The Palm Beach Knights Newsletter
The Knights Table
Monthly Newsletter November 2014
Greetings from your President Will
Zen and the art of
motorcycle RIDER maintenance
by Will
This narrative begins like many other tales of woe, with a
nice ride. It was the day we had been anticipating
for quite some time, the Friday we go to Roscoe’s. This year had the added
treat of Gunner leading and my getting to tail. This is a luxury for me because
I get to see the Knights and how great a riding group they are. After we all
had breakfast together, we headed out to beautiful weather and what was a
perfect riding day. Gunner did a great job leading and I got to spend more time
to do some Zen contemplation of the wildlife and scenery. Another benefit was
having the SENA intercom system. This allowed for some friendly banter on the
trip. Regrettably I have to report that
the trip was about to change. As we made
our approach to the city of Sebring, I abruptly found it very hard to shift. I
couldn’t seem to get the bike into gear, and it finally locked up entirely.
Luckily, I was able to pull into a store’s parking lot. Now when something like
this happens, you quickly get a bad feeling way down deep into the very depth
of your viscera. There is even a momentary feeling of panic when you realize
that the ride is about to change due to your bike. Everyone was very helpful,
but in the end we had to call a local mechanic. Our Sgt at Arms Echoes did some
searching and found one close by. After answering the mechanic’s predictable queries
on the phone, I finally had to accept the inevitable and have him come to where
we were. I was fortunate that he was
even willing to do that, considering we were stuck. There was even a momentary discussion
of renting a U-haul and my taking the bike back home, but I choose to go with
the mechanic. I was yearning that it was an easy solution, but no such luck.
Watching Helga get put on a trailer, sent that unmistakable sinking feeling to
my stomach again. As you all know, your bike is so much more to you than just a
machine. We give our bikes human traits and characteristics. So when seeing her
being taken away, it’s comparable to seeing a friend being taken away by
ambulance.
The bike then was taken back
to the shop where I was told about all the things that was conceivably wrong.
None of them were quick or easy!( I think this is where my Zen like breathing
started) Bart, the mechanic seemed to know what he was doing and explained that
he had just worked on a couple of Goldwings. While this made me feel a little
better, it did little to relieve my building anxiety. It ended up that I had to accept the
inevitable conclusion that the bike would be staying right there for a
while.
Now came the time for the decision of what to do next. I immediately wanted to send everyone on and
get myself home. Echoes said he wouldn’t leave my side and the rest wasn’t
having any of that either. All I can say
is “thanks” for sticking with me. This is where the art and Zen of maintaining
this rider comes in. The emotional turmoil that was raging within took a great
bit of Zen calming to overcome. (Although I probably didn’t look calm) The thought of ruining everyone’s weekend was
foremost on my mind. We had lunch at
what was later discovered by Gunner as a place we had been to before. After
some further discussion it was decided that I would take Stogie’s bike and ride
him to Lakeland. This was mainly due to my fear and overwhelming anxiety of
riding on the back of anyone’s bike. I
have to be honest and say that I was more than a little nervous!! Not only was
I on a strange bike, but I had Neil’s well being to worry about. My
apologies to Neil for any jokes and kidding he got for allowing me to do this. We made our way through rush hour traffic to
Lakeland and got to the Hotel just before dark. All of us were tired and a
little stressed. That evening was spent
in the best way possible, in the company of the Knights. We had our own veranda
and plenty of libations. The evening (and the moonshine) helped to relieve much
of my stress. While I still had no idea of what was wrong with my beloved
Helga, at least I was with my friends. Thus ending our first night of our
yearly Roscoe trip.
Your Brother Will
The Palm Beach Knights MRC is sponsored by:
Force-E Dive Centers has the best dive staff in South Florida. We have staff members ranging from Photo experts to, Blue Heron Bridge masters, to Free Diving experts.
Please look for more info coming soon about special events for the Knights and others.
Diving can be a wonderful experience, but it takes you out of your element and puts you somewhere that can be very dangerous!! When you go diving or snorkeling always go with someone who knows the rope and you can trust with your life...like Force-E Dive Centers. The best dive center there is.
Skip and Cathy are the owners of the three Force-E Scuba Centers located in Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, and Riviera Beach. Skip started his diving career at the first YMCA Scuba Diving Certification course in Atlanta, GA and later became a Dive Instructor in 1961. In 1975, Skip and Cathy met and Cathy started diving here in Florida. The first Force-E Scuba Center was opened in 1976, and is currently one of the leaders in the dive community in South Florida to offer retail, training, and dive experiences. When Skip and Cathy go diving, their favorite dive site is the ledges in Delray called the Snapper Hole. Cathy loves diving in her new Aqua Lung Lotus i3 BCD and Skip loves to dive in all the equipment he sells at Force-E.
https://www.force-e.com/
Knights don't forget to RSVP for our Holiday party. Last year was a great one and this year will be even better. Free Door prize gifts, 50/50(bring cash, this helps our club!) raffles and more. Of course we will have our Knights White Elephant Gift Exchange!!!!! If you want to participate, just bring a wrapped gift (no more than $25) and get your ticket!! When your number is called you pick a gift from the prize table, or you can steal someone elses. This the fun part!!
We will also have T-shirts and Patches for sale.
12/20/14
Monthly Newsletter November 2014
Greetings from your President Will
Zen and the art of
motorcycle RIDER maintenance
by Will
This narrative begins like many other tales of woe, with a
nice ride. It was the day we had been anticipating
for quite some time, the Friday we go to Roscoe’s. This year had the added
treat of Gunner leading and my getting to tail. This is a luxury for me because
I get to see the Knights and how great a riding group they are. After we all
had breakfast together, we headed out to beautiful weather and what was a
perfect riding day. Gunner did a great job leading and I got to spend more time
to do some Zen contemplation of the wildlife and scenery. Another benefit was
having the SENA intercom system. This allowed for some friendly banter on the
trip. Regrettably I have to report that
the trip was about to change. As we made
our approach to the city of Sebring, I abruptly found it very hard to shift. I
couldn’t seem to get the bike into gear, and it finally locked up entirely.
Luckily, I was able to pull into a store’s parking lot. Now when something like
this happens, you quickly get a bad feeling way down deep into the very depth
of your viscera. There is even a momentary feeling of panic when you realize
that the ride is about to change due to your bike. Everyone was very helpful,
but in the end we had to call a local mechanic. Our Sgt at Arms Echoes did some
searching and found one close by. After answering the mechanic’s predictable queries
on the phone, I finally had to accept the inevitable and have him come to where
we were. I was fortunate that he was
even willing to do that, considering we were stuck. There was even a momentary discussion
of renting a U-haul and my taking the bike back home, but I choose to go with
the mechanic. I was yearning that it was an easy solution, but no such luck.
Watching Helga get put on a trailer, sent that unmistakable sinking feeling to
my stomach again. As you all know, your bike is so much more to you than just a
machine. We give our bikes human traits and characteristics. So when seeing her
being taken away, it’s comparable to seeing a friend being taken away by
ambulance.
The bike then was taken back to the shop where I was told about all the things that was conceivably wrong. None of them were quick or easy!( I think this is where my Zen like breathing started) Bart, the mechanic seemed to know what he was doing and explained that he had just worked on a couple of Goldwings. While this made me feel a little better, it did little to relieve my building anxiety. It ended up that I had to accept the inevitable conclusion that the bike would be staying right there for a while.
Now came the time for the decision of what to do next. I immediately wanted to send everyone on and
get myself home. Echoes said he wouldn’t leave my side and the rest wasn’t
having any of that either. All I can say
is “thanks” for sticking with me. This is where the art and Zen of maintaining
this rider comes in. The emotional turmoil that was raging within took a great
bit of Zen calming to overcome. (Although I probably didn’t look calm) The thought of ruining everyone’s weekend was
foremost on my mind. We had lunch at
what was later discovered by Gunner as a place we had been to before. After
some further discussion it was decided that I would take Stogie’s bike and ride
him to Lakeland. This was mainly due to my fear and overwhelming anxiety of
riding on the back of anyone’s bike. I
have to be honest and say that I was more than a little nervous!! Not only was
I on a strange bike, but I had Neil’s well being to worry about. My
apologies to Neil for any jokes and kidding he got for allowing me to do this. We made our way through rush hour traffic to
Lakeland and got to the Hotel just before dark. All of us were tired and a
little stressed. That evening was spent
in the best way possible, in the company of the Knights. We had our own veranda
and plenty of libations. The evening (and the moonshine) helped to relieve much
of my stress. While I still had no idea of what was wrong with my beloved
Helga, at least I was with my friends. Thus ending our first night of our
yearly Roscoe trip.
The next day some of the Knights took a ride to a local
dealer. I took this time to find a rental car. Later, we rode/drove to our long
awaited destination. I have to say that this year Roscoe’s was a bit
disappointing. The event seemed smaller and not as exciting. One highlight was
Keith getting his club vest done! The chili was awesome as always, but there
were fewer vendors and the space itself was ½ the size. That evening we had
dinner at a local Steak house. After dinner, I decided to save the expense of
another night at the hotel and drive myself home. I should say that I would not
have done that if I was not fully confident that Gunner and the rest of the
Knights would do a great job of getting back.
The short end to this tale is that Helga blew her clutch and rear
bearings. I took Amtrak back to Sebring a week and ½ later. Paying the $900+
bill was painful, but it was good to get her back. I still find myself taking a Zen like moment
when I reflect about all that occurred. Isn’t Karma a bitch!!
Your Brother Will
The Palm Beach Knights MRC is sponsored by:
Force-E Dive Centers has the best dive staff in South Florida. We have staff members ranging from Photo experts to, Blue Heron Bridge masters, to Free Diving experts.
Please look for more info coming soon about special events for the Knights and others.
Diving can be a wonderful experience, but it takes you out of your element and puts you somewhere that can be very dangerous!! When you go diving or snorkeling always go with someone who knows the rope and you can trust with your life...like Force-E Dive Centers. The best dive center there is.
Skip and Cathy are the owners of the three Force-E Scuba Centers located in Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, and Riviera Beach. Skip started his diving career at the first YMCA Scuba Diving Certification course in Atlanta, GA and later became a Dive Instructor in 1961. In 1975, Skip and Cathy met and Cathy started diving here in Florida. The first Force-E Scuba Center was opened in 1976, and is currently one of the leaders in the dive community in South Florida to offer retail, training, and dive experiences. When Skip and Cathy go diving, their favorite dive site is the ledges in Delray called the Snapper Hole. Cathy loves diving in her new Aqua Lung Lotus i3 BCD and Skip loves to dive in all the equipment he sells at Force-E.
https://www.force-e.com/
Knights don't forget to RSVP for our Holiday party. Last year was a great one and this year will be even better. Free Door prize gifts, 50/50(bring cash, this helps our club!) raffles and more. Of course we will have our Knights White Elephant Gift Exchange!!!!! If you want to participate, just bring a wrapped gift (no more than $25) and get your ticket!! When your number is called you pick a gift from the prize table, or you can steal someone elses. This the fun part!!
We will also have T-shirts and Patches for sale.
12/20/14
Hurricane Grill & Wings 7pm
4075 State Road 7, Wellington, FL
Knights may purchase anything from the menu, just make sure they have a check just for you.
Who has the COOLEST VEST ???
We have-small patches and now a limited
supply of large back Patches available.
WEAR YOUR SHIRT SHOW YOUR PRIDE!!
MJ Bean
Cox
11//1
Scott Lord
11/8/1962
Joe Ciancio
11/9/1943
Steve Cohen
11/15/1963
Please join me in congratulating
Kris Kollar as the Knights new
Safety Officer. Thanks you Kris for always watching out for the Knights!
We have been having some really awesome rides /TIMES:
The was a little longer ride , but what a great day!! The weather was really excellent, even if it was very windy. It was a great way to spend a day out with the Knights. I think we all got home before dark.
4075 State Road 7, Wellington, FL
Who has the COOLEST VEST ???
supply of large back Patches available.
WEAR YOUR SHIRT SHOW YOUR PRIDE!!
| MJ Bean Cox | 11//1 | |||||||
| Scott Lord | 11/8/1962 | |||||||
| Joe Ciancio | 11/9/1943 | |||||||
| Steve Cohen | 11/15/1963 |
Please join me in congratulating
Kris Kollar as the Knights new
Safety Officer. Thanks you Kris for always watching out for the Knights!
Kris Kollar as the Knights new
Safety Officer. Thanks you Kris for always watching out for the Knights!
We have been having some really awesome rides /TIMES:
The was a little longer ride , but what a great day!! The weather was really excellent, even if it was very windy. It was a great way to spend a day out with the Knights. I think we all got home before dark.
David Rey said" Glad I went. If it weren't for the Club, I am not sure I would have made this ride to Punta Gorda"
November 2
Meet for breakfast at Cracker Barrel and ride to Harley Davidson Beach Party.
Greenies took the club to the HD Beach Party. Seemed like everyone had a great time.
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Well for the whole story see the top. This is always an interesting weekend getaway. This year was smaller and seemed less exciting, may just have been me.
November 2
Meet for breakfast at Cracker Barrel and ride to Harley Davidson Beach Party.
Greenies took the club to the HD Beach Party. Seemed like everyone had a great time.
Well for the whole story see the top. This is always an interesting weekend getaway. This year was smaller and seemed less exciting, may just have been me.Rick Pirozzoli Said" Even riding in the rain is better with the Knights , good luck with Helga Will
Since my bike was not yet back from repairs, I asked Gunner to fill in for me. As usual he did a fantastic job and everyone had a great time. We should also mention that it was his birthday!!! I did get to stop by in the morning and have a Donut with the Knights. We had some new Knights and some we haven't seen for awhile....always a good thing! Welcome to Rich and his wife Deb. Good to see everyone.
Since my bike was not yet back from repairs, I asked Gunner to fill in for me. As usual he did a fantastic job and everyone had a great time. We should also mention that it was his birthday!!! I did get to stop by in the morning and have a Donut with the Knights. We had some new Knights and some we haven't seen for awhile....always a good thing! Welcome to Rich and his wife Deb. Good to see everyone.Rich Love said" What a great day thanks for sharing your ride what a nice group of friends We had nice time"
Gunner said" Thank you everyone for breaking in to the Happy Birthday song for me. For those of you that missed it, it was a great, I never expected it. THANK YOU ALL"
November 29
Short ride to Harry and the Natives.
I posted a last minute ride to get out of the house. Lauren joined me and we had a great breakfast and even meet with a prospective Knight.
Short ride to Harry and the Natives.
I posted a last minute ride to get out of the house. Lauren joined me and we had a great breakfast and even meet with a prospective Knight.
November 30th Tech day/BBQ
All I can say is Thank You!! This had to be one of our nicest events. First a big thanks goes to Kris, for all the cooking, and everyone else who brought food and drinks. So many people brought so much great stuff, we all had a ball. Days like this are so rare to most people, unless you're a Knight! The new and old faces just make for a great day. I can't help but feel that we are so much a family. Sons, Daughters, and baby's were all there. While we did not do a lot of tech stuff, we did do a lot of motorcycle talking. We also got some patches sewn on! The weather could not have been better. Those that couldn't make it were missed, but I think you'll want to be at the next one.
Slick Said" I had an awesome time today with my brothers, new & old. Special thanks to Chef Kris for an amazing job keeping us fed. So looking forward to many more adventures with my friends-"
