Airheads Gathering of the Clans Ferguson NC

[suecanada]

Does anyone have any idea when this rally will be held this summer? Rob V.?
I'm in the throes of winter here and need to plan out some summer destinations! [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Nothing on the Airhead calendar, yet.  

I am (once again) going to attempt to make it to the Boxerworks Forum rally in Oklahoma.  That is the weekend of May 17.

That, and a new seat and set of tires are the only plans I have formulated, right now.  
I hope to spend more day trips or overnights to southern Indiana this year.  It is a nice area. http://bigdogadventures.com/Hoosier.htm

[NC Steve]

I've seen some info saying that the Gathering of the Clans is always the 2nd weekend in June.

If that's the case, this year it would be Friday, June 13 thru Sunday the 15th, which is also Father's Day.
Now that I recall, Father's Day was one of the issues that prevented me from going last year...

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

So give them 4 1/2 months notice that they will be celebrating your "Daddiness" one week early or one week late - their choice!

BE ANARCHISTS!  Don't celebrate it just because the retailers tell you to!  

[NC Steve]

So give them 4 1/2 months notice that they will be celebrating your "Daddiness" one week early or one week late - their choice!

BE ANARCHISTS!  Don't celebrate it just because the retailers tell you to!  

I was going more in the other direction with the "Daddiness", as in spending the day with my own Pop.
At 76, he's not too prone to anarchy.


'Course, Ferguson's not but 40 miles from here, so it's not like I couldn't ride home in about an hour Sunday morning...

[SCJJR65]

Lucky you, Steve!!  It'd take me three hours!

[NC Steve]

Lucky you, Steve!!  It'd take me three hours!

Well John, ride yourself up here Friday sometime, and we'll either continue on up Friday afternoon or evening, or finish the trip Saturday morning, your preference. All depends on how pooped you are from the trip, the weather, and whether you'd rather camp 1 nite or 2.

Then I'll cut out Sunday morning, and you can either stop back thru here later in the day, or cruise on down to SC at your leisure. Mi casa es su casa, as you already know. And if anyone else is coming from the East or South (or Canada, Sue   ) and needs a stopover point, consider my joint the official crash pad.  

It ain't fancy, but it's near the rally site and has all the goodies like electricity, hot & cold running water, cable, and internet access...[smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Melena]

All you guys making plans for rallys and rides and getting together.  I'm a bit jealous.  It would take me a week or more to get to the East Coast.  

I'm planning things myself, but the first thing I  have to plan for is foot surgery the end of April.     Somehow I tore a ligament in my 2nd toe (the one next to the big toe) and it needs to be fixed.  Found out from the foot doc that the bunion I have is creating an instability that created the opportunity for the problem and he needs to fix that too.  So, it looks like I'll be laid up the first 3 weeks of May and who knows when he'll let me back on the motorcycle.  Probably 3 more weeks after that at the earliest.  

Actually, I know what I did to tear the ligament.  I felt a pain in the ball of my foot when I was putting the bike up on the centerstand one day (yes, I was wearing my riding boots).  I was having other foot problems and thought it was just from that healing.  By the next week my poor toe was all bent out of shape.  This happened last September and I've been dealing with it ever since.  And because of changes in health insurance at work I ended up getting on with Kaiser in December and had to start the whole process with a new doctor all over.  The upside is that this doctor is one of the best podiatrists around.  The downside is that he is really booked up and can't do the surgery until the end of April.  That gets me right at the beginning of riding season.  

I will have lots of time to post here on the forum though.    

It will probably do me good to be forced away from work for that amount of time though.  Work is making me feel like   [smiley=steinigung.gif]  

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I'm sorry about the poor timing on your foot surgery, Melena.  But I know what sore feet are about.  I am putting up with it, myself.  Apparently I have some of those long ligaments that run fore/aft in the arch that are torn in my right foot.  The doc gave me some pills and made up some insoles that were pure agony!  I went back to my favorite generic insole.  I'm "running" (figuratively!) at about 80-85% most of the time.  Mostly I am worried about my geocaching for the future.

[suecanada]

So sorry to hear that both of you have foot problems and Melena will be laid up at the beginning of riding season. Any good alternatives for Melena to use to put the bike up on its centrestand for the future? An empty gastank or take the gastank off might be one alternative as long as you don't need to use the centrestand very much. Maybe you just won't be able to do it without compromising the toe again. I can see how it happened!

[Melena]

So sorry to hear that both of you have foot problems and Melena will be laid up at the beginning of riding season. Any good alternatives for Melena to use to put the bike up on its centrestand for the future? An empty gastank or take the gastank off might be one alternative as long as you don't need to use the centrestand very much. Maybe you just won't be able to do it without compromising the toe again. I can see how it happened!

Well, there is more to this.  For one thing, I still have the old center stand on the bike.  I actually got a brand new one for Christmas.    Putting this on will help immensely, I'm sure.   I think a new pair of boots with steel in the sole would be a good idea too.  

I'm sorry that you are having foot problems too, Rob.  Makes it hard to do anything after awhile.  Hopefully you have good insurance that will take care of it.  

[suecanada]

Don't forget the old coin trick Melena when it comes time to put the new centrestand on the bike. It may have been Chris BC who suggested that pushing numerous dimes etc between the coils of the springs will make them longer and easier to stretch onto the frame of the bike or centrestand loops..whichever is easier. Use a hammer to force the coins into the coils. [smiley=smash.gif] [smiley=smash.gif] Once you succeed and the springs are attached just pull out the coins. Probably will still require some strongarm stretching but not nearly as hard on your knuckles! [smiley=thud.gif]

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I used both your trick with pennies, Sue!

I also bought one of these, because it is so cool AND inexpensive!

klickable image



And Melena, depending on how bad your old centerstand is, the new one will be much better!!!  Made a BIG difference for me!

[SCJJR65]

Lucky you, Steve!!  It'd take me three hours!

Well John, ride yourself up here Friday sometime, and we'll either continue on up Friday afternoon or evening, or finish the trip Saturday morning, your preference. All depends on how pooped you are from the trip, the weather, and whether you'd rather camp 1 nite or 2.

Then I'll cut out Sunday morning, and you can either stop back thru here later in the day, or cruise on down to SC at your leisure. Mi casa es su casa, as you already know. And if anyone else is coming from the East or South (or Canada, Sue   ) and needs a stopover point, consider my joint the official crash pad.  

It ain't fancy, but it's near the rally site and has all the goodies like electricity, hot & cold running water, cable, and internet access...[smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Well, if Britta has a new (or operational) rear drive unit by then, (and I'm not still working this hellish 12-hour shift work any more), I will be there for this year's "Gathering"!  The last one I went to was way back in 1997, but I had a GREAT time, even though I went by myself!  

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

If anyone hears of these dates, please post them ASAP or even shoot me an email.  I need to reserve a couple of days off work, and there is only one person that can cover for me, so I have to beat her to the calendar!