Gateway Ducati Owners Group Monthly Message October 2012

Hi Folks,

Before we go much further, please note that there will be no Bike Night on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 due to the presidential election.  Also, the GDOG holiday party is being held on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 6:30PM.  Reservations are a must, so email me if you are attending.  This information is repeated below as well.

The nice riding weather in September changed for the worst as October arrived. 

The Bike Night held on the 2^nd at East Coast Pizza in Chesterfield Valley was a rousing success as 19 people showed up with a large number riding to the event.  14 Ducatis were lined up in the roped off area of the parking lot that the restaurant reserved for our use.  This was a significant event in that we have completed three years in our current incarnation as an owners’ group, and we are starting on our fourth year.  As is our custom, elections for officers were held for the upcoming year.  The results are as follows:

            President:  Gary Kwawer

            Vice President: Vito Sicola

            Treasurer: Bob Oesch

            Ride Captain: Joe Henderson

            Assistant Ride Captain: Nagendra “Jay” Jayanty

The event was a throwback to our beginnings of an owners’ group as our bike nights were held at pizza places around the area.  The main factor in those days was for the pizza to be good, parking lot to be visible, and the group to be welcomed by the restaurant. 

The monthly ride was held on Saturday, October 6.  The weather had turned much colder in the 4 days since the bike night.  I led the ride.  Eric Nordstrom and Giorgio Tortora were the brave soles joining me that day.  We arrived at the rendezvous point at 8:30AM.  Giorgio showed up in jeans and summer riding gear.  Eric showed up in more layers.  I showed up in full winter gear along with my heated vest and gloves.  It became apparent that a full ride in inadequate gear would turn riders into popsicles, so we headed to my house and I was able to outfit the guys in warmer gear for the ride.   The ride that day turned out to be a scavenger hunt ride, so we got photos of a minor league stadium, lake, state park, and war memorial.  The sun broke through on the ride home and it was much warmer.  The need for winter riding gear to extend the season for all of us is something we can address in future bike nights.

Speaking of the 1^st annual Scavenger Hunt.  The results are in and are as follows:

            Jon Short - 50

N. “Jay”  Jayanty - 329

Giorgio Tortora - 789

Eric Nordstrom - 820

Joe Henderson - 979

Gary Kwawer - 1,113

Dave Noelken - 1,588

Steven Davis - 1,588

Dave and Steven had an epic ride where they collected many of their points.  Joe swears he would have caught them, but his motorcycle was not helpful.  I was planning on a ride on 11/3, but a broken big toe on my right foot has kept me off the bike.  Congratulations to Dave and Steven for winning the event.  Great job.  Thanks to Joe Henderson for organizing and administering the event.  Photos for the event can be found using the following link:

http://s285.photobucket.com/albums/ll47/joeh_photo/GDOG-HUNT/?albumview=slideshow

On to future events.  There will be no bike night in November as the national election takes priority.  The 3^rd annual Gateway Ducati Owners Group Holiday Party is scheduled for Tuesday, December 4 at 6:30PM. We shall be in the Agusta Room at Triumph Grill.  Reservations are required.  This is an event for members and guests.  Cost will be $25.00 per person, plus tip and alcoholic beverages.  The menu will offer many choices for those of us who have dietary constraints.  Please email me at president@gatewayducati.com if you plan on attending.

The resumption of our bike nights will be on February 5, 2012.  Plenty of reminders will hit your email, websites, etc.  We will keep you informed.   Also, as an FYI- motorcycle shows are starting to crop up around the USA to keep the interest up during the winter months.  Check the internet and make plans to travel to one if you are able.

I will shoot out another message at the end of November.  Ride when weather permits and enjoy your families.

Sincerely,

Gary Kwawer

Chief Contact Person and President

Gateway Ducati Owners Group

October 6 Monthly Group Ride

Hi Folks,

In keeping with the theme of changing some of our routine, the monthly group ride will leave from the QT on Highway 94 and Weldon Springs Road in St. Charles County at 8:30AM on Saturday, October 6, 2012.  We will be making a run up to Hannibal, MO and bag some Scavenger Hunt points in the process.  Depending on time, we may run over to Springfield, IL and take photos of the Illinois State Capital.  So meet at 8:00AM and leave at 8:30AM.  I look forward to seeing you there.  The rain date is  Sunday, October 7.

Also, kudos to Chris Ryan, our webmaster for his photos of our latest bike night.  19 members enjoyed our 3rd Anniversary meeting at East Coast Pizza.  They were kind enough to block off parking spaces for the Ducatis.

See you on the road.

Gary Kwawer
Chief Contact Person and President
Gateway Ducati Owners Group

East Coast Pizza - Bike Night

September 2012 Message

September brought a welcome respite from the triple digit temperatures that hit the Gateway region over the summer.  This allowed us to have more riding days as rain was absent for much of the month.  Please read this message all they way to the end as we are changing the location of our October 2, 2012 Bike Night.

GDOG Upcoming Events

Here is a list of the upcoming and on-going events for the Gateway Ducati Owners Group:

On-going:  The Scavenger Hunt- 4 weeks left.  Please email photos to Joe Henderson (jhenderson@netelligent.com) to get credit.  This is an event that members can do on their own.

Upcoming:

October 2, 2012 6:30PM Bike Night at East Coast Pizza in Chesterfield Valley.  Please note the change of location for this event.  This is the 3rd anniversary of the founding of our owners group.  As of now the weather looks great.  Please ride your Ducati to the event if you so desire, and join us for some Ducati viewing, camaraderie, pizza eating, and fun.

October 4-7, 2012  Tennessee Expedition led by Joe Henderson.  There is still time to participate, so email Joe Henderson if you wish to join.

October 6, 2012 Group ride.  Meet at the usual location at 8:00AM, leave at 8:30.  Ride leader and destination to be determined.

October 14, 2012 Columbus Day Parade on the Hill.  Per Rio Vitale, we will be the lead group in the parade.  Other motorcycle groups will be participating.  Let us try to have a great showing.  Please email Rio Vitale (rvitale10@aol.com) if you wish to participate.  

October 21, 2012 Time, Speed, Distance Rally  Please email Joe Henderson (jhenderson@netelligent.com) if you wish to participate.

November 3, 2012 Group Ride, weather permitting.

November bike night is cancelled due to the Presidential election.

December 4, 2012 6:30PM  The 4th Annual Gateway Ducati Owners Group Holiday Party.  We are holding it at Triumph Grill.  Please email me (president@gatewayducati.com) if you are attending.  

Information of our Timed Speed Rally.

Please email me at president@gatewayducati.com if you are planning on participating.GDOG Timed Speed Distance Road Rally on Sunday, 10/21/12Here’s the concept of a TSD Rally;

TSD Rallies are run on public roads at speeds that are at the legal limit for that section of road. TSD rallying is not a race. The object of a TSD Rally is to maintain precise times and precise average speeds on various segments of a predefined route. Hidden checkpoints capture your time and record your score.

September 2012 Group Ride

The September 2012 GDOG group ride is in the books.

The ride was held on Sunday, September 9.  Joe Henderson led a total of four riders to Gerald, MO via back roads, twist, and lots of turns.  Traffic was minimal.

Vito Sicola, Rob Menendez and Gary Kwawer joined Joe Henderson on the ride.  It was similar to past rides from over 3 years ago as these three riders were used to riding together.  The pace was comfortable for the entire ride and there were no surprises.  All riders returned to their houses safely.

For next week, on Saturday, September 15, weather permitting, Gary is going to plan a ride to the Missouri State Capital in Jefferson City to bag some scavenger hunt points.  The ride will leave at 8:30AM from the QT station at Highway 94 and O'Fallon road in St. Charles County.  This will be a long day, so the earlier departure is a good idea.

On Sunday, September 16, weather permitting, a ride to Hannibal, MO and Mark Twain's house is planned.  This will also be an opportunity to bag some scavenger hunt points.

Please email president@gatewayducati.com if you are interested in going.

September GDOG Group Ride Redux

The September Group Ride was rained out last weekend.  Never fear, we have a plan!

We shall be riding on Sunday, September 9, 2012.  Meet at the QT on Route 109, south of I-44 at 8:30AM and leave at 9AM.  The route is as follows:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?vps=2&hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=217378808863132038012.0004c84074c635f0cb183


We look forward to seeing you there.  The forecast looks like perfect riding weather!

August Message for the Gateway Ducati Owners Group

August was a busy month for Ducatistas in the United States.  The end of July had MotoGP at Laguna Seca.  The early part of August had the Pikes Peak race where Multistradas demonstrated their excellence.  The final US event was held the weekend of the 18^th, MotoGP at Indy.  One week after Indy, the MotoGP race at Brno in the Czech Republic was held.  Lots of racing for Ducati fans.

Activities for the Weekend of 8/25/2012

While the Gateway Ducati Owners Group has no official activities, Vito Sicola (our Vice President) is riding on the morning of 8/25/12.  The meeting point is the Shell Station/Circle K located on Lindberg Blvd, South of I-44.  Meet at 8AM, leave at 8:30AM.  This ride is Vito's ride and he is inviting people to join him.

On another topic, I did a Bixby ride today (8/24) and discovered that in a short amount of time, highway C will be have fresh oil and gravel.  Please ride carefully on that road.

The information for the ride on September 1, 2012 follows:

The ride starts at 8:00AM from the QT on route 109, south of I-44.

Joe Henderson, our Ride Captain, and Giorgio Tortora did a pre-ride and amended the route.  Here’s the revised route for September. Joe shortened it due to a pea gravel covered state hwy and it just seemed to take them awhile. The ride will be 62 miles each way, about 80-90 min each direction. Destination is Gerald, MO. We can plan a stop mid-way if the guys want.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?vps=53&hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=217378808863132038012.0004c7df0f18b38cf5593

Hi Folks,

The month of July is coming to a close with a day of welcome rain (29^th), MotoGP at Laguna Seca, and somewhat cooler temperatures than the dangerously hot weather we have been experiencing.  Around the St. Louis area, the heat has made motorcycling uncomfortable, if not dangerous.

Believe it or not, the member kits from DOC arrived at my house during the first week of July.  In order to receive your member kit, especially if you are a non-dues paying individual, you need to show up at our bike night on August 7 at Triumph Grill.  The night should be very interesting with lots of information regarding touring on Ducatis, the direction of the factory and the clubs, and the relationship between the clubs and dealers.  I look forward to seeing you on the 7^th.

Looking forward into August, we have two planned events:

           

            August 4- Group Ride- destination to be determined.  Leaving the QT at

8:15AM to avoid the heat.

August 7- Bike Night at Triumph Grill.  The presentation is by Jeff Pittinger, Ryan Harrison, and Gary Kwawer on touring on Ducati Motorcycles.  Also, important information regarding the direction of the Ducati Owners Groups, as presented by the factory, will be discussed.

  

The remaining I-70 MCRA Series dates are as follows:

§  Gateway Motorsports Park - Aug 4-5

§  Putnam Park – Sept 8-9

§  Heartland Park Topeka - Sept 29-30

§  Gateway Motorsports Park – Oct 13-14

The July bike night on the 3^rd was cancelled due to the proximity of July 4.  On July 7, 4 riders braved the heat, humidity, and cars to ride to Bourbon and back.  Joe Henderson led the ride.  On the outward leg, we had cool temperatures, many curves, and shade.  On the way back, we had hot temperatures, many curves, no shade, and lots of cars in the way to make the ride more interesting.  All riders returned safely on the vehicles they started on.

The last days of July, with the exception of the 29^th, are ending with very hot temperatures. The forecast for the beginning of August is for very hot temperatures as well.  In order to avoid most of the heat, the August group ride will leave from the QT on MO109, south of I-44 at 8:15AM.  The ride will not be an all day ride due to the projected high temperatures. 

For those of you who are MotoGP fans, Vito Sicola and Andrew Quinn are arranging the ride to Indy for this year’s event.  Vito can be reached at vicepresident@gatewayducati.com for more information.

Please ride safely.  I shall see you at the events.

Sincerely,

Gary Kwawer

Chief Contact Person and President

Gateway Ducati Owners Group

Monthly Message for June 2012

Hi Folks,

The month of June is coming to a close with dangerously hot weather in the St. Louis area.  As I reflect back on the first half of the year, I would like to bring some thoughts to the attention of the members of Gateway Ducati Owners Group:

1-    Paid membership continues to expand thank to the help of our membership and sponsoring dealership, MotoEuropa.

2-    The experiment of having a second bike night has not gained much traction as of yet.  Due to my travel schedule, we will not have a second bike night in July. 

3-    The members of the Gateway Ducati Owners Group seem to prefer riding rather than going to bike nights, at least during the summer months.  This I understand.  I will be speaking with our ride captain about a second ride for the month, which may be the same route as the first ride, just a different leader.  Please advise via email if you like the idea: president@gatewayducati.com

Monthly Message for May 2012

Hi Folks,

As I am riding this message, members of our owners group are on the June ride to Bixby.  Obviously, I am a couple of days late with the message.

May was a month full of activities for the Gateway Ducati Owners Group.  Before we get into the past events, get out your calendar so you can plan for the following upcoming events:

  

June 2- Monthly Group Ride should be completed by the time you read this note.

June 5- Bike Night at Triumph Grill 6:30PM- Members of MCRA will be discussing track day preparation, process, procedures, and etiquette.

                       

June 15-17- Arkansas Ride led by Joe Henderson

May 17th Bike Night

Hi Folks,

Important information for the upcoming Gateway Ducati Owners Group Bike Night to be held on May 17, 2012 at 6:30PM.  Weather permitting, we will be holding the bike night at the fire pit area just outside the door of Cafe Pintxos.  If the weather is not so good, we shall be eating inside.  Vito Sicola will be arriving before the meeting to obtain street parking on Olive Blvd so our beautiful motorcycles can be displayed.  Please arrive as soon as you can as parking may be difficult.

Monthly Message for April 2012

Hi Folks,

This is a long message, with lots of information, so please read to the end.

April was a month full of activities for the Gateway Ducati Owners Group.  Before we get into the past events, get out your calendar so you can plan for the following upcoming events:

Panagale Debut

The Ducati Panigale debuts in St. Louis at MotorEuropa on Friday, April 27, 2012 starting at 6:30PM.  The staff at MotoEuropa are asking all Ducati Superbike owners to arrive early, with their superbike as there will be a special parking place for the precursors of this new Ducati Superbike.  This should be a great event for all who can attend!

Monthly Message for April 2012

Dear Members of the Gateway Ducati Owners Group,

This message is much longer than usual. Please read to the end.

March is here and with it we have exciting weather as well as the beginning of the riding season in the Gateway to the West area.

Before I get into the meat of the message, which will be different than others, I wanted to let you know that the Group Ride will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2012. Meet at 8:30AM for the pre-ride briefing, and leave at 9:00AM. The meeting place has changed! From here on out, we will be departing from the QT station on Route 109, South of Interstate 44. Most of our rides head off by there, so we decided that is where the new starting place should be. Also, we have a bike night on April 3, 2012, 6:30PM at Triumph Grill. This is a Tuesday night.

Monthly Message for March 2012

This will be a short message as activities were limited due to weather. But we have good news- this Saturday, March 3, 2012 we will have our first GDOG riding event of 2012. This event will be a destination ride. We don’t care when or where you start, but we do care where you end up. This will be the Ride to Eat Pizza. Start whenever and wherever, but end up at PW Pizza at 11:30AM. PW Pizza is located at 2017 Choteau. This address is located East of Jefferson, North Side of the street, in the same building that houses Vin de Set. We shall see you there!

Monthly Message for February 2012

Gateway Ducati Owners Group first Bike Night of 2012 was held on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at Café Pintxos, located in the hotel adjacent to Triumph Grill.

As this was the first Thursday Bike Night, ever, attendance was very good with 11 members attending. Thanks to Pete Hall and MotoEuropa, we received our t-shirts and we were able to distribute them to the active members in attendance. Our treasurer, Bob Oesch, also distributed membership cards. Please remember, active members have paid dues for 2012, possess a membership card, and must have the card on them when receiving Gateway Ducati Owners Group benefits at MotoEuropa. Remember, the dues are $20.

Monthly Message for January 2012

Happy New Year to the Gateway Ducati Owners Group membership!

I am very sorry for the lack of communication and updating on this website for November and December, but my life, family, and work took up much time and energy.

Please read to the end since the proposed schedule of Gateway Ducati Owners Group Bike nights is included. Also, important dates for an event on an international scale: World Ducati Week will be held in late June. While this is on my bucket list, I most likely will not attend. I do encourage all of our members who can attend to so do. The World Presidents Meeting is held during that time as well. Also, Ducstock will be held at Barber October 10-14. All of these events should be fun. Mark your calendars.

November and December were busts as riding months for the GDOG membership, but other activities worked well.