The Palm Beach Knights Newsletter
The Knights Table
Monthly Newsletter
August 2016
Greetings from your State President/ Founder
You must be Crazy to Ride a Motorcycle
OK so here is a typical conversation
we all have had with a non-biker.
Knights join me in welcoming our newest
Sponsor
Computer Hospital Inc.
Thank you To Topcat !! If you or anyone
you
know needs help with Computer issues,
support our Sponsor!!
Club Patch:
1. First and foremost, you must have
1000 miles with the Knights MRC….no exceptions!
3.
A large back patch. Additionally you can purchase a name patch. (I’ll be glad
to order one for you in the style we all wear…$5.50). We also give you a
mileage patch and you can earn mileage rockers (the club also provides these free of charge)
The charge for your patches is $50 plus an extra $5.50 if you
get a name patch. I will sew them on for
you if you like and save you about $30-40. Additional patches can be bought,
just see Will.
Knights, please make sure you check out the Leesburg and State Rally overnight events on our calendar!! Don't wait to make your reservations!!
Knights, as you can see by this newsletter, our "story" is sometimes told by the pictures that we take. I'd like to invite everyone to take photos of what we do...it makes for a good Tale(tail)!!
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM!! I'LL INCLUDE SOME NEWS ABOUT OUR CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER!!
Tony Scarp 8/5
Monthly Newsletter
August 2016
Greetings from your State President/ Founder
You must be Crazy to Ride a Motorcycle
By Will
OK so here is a typical conversation
we all have had with a non-biker.
Them
“You have to be completely crazy or stupid to ride a motorcycle. Those things
are dangerous!”
Me “Yes, I know
it’s dangerous. That’s one of the reason’s I like it!”
Them “you’re going to get killed, I know this guy…… (My
favorite)
Me “Thanks for that vote of confidence and prediction, but I
try to be as careful as I can”
Right about here the conversation usually
goes downhill. People telling me about how I’m going to die, seems to make me a
cantankerous SOB. ( even more so than usual)
How often have we heard that? In my
case, waaaaay too often. Sometimes I give a sarcastic answer (no really I do)
sometimes I try to explain how much riding means to me. Passionate cagers (yes,
I know we are all one also) are Hell bent on saving us from our own folly. Of
course to them they just think our bulbs are a bit dim. Anyone with just the
slightest amount of grey matter wouldn’t go near one of those two-wheeled death
machines. “It’s too risky, I would never do it” they intone piously. Why do
they always shake their heads when they say this? The best is them telling me
this while they’re smoking a cigarette. Eh, excuse me, but….schmuck!
In a small part, they are right.
There is a certain amount of peril involved in managing a motorcycle. There’s
also risk involved in driving on Florida Turnpike, even in a tank. It’s purely
insane to do it at night anywhere in the middle of Florida. I swear those
freakin Deer are just waiting for us!! The trick is to manage the risks and to
not take dumb and unnecessary ones.
Obviously the State of Florida
agrees with me, because it is now mandatory to take a motorcycle rider course
in order to get your endorsement. Keeping those mental and physical skills we
learn sharp, we should actually consider practicing once in a while. I hope to
have a training day for the Knights, as soon as I can find someone qualified to
do it. Many abilities can be lost in six months if they aren’t practiced.
Knowing good cornering and curve-riding techniques doesn’t do us any good if we
don’t practice them. (In Florida that’s not often)
It is also important to know your
limits. This includes riding, motorcycle and skills. . We must remember that
some of those limits change continuously and we need to adapt our riding style
to conform to them. We Florida bikers are experts at going straight, but when
we hit the Mountains of Georgia, we have a big surprise coming. This year we rode the “Gauntlet” in Northern Georgia and I was surprised by my lack of skill
in tight corners. With a little time and practice, I got better…not good, but
better.
Superior riders try to not get
themselves into situations necessitating superior skills. Taking dumb risks is
a request for misfortune. If we keep pressing our limits, we will eventually be
able to exceed them, and I don’t think I need to write about the gory
consequences. We all like to test ourselves. One example is riding faster and faster
though a familiar curve. Knights, let me tell ya that can be a BAD idea. When
we’ve pushed our grip on the road to its limits and there’s something unpredictable in the road halfway through the curve, you’re in trouble and you will find
yourself with a very (for guys) distinct feeling in your favorite spheres, dry
mouth and an increased vocabulary. Slowing down and putting distances between
us and a hazard is workable risk management. Replacing worn tires as well as
picking the correct ones helps keep us securely stuck to the road. A article
about Darksiding(using a car tire) will
come at another time. Not to mention TCLOCKS (wait, I just did)
Part of the challenge of
motorcycling is risk management, and it wouldn’t be very enjoyable if we listened
to all the haters out there and surrounded ourselves with a shell of safety
devices. However, it is more fun if we
don’t have to worry about the dangers we generate for ourselves. I’m just
sayin…..
Knights join me in welcoming our newest
Sponsor
Computer Hospital Inc.
Thank you To Topcat !! If you or anyone
you
know needs help with Computer issues,
support our Sponsor!!
Sponsor
Computer Hospital Inc.
Thank you To Topcat !! If you or anyone
you
know needs help with Computer issues,
support our Sponsor!!
Club Patch:
Lately I
have been getting some questions about earning a club patch. So I thought I’d clear it up.
Earning your
Patch is an achievement and should be viewed at it in that way. There is a
great sense of pride, satisfaction and accomplishment when you get your vest (
cut). I can tell you that I felt great the first time I was able to put a cut on, and every time since. Think how good you'll feel!
1. First and foremost, you must have
1000 miles with the Knights MRC….no exceptions!
2. Second, you must be approved by a
majority of the club officers.
3. Third, if you do decide to wear a
club vest, it must be black leather. You can pick any style( I’ll gladly help
you find one)
4.
Fourth, you must wear 3 patches.
1. A small club patch on the front breast. 2. An American Flag (the club provides this to you free)
3. A large back patch. Additionally you can purchase a name patch. (I’ll be glad to order one for you in the style we all wear…$5.50). We also give you a mileage patch and you can earn mileage rockers (the club also provides these free of charge)
3. A large back patch. Additionally you can purchase a name patch. (I’ll be glad to order one for you in the style we all wear…$5.50). We also give you a mileage patch and you can earn mileage rockers (the club also provides these free of charge)
The charge for your patches is $50 plus an extra $5.50 if you
get a name patch. I will sew them on for
you if you like and save you about $30-40. Additional patches can be bought,
just see Will.
Wearing a club vest shows fellowship and pride in your club.
We do not require anyone to do so. We are not an MC and do not fly colors!
If you choose to wear
your vest, we expect you to represent your club in a reputable way.
It is my hope that
every Knight would desire to wear a club vest.
Knights, please make sure you check out the Leesburg and State Rally overnight events on our calendar!! Don't wait to make your reservations!!
Knights, as you can see by this newsletter, our "story" is sometimes told by the pictures that we take. I'd like to invite everyone to take photos of what we do...it makes for a good Tale(tail)!!
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM!! I'LL INCLUDE SOME NEWS ABOUT OUR CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER!!
Tony Scarp 8/5
Marc Simmons 8/13/66
We have been having some great rides TIMES !!!!!!
Bike Night
We started off the month with a nice Bike Night for the Knights!! We met at Island Jacks for what we hoped would be a exciting night. It was fun, and it was great to be with the Knights, but exciting....not so much. A bonus was that we didn't have to pay a $20 fee for a table! Beer and wing were good.
Ed Gonzalez said "Good time at the island jack"
Ride to Hurricane
Originally we were going to CW's a very good BBQ place, but typical Florida weather said it was a no go. Being Knights we adapted and over come...we headed to Hurricanes. There we hung out and I showed the guys where we are having our Anniversary Party.
Mike Quinn said "Knight time in Hurricanes was another enjoyable time. Best part of our week ! "
Log Cabin B B Q in La Belle
The Log Cabin is a great place in La Belle. We have been there many times. The place is always friendly and happy to see us. You get free soup and Ice Cream!! Who beat that. The ride there was hot, but nothing the Knights couldn't handle. All in all a great day!. Nice to have a new Knight Tony and his son join us!
Tony said "Great time. Thanks for the fun."
will said " Great ride just a perfect day. Not as hot as I feared, thanks Kieth for tailgunning. Welcome to our newest Knight Tony "Scarp" Great pics from Gonzo! "
Scott Garringer said "Good ride with good people and good food"
Cafe 27
Well it was time to hit Cafe 27. We hadn't been there in awhile, and some Knights had never been. So we took a very HOT ride through the Domino sugar canes fields and headed South. Cafe 27 is always busy and interesting. I think everyone had a great time. One Knight did take a slight spill when he hit a big pot hole, but we have all done it and I'm happy to say he's fine. It was great to have Gonzo's wife with us!!! Also good to see Joe Easywriter again.
We split up on the way home and some of us hit a little rain, but not enough to ruin a good day.
On a side note, every Knight had a club shirt on....that was awesome and we looked like we truly were a club and a team. WAY TO GO KNIGHTS!!
Mike Quinn said" Confirm that your good. A serious reminder of the little things that can hurt us bikers. Take care of yourself."
Richard Eames said" Great ride... not so good parking lot. Lol!. The sheepskin seat cover works great, to all that were wondering how it would work out."
Ed Gonzalez said" Excellent Place"
Ft Pierce Tiki Hut
Well this was the ride that almost wasn't... The weather looked real bad all week long and had me thinking that I would end up canceling this ride. I always think about whether or not it's safe, fun, and comfortable when making that decision. I even had made a plan 'B'...just in case. The morning of the ride I looked and low and behold , the weather had greatly improved...so off we went.
We had a great crew with us. This ride was made even more special because we got to welcome back our brother Boston!! Miss ya Bro! We had great roads and took Indian River Drive, which is always nice. I think everyone would agree that the Tiki Hut did not disappoint us. The food and service was excellent. While we were inside, it rained like Hell, but it ended before we left. We got no more than a few sprinkles for the rest of the ride home. Irish and I tore up the rode on the way back, I'm not sayin we broke 3 digits, but we bruised it pretty bad....man that was fun, and that boy can RIDE!! This is a ride I would do again.
richard Boston " Awesome day to ride"
Michael A Choiniere said " My lunch was absolutely one of the best since my move to Florida. Great to meet Mr. Boston... thanks great day."
Scott Garringer said" Will sucks good ride with good people!"
Mike Quinn said " Had a great time."
Bike Night at the Tilted Kilt
The month began and ended with a Bike night. I want to Thank our Brother TOPCAT for making these nights possible. Unfortunately, when school is on, I rarely can make these. Good to see such a nice turn out, it looked like everyone had a great time and I hope to go to the next one.
Mark "BuzzCap7" said " GREAT! It was wonderful to have 'me wife Annmarie there. Fantastic group of guys. Ric did a SUPERB job making EVERYONE feel welcome and involved. No one left alone. Can't say enough GOOD things!!"
Dirk said "At bar. In hover hold."
Rick Bremer said Good times, friendly atmosphere!"
Jorge (Stix) Posada said "Great time with everyone and location!!"
Richard Eames said "Beautiful ride from West Boca. Good to see everyone!"
Topcat said "Great meet, lots of members, lots of laughs"
News from our
Central Florida Chapter
Ride to Salt Springs, FL; lunch at Bass Champions Restaurant
The ride started around at 10:15 going north on Rt. 19 thru Ocala National Forest to Salt Springs where we'll eat at Bass Champions Restaurant (4.5 out of 5 stars). The return route to Mount Dora will be on different back roads.
Silver Springs State Park / Glass Bottom Boats
As Florida’s oldest attraction, the Silver Springs State Park glass bottom boats showcase the crystal clear springs and the underwater life that naturally inhabits Silver Springs. Enjoy the river’s wildlife, vegetation and historical and cultural artifacts. From Native American artifacts – a row boat brought by early Spanish settlers, to movie props from the days Hollywood productions flourished in the park.
