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 | Ride Schedule |
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| Safety Corner |
| Maintenance Tips |
| Member Pictures |
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| Good Reading |
| Chapter Awards Banquet |
| Reports |
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News Lake Country Riders held a shop day at the Lair Shop on Saturday, April 25, 2009. We had a fair number of participates. Some came to watch and offer assistance and some had work of one type or another that they wished to complete. We changed engine oil, final drive oil, changed out the brake and clutch fluid, checked brakes and other routine maintenance. We also checked, then removed an alternator that had gone bad. That bike is still awaiting an alternator. We had another individual bring his Valkyrie in that would not start. The engine would make a horrific sound when the starter engaged but would not turn over the engine. After considerable work we removed the starter and found that the drive gears had some teeth missing. To go further in the repair would have required engine removal and splitting of the cases. That is beyond the scope of shop day so we reassembled the bike for the owner. He will seek other sources for the repair. On Sunday, April 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. we had a parking lot practice/rider training session. The Retread Chapter was also invited as well as anyone else that wished to practice. The weather was windy enought that we couldn't use the cones but were able to use the flats and split tennis balls to mark out our course. We had a very short session of discussion where we tried to share some riding tips. We then rode on the range. We practiced making U-turns, riding in a circle, figure eights, weave, and offset weave. Our goal was to teach motorcycle control at low speeds such as one normally encounters in a parking lot. We then went to the street next to the parking lot to do an actual U-turn on a city street. We proceded to instruction and practice in picking a line through the curves by riding an S curve laid out on the parking lot. This was followed with emergency braking practice combined with swerve practice. The bikes involved were mostly wings but we did have a Harley, a Victory trike, three wing trikes, and a Suzuki V-Strom. The session ended with Motorcycle Awareness T-shirts being handed out to all riders. Motorcycle Awareness bumper stickers were then provided for all in attendance. The weekend was a good one. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Some benefited from the shop work and hopefully all benefitted from the riding practice. As usual for Lake Country Riders there was no charge for either activity. Our goal was to have a good time with good friends and perhaps to learn something at the same time. If you didn't make these events, I hope you can make the next ones. Don't forget the dinner rides every Tuesday and the every other Saturday rides. Please look at the schedule page for specific dates and locations. Keep the diry side down. Wiliferd and Charlotte Lair Region E Directors, GWTA MO, AR, TX, OK, CO, KS, & LA |
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Officers
Links Section
Director:
Steven Short
Asst. Director:
Phillip Duncan
Treasuer:
Mary Jarvis
Secretary:
Shauna Painter
Ride Coordinator:
Russell Painter
Newsletter Ed:
Kaye Ward
Safety Coordinator:
Roger Martens
Educator:
Ray Ward
Webmaster:
Wiliferd Lair
Asst. Webmstr:
Laura Donkers
REGION E GWTA COLORAMA 05 PIX GWTA NATIONAL SITE NEOSHO POWER SPORTS TALIMENA SCENIC DRIVE MOTELS IN EUREKA SPRINGS, AR
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Welcome to Chapter "L" of the Gold Wing Touring Association
Lake Country Riders is a group of motorcycle riders who enjoy their machines, seeing this beautiful country, and the pleasure of each other's company. If you would like to receive our emails and be considered a member of this group, drop an email to Wiliferd Lair, Chapter Director. There are no dues and no requirements. All are welcome. We schedule activities as the membership desires. These include regular local rides and more distant rides as desired and weather permitting. Our meetings are usually dinner meetings in which we have the chance to ride, eat, and enjoy the social climate of a group of fellow riders. Although we are a chapter of the Gold Wing Touring Association, membership in the association is not required for participation. While many of us ride a Gold Wing, that is a personal choice and is not, in any way, a requirement. Ownership of motorcycle is likewise not a requirement. If you had a bike, will have a bike, or just like to dream about bikes you are welcome. The only requirement is to have a good time and to respect the rights of others. There are no membership dues, no requirement to attend anything, and Lake Country Riders is ran entirely by the membership. The chapter officers are facilitators, the members make the decisions. All of us have times when our circumstances don't allow riding our bikes, but we would still like to attend the event. If you desire, you are welcome to join us in your automobile. The group is not about Goldwings or even bikes, it is about people. We can enjoy each other's company whether on a bike at the time or not. You are welcome regardless of your chosen brand of ride. We have members in our group riding a wide variety of bikes. Some people enjoy camping, others like to rough it by camping at a Holiday Inn. You are welcome at our activities regardless of your chosen accommodations.
Leaving for Polar Bear Ride 1-1-06
What It's All About
The 2008 Colorama was held October 10-12 at Eureka Springs, AR KOA. The change in location from previous years allowed us new roads and a change of scenery. We had many guided rides to allow participants to choose the riding style they prefer. There were written copies of routes available to the participants for use before and after the rally. That allowed them to enjoy the great roads and scenery available in the Ozarks area. These roads have been documented in several major motorcycle magazines as some of the best in the USA for motorcycles.
The small registration fee included a Saturday dinner of all you can eat BBQ, and all the fixins. A dinner ride took place on Friday night. Seminars were offered on riding the twisties. We had a camper visitation, a slide presentation, and a GPS question/answer session. A large group campfire, with entertainment, was held Friday and Saturday nights providing a great opportunity to visit with old friends and to make new ones. The event is all about riding great roads and visiting with other riders. If you missed Colorama '08, you missed a great one.
Ride coordinator Bill Jarvis schedules dinner rides, subject to the approval of the membership, every Tuesday April through October. These rides will be reasonable in length to allow the group to reach the destination, enjoy a good meal and make the return trip without being out too late.
Other dinner rides may be planned as desired by the membership. During the cooler months of the year, the dinner rides will be less frequent and of less distance from Springfield.
One may expect the dinner rides to be a relaxed pace which can be enjoyed by all.
The dinner rides are on the calendar on this web site. If you would like to suggest a change or another dinner ride, please contact Bill or Mary Jarvis, Ride Coordinators. Click on full size calendar for more information. If you should choose to meet us at the restaurant be sure to let one of us know in advance as the group may choose, for good reason, to go elsewhere after they meet to leave. If we know you are meeting us at the restaurant no changes will be made.
Hitting the Road
If there are any suggestions as to how we could make the rides a better or safer experience for you, please contact the Chapter Directors, Wiliferd and Charlotte Lair or one of the other officers. It is the desire of the Lake Country Riders to have something for everyone but our best chance of succeeding occurs if we hear from you.
Week end rides will usually be scheduled approximately every other week end. These rides will usually cover from 100 to 250 miles or more and may, at times, involve overnight trips. These rides will frequently be to a specific destination as chosen by the membership.
Depending on the desires of the participants, there may be two groups to ride with. Some enjoy viewing the scenery when riding while others enjoy a more aggressive riding style. It is the desire of the organization to accommodate the needs of the membership.
The weekend rides are on the calendar on this website. Click on full size calendar for more information.
Awaiting Ferry in Arkansas
The group will plan overnight events as the membership sees fit. These will involve motorcycle camping for those that camp and motels for those that prefer to rough it with color TV. Trips planned may be as close as 100 miles or as far away as 800 miles. Some of our members are planning to attend functions in Colorado, Minnesota, and Tennessee and would welcome company. Overnight events scheduled are on the calendar on this web site.
One of the functions of any group of friends is the ability to do things of interest on the spur of the moment. Beautiful riding days are planned by a force much higher than ourselves. When we have the opportunity to enjoy the weather on our bikes we can contacts others to see if they might like to enjoy it with us. These events, though unscheduled, are a big part of what riding and friendship is all about. Examples might be as simple as a tour through the country side to explore a great road. It could also be a trip of a few hundred miles for a nice weekend trip. Another time it may be a workday where friends get together to help and assist each other installing safety chrome or routine maintenance on their rides.
Purpose of the Chapter
We ride, we eat, and we ride some more!!!
Our organization exists at the pleasure of the members. Our sole purpose for being is to enjoy the one thing we have in common--our interest in motorcycling---and the friendships we have made and will make as a result of our unique interest. Those who have rode with the Gold Wing Touring Association for several years have made friends throughout this great nation and in Canada. These friendship endure for many years. These friendships are what the organization is all about. It doesn't matter what one rides, or other factors as social status, or vocation. We, by definition, have something in common that binds us together. We have a deep interest in motorcycling and in friendship with each other.
