First, let us dispense with the immediate calendar items. There will be no bike night in July due to the proximity of the 4th. The next group ride in July will be on Sunday, July 7- arrive at 8:30AM for the pre-ride briefing at the QT on route 109 south of I-44, and leave at 9:00AM sharp. The ride will be from Eureka to Sullivan, catching Meramac Caverns along the way. This ride will be an opportunity to gain some much needed Scavenger Hunt points for our members. The next Gateway Ducati Owners Group Bike Night will be held on Tuesday, August 6 at 6:30PM.
Second, there is now a second category in the 2013 Scavenger Hunt- total number of clues reached. Now, in case of a tie in the number of clues reached, total points will break the tie. By adding this category, members who do not have the freedom to take long rides in order to accumulate points, will be able to participate and win. So, please go ride, take photos, and have fun.
Mother Nature reared her head in early June and rained out the group ride scheduled for June 1. Our owners group kept moving forward and had our June Bike Night at Schlafly's Bottleworks in Manchester. Sixteen of our members, and 14 Ducatis, showed up for an evening of fun, fellowship, and good food provided by the restaurant. Topics discussed included the scavenger hunt, rain date for the ride (June 8), and post-ride picnic plans for August and October (details below). All in all, as can be seen by the photos below, people had a great time.
The group ride headed out on Saturday, June 8 for a run to Bixby. We met at the QT at 7:30AM and lined the bikes up. There was a great turnout as can be seen by the photos. We set out a 8:00AM. Early in the ride, with Vito leading, he made a turn from Highway O onto Highway HH, south of Pacific. Unfortunately, the second to last rider just didn't see the line of riders on the side of the road after the turn and continued straight ahead. I was riding sweep, and after pausing near the turn, I took off after him. I stopped before reaching him, telephoned Vito, and told him I would met them in Potosi and proceeded to follow the rider. Our errant rider and I finally met each other and proceeded to meet the group in Potosi, via a different route. In Potosi, one of our riders who missed the start also joined the group. I had appointments and headed back, but others continued safely to Bixby and back. A great time was had by all.
The second monthly group ride was scheduled to be held on Saturday, June 22. Unfortunately, there was some confusion, so the ride never came off. We will do our utmost to reduce the confusion in the future and make certain the rides continue as scheduled.
As many of you are aware, I took a long ride to Colorado during the last 2 weeks of June. Riding in Colorado is different. The altitude changes how the engine performs, how tires feel, and how the rider feels. Also, we are not used to 40 mile long ascents and descents. My first experience in the mountains was great. I hope to return in the near future.
Also during the trip, I visited with Dave Parker, the President of the DOC for the Denver area. He and I discussed running clubs, membership details, and other administrative issues. We had a nice visit and intend on keeping in touch.
Enjoy riding and capturing scavenger hunt points.
Sincerely,
Gary Kwawer
Chief Contact Person and President
Gateway Ducati Owners Group
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