June newsletter 2013

The Knights Table

Monthly Newsletter June 2013

Greetings from your President Will

Is it or isn't it “more than just a ride”?

By Will

While I know that it always starts with the motorcycle, it can go well beyond that.  For me there has always been a biker social aspect of riding, and for some this includes entities like our club. For many people, the idea of a motorcycle club is a new and somewhat unknown idea. While others have tried different clubs and found them lacking (myself included).   Along with books, various television shows and movies over the years, media certainly has played a role in the growing popularity of these types of groups, in reality they have always been so much more than what is shown. (Some of it bad, some good)

Why do people join motorcycle clubs? Funny you should ask. (I know, but in my head you asked)  There are as many reasons why, as there are clubs. First, it depends on the club itself. Guys don't just join a club for the sake of joining a club, but because that club offers a specific purpose.

Each has different, philosophies. Of course, the people in the club have their own personalities, and that makes each club (including The Knights) unique.

People join motorcycle clubs mostly because the club offers something that they're wanting. Be it a sense of brotherhood, a sense of family, partying, or spiritual healing.  For me it’s the sense of brotherhood and fellowship. (Ok, a little partying) I founded this club with that idea in mind. If you're wondering why you should join a club, take a look at the club. (I hope ours offers some of it all)

As I stated our club like some other motorcycle clubs was founded with the purpose of brotherhood which is why our motto is “It’s more than just a ride”.  Some clubs are more like "support groups", particularly on staying clean and sober, or recovering from alcoholism. Think of them like an Alcoholic Anonymous group, but for bikers. (No, not me)

Keep in mind that we are also a "riding clubs", as opposed to a "motorcycle club". The riding club is centered on riding motorcycles. Motorcycle clubs usually have a greater goal or agenda than just riding bikes. The riding club offers no other purpose than to go out riding with some folks, grab some lunch, have a beer, and be with friends.

When it comes right down to it, a biker club is only a group of individuals who share a common passion and love for their motorcycles. It is a group of friends, family and comrades that have found a strong and common bond, which is started with a common love of motorcycles and riding them. If you strip away all the stereotypes that are seen, a motorcycle club is very much like any other club in existence. There are criteria for membership, there are benefits for belonging, and the members are expected to act in a manner that reflects the ideals of the group as a whole.

Like many close-knit groups, biker clubs are characterized by a strong sense of belonging to something that is grander than what you are. It's about a strong bond, a friendship that while borne out of the love of motorcycles has grown into something much more. For many motorcycle enthusiasts, being part of a biker club is a sense of pride, of honor, and some would even say a sense of familial love that may be lacking in other areas.  It’s been my hope from the very beginning that we would become this kind of club. I’m happy to say I think that while we still may be evolving, we can take pride in what our club has become.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a Ride!  
~Hunter S. Thompson

Of Note: 
Congradulations to Steven "Greenies" for being made an officer for the 
Knights. Thanks for all your help!!

Also:

The club has finally decided on an official communication system...we are going with the Sena SMH10.

MAKE SURE YOU RSVP FOR OUR UP COMING CLUB NIGHTS ON JULY 26TH. IT WILL BE A GREAT TIME AND A GREAT CHANCE TO HANG OUT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Raffle:

To help pay for the outlay to have club patches made, I'm donating a slightly used iPad to the club. It is in perfect working condition and sells for about $300 on E-bay. We will be raffling it off. Tickets are $10 and we'd have to sell at least 20 tickets, but not more than 30. 1st place wins the iPad, 2nd and 3rd a free club patch. Please help your club out and buy at least one ticket. The drawing will be held on the Club Night!!! 

 MEMBERS GETTING OLDER!!  

Happy Birthday to:

Tim Franz 6/19
Will             6/23

We have been having some really awesome rides

Elliott Museum Hutchinson Island.  June 9 ·

We had great weather and a really nice ride out to Hutchinson island. The museum was worth the $12. Great idea from our Road Capt. in training Gunner!! BBQ lunch was a topper, and then we payed the HD dealer a visit. We ran into another Knight while we were there. Seems Lauren needed to visit the HD dealer as well.

Gunner and I tried to recruit this guy in the glass case!

Officer's meeting June 13th

Here we are hard at work trying to make your club even better. (does't Greenies look thrilled )

We meet at  Johnnie Brown's so the officer's could discuss some issues with communications, up coming rides and tricking...I mean convincing Steve Greenies to be our club Secretary. We were join by Lauren and her boyfriend. After the meeting we had a some good food and beverages. Kruzen and I rode home along the beach. Perfect (K)night for that ride. 

Rib City Immokalee June 15th

A great time was had by all! The ride out to Immakalee was easy and enjoyable. We were joined by a new member  

Keith Baldwin. It was Keith's first time riding with the Knights and first time riding with a group. He did an outstanding job and we hope to see him on many more rides. OK so we go to a place called RIB CITY, and I think I'm the only who got RIBS!!! Oy. Good to see MJ and Devon who rode 60+ miles just to be with us..Thanks guys! Greenies found us a deserted back road to take home, it was great. Good job!

Tech day/ BBQ  Sunday, June 23, 2013

Well it was a perfect way for me to celebrate my birthday.

We had some fun, food, and even got some work done on a couple of bikes. Thanks to Kruzen for all the help with a real PITA job of putting my new grips on. Greenies got his oil changed and Gunner assisted. John Kali arrived just in time for cake, maybe that was planned!! 

Clewiston Inn Sunday Brunch Sunday, June 30, 2013

Canceled due to weather! While I really hate to cancel rides, it's a call I have to make. If it rain hard enough and we're out, it sucks! if I cancel and it rain later or in a different spot it SUCKS!! I have to decide based on safety, comfort, and enjoyment. 

Member of the Month

MJ. For riding so far just to be with me....OK us.

Thanks MJ it's people like you who make this club great!

Check out the upcoming events:

Bike nights at Renegades. July 3rd

Sunday Brunch at the Seminole Country Inn Indian Town July 14th

6th Annual Fort Lauderdale Summer Bike Fest July 21st

Club (K)night get together July 26th

The Knights Table

Monthly Newsletter May 2013

Greetings from your President Will

 

The difference of Riding a motorcycle and driving around in a car.

By Will

Last year on a family vacation in the Smokey Mt., I found myself saying “man I wish I had my bike with me”. That got me thinking, and….writing.

OK let’s tell the truth as a Palm Beach Knight you enjoy the company of other riders more than just about anyone else. (Well mostly) Think of the biker events you’ve been too, Leesburg, Bike Week, and Roscoe’s as compared to say “Sun Fest”. While we may partake in a friendly rivalry with other bikers, it doesn't really matter what they ride, only that they understand the emancipation and independence that comes with being one of us. There is a lot to be said for being around people who recognize your frustrations when the engine doesn't purr the way it should, or if your paint job gets a scratch. (That one really hurts) There is something about pulling out onto the highway, as a member of a long line of other bikers that gives you a sense of belonging that few other things can match. Or how about doing a lane change so perfectly that it looks like a choreographed dance movement. How can anyone in a car know what that feels like? Once you've become a part of this group, once you've become a true biker, it can be difficult to be anything else.

Riding a motorcycle is poles apart from driving around in a car. Today's cars allow so many conveniences and isolate the driver from the world around them. I have always said that a car is just a conveyance to get from one place to another.  It's almost like watching a live television show while you drive around your neighborhood. In a car, you are a passive spectator. Think of all that surrounds you, a protective framework of rubber, wire, plastic and steel inclosing you. You have the voice of a GPS to tell you where you need to go, a blinking light to remind you when to put your seat belt on, and even a bell to let you know when your door is ajar (still looks like a door not a jar to me).  What’s next a special smell that lets you know you need gas?? There are heaters and air conditioning to keep you nice and comfortable on your journey. There is also a way to easily play your favorite music and sing along without thinking. (OK, I do that in my helmet)  It's a crafted environment where most times the link to the world around you is absent, gone, invisable, and kaput.

The saga differs significantly when riding on a motorcycle. That protective, and some say restrictive frame is gone. You are more physically and mentally in contact with the world around you. (Well you better be) The environment is no longer sitting outside your window of shatterproof glass or beneath the steel at your feet. The air is whipping around your helmet, you can feel the heat of the day on your arms, (or in some cases, the bald spot) whiff the exhaust or whatever they’re smoking from the other vehicles. Now that can sometimes be a disadvantage, riding through Clewiston comes to mind. You can feel the sensations and sounds of the life around you. In a very real sense riding a motorcycle allows you to become part of the environment around you. In the case of Love Bugs, they become part of you!!You feel the rain, heat, lightning and wind. You know that the sun is glaring down on your back, and your body feels the rise and sigh of every bump in the road. Unlike a car, there is no feeling of passive separation. There is only a feeling of active engagement. How many car drivers know the experience of seeing the Sun rise from the seat of their motorcycle?  Only a better writer than me could do that vision justice.

Don’t forget that any member can make a suggestion about a ride or an event. We are always looking for more new places to ride to. So if you know of a place or an event, make sure to suggest it on our website.

Of Note:
Congradulations to Steven "Gunner" for being made an officer for the Knights. Thanks for all your help!!

Raffle:

To help pay for the outlay to have club patches made, I'm donating a slightly used iPad to the club. It is in perfect working condition and sells for about $300 on E-bay. We will be raffling it off. Tickets are $10 and we'd have to sell at least 20 tickets, but not more than 30. 1st place wins the iPad, 2nd and 3rd a free club patch. Please help your club out and buy at least one ticket.

 

 

 

We have been having some really awesome rides:

Dune Deck Cafe: (Brunch) May 5th

While it was a small group we met a new member John “Kali” Kaline and his wife. Great people and I'm sure Kali will be a core member in no time. Thanks for paying your dues and buying for a club shirt, we appreciated the support.

Casa Tequila Mexican Grill  May 11

A great ride with really nice weather. We took our time and after a nice twisty road, we got there just as they opened. Some of the Knights said it was some of the best Mexican food they’ve had. We did our club proud by fighting off the invading hoard of love bugs!! I kept hearing the flight of the Valkyries running through my head. (look it up) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92OBNsQgxU
 I think we killed more bugs this time than ever before. I decided in the spirit of the Knights to have a contest to see who could kill the most….Steve “Greenies” was the voted winner.….he will receive his commemorative pin, and a reciepe for Love Bug suffle on the next ride.

Ride to Cafe 27 May 18^th

Well I got to see another class of kids graduate from my school, which is great except I had to miss this ride. Thanks to our Capt. Kruzen for leading the ride and Paul Sachse for tailgunning. I was told something about  3/4 of flying  dead Gator or was it a flying 3/4 gator...see what happens when I'm not around.

Harry and the Natives Breakfast/Ride May 25^th

We had a nice short summer ride. The weather was great even if it was a bit warm. I have to say the food and service was excellent. They sat us in no time. The place has an interesting  old Florida atmosphere. We sold 8 raffle tickets woo hoo!! We are on our way. The ride back along the beach back was very relaxing. 

Upcoming Rides don’t miss out on:
Elliott Museum Hutchinson Island.  June 1st

Rib City Immokalee June 15th

John Stretch Park B-day picnic/ride June 23rd
Clewiston Inn Sunday Brunch June 30th
 

Member Photo of the month:

Lauren!! Who rides a long way just to be with us. She is always smiling and never complains. Thanks Lauren for being one of the Knights!

Palm Beach Knights April Newsletter

The Knights Table

Monthly Newsletter April 2013

Greetings from your President   Will

 

April was packed full of fun and adventure.
We had some great times this month and got some new members. We are at just under 60 members and growing!! I want to thank everyone who comes out and participates all the time. I'd also like to encourage all our new members to come out and meet the KNIGHTS.









Hey Knights as we go into the rainy season, we will probably hit rain. I will cancel rides for :
1. Safety: if it is going to pour or we are getting a better than 50% chance of Thunder storms.
2. Comfort:  If it is going to rain the whole ride, no body like riding wet all day.
3. Participation: If people don't want to go out and play in the rain (which is fine) we can do it another day.

Having said that here is my newest article. I hope you enjoy it. Please give me feedback on any part or the whole thing!!!

Rain” is a four-letter Word

By Will                                                                                 

The summer riding season is coming!! If you really want to raise the hackles on the neck of a biker, just say the word “rain.” Now I know that no one in their right mind goes out riding just because it’s raining, (although it can be refreshing) living in Florida chances are that you will get stuck in the rain at times. What can you do to improve your riding in the rain?

Well, the first thing you can do is not waiting until it’s raining to do something. There are things you can do well ahead of the first few drops of rain. Most of this is not rocket science, but you’d be surprised how many of us don’t even bother. Even in the summer in South Florida I still get a negative response when I ask riders if they have a rain suit with them.   Much as you hate to think about it, selecting and purchasing a rain suit is something that you just gotta do. A rain suit should serve two purposes. First, it should keep you dry (see I said it’s not rocket science). Second, and equally important, it should increase your visibility. I went shopping and they range in price from $40- $200. I found mine for $10 at Harbor Freight. Mine is the old yellow PVC. It is bright and keeps me semi dry. When your evasive maneuverability is reduced by lack of traction, you want to be sure other drivers see you.

 Rain Gear

Lots of lights also help you to be seen in the rain. I installed a light bar on my bike, and boy it makes a big difference.  I also have about 20 LED’s that make me look like a cloud. I turn those to flashing in a bad rain. Of course, you keep your lights clean, but have you checked all your lights lately to see if any have burned out? Do you carry any spares lamps and fuses with you? Next time you take your bike in for service; why not restock any spare bulbs you might be missing? You should stock spare fuses as well. I went to show off my light bar the other day and when they didn’t light up, I went looking for a spare fuse.(yep, I had one)

The other important part that needs maintaining ahead of time is your tires (more brilliance). Have you looked at them lately?( I’m not going to mention Fatty Matty by name)  Both of them?  The number one major cause of hydroplaning is worn tires. It’s too late to check them after the rain starts falling. The sole purpose of the tread design on a tire is to carry off the water, but it can’t do its job if you don’t allow it enough tread depth to work with. Some Knights have been using a tire guy in Lake Worth called Spider Racing. (just ask me for his #)

Hydroplaning occurs when the tires are not in full contact with the road. The result is an elevation in blood pressure, increase of heart rate, and an enhancement of ones vocabulary. You’re riding on a thin layer of water, and sometimes oil, on the road. Hydroplaning occurs frequently in light mist or drizzle. When it’s really raining hard, the oil actually get washed away, of course if it’s raining that hard, go have a cup of coffee!(no not Beer!!)  I always carry a cigar just for this reason. Proper tread depth and tire pressures and slowing down are a big help. I was amazed how it helps reduce the chance of hydroplaning first time I tried riding in the tracks of other vehicles. The change in sound, or any decrease in steering or braking may mean you’re hydroplaning. If this happens, slow down without braking and avoid any sudden moves. Then go change your underwear.

Plan alternate routes in case of rain. I will change a route home if I think we can miss the rain. We love those scenic, twisty asphalt roads, but they are a lot more fun when it’s dry. When the rain starts to pour, the scenery turns gray, the turns aren’t nearly as much fun, and the asphalt doesn’t provide the traction you really need. It’s time to look for an alternate route along a duller, but straighter road. When we are out west, we sometimes can see it coming for miles. We can then choose a road that the rain may miss altogether.

Once it starts raining, there are still things you can do to increase your safety, if not your comfort. Pull off the road as soon as you find a place to get out of the rain. The underpass of I95 is a perennial favorite. This gives you a dry place to put on your high-visibility rain suit, and more important, it puts you off the road during the most dangerous first fifteen minutes of rain. When the water first enters the pores of the road, it forces up the oil that has been collecting there. A few more minutes of rain will wash this oil off the road.

Though the main danger of rain is hydroplaning, increasing your following distance, taking curves more slowly, and increasing your scanning distance, and being seen all help your rain riding. One good thing about living in Florida, if you don’t like the weather….just wait 20 minutes.

Riding in the rain may suck, but it can be safer.

Of Note:

I hope everyone joins me in congratulating Steven “Gunner” and Lisa on their engagement. I have truly never met a nicer couple and I’m overjoyed at their announcment!!!!

We have  a mileage program. The first members have already received their certificate and a decal for reaching 100k miles with the PB KNIGHTS! The next level is 5000K miles. Look on the detail of each ride to see how many miles are awarded. If you would like to see your miles, just go to the pages tab and open-

Palm Beach Knights MRC Mileage Program page.

 

Don’t forget that any member can make a suggestion about a ride or an event. We are always looking for more new places to ride to. So if you know of a place or an event, make sure to suggest it on our website.

While we try to mix up our rides as much as possible, it's highly unlikely that I'm going to please everyone all the time. I hope everyone has been enjoying the rides that I have been on our schedule so far. I am always looking for feedback and new ideas. Your participation is what makes this club great.

 

 

We have been having some really awesome rides:

 

Ride To Alabama Jacks -Key Largo April 7

While this ride had a lot of highway time, it turned into a great day. Mark “Kruzen” led us down to the Keys popular Biker hang out. Lisa took a lot of really nice photo’s,including the bridge she jumped off when she was younger (don’t ask). It was a great meeting our new member David Rhodes; I hope we see him on a lot more rides. Having communication was a big help, we will have to talk about that more. The only negative is when we passed the guy who dropped his pants….it’s never a pretty sight!!

 

South Florida Ride for Kids/The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation April 14

I want to thank everyone who came out so early and supported this great cause. We raised approx. $900 as a team. We had some first time riders with us Slick, and new member Eric (medrep), good to have them with us. It was really great to see so many of us in our club shirts, we looked awesome!  We had a nice 1 hour escorted ride, and helped a lot of kids. Hope to do it again next year.

 

Ride is canceled for today?! April 20

 

Well we had started out with another plan, but due the uncertainty of the weather we canceled.  I said I would go by the meetup spot in case anyone would like to just meet. 10 People showed!! It was great!!!

We had 2 first timers Devon”Viking”, and MJ. We also were happy to see Lauren back with us.  We ended up riding to the Tiki Hut on one of our favorite routes. We ended up mostly dry the whole day.

 

Leesburg Bikefest/weekend ride

April 26-28 2013

The Knights first over-nighter was a big success. We had a nice scenic ride up on Friday. Leesburg was defiantly a destination for 1000’s of bikers. Friday night was a nice, not too crowded time.  The ride back was just unforgettable. The weather was flawless and the full Moon was the biggest I had ever witnessed. Saturday we had a planned ride to Mt. Dora in some of the finest weather we have ever had. I even managed not to get lost! We found a perfect place for lunch and rode on to Leesburg. Saturday was a little hot and crowded, but the Knights are real troopers and everyone had a good time and. Saturday night Gunner found us an ideal place for dinner. It was close and had great food. We were even joined by Viking and his girlfriend Annie. Sunday’s ride back was also picture-perfect. We stopped at the Okeechobee Airport for lunch and headed home tired, but happy. An atta boy goes out to Neal Alvanos for doing the 550 miles after knee surgery without a single complaint. Great job Neal, I would have been bitchen the whole weekend!

 

 

Upcoming Rides don’t miss out on:

 

Dune Deck Cafe: (Brunch) Sunday, May 5, 2013

 Casa Tequila Mexican Grill Saturday, May 11, 2013

 Harry and the Natives Breakfast/Ride May 25th

Elliott Museum Hutchinson Island    June 1st

Rib City Immokalee     June 15th
 

 

Member Photo of the month:
All the guys (and Lisa) who went to Leesburg!!