Hi Folks,
By all accounts, 2013 was a successful year for the Gateway Ducati Owners Group. DOC in Italy began the process of recertification in November of this year, and we are passed stage 1, and onto stage 2. Our holiday party was successful with 22 attendees at Triumph Grill. A good time was had by all. The staff at Triumph Grill did an excellent job in the preparation of the meal and all of us had a great time eating, talking, and visiting.
As for the riding- Craig McElroy completed his first year of riding his Monster with over 10,000 miles ridden. The only member of the group to so do. My riding season was truncated due to a variety of issues, so I ended up with over 8500 miles ridden- short of my 10,000 mile goal, but the most miles I have ridden in one year. Don Christy had an epic ride earlier this year to Utah and back, winning the award for the most miles ridden on one trip. Our group rides continue to evolve thanks to the efforts of our Ride Captain Joe Henderson. We shall continue to do the Scavenger Hunt, but separate it from miles ridden. It will be a checklist, with many different items than prior years. Most items will be able to be found within one's local area. We also will have a total miles ridden in one year contest. So, take a photo of the odometer on your motorcycle at the beginning of the year and send it to Joe Henderson (ride captain@gatewayducati.com) and he will enter you in the contest. My guess is that Craig will win this one again. Joe and I are also looking to have other riding events including a time, speed, distance rally this year as well. Any assistance in planning or judging these events are appreciated.
On the club marketing side, Mark Shomaker has has created a new flyer for our use, and it looks good. I am waiting to receive the printed copy. On the membership side, we have over 50 official members and several non-official members. We are doing well compared to where we started over 5 years ago.
As I said, 2013 was a good year. 2014 promises to be filled with many more activities, and weather permitting, even greater rides than before.
Have a wonderful end of 2013 and beginning of 2014.
Sincerely,
Gary Kwawer
Chief Contact Person and President
Gateway Ducati Owners Group
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
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
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
Sunday, September 29, 2013
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.
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.
Monday, September 2, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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.
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.
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