Sunday, May 12, 2013

Gateway Ducati Owners Group May Monthly Message



Hi Folks,

The month of April went by fast.  I was out of town starting on the 15th and did not return until May 5. During my absence, the group rides continued.  The second group ride of April had a date change due to the ride leader's, Jay, preference for riding in weather above 50 degrees.  This was a great idea. Unfortunately, the ride did not end up as planned.  Four riders set out: Jay, Kovy Young, Frank Trau, and Aaron Davis for a ride down to Bixby.  On Highway P, south of Potosi, Kovy encountered a problem in the turn and had an accident.   The members of the group handled the situation well.  Frank and Jay stayed with Kovy, kept him from moving, and made certain he was still breathing.  Aaron drove back to where he could get a cell phone signal and dialed 911.  The paramedics arrived, took him to the hospital in Potosi, eventually to SLU hospital, and now Kovy is back home, walking around.  He told me via text that he shall return to riding as soon as he is able.  All of us are grateful that he is recovering and wish him well.  Jay was leading his first ride, and showed remarkable poise and maturity when he encountered this situation.  Jay's actions are to be commended.  In fact, all of the riders did an excellent job making sure their injured friend was well taken care of.


One of the lessons that we have learned from this event is the following:  The ride leader and the ride sweeper each must have the names of the riders and the contact information for the rider's emergency contact.  Also, per Jeff Pittinger's presentation, having information around your neck regarding contact information and medical information is useful.  Jeff suggested wearing a coach's whistle as well, should you be riding alone and encounter problems as whistle sounds travel further than our voices.  Obviously, the best thing is to not have an accident in the first place, but they do happen, so it is best to be prepared.   As for emergency contact information, I am attempting to compile a master list, so if you have not emailed me your emergency contact information, please do so (president@gatewayducati.com).

Upon my return, I had 4 large boxes sitting in my house.  These boxes where from DOC central.  We are an official Desmo Owners Club again!  The member's kits are very nice, as you can see from the photo below.  





I plan on bringing the member kits to the GDOG Bike Nights in June and August, as I did for the Bike Night in May.  So, those members who are local should attend those bike nights and receive their kits.  If you plan on attending the group rides, email me in advance, and I shall bring your kit to them.  Those members who are out of town will have their kits mailed to them, in a more timely manner than in the past.

The May Bike Night was held at East Coast Pizza on the 7th.  Initially, prior to 6:15PM, as you can see by the photo below, it was a smaller showing.  Three Monsters and an 848.  




As the evening progressed, more members showed up, still a large number of Monsters, but an ST2 (Vito's) and a Panigale (Frank) arrived to make the evening more balanced as far as motorcycle types.


We discussed Kovy's accident, came up with the idea to have emergency contact information on anyone who is on a ride.  I handed out the member kits to those members who attended, and we were all surprised by their content.  The manufacturer really stepped up their game for this year.  Much of the evening was spent looking at the modifications of the motorcycles.  As all of us tweak our motorcycles in some way or another, our interest in the tweaks is understandable and often used as a source of inspiration.  Chad Mott, a brand new member, showed up to his first bike night.  Welcome aboard Chad!

The first ride of May 2013 was supposed to be held on Sunday, May 5, but rain intervened.  So, the ride was held on Saturday, May 11.  It was a perfect day for riding as the temperature was in the high 50s and blue skies prevailed.  Vito led the group on a short 2 hour ride that went through Washington, MO and up highway 94.  The ride left at 9AM and was over by 11AM.  It was well attended as you can see by the photo below.


The next group ride will be held on Saturday, May 18.  Rain date is Sunday, May 19.  I will be leading the ride and am likely to head down to Potosi and back, via as many lettered roads as possible.   The ride should be less than 3 hours in length, from beginning to end.  Please meet at the QT on highway 109, South of I44 at 8:30AM.  We shall leave at 9AM sharp.   The next GDOG Bike Night will be on June 4, 2013 at 6:30PM.  The location is to be determined.

Until we meet again, please ride safe.

Sincerely,
Gary Kwawer
Chief Contact Person and President
Gateway Ducati Owners Group
president@gatewayducati.com

No comments:

Post a Comment