September 2014 newsletter

The Palm Beach Knights Newsletter

The Knights Table

Monthly Newsletter September 2014

Greetings from your President   Will

Knight Riding Vision - Fight the Night

By Will

In a few weeks, most of the country will have made the switch to Daylight Saving Time. Please don't ask me why, I'm still trying to figure it out.  Since I leave for work at 5:45am, I'm delighted to have that extra hour of light in the morning, but I'll still face the occasional post-sunset commute home. Sad to say night riding just isn't the delight it used to be when I was a young buck. Generally speaking, your ability to see at night deteriorates with age, (same to you bro) and a twilight spin in my mid-40s(ok 50’s) demands way more preparation to keep the excitement meter from going off the dial. You've probably heard the sobering stats: A disproportionately high rate of accidents occur between dusk and dawn.

(Probably due to the increase of zombie activity)

The most basic issue (get ready now) is lack of visibility. No @#$% Sherlock! Nighttime riding disadvantages are compounded by the quirks of getting older. At the back of my mind I keep hearing "The eyes are the first things to go." For some Knights it’s the second!!!

The other night on the ride home from the “lead out the Team” ride I was reminded of some of the challenges. When you live in the country (the Acreage) like I do, you can add dirt roads with no overhead lighting. That and my sensitivity to light (headlights), the morons who has his high beams on and add compromised vision of being an aging rider and it's easy to see why it’s a battlefield out there at night. And if you think it's a stretch for drivers to spot motorcyclists in the full light of day, our single headlight is essentially invisible to the cagers at and after sundown. Apart from watching out for tired, oblivious drivers, there's also Bambi to consider; wild animals tend to be more active after dusk especially in the Acreage. I’m telling you those  %$#@ squirrels are just waiting for me!! I once even had a whole family of Raccoons run in front of me on a dirt road.

That's a handful, so I did a little research for some, uh, clarity. I look into light / night blindness. Eye Dr.’s say the retinas are mostly designed for light situations. Barely15 percent of their receptors are made for the dark. Darkness makes the eye's pupil expand [dilate], and the headlights of an oncoming car basically set off all the receptors in your eye, giving you only a white flash in your vision. Which can make your vision more likely to blur and can contribute to eyestrain.

Before you get all gloomy, know there are ways to prepare for your ride once the sun goes down. (Get it gloomy….man I crack myself up)

A simple way to prepare yourself against the evening is to prep your ride. That means making everything nice and shiny (yes, even you Gunner) before you hit the street. Headlights, taillights, signal lights, windshields and helmet visors should be cleaned at least twice a week…..once a week?

I ride with a full-face helmet, so I try to make sure the shield is scratch free. A scratch can create light refraction and make two headlights seem like four; you won't know what's coming from where. Fog is another issue. When I used to dive, we used to spit on the inside of our face mask. This works for visors too. Wipe your slobber off with a clean rag,(or use a friends shirt…not a club shirt!) and bam!-antifog.  OK, this may not work for motorcycle helmets.

Since night riding diminishes both the distance and quality of what you see, you might want to keep a daintier touch on the throttle-especially if you're in the boonies like me. It’s also tougher to determine surface situation as well as the road's general direction at night, key points on unlit Acreage roads. That aforementioned other night, was very nerve jarring when I had to go down my own dirt road which changes every time it rains. I couldn’t see pot hole, or the big rutes left by all the trucks on my road.  

Don't settle in behind a large truck or any vehicle's blind spot-get your motorcycle where it can be seen. This is true even during the daylight hours.  

It's not a good idea to ride when you're tired. Long hauls in the evening can easily leave you in autopilot mode.  Any of us who have done long night rides, may have experienced “white line fever”. That occurs when you start starring at the lines in the road. It’s almost hypnotic. Taking regular breaks is the best way to fight fatigue on long nighttime journeys. Also, play little games in your head that helps you to pay attention (how many Blonds, Red heads…you know) Snacks and light food will help ward off tiredness. Stay away from Energy drinks like Red Bull for long trips, when they wear off you can crash…OK bad choice of words.

Make yourself a little larger than life. I installed a lot of white LED light on my bike; people should be able to see me from far away. The biggest thing a following driver sees is your back, so get some reflectivity back there. I put on reflective tape on the back of my helmet.  Make sure you use your turn signals so the zombie, people around you know what you're about to do.

All things considered, it probably isn't as bad as it seems. After all I’m told 47(ok 57) is the new 27(40?), right? Just tell that to my wife-she ordered me a walking cane and already agreed to take me shopping for bifocals and orthopedic boots. I’m just sayin…..

Hey Knights if you haven't had the chance, make sure to go to our sponsor's restaurant!

Enjoy the very best American Greek Restaurant and sports bar in West Palm Beach, Bull Bar and Taverna, ideally located a few minutes away from Downtown West Palm Beach and Palm Beach International Airport. Taste the incredibly delicious Greek food menu as well as the family friendly atmosphere for all to enjoy. If you’re looking for late night entertainment then take part in our live karaoke and no limit live poker action. And of course, we would’t be the best sports bar in West Palm Beach if we didn’t offer you your favorite team’s game on any of our big screen TV’s. So come on in with the whole family and cheer on your team! Don't forget to mention that you are a Palm Beach Knight and you'll get a 20% discount!! Then tell us, and get 50 miles.

Who has the COOLEST VEST ???

Purchasing any item from the Knights helps support our club and makes you look even better!!

We have-small patches and now a  limited 

supply of

 large back Patches available.

SHOW YOUR PRIDE!!

Paul Mana			9/7/1947
Matt Jones			9/7
Steve Seide			9/26/1948
Paul Sachse			9/29/1960

We have been having some really awesome rides /TIMES:

Roland Martins Marina in Clewiston

This ride was questionable due to the typical Florida liquid sunshine. I'm glad we went, the ride  was great and it was good to have David and Jerry ride with us again.

David "DRey" Rey said "Great ride as usual"

2nd Anniversary club (K)night

Thanks to all that came out to help us celebrate our 2nd anniversary.

Was a great night. Our brother Crash went home with an extra $50 from the 50/50. Also, thank you to the Bull for hosting us. We also got to welcome a new Knight and old friend Kris who came with his son. Thank you to our gal Lisa who helped with the 50/50 sales!

We missed having our SAA Echoes with us and send our heartfelt condolences on the lost of his beloved Father....our thoughts are with you .

Kris said" Happy Second Year Anniversary Knights. Again. It was a pleasure celebrating with all of you tonight, I look forward to Riding and sharing many good times together."

Lead the team for home coming!-Boynton Beach HS

A very big thank you for those that came out to show support for the school and give the Knights some good publicity!

The weather was questionable to the last minute , but it ended up being dry and a little cooler. It was a very exciting experience, we even got to throw some gifts into the crowd. I'm sure the school was very happy with our leading the team out and I hope we get invited next year!

Kris Said"I had a great time last night, was a ride to remember leading the football team across the field with our Bikes and to see that everyone knows Will and actually likes him LOL"

Original Tiki Bar & Restaurant, 

Well our original plan was to go to the Treasure coast Rally, but the sort of , kind of got canceled. So we made an alternate ride. While it was a small group, we had a very good time. The pleasure was added to by all of us having a Sena and being able to talk to each other. The route and the weather were both very good to us. The only rain we saw was from our seats in the resaurant. It was dry the rest of the time.

Neal Alvanos Said "Very relaxing & pleasant ride with small congenial group along ICW to Ft. Pierce. Yes, there was a fort."