ON
THE ROAD
Donnie Rice
Well
here I am on the road again, this time with a Honda (Accord). I still don't
have a working bike. The Beemer has more damage than I thought, and THE BLUE MULE
hasn't arrived. We are in Niagara Falls visiting Shirley's relatives. The
weather is great, cold, and everything is green. I will never return to New
York without a good sleeping bag or a coat even in the summer time. I saw a lot
of bikes on the road mostly Harleys and Harley clones with some Gold Wings
mixed in. I met two BMW riders from Canada who had been to our rally, and one
of the Memphis club members in a restaurant south of Louisville, KY. He had
been to the Finger Lakes Rally and had seen Fred Counts there. We even saw an
old Honda 400 loaded down for a trip, as I always say if it runs you can tour
with it.
Along the interstate it's like you
never leave home the same restaurants, gas stations and motels. Sometimes I
think we are becoming a homogenized society losing our local identity to
national franchises. The only way to see the country is on BLUE HIGHWAYS. The
folks in up state new York are a lot like the folks in up state Arkansas very
friendly and helpful. Rod and I are going to have a very busy fall. We plan to
attend the RETURN to SHILOH rally (its too hot in Texas) ride the BLUE RIDGE
and the FALLING LEAF rally. I also have to but 1000 miles on the MULE before
September 26. See you on the road
Fifteen Years on an Airhead
By Rod Kilduff
Fifteen
years ago, on December 30, 1985, I purchased a very slightly used BMW R100
motorcycle from a man here in Conway.
The bike had 12,975 miles on it and was in perfect condition. A black R100 with a Luftmeister fairing, a
Reynolds backrest and tail rack and BMW saddle bags. I was the third owner and this was my first BMW. I that time I had been riding a Suzuki
GS550B, that I had set up with a fairing and saddlebags. I knew that I wanted a BMW and had done a
lot of research, to include riding one at Danny’s BMW in Ft. Smith. I wasn’t really shopping for one but this
one kind of seemed to be destined for me, so to speak.
I
was at work and a friend in a nearby cubical had one of those Mid South Auto
for Sale Newsletters. I asked to
see
it and in leafing through it I spotted this BMW motorcycle for sale. Then I
read the add and found out it was here in Conway, and the contact phone number
was only one digit less than mine. Of
course I just had to call about it. It
turned out mine was the only response the he had gotten. He had a collection of antique cars and
bikes that he had restored and just wasn’t riding the BMW enough to keep it. I
arranged to go over and see it and then took it for a test ride. The bike was absolutely perfect. I rode it around a bit and took it home to
show my wife. I really could not afford
to buy it but she surprised me by coming up with a scheme to help me get
financing. She suggested that we use a
CD we had as collateral. I returned the
bike and told the man I would see if I could get financing. Obviously I was able to purchase the bike
shortly thereafter. It was my 40th
birthday present to myself.
Now
almost fifteen years later I just turned over the odometer at 100,000
miles. It rolled over on the way home
from the Hillbilly Rally, just west of Morrilton, on September 17th. at
about 2:30 PM. As luck would have it
there was a small duster strip and airplane that Harlan said belonged to one of
our club members, Kirk Price. So we
parked in front of the airplane and took the historic, at least for me,
picture. Between the BMW aviation
heritage and my aviation history this just seemed the appropriate thing to
do.
I
have been talking about this approaching milestone all summer. I suppose those I have been around will be
glad I finally got there, so I will quit carrying on about it! To many of you this is no big deal, but I
find it a significant personal accomplishment.
I had told my wife, when we talked about buying it, that with This
Bike I could ride it 100,000 miles and would never need to buy another
one. I’m still short of personally
riding a BMW 100,000 miles but have made the mileage on all of my bikes
combined. I didn’t buy my first bike
until age 33. When my third daughter
was born I decided I would have to go buy own toys. All of my National Guard service really limited my riding until I
retired in 1995.
In
all this time I can say that the bike never let me down mechanically and always
got me there and got me home. Except for the 1997 BMW MOA National at
Fredericksburg, Texas, where I got rear ended on the way home. The bike was still rideable even then, so
that doesn’t really count, does it? That’s not to say I haven’t had some
mechanical problems, but nothing that prevented me from getting home under my
own power.
Maintenance History:
17
Oil and filter changes, plus a couple before I got it.
9
Transmission, shaft and final drive oil changes
8
fork oil changes
5
sets of tires, lube wheel bearings.
5
batteries
5
Transmission input shaft clean/lube, repack swing arm bearings, wheel bearings.
3
carburetor rebuilds, several cleanings
3
clutch cables
2
replacement sets of steering head bearings
2
sets of fork seals
2
voltage regulators (probably not necessary)
2
sets of brake pads
2
sets of spark plug wires
2
sets of pushrod seals
1
Front snowflake wheel (recall warranty replacement)
1
valve job at 39,731 due to exhaust valve wear (low lead gas)
1
clutch
1
alternator rotor and brushes
1
brake master cylinder
1
set throttle cables
1
throttle twist grip gear
1
set of coils
1
fork rebuild
1
oil pressure sending unit
1
shifter oil seal
1
speedometer/odometer repair
1
rebuilt starter
Occasional
air filters, spark plugs, etc.
Modifications that I made:
Handle
bar set backs
Russell
Day Long Saddle
Oil
Cooler (BMW)
Additional
lights
Reynolds
rideoff center stand
Side
stand (maker unknown)
Oil
temp. Indicator
Voltmeter
Clock
Heated
grips
Fork
Gaiters
Fairing
mounted mirrors
Trailer
hitch and trailer
Repairs After the Accident:
New
Saddlebags
New
Reynolds Daylong Saddle
Replacement
seat cowl
Front
wheel brake disks
New
paint (smoke red)
New
Reynolds rack and saddlebag mounts
Replacement
trailer and hitch
The bike still looks good and runs
great, with the after accident repairs the old bike looks like new. I have
never needed to add any oil between changes, except when the pressure switch
failed and started leaking. I intend
to start going through it mechanically to get it as near like new as possible
and then continue to ride and enjoy it. Hey, it’s a classic! I bought a ‘97 K1100LT in April. I can only hope the K will do as well as the
R has done. K bike people say it will.
Bentonville BMW’s July Ride
By Gwen Rakes
Fifteen
riders met at 7:30 am in Bentonville for a ride into Oklahoma. Taking 72 west out of Bentonville we turned
south on 59 and 10 along the Illinois River to Tahlequah returning to Siloam
Springs to eat lunch at Otto’s restaurant, Family Sirloin. We were home early to beat the heat. I was
pleased, as I was also able to watch the men’s Tennis finals at Wimbledon
England. Next Ride will be Sunday 14th
of august also leaving at 7:30 am.
BMW
Bentonville - August Sunday Ride
Sixteen
bikes and twenty-two people rose early and met at Bentonville BMW Cycle at 7.30
a.m. It was a pleasantly cool morning with a temperature of 62 and low
humidity. We rode highway 12 and 23 to Withrow Springs Park, then on down into
and through Huntsville continuing south on 23, then taking 74 into Kingston and
back up 21 to Berryville, it is getting dry, but with all the rain that fell in
June the landscape is still green and pretty. We stopped at the Pub on 86 for
brunch, and returned home via Eagle Rock and Roaring River State Park and then
on to 90 across Missouri, all of your favorite curvy roads, arriving home
around 12.30 p.m. a nice ride and home before it heat started to bother us.
Bentonville
BMW September Ride
Nineteen bikes and twenty-eight people
met at Bentonville Cycle Sunday 10th September at 9.30 a.m. for the monthly
ride. The weather was still warm, and as the day progressed the temperatures
rose, never the less we had a really nice ride up into Missouri to The Jolly
Mill for a picnic lunch, under the shade of the trees, covered tables and a
pavilion, along by the side of the lake, waterfall and streams, it was quite
pleasant, and a nice breeze kept blowing. The Jolly Mill is an old site of a
former working mill that was built in 1848, and had been in continuous use until
twenty five years ago. The flower gardens still had flowers blooming in them,
and the bridges over the water made crossing back and forth easy, if one did
not want to wade in the water, as I did! We rode up and back on the quiet
country roads that are so nice in Missouri. It was nice to have Lee Kubicki who
came up from Alma to ride with us. The next ride in October will be on Sunday
8th. leaving at 9.30 a.m. we will ride down 23 to Wiederkehr's winery for
lunch, around noon, hope some of the central folks can come and join us.
Motorcyclist's Troubles Multiply When He Collides With Deer
From Arkansas Game and Fish Magazine
Submitted by
Steve Smith
As Arkansas's
deer numbers increase, so do the problems of deer on roads. Deer‑vehicle
collisions are common.
A car or truck
hitting a deer usually results in the death of the animal and some damage to
the vehicle. Occasionally, a vehicle swerving to miss a deer on a highway
results in a wreck and injury to the driver or passengers.
A recent deer‑motorcycle
collision near Bryant in northern Saline County had severe results. Wildlife
officer Chris Carpenter of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said a 31‑year‑old
Little Rock resident riding a borrowed Honda motorcycle hit a doe deer on
Sparks Road.
The pregnant
deer was killed instantly, cut in half by the impact. The motorcycle was a
total loss, and the cyclist suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries.
He was taken to Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock
And the motorcycle rider's problems didn't end at the
hospital. Police checks showed outstanding warrants against him for fraud and
contempt of court charges, so a "hold" was place on him after his
hospital release.
MOTORCYCLES NOW
ACCEPTED IN AMTRAK EXPRESS
Submitted by
Ken Fisher
We accept Motorcycles in Amtrak Express
service, as well as Mopeds. The following conditions apply to both
("MOTORCYCLE" ALSO MEANS "MOPED"):
1.
Only Two-Wheel Motorcycles will be accepted.
2.
The Motorcycle must be clean-- No dirt, grease, leaking oil, etc.
3.
The Motorcycle must be drained of all fuel:
A. Both main and reserve tanks must be
empty.
B. The engine must be run until it dies for
lack of fuel. This will clear the fuel lines and carburetors or injectors.
C. The tank caps must be left off until all
fumes have evaporated.
4.
The Motorcycle must be securely crated, preferable by a motorcycle shop or
other shipping professional any sidecars must be removed and crated separately.
5.
At the station, the shipper must remove the top of the crate, then remove the
fuel tank caps, so the agent can verify that the tanks are empty and free of
fumes. The shipper must then reattach the top of the crate.
6.
Motorcycles will only be handled at heavy express stations-- origin,
destination, and transfer.
7.
Standard Amtrak Express Rates will apply
8.
As with all Express, Amtrak will not accept liability for damage if the outer
container (the crate) maintains its basic integrity.
9.
All other heavy express policies apply
Thank you,
Amtrak Customer Service
Wreck Kills 2 Motorists
Sam Barnes
Sunday, a motorcyclist was killed when
he collided head-on with a pick-up truck in Conway County, state police said.
The victim was an 18 year old rider from Springfield. The driver of the truck
was not injured in the accident about 5:15 p.m. on Arkansas 9 about 10 miles
north of Morrilton. A second motorcyclist was killed in a head-on collision at
Hot Springs. Police said the motorcyclist age 41 from Hot Springs passed a
vehicle and ran head-on into a car driven by a motorist from Hot Springs. The
motorist was injured in the accident at 8 p.m. Sunday. These news articles
appeared in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on Tuesday September 19, 2000. To the
unknowing reader the circumstances attributing to these accidents are
speculative. The 18 year old motorcycle rider surmises the entire tragic event
of the first accident. What does an 18 year old select as motorcycle? It must
be fast and racy. Next, the image. Was a helmet worn? Probably not. What was
the speed? Fast. Did the teenage rider take one to many chances and lose? Some
of us have been there as a young motorcyclist. We paid the consequences far
less than death. Usually, a traffic ticket momentarily ruffled our ego. And
possible the sting of higher insurance premiums felt in the pocketbook of the
parents.
The second motorcyclist demise is
closer to home. A middle aged rider. What was the rider’s experience? At age 41
the person could have been on a motorcycles at least 28 years. Or he may be
riding the bike for the first time. The rider erred. We ride in similar
situations. We
ride behind vehicles and we pass
vehicles. This sober side of motorcycling strikes like a cold morbid slap in
the face.
An article in a motorcycle magazine
related to the subtle messages of a pending accident. The article titled “The
Rattlesnake Bites Quickly” exemplified the complacency of motorcycling. In one
story a motorcyclist riding on an interstate is passed by a speeding fire
truck. The fire engine disappears over a hill. The biker decides to chase the
emergency vehicle. Beyond the crest of the hill, the fire truck stops for an
automobile accident in the middle of the road. The motorcyclist tops the hill.
He is unable to negotiate the cluttered road and goes down. Later in a ditch
the biker regains consciousness. His chin is level with his boot heels. During
the accident, the feet are stripped from the boots leaving them in a very
unnatural position. It could be his back.
Another story refers to the perfectionist.
This motorcyclist must have everything just right. He installed a new clutch in
his/her immaculate machine. He/she measured the transmission oil to the
milliliter. The next morning the owner starts the bike and slips it into gear.
A brief rev of the engine and release of the clutch the motorcyclist
anticipates forward motion of the bike. There is not any movement. More gas
without movement. Downward movement of the left foot confirms the bike is in
gear. Still more throttle. No movement. The rear wheel spins in a pool of oil,
which leaked, from the transmission. Finally, the rear tire burns through the
oil. The rest is history.
Trauma is humbling. The macho image of
the helmetless rider whimpers away in a neuro intensive care unit. Or, the immortal
16 year old who ran a stop sign must deal with an irreversible head injury for
life. Or, the carefree rider who goofed off too many times is now a paraplegic.
Or, the veteran motorcyclist whose bike slipped in a small ravine fractured his
back. Life is not fair.
Riding a motorcycle is risky business.
The biker takes responsibility for operating a machine. When neglect and poor
judgment take control the results can be devastating. Sometimes people do
stupid things. The best any rider can do is to prepare for the worst. The
individual’s perception of motorcycling reflects their preparation for the
dangers of the sport. When an accident happens, the cyclist survival is based
on this preparation.
In closing, the point of this letter is
best related to a motorcycle article I read many years ago. I recall an article
from a 1970s Cycle magazine about adapting the stop light to a fiber
optic cable. A new sleek Honda 550 four cafe racer was used for the conversion.
When completed the taillight would illuminate brighter as the brake pedal is
depressed. This custom safety feature impressed me. However, even more
impressive was a
small label the owner had taped across
the
speedometer. This
label contained one word....THINK. It is a powerful, simple one-syllable word
describing common sense logic, which is easily lost in the adventure of
motorcycling.
Here is a
genuine British biker poem for ye.
From the
Internet
Twas
brillig, and the biker hordes
dd
slide and slither in the wabe.
All
mimsey were the twisty roads,
And
the busty biker babe!
Beware
the Bikerwock, my son;
The
'bars that slap, the gravel rash!
Beware
the GATSO trap and shun
the
frumious high-side smash!
He
took his Vorpal 'Blade in hand;
Long
time the Manx Norton he sought.
So
rested he and had a wee,
And
stood a while in thought.
And
as in uffish thought he stood,
The
Bikerwock, with pipes aflame,
Came
roaring up the tulgy road,
And
farted as it came!
A
ton! Ton-ten! And more, and then
The
bright blue lights went flicker-flash!
He'd
lost the race, and on his face
He
landed with a crash!
Ten
hast thou raced on public roads?
You're
nicked, my beamish boy!
A
speeding fine! And points - have nine!
He
chortled in his joy.
Twas brillig, and the biker hordes
Did slide and slither in the wabe.
All mimsey were the twisty roads,
And the busty biker babe!
From the Editor’s Desk
by Rod Kilduff
No New Members
There
are still a few folks who have not paid their dues. I have started dropping people who are more than two years
behind.
Your
address label shows the month and year that you are paid up to. If it doesn’t say “01/01” you still owe. The
dues are $10 for an individual or $15 for a family membership.
Wanted
Newsletter material: Always
I
am still soliciting for newsletter articles.
With this issue I have used up everything I have had submitted since
last time. Send that article you have
been going to write for the past year. Also many thanks to those of you, who
have submitted material already, you are allowed to send in more.
At our rally we discussed the idea of creating a new
design for our rally t-shirts for next year.
We asked members to submit something and a design will be selected at
our fall campout. Well so far I only
received one. How about all of you
artistic types creating one. All we
need is a rough sketch. The artwork can
be refined by the artists at the t-shirt place. Lets see if we can come up a some more good ideas, maybe we pick the next two or three years?
Activities
Oct 6-8 –
Return to Shiloh, Pickwick Dam, TN
Oct 13-15
Falling Leaf Rally, Potosi, MO
Oct 20-22 Naturally Beemers Fall Campout – New
Location for the Fall Campout,
Natural Falls State Park, 5
miles west of Siloam Springs, AR, on Hwy 412.
Friday night Oct 20, hamburgers on the grill.. Saturday night Oct 21,
Steak Dinner. Camping fees and dinner
are being covered by the club. Hope to
see you at the summer party near Grove.
Nov 2-5 Hot
Spring Ramble, Hot Springs AR
Bentonville
BMW Sunday Rides
|
Schedule is as follows: |
October 8-0930-Traditional
Weidherker Village Run and the last of the season.
FLEA
MARKET
There is no charge
for the ad; we only ask that you be honest and fair. Naturally Beemers is not
responsible for the quality of the items or any transactions made because of
the ad. Ads will run for two issues of
the newsletter unless extended.
Don’t forget
the 10% Club Member Discount at
Bentonville Cycle Sales
2000
R1100RT, red, 1200 miles, Like new with top case and Bob's throttle Rest,
$13,500, 501-301-3159
Slash
5-7 front drum backing plate with shoes. Brake backing plate with all levers, springs
and shoes. Price: Best Offer - Location: Arlington, TX Contact Bruce Davidson
at <katbod@aol.com>
Naturally
Beemers
The BMW M/C
Club of Arkansas
BMWMOA CLUB #181
Chartered 2/88
BMWRA CLUB #74
Chartered 4/91
Steering
Committee
Donnie
Rice....................President
Otto
Ising.................Vice President
Elmer
Sveda.........................Activities
Rod
Kilduff.....Secretary / Treasurer / Newsletter
Annual
Membership Dues:
$10.00 for Solo
$15.00 for Family
Send
correspondence to:
Rod Kilduff
822 Donaghey Ave.
Conway, AR. 72032
rod.kilduff@conwaycorp.net