Volume V Issue VII

Wheeling and Dealing

(The trials, tribulations and adventures of buying and selling motorbikes)

Part Two By Tim Hendrickson

I made arrangements to have my Son-in-law take me to the station at
midnite, arriving with plenty of time for check m I had stopped at a
bookstore and picked up a couple good books to read, and several
magazines. I was set for the trip!
At around 2:151 noticed a line forming at gate 10.1 had been told the Bus
would board at around 2:25 AM. I decided I had better get in line. I am
somewhere around 10th, or 12th, in line with at least that many people
behind me, when the bus begins loading. With 2 people in front of me, the
attendant steps in and tells everyone: This Bus is full! Next one leaves at
5:00 AM. New problem: miss my connecting bus in Dallas and the 25 hour trip, turns into 40 hours. I am mad as hell! Does not seem to make a lot of difference to them though.
I swallow my pride, and take a $30 cab ride back to Germantown.
Next morning I hop on the little Triumph with the “For Sale” sign on the
windscreen, and go out to Memphis International to see what kind of last
minute fare I might discover that was not posted on the internet.
What I discover is that with a seven-day advance purchase, I can fly AirTran to Denver (one-way) for $165.00. I cheerfully buy a ticket, and decide to chalk the rest up to experience.
That night, sitting around watching TV, I get a call from a fellow named
Bryce Maifield, who lives in (of all places) Greely, Colorado. He is a big fan of Triumph Thunderbirds. His boss has one, so does another friend of his. We talk about the bike, I e-Mail him some pictures; he decides he wants the bike.
I call AirTran, thinking I could ride the T-Bird out and the RT back. No luck there, Non-Refundable bargain fare thing again! I am thinking that might just blow the deal. lam wrong! Bryce decides he will fly a private airplane into Memphis with a buddy of his, and ride the Triumph home.
On May 9th, my daughter picks me up and drops me off at Memphis
International Airport, I get into Denver at 3:00PM that afternoon.

The bike is all I expected and more, done deal. Len Harper, the seller, offers to let me crash for the night in his loft apartment that he has in his airplane hangar. I decline his generous offer, telling him I need to get on the road. My plan was to make Raton, New Mexico. About 50 miles short of my destination, it starts getting cold, really cold. I stop at a convenience store, and briefly eye a cut-rate motel across the street. I decide to stick with my plan, drink a cup of coffee, put on some long under-ware and my Gerbing electrics, and go onto Raton. Next morning lam eating breakfast when I find out that they had 3 to 5” of snow on the North side of Raton Pass overnight. (Traffic on 1-25 south over the pass, very slow.)
The pass is less than 15 miles from where I was enjoying my breakfast.
I hit the road: US 64 east to 87, then south to 1-40, and east to Fort Smith, AR. 720 miles, first full day in the saddle. The RT is definitely a touring machine!
Next morning dawns bright and sunny. On the road by 7,1 pass through Morrilton and decide it is too early to stop at the Naturally Beemers rally. I stop over in Little Rock to visit for an hour or so with the folks at BMW-Little Rock, then head home arriving between 1 and 2 PM. Other than horrible wind conditions, the trip home was uneventful.
The next morning (Friday) I get a call from Bryce, who tells me his ETA at Olive Branch Municipal Airport is way ahead of schedule; he asks me to pick him up at 10:30 AM. They show up at 10:30 sharp! Bryce tells me they had a ground speed of 170 knots, most of the way. This, in a Piper Cherokee 140, that normally cruises at about 110 knots. I tease Bryce and his buddy, that Bryce may just beat his buddy home riding the bike.
We head over to my house. Bryce says the Triumph exceeds his expectations, pays me my asking price, packs up the T-bird, and heads west I just bet those winds were twice as bad on the T-Bird as they were on the RT.
They say, all’s well that ends well: for me this was a pretty nice ending.

Editors note: Sorry Tim I could not get my software to copy your pictures but trust me everyone they look great Dan

Trails End Minutes by Stan Viets

May 2006

Members attending the June meeting, Floyd Nunnelee, Rusty Higgins, Doug Pauley, Paul and Dian Talkington, Bobby Sharp, Hubert Gross, Don and Marion Oller; Terry and Mary Carole Scott; Hildia Max and Stan Viets. Don and Marion brought 2 guests, Buster and Judy Quails from Jackson, TN. Welcome, y’all come back.
We want to welcome Tod and Cindy Beers back from their recent move to Minneapolis, they are moving back home to Cordova. They will be back in time to make the Yankee Reunion Tour. We have missed their smiling faces at our events and tides.
Our thought and prayers are with Bob Branch who lost his mother on June 5th.
Dan left June 3rd for his month long adventure to Alaska. Dan will post progress reports when possible, he also has a video camera mounted on his bike and will be recording action pictures. Reports of his adventure are on the MTR web site.
We only have 2 Birthdays in July, Saundra Stroud and Doug Pauley both on the 17th and I anniversary, Mike and Brenda Hopper, their first, on the 8th. Congratulations and best wishes to all
We have a current bank balance of $798.25
We are slowly getting in our membership renewals; we only have 7 that haven’t as yet renewed. Our thanks, to the 21 that have renewed, if you haven’t renewed to date, don’t forget to send in your annual membership $24 dues for 2006. Please print out a renewal form, note any changes and mail to Hildia Max~ We hope everyone will renew, we appreciate and thank you for your support
Thanks to Floyd, PC Doctor has again renewed their ad. If you have any possible sponsors in mind, please check and see if they would like to include their business size ad in Happy Trails, as well as on the MTR web site, all for only $30.00/year. As always, please check with our advertisers/sponsors as you have need for their services.
Also check the MTR web site often for updates. As a suggestion you should try and read your email on the night before we have a scheduled ride. As you know sometimes the scheduled rides may be postponed or cancelled due to threatening weather either in Memphis or at our destination and you may not get the email, advising of the status.
Dan sold out the first order of MTR Antenna flags however if more folks want one he will reorder. They are $7.00 each. Just let him know.
For your future planning information,
May 27th Big Bob Gibson-Decatur, AL pictures are on the web site.
May 2&28 Trikers Rendezvous- Bardstown, KY pictures are on the web site. Paul and Dian were big winners of the 50/50 drawing
at the Rally, totaling $385.00
June 17th Coon Dog Cemetery Ride, Carbon Hill, AL (Postponed due to weather)
July 15 Burnt Burger V Cookout, Arkabutla lake, MS. I am not sure if it will be Noon or afternoon. B.J. will let us know when he sends out the ride itinerary and cookout details. Y’all come on out and enjoy the free food and fellowship.
August l9th/29th “The Big One”-Yankee Reunion Tour-Cooperstown and NY State. Billy will have detailed itinerary later for those going on the trip. I am leaving early to visit with my family in Warren, Ohio and then meet up with the group on 140 near Youngstown on the 20th.
Thanks to all that brought door prizes, remember win one bring one.
Our next meeting will be Thursday July 13th and we look forward to a first person report by our Happy Trails Newsletter Editor and Public Relations guru, Dan Randall and his month long “North to Alaska” adventure. We have missed him.
MTR theme for 2006 is to Ride Safe and with a sense of awareness.
Adjourned at 7:47 PM

Stan

"Discoveries are often made by not following instructions,

by going off the main road, by trying the untried."

Frank Tyger

Are you REALLY prepared to ride today?

Sure, we all know the risks of riding a motorcycle. But do we
ever really sit down and fully think about the consequences
of an accident and all that It brings? I suspect if you are like
most of us, you try not to dwell on it too much and put it out
of your mind. But this last week has again thrust it back to
the forefront of mine as well as many others in this group.

I can’t tell you just how fast something like this happens.
You need to realize you can be gone in the blink of an eye.
One minute you are having a great ride on a beautiful day,
and the next moment you are dead on the side of the road
never to talk to your wife or children again. Motionless,
breathless, dead. Never to kiss your wife or play with your
kids or even say goodbye. Too late. End of story. Times up.

Is that too graphic a picture for you? Good. I intended it to
be. Let that image sink in for a moment. it is forever burned
into my retinas and one I will never forget. The sick feeling it
gives me in the pit of my stomach Is enough to make me
nauseous. Once you are gone, that is It. All it takes is one
little thing to go wrong and you are dead. Gone. Period.
Final. Forever.

You can talk all day about MSF safety classes and “Riding
Your Own Ride” and all the things you can do to make your
bike and ride safer, but in the end there really is only one
thing that matters. Because all the safety classes, track
days, lectures, and practice sessions in the world are no
guarantee you won’t get hurt or killed in this sport.

Door Prizes - Win One Bring One

Donated By:	Prize	Winner
Floyd Stan Doug Doug Hubert Terry & MC Don & Marion Don & Marion	Unique pillow Can of peanuts Anti Monkey Butt Powder Stunt Runner Carnauba wax Picture books Photo album Post in note holder	Stan Bobby Bobby Rusty Terry Doug Paul & Dian Doug

Before you ever throw a leg over a motorcycle, you
better have a right relationship with Jesus Christ. And
you need to have a Church Family that your survivors
can fall back on in the event of your death or
hospitalization.

When I had my accident in 2000, you know who drove
my wife to Mountain Home? One of our Church
members. You know who drove his truck and trailer from
Fort Worth Texas to Mountain Home Arkansas and
back to pick up my wrecked bike? You guessed IL One
of my Church members. Another Christian friend picked
me up at the hospital and took me to the airport in
Springfield (2 ¶4 hours away) to fly home and then
stored my bike In his garage for me till I could send
someone to pick it up. My Bible school class prayed with
me and my wife through my recovery and continued to
pray for our safety when we got back on the bike and
started to travel on it again. One of the first things I
always do before leaving town is to drop a note with the
Church and ask them to keep me in their prayers.

Had I passed away when I had my accident, I feel my
wife would be confident knowing that I trust and believe
in Christ and that he has forgiven me for my many sins. I
would never ride without him anywhere. And I suggest
you don’t either.

Reprinted with permission from Fred Harmon

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Birthdays

04 Todd Beers
17 Sandy Stroud
17 Doug Pauley

Anniversaries:

08 Mike and Brenda Hopper