policy is for the last bike at a corner waits. Enforce it! -To expand on question 6, if we want to attract non-member riders we need to meet at the same place year round. -Whatever happened to when the group makes a turn - the last bike that made the turn waits at the corner for the rest of the group to catch up? Used to work - until the group leaders stopped promoting that behavior. -Everyone should stay 2/3 seconds behind the bike ahead of you

From the Editor

The September issue was delayed for three reasons:

1) I was waiting for copy and photographs from contributors 2) I was out riding in the sidecar all Labor Day weekend instead of working on

the newsletter 3) Life happens…work, family, other commitments, etc.