Gateway Ducati Owners Group November 2013 Newsletter

Hi Folks,

The month of October started off with a bike night held at East Coast Pizza.  It was our annual election night.  Gary Kwawer, Vito Sicola, Bob Oesch, and Joe Henderson were re-elected as President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Ride Captain respectively.  Craig McElroy was nominated and elected as Secretary.  The officers are looking to a strong end of 2013 and a great start to 2014.

The results of the 2013 GDOG Scavenger Hunt are final.  Craig McElroy made a valiant effort to take the prize of the most items, but ended up with 70.  Craig was unable to get photos of motorcycle policemen as well as the elusive, naturally occurring, atmospheric phenomenon rainbow.  Gary Kwawer managed to get photos of his motorcycle next to police motorcycles and motorcycle policemen:

This success gave Gary the edge of 71 items as he also did not get the elusive rainbow.  As for the points, they have already been reported in earlier messages and Gary totaled above 18,000.  Both Gary and Craig blew away 2012's winners in items reached and points.  There will be a scavenger hunt as part of the 2014 activities for the owners group.

The October 2013 group ride was attended by 5 riders.  Our ride captain Joe Henderson designed the route to appeal to our riders in the Columbia, IL area.  Unfortunately, our Illinois riders chose not to ride with us that day.  Never the less, the five of us had a great day, even though the weather was a tad bit brisk.  Kevin Fitzgerald, Joe and Gary met at the 1st rallying point.  At the 2nd rallying point, Giorgi and Vito joined the group, as seen by the photo below.

At 11:00AM, we pulled into the restaurant below for lunch, where we attempted to warm up before heading back out.  One thing I can say with certainty, electric clothing makes riding in the fall, winter, and early spring months much more comfortable.

Some calendar items, we will be having our November Bike Night on the 5th at Tavolo V on Delmar, 6:30PM.  Our Holiday Party will be held at Triumph Grill on December 3 at 6:30PM.  Cost is $30/person, plus beverages and tips.  This event is for members and spouses.  Please email Gary at president@gatewayducati.com.

Riding for the rest of the year is hit or miss, so no rides are scheduled for the last months of the year.

We look forward to seeing you at the bike nights and holiday party.  Please be safe and enjoy the transition into winter.

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

Gateway Ducati Owners Group October 2013 Monthly Message

Hi Folks,

Before we go into anything, some calendar items.  The October Bike Night will be held on the 1st at 6:30PM.  We will meet at East Coast Pizza in Chesterfield Valley.  This is going to be a great event as we shall discuss the results of the survey and also have our elections for the officers of the group.  Anyone interested in assisting the owners group move forward, grow, and develop, please let me know.  The grizzled veterans have done a great job, but there will be a time when we wish to enjoy, not lead.  We are looking for new people to begin taking on leadership roles.  The upcoming group ride on October 5 will also be discussed.  This ride is a change is that there are two start points and it is designed for our riders in Illinois to participate.  Also, MotoEuropa will be having a bike night on October 3.  They are celebrating their 3rd anniversary as a dealership.  I plan on attending, as do other members.

Due to the calendar, we did not have a bike night in September.  Instead, many of us went to the MotoEuropa Bike Night on September 5.  I was one of them as was Vito Sicola, Craig McElroy, Nicolae Bica, Steve McCaskie, Jeff and Erica Range, Mark Shoemaker and his son Aidan.  Our members from MotoEuropa were there as well- Andrew Dinan and Chris Kuhn.  It was a fun time.  Some photos follow.

Craig McElroy is standing behind my 2005 Multistrada and in front of his Monster.

Jeff and Erica Range posing atop his Ducati.

Just when I thought I had the only black MTS in the STL area, here is a new couple to the Ducati community posing near their 2006 Multistrada 1000SDS.

The group ride for September 8, 2013 was cancelled due to an inconvenient rainstorm.  Many of us were bummed as we looked forward to the ride.  The ride was held on the 15th instead.  Nine riders plus Joe Henderson showed up and had a great time.  One rider's motorcycle had issues, but he was rescued, the others carried on.

An unofficial ride was held on the 22nd to prepare for the October ride.  The ride was uneventful and all riders returned safely.  The October ride looks to be a great route with lots of fun.  Details have been sent out via email.

Gateway Ducati Owners Group September 2013 Message

Hi Folks,

August started off interestingly.  Apparently, an email line went around discussing the tendency of some of the Ducati tanks to swell after exposure to gasoline mixed with ethanol.  Under warranty, Ducati sent those affected new tanks, made of the same material.  Now, that is how the manufacturer chose to solve the problem.  What I am more concerned about is the fact that the emails get sent in a reply to all, except for me.  I do not want those emails, nor do many others, so please target your responses accordingly.  For those of you getting unwanted email, try deleting them.  Getting angry or sending angry emails does not engender good will.  Also, if you are going to pass on information in those emails, please ensure that it is factual.

Gateway Ducati Owners Group August 2013 Message

Hi Folks,

Well, July was a quite month for us as we had no bike night and only one group ride for the month.  The administration of the club was problematic in July, and I take responsibility for that.  None the less, we still did have activity and August promises to be very busy.

Gateway Ducati Owners Group July 2013 Message

Hi Folks,

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.

Gateway Ducati Owners Group June Message

Hi Folks,

After the monthly bike night described last month, the Gateway Ducati Owners Group kept up with their activities for the last 3 weeks of May.

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.