bs0502-1

Boxer Shorts, February, 2005 - 1 of 4

The Prez Sez

by Craig Cleasby

The Prez It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down
I had the radio on, I was ridin'
The trees went by, me and Del were singin'
Little runaway, I was flyin'
Yeah running down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin' on a mystery, goin' wherever it leads
I'm running down a dream... Tom Petty

We are now about a month into PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome), and I wonder how do you cope? It is snowing outside, the temperature is 7 degrees and the blizzard mongers on the local TV say we are going to get 15- 24" of snow. Usually I ignore their forecasts, what difference does it make? This is New England and it is going to snow in the winter months.

How do I deal with it? I dream, I dream about the trips I would like to take this year. I pull out the atlas and look at the far away places I would like to ride. The AMA magazine just had a comprehensive article on Alaska. That is one of my destination dreams. A more likely trip would be to Labrador and Goose Bay. A local rider and his brother did it last year, 2 weeks round trip.

Dreams..... it is what gets us through the winter.

Sometimes, I imagine myself riding head to head with Kenny Roberts, going deep into the turn, braking late, touching my knee down and accelerating hard out of the corner.

Most of us will never be on a track at the same time as Kenny but Doug Morrison and Max's BMW have set up a "BMW Only Day" through TonysTrackdays.Com. See info at www.tonystrackdays.com/may904.cfm. The date is May 9th 2005. Sign up now! I waited last year on a track day and missed out. Don't delay! If you have done track days before, you know how much fun they can be. You don't need to worry about radar, cars turning in front of you or a kid on the side of the road. If you haven't done them, now is the time to start. Don't think of it as a race track, think of it as the most fun that one can legally have on two wheels!

My lovely wife Susan and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year. We went to Canada on our honeymoon, which was nice, but a low budget affair. While on a business trip in November of 2003, we were fortunate to ride in Spain for a few days. Based on that successful venture, we have decided to ride Italy for two weeks in May. I am excited about the riding and the culture we hope to experience. I will be in Italy when the rest of you are tearing up New Hampshire International Speedway. Stay tuned for a future article in the Shorts.

Do you remember reading about a low-cost European motorcycle tour group in a recent issue of BMW Owner News? They use new bikes from BMW AG, and riders are encouraged to switch bikes during the tour. While you and I read the article and moved on, YB members Moe Lazzaro and Victor Cruz have been in frequent contact with them and have the details worked out for a fantastic and very affordable trip to Germany, through the Swiss Alps and the upper Italian lakes! This could be the ride of your lifetime! Think of riding with all your YB friends during the day, and sharing the day's experience over dinner and wine. The tentative dates are August 21st-29th. Come to the YB breakfast meeting on February 20th and get the details. This looks like the Best Buy of European riding.

Dreams don't have to be foreign lands, Alaska or Colorado. When I first started riding, I was really pleased to have ridden 100 miles in a day. If you are a new rider or member, we have many great events coming, up right here in New England. Ride to the YB breakfast meeting at Stones on February 20th or the March 20th meeting, where you can purchase that coveted YB Gold Card. This is a pass to all YB core events for 2005. It is limited to 50 people and can only be purchased at the March meeting. Once purchased, this card will provide free admittance to the Frosty Nutz Campout, The Pemi River Rally event in Laconia, the wonderful and wild Damn Yankees Rally and the season-ending Wacky Hat campout.

At the Holiday party, Bruce Ferguson was given credit as our outgoing secretary. I would like to thank him for the three years during which he unselfishly recorded all the minutes of this great club. Bruce was also the recipient of the club's Greg McQuide Literary Award. Speaking of awards, Mike Andrews was the recipient of this year's Steve Gooding award. Congratulations to both of you.

I would also like to congratulate Victor Cruz on his one year anniversary as the Boxer Shorts editor. Victor has done a super job of getting the Shorts out on time and with a nice professional flair.

What are your dreams this year? Solidify your plans now to make sure they happen.

Firing on all four plugs..... Craig.

Next page Boxer Shorts index