Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Gateway Ducati Owners Group May 2014 Message

Hi Folks,

April was a cruel month for us at it took some effort to get the monthly ride in.  Vito led the ride at a comfortable pace, and all riders returned in one piece.

Well the month of May has proved to be great riding weather in the Gateway region and GDOG members have been taking full advantage of the situation.

Before I get into the meat of the message, I would like to pass something on.  I received an email from a Ducati owner out of Baltimore.  The rider is working in Joplin until June and was experiencing some issues with his motorcycle.  He obtained my name from our website and asked me some questions regarding dealerships in Western and Central Missouri.  I gave him what guidance I could based on my contacts in the Ducati community.   I hope it was helpful to him and that he gets is problem sorted out.

Believe it or not, in my travels over the years, being affiliated with a local owners group that is recognized by DOC has helped me when I have visited the local dealer.  I have been introduced to the local DOC, been greeted warmly, and generally been guided well in unfamiliar areas.  This is a benefit that you cannot put a price on.

I have received emails from a couple of our members asking when the next photo scavenger hunt will occur.  This year we are separating the miles from the check list.  So a new list will be available by the end of June and the scavenger hunt will begin on July 1.  Keep an eye on your inbox.

If you want to participate in the most miles competition, go ahead and take a picture of your odometer and email it to our ride captain.  The good news for many is that Craig McElroy and I have very few miles under our belt for the year, so the competition can be fierce.

The May group ride was led by our secretary, Craig McElroy, on the scheduled date, Sunday, May 4.  The group left the QT on time with five riders and one passenger.  The weather conditions were perfect and all the riders returned safely.  The June group ride is scheduled for Sunday, June 1, 2014.

The May GDOG Bike Night was held at East Coast Pizza on May 6.  We had 14 people show up at the meeting.  New and old members grabbed food, talked about rides they had taken, and had a great time.  Going forward, all the bike nights through the riding season (October) will be held at East Coast Pizza in Chesterfield Valley.  While it is not the most convenient for everyone, they do a great job in making us feel welcome and allowing us to showcase our rides.  The June GDOG Bike Night is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, 2014.  I will have the DOC member kits with me.

So everyone knows, the member kits from DOC have arrived.  Unlike earlier years, I will not be holding onto them throughout the calendar year.  June will be the last meeting that they will be coming with me.    For those of you who cannot make meetings, please contact me and we shall make alternate arrangements.  For those of you out of town, we will continue to mail them to you as we have in the past.  Thank you in advance for your help.

As the season is just beginning, a brief reminder on group ride protocol is in order.  The rides leave at 9:00AM sharp from the QT in Eureka.  We suggest that you arrive at the QT at 8:30AM so you can fill your tank, grab some food, coffee, etc.  Given that the rides going forward are going to be longer in length, it is also a good idea to leave the QT on the ride with a full tank of gas as most of our rides have limited range.  Also, please remember that while we have a route planned and ride together, you are responsible for yourself on the ride.  Please ride at your own pace and at your own level.  A ride is considered successful if all of us return home on the same motorcycles we started out on.  Finally, a postponement due to rain occurs only if it is raining on the day of the ride at the time of departure.  We will then ride on the next non-rainy weekend day.

Everyone, please ride safe, keep the rubber side down, and I will see you at the events.

Sincerely,
Gary Kwawer
Chief Contact Person and President
Gateway Ducati Owners Group