April 2014 Newsletter

Diamond Chapter meeting will be April 27, Sunday at Smokin in sStyle, 2278 Albert Pike. Be there at 1:30 to eat. Please go through the line and order what you want. Meeting will be at 2:00 in the banquet room. They close at 3:00. Bring a friend, Ride a motorcycle, weather permitting.

Diamond Chapter Officers:
President: Michael Thomson safari100usa@yahoo.com
Vice President: Greg Bright thebrights@hotmail.com
Secretary: Elizabeth Plunkett faultless8@yahoo.com
Treasure: Linda Bright thebrights@hotmail.com
Sgt. at Arms: Russell Plunkett faultless8@yahoo.com
Director: Mike Parker mikethebike@cablelynx.com

Note: Dues are due in June, $15.00 per person.

Diamond Chapter March Minutes:
The regular meeting was called to order at Perkin's On Central. Mike Parker entertained us with trivia questions. One stumper was the name of the motorcycle movie Peter Fonda starred in before Easy Rider. Titled “Wild Angles". February minutes was accepted. The treasures report noted no inflows or out flows. It was also accepted.

Mike Thomson asked the club to make a donation to the cancer society in memory of Gordon Smith an AHRMA inspector and club member, who passed away. Linda will take care of this. $100.00 was the amount agreed upon.

The next Bike of the Month will be the first email received before the next newsletter. This will be an interesting addition to our newsletter. And a reminder given to check out The Back Straight feature by Larry Edwards.

Scott Byrd of Arkadelphia is getting ready for the Cannonball Run in September. He will be part of the Carson Classic Motors Team. The club purchased fund-raising calendars and gave them to members at the meeting.

The Cherokee Chapter National Road Run will be well represented by club members Mike Thomson, Butch & Pat Jones, Russell & Elizabeth Plunkett, & James Sandage.

Jed Simpson offered a copy of the movie "Why we Ride" for club use as a group viewing. We will plan this around a regular meeting time.
Events: See events in this newsletter.

Respectfully submitted, Linda Bright

Birthdays:
Butch Jones, Chris Muirhead

Texas Trip:
I left for the Texas hill country on April 9. Every year I get together with some friends to ride the hill country, the best ridding in Texas. This year we had about 25 riders. It is 570 miles from Hot Springs to the Koyote Ranch RV Park, now called Medina High Point Resort. Makes for a long day just to get there. I took three bikes to ride. I bought a new Honda F6B GL1800 Gold Wing. I got to break it in on this ride. I did about 600 miles in three days. The Honda preformed fantastic as I was sure it would. The other two bikes, 1958 Harley & 1974 BMW R90S I brought to ride in the Road Run. Typical Texas weather, over cast early in the mornings but burned off by noon. You know, don’t like the weather wait ten minutes it will change. So it was Jackets in the morning, then down to tee shirts in after noon. We rode all three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, anywhere from 120 miles to 250 miles each day. It got up to 85 degrees in the afternoon and even though I used sun screen, my face, arms and my balding head got sun burned.

The Texas Blue Bonnets did not bloom to well this year, only a few patches here and there. Not enough rain this year. One thing I did find out, Rattle snakes like to get in the blue bonnets, so be careful if you want to take pictures of blue bonnets. The riding was fantastic and the company was great. We did the twisted sisters, HI ways 335,336,337. Lot of twisties, hills and Texas beauty. We make a stop in Bandera at the 11 Street Cowboy Bar for a beer and some music. Bandera is a fun town. We made a stop at Luckenbach for a beer and to listen to some local guitar picking. Fredericksburg is also a fun stop if you like to shop or eat German food and you got to stop at “The Not in the Loop Bar ". The Texas hill country is a great place to ride and have fun. Put it on your list of places to go, you want be sorry. I left on Sunday for Kerrville for the Cherokee Chapter Road Run.

Cherokee Chapter Road Run: Things started Sunday afternoon as riders started to arrive at the YO Ranch Resort. The YO Ranch Resort was an excellent choice for the host hotel. A very beautiful hotel with lots of interesting things to look at. The YO Ranch did an excellent Job on everything they did. I highly recommend The YO Ranch. The staging for the antique Motorcycles was set up in the rear parking lot with lots of room to set all the bikes, 168 I think, to be on display. Antique motorcycle riders came to the road run from all over, several from California, Kansas, Ohio, Arkansas, Texas and more. The Diamond Chapter had five members present, Butch & Pat Jones, Russell & Elizabeth Plunkett, & Mike Thomson. Sunday was check in day with meet and greet all day with dinner served at the YO Ranch. Sunday weather was ok, a little cool with lite breezes. Well Monday was another story. Temperatures dropped into the low 30's, rain came down in buckets and winds were 45 mph.

The ride was postponed until the weather broke. The rain stopped around noon but the wind and cold continued the rest of the day. A few brave riders took off around noon up hwy 16 to the Willow City Loop. You could dress for the cold, even though most riders did not bring cold weather gear, but the wind was just miserable. The Diamond Chapter members went to Fredericksburg in Butch's SUV to do some looking around. We had a good time in spite of the weather. The back parking lot was the hub for the bikes and people, even with the cold weather. Tuesday morning the wind had slowed down to a tolerable rate. The ride left at 9:30 for a 180 mile trip doing the three twisted sisters, Hiways 337 & 335 and then back though Hunt and Ingram to Kerrville. I rode my 1974 BMW R90S, Russell rode his 1957 Triumph and Butch rode his newer Harley. All in all it was a great ride but I did wear two leather jackets, gloves, and helmet just to stay warm. All most all the bikes went on this and had a great time. Only two bikes had to be hauled back in. Riders who had not ridden the Texas Hill Country were very impressed with the turns, hills and the Texas beauty. Some wild pigs crossed the road and one rider hit a piglet. Now that is a story to take back home. Wednesday the wind finally stopped, the ride was 140 miles and we went to the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum in Vanderpool. Allen, the owner, has done a great job of putting this museum together. The ride went south and then west to Bandera and then back to the YO Ranch. It was an all day trip but at least the wind had slowed down and it wasn't too cold. I rode my 1958 Harley; Butch & Pat rode their newer Harley. Russell and Elizabeth decided they had enough of the old Triumph for a while. As bikes rolled in most were loaded up so they could leave the next morning. There were all kinds of motorcycles, lots of Harleys, Indians, BMWs, Scott, some British bikes, and 5 running Nimbuses. Nimbus motorcycles were made in Denmark and are rare. That night was a banquet with Prime Rib, chicken and everything you could want. What a feast. Closing ceremonies was performed by Steve Klein, President of the Cherokee Chapter. My complements to the Cherokee Chapter for an excellent job of putting the Road Run together. A AMCA Road Run involves a lot of people and lots of work. Please try to make a Road Run sometime. For more information and pictures go to the Cherokee Chapter web site www.cherokeeamca.org  Also lots of information on the AMCA face book.

Click on photo to enlarge.
   

Web sites of interest:
Cherokee Chapter: http://www.cherokeeamca.org/  Great reading and info on their April Road Run.
What's in the Barn: www.velocity.com/tv-shows/whats-in-the-barn/
Antique Motorcycle Club of America: http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/  Lots of info. Great info on facebook.
Carson Classic Motors: http://www.carsonclassicmotors.com/  Info on Carson Cannonball team, also on facebook.
Cannon ball ride: http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/.  Info on the Cannon Ball Run.
OK. Swap meet: http://www.jwswapmeet.com/  Info on Swap meets in OK.

Motorcycle Quotes:
When in doubt, gas it- it will solve the problem or end the suspense.  Motorcycles will take you places inaccessible by other means. The road to enlightenment is better on a motorcycle.

Wanted:
BMW ABS BRAKE Specialist to help me troubleshoot my 02 BMW RT ASB brakes. Help!!!!!! Call Mike at 501-525-9833, cell 214-557-6012

For Sale:
Click here for Thomson’s collection of motorcycles for sale. 501-525-9833 2004 Harley Davidson, Softail, 5,600 miles, $7,500 call 678-767-9373

Events:
May 4 ABATE freedom Rally, State Capitol
May 24 Diamond Chapter May meeting Saturday at MT. Ida Good ole Days. Be there before 9:00 am to enter your bike. Meeting at 2:00 with Greg Bright. I will be in Arizona. Info on Good ole Days 870-867-2311
May 24 MT. IDA Good ole Days, 870-867-2311
June 5-7 Hog Rally, Arkansas state Hog Rally, Hot Springs
June 6-8 Route 49 Rally, Jefferson Texas
June 29 Diamond Chapter Mini Road Run and June meeting, Hot Springs. Ride a small bike a few miles to the Diamond Chapter meeting. Details to follow.
June 27-28 Malvern Brick Fest. July American Iron kick-start classic ride, Maggie Valley, NC.

Bike of the Month:  ?

Closing Comments:
The Cherokee Chapter Road Run was one of the best Road Runs I have ever been on. Again my complements to all their members for doing a great job. The Cherokee, Confederate, and Diamond Chapters are discussing doing a chapters road run in Arkansas in September 2015.I will bring this up at the meeting. The club has donated $100.00 to the American Cancer Society in Gordon Smith's name. Remember the Mini Road Run will be June 29, so get that little bike up and running ASAP. Bring your friends. Linda will need help.

Ride em , don't hide em,
Michael Thomson
President, Diamond Chapter of Arkansas Antique Motorcycle Club of America