Slick Surfaces

Before you go out riding, watch your local weather forecast. If there is a possibility of rain, snow, strong winds or other potentially dangerous weather on the way, you may want to leave your motorcycle parked where it is and choose a more appropriate method of transportation. But you can't always predict the weather, and there is always the possibility you could get caught in dangerous driving conditions. 
There are several conditions that could cause a riding surface to become slippery and require you to react quickly. Some of these elements are liquids (such as oil spots) on the road, rain, wet leaves, sand, gravel, snow and ice. Regardless of the cause of the slippery surface, here are some tips that might help you maneuver through these less-than-ideal conditions: 

Reduce your speed - A slippery surface will result in a longer stopping time. Slow down and pay close attention to changes in the driving surface. 

Use both brakes - Your front brake is responsible for three-quarters of your braking ability. Apply the front brake slowly and consistently without locking the wheel. Apply the rear brake in the same manner. Try not to brake mid-corner and remember the risk of sliding increases with acceleration. 

Avoid sudden moves - On a slippery surface, sudden movements will be exaggerated and could cause you to lose balance. Gradual, deliberate movements will help keep the bike steady and help you avoid skidding.

Try to avoid the slickest areas - The center of the lane and intersections are where oil and other slippery substances tend to build up. To avoid these areas, ride where you're most likely to be seen and avoid the hazard. Try to avoid the sides of the road where dirt, gravel and snow collect and cause low traction.

Submitted by David Elston……

The January meeting of the Memphis Tour Riders was officially gaveled to order at seven PM. 
Roll Call: Robert and Judy Crawford, Myron and Beverly Coney, Mary Carol Scott, Charlie and Darnell Gibson, Floyd Nunnelee, Dorothy Shipman, Margaret Rogers, Dan Randall, B.J. Max and of course, yours truly. 
We were especially happy to see Robert and Judy Crawford back again. We thank everyone for coming and additionally all our membership dedication and help during the past year. Everyone received his or her newsletter, except Floyd who reported the post office shredded his. Shoney's again presented a complimentary birthday cake and a Happy Birthday song to two of our attending members with a birthday in January, Charley Gibson on the 17th and Dorothy Shipman on the 30th. We owe Myron Coney an apology. His birthday was on the 18th and I failed to note it, thus he missed his cake, sorry about that. 
We have a new look to the Happy Trails graphics and fonts thanks to B. J. and as indicated earlier, the need for news. If you haven't been involved with planning a meeting agenda, writing articles, publishing a top-notch newsletter or keeping a web page current you may not realize how hard it is to come up with something new and interesting to write about on a regular basis. Lets do our part and send in current news or articles, stories, etc. and get involved. MTR can only be as good as you want it to.
Our yearly AMA Charter has been renewed. Did everyone notice the new AMA logo with the motto Rights, Riding, Racing? I thought it was an impressive logo design but a few letters to the editor of the American Motorcyclist Magazine complained they thought it looked to much like the Dodge Ram. Ah, the disdain of change.
If you accessed the member's page on the web site lately you would see that we had a end of 2003 bank balance of $569.73. Speaking of money we owed Dan Randall for the miscellaneous goodies he purchased for the TBCH Santa Christmas Party December 10th at the Summer Avenue campus but since he is now in the Santa business, DBA Santa Dan, he graciously donated this expenditure. Remember if you need a first class Santa for a family or business appearance, think Santa Dan and make your reservations early.

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We passed around a manila envelope soliciting membership help in offsetting our Christmas gifts cost. Thanks to all the members for their contribution, we appreciate your help. In the event you want to contribute and were not at the meeting, you can help out next month. As always this donation is not mandatory but would be appreciated. Lets all do our part.
Ongoing business:
As we have mentioned previously everyone's membership dues will be payable on or before our April 8th 2004 meeting. Also we need additional sponsors/advertisers, remember they will get 12 ads in the newsletter and a listing on the web page as well as a hard copy of the newsletter; it's a good deal for $30 a year. And please, support our advertisers when you can. 
MTR patches and rockers "WHERE WE GO ONE, WE GO ALL" are still available. MTR gave 36 plus sets to the kids, they may become a collectors item?
We have received to date, 17 thank you notes from our Christmas celebration involvement with the children at the TBCH campus and ranch, all expressing their gratitude and thanks. Dan also sent a MTR thank you letter to the businesses that donated food, gift certificates and all the other items for the kids; he also received and passed around the return thank you notes. 
Also it was suggested by Dick Salveson to make honorary MTR nametags for the kids at the ranch. Ray Moss is to send their names to me, to date I haven't received them. Fran offered to make the nametags in color and I will laminate them. Dan will follow up on the name list with Ray Moss.
Dan Randall reported a few of the tentative events MTR is planning to benefit the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home for 2004. We are preliminary targeting the month of May for the first one on the schedule, a Poker Run beginning and ending at the TBCH campus with 4 satellite checkpoints to draw cards, scattered throughout Shelby County. We are planning this with the help of the Memphis Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club and hopefully with the support of the other area clubs. Dan will be asking for volunteer committees later to help in bringing this event together. We will be in need of door prizes, routing, check point locations and other necessities. More details will follow soon. Other events in the early planning stage are a Memphis Redbirds game night and later a Rock 103 golf tournament, if there is sufficient interest. As always we will appreciate your help in coordinating these worthwhile and fun events. 
News and comments:
Bill Jones was able to spend the Christmas Holidays at home and after a short hospital stay in January is again back home. Bill and Julia would be happy to hear from y'all their email address is wj4jj@aol.com. Please continue our prayers for all of our sick and ailing folks. 
New Business:
B.J. is still hard at work on the upcoming 2004 rides and events and will have the list finalized by our March meeting. Be prepared for some exciting ones again this year.

We will continue to post rides/events both in the newsletter, Web Page, and at the meetings. 

Quotation of the month: "Whether you think you can or think you can't~you are right"……………………..Henry Ford

Thanks to all that brought door prizes, win one bring one.

See y'all at our next meeting February 12, 2004.

Ride Safe and ride more in 004 
Stan and Jean

The meeting was officially adjourned at 7:50 PM

Why We Ride

We ride for the freedom. We ride to get away from it all and see the countryside, to explore the back roads but mostly, we ride for the pure joy of it. We ride as couples and in small groups, taking one and two hundred mile jaunts to our favorite restaurants and hangouts. We love the excitement of the open road and relish the freedom and thrill of letting go. We love the feeling of a powerful engine and its ability to make images in the mirror disappear with amazing speed. We love the experience of centrifugal force as we bank gracefully through long sweepers and the giddy excitement as we glide along at speeds just outside the law. 

There's a mystique about it all that's hard to describe. It's the smell of coffee and leather on a crisp early morning trip to nowhere. It's the sudden acceleration, the people, the road, the camaraderie, the wind in your hair and the rain in your face. But most of all, we ride because it lets that little kid that lives in all of us come out to play.