Euro Motor Union of Greater St. Louis

President’s Corner January 2012

2012-01-09T07:44:00.002-06:00

Many of us spent the first day of the new year at John and Mary Mosir’s and a good day it was. Mary prepares the food and John preps his bikes. We owe them both a debt of gratitude. In addition to John’s bikes, Dennis Spencer, Gary Highfill, Kris Tucker-Loewe, Bob Honz and others brought their own bikes and most everyone took turns riding all the bikes. There were no serious mishaps so Kris Tucker-Loewe got the trophy for a previous accident. Speaking of the trophy, Brent Jones, if you read this, the trophy needs another tier to accommodate future additions (Brent made the original trophy in case you didn‘t know). As usual, John and Mary used their influence with the powers that be to provide beautiful weather one more time.

Speaking of weather, we’re getting paid back for a lousy fall and winter from last year. There has hardly been a day that wasn’t a pleasant day for a ride. I kept filling up the tank and adding Seafoam thinking this may be the last riding day for a while. This past week I’ve quit wasting the Seafoam.

This time of year the motorcycle related events are few and far between. We’ve got the Ice Races at the Family arena in St. Charles the 28^th of this month and the Cycle World show in Chicago next month. In between there is an event you will not want to miss. Donelson Cycles is celebrating Neil Keen’s 3^rd annual 75^th Birthday Party on Saturday, February 4, starting at 10:00 am. I talked to Carl Donelson this past week and he told me there will be around 100 motorcycle dignitaries attending. These include flat trackers, road racers, tuners, builders and more.

In case you younger members don’t know anything about Neil Keen, he was a 1960’s and 70’s dirt-track racer. He contributed to advances in chassis and engine design. He was a member of the “BSA Wrecking Crew”. Neil won Ascot 11 times in a row. In addition to a successful racing career he helped make important changes in racing rules and regulations.

He along with Al Gunter and Dick Mann proposed new rules to the AMA Competition Committee. One of the rule changes adopted resulted in the AMA imposing a 250cc limit for the Novices. This brought down fatalities significantly. Previously, Novices had raced 500cc and 750cc machines. Improving rider safety wasn’t the only thing he did to help riders. His efforts with Gary Nixon brought about better purses and medical insurance. His influence on racing didn’t end there.

Keen’s knowledge of chassis design led to the development of racing frames. First his frames went under the name of Sonic Weld and later changed to Trackmaster. As if that wasn’t enough, Neil turned to two cycle Bultacos and developed them into successful short track racers. This brought him to the attention of Yamaha. While there he combined Yamaha engines with his Trackmaster frames to propel him to his high point seasons of ‘69 and ‘70.

There is much more that could be said about his successful career but his contributions as racer, technical innovator, and his influence on regulatory processes governing racing all combined to qualify him for induction to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000.

So take advantage of this opportunity to help Neil celebrate his 3^rd 75^th birthday and mingle with living legends of motorcycling at the same time. Also, be sure to check out the Donelson Museum while you’re there. The party will take place at Donelson’s St. Ann location at 9851 Saint Charles Rock Road. Hope to see you there. That’s all for now.

Harlan Hock, President

EMU Meeting Minutes - January 3, 2012

2012-01-09T07:43:00.000-06:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm. by Harlan Hock, President.

Old Minutes: Read by Harlan Hock, no exceptions were noted and they stand as read.

Treasurer’s Report: Mark Bosworth reported our balance is $1,274.29.

Membership Report: We presently have 91 members.

Old Business: There was no old business.

New Business: The officers and members of the club commended John and Mary Mosir for hosting the annual New Year’s Day gathering. As always, the food was great, the weather cooperated and a good time was had by all.

It was noted that the News Year’s Day Trophy was missing one of the photo albums (the one with photos of most recent gatherings). If anyone knows the whereabouts please bring it to the next meeting. Harlan asked John Mosir to have Mary forward the group photo she took on New Year’s Day. By the way, the trophy was awarded to Kris Tucker-Lowe this year for the usual reasons.

Bob Fleming and Dale Frosch had volunteered to contact members who had not paid their dues for the current year. Reasons given included the following: problems with the new meeting location, lost interest, no longer riding, health problems, etc. There were no real surprises and there is nothing the club needs to do to bring these former members back to the fold. Thanks to Bob and Frosty for taking on this task.

Concern has been expressed regarding the legal responsibility that the club might have regarding club sponsored activities. Gerry Jacobi volunteered to consult legal counsel in order for us to determine what, if anything, the club needs to do regarding this matter. Gerry will give us a report at our February meeting.

Dave Gries made an appeal for “Adopt a Platoon”. Dave said that, although troops have been withdrawn from Iraq that organization is still sending magazines to Afghanistan. He also noted that the motorcycle magazines sent were the troop’s favorite. So please save your old bike magazines and bring them to the next meeting.

Ice racing will return to the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri on January 28. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and racing begins at 7:30 p.m. See www.familyarena.com for more details.

Gateway International Raceway will reopen in 2012. The lead investor announced a full season would kick off in March. Of what that season would consist was not disclosed. Bob Howard said he heard that the only thing set was an NHRA event. For more information see www.racer.com

The Cycle World International Motorcycle Show will return to Chicago (actually Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois). The show will last three days, February 10 - 12.

Visitors: There were no visitors.

New Members: Tim Rathert joined the club.

Raffle: There was no 50/50 raffle.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Program: There was no program this month. Mark Bosworth will bring his Triton to the February meeting. Just in case you may not know, a Triton is a Triumph engine in a Norton Motorcycle.

Submitted by Harlan Hock, President.

President’s Corner December, 2011

2011-12-18T18:36:00.000-06:00

Since this was the last meeting of the year, it’s time to reflect on what the club has done this year and what you think we need to do for 2012. Thanks to Mark Bosworth we now have updated business cards and counter cards for display at dealerships both of which help spread the word about or club. Mark has also had new sew on patches made up and we can now have the club logo embroidered on clothing as well. We have added quite a few new members. We’ve had programs at every meeting this year except for the December meeting. I asked the membership their opinion about having programs at every meeting and the consensus was that most enjoyed the programs but we don’t need one every month. I’ll keep that in mind for the future. In regard to the programs, I’d like to thank all the presenters this year. You all put much effort in preparation for your presentations and the favorable response of the membership was a good indication that your time was well spent.

I hope that more of you will volunteer to share your knowledge, your projects or your experiences in 2012. Right now there are two volunteers for 2012. Mark Bosworth on his Triton and Eric Miller with either his Puch or his Matchless depending which he finishes first. You also attend rallies, shows, etc. so take some pictures and bring some literature to share with the club. I think programs of this nature would be of interest. We’re still short on tech sessions. There are plenty of experts in the club that could cover a variety of topics so don’t be shy. Other members have mentioned friends and colleagues who are possible presenters as well. Please ask them to see if they would care to share their expertise with us.

Speaking of 2012, the club always starts the New Year at John and Mary Mosir’s on New Year’s Day. This year is no exception. John and Mary have agreed to host this event again on January 1, 2012. If you’ve never participated before this would be a good time to start. John and Mary put a lot of time and effort into this event and I guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself. Club members spend their time riding John’s motorcycles, and those of other members as well, over the Mosir’s property which includes hills, ravines and creeks to cross. If your not the off road type, there is plenty of excellent food, drink and tales of days gone by. If your lucky John will show you his collection of all things BSA. He has more BSA’s and parts for them than my dealership had where I grew up. Try to take advantage of this opportunity. Check the map included elsewhere in this newsletter to help you find your way. For your information, the event is automatically cancelled if there foul weather (snow, sleet, freezing rain, etc.). Just being cold doesn’t count.

Finally, please let me know what you think needs to be done to improve the club. New ideas are always welcome and constructive criticism is as well. That’s all for now. It’s warm enough for a ride outside so I’m off. See you at the Christmas Party December 17.

Harlan Hock, President

EMU Meeting Minutes, December 6, 2011

2011-12-18T18:32:00.001-06:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Harlan Hock, President.

27 members and guests were in attendance

Old Minutes: Read by Harlan Hock, no exceptions were noted and they stand as read.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported our balance is $1,620.

Membership Report: We presently have 89 members.

Old business:

A discussion was held of whether the club will pick up the tab for meals. The membership voted to pick up the meal for paid up to date members only (including those who pay up at the door) and meals for spouses and guests will be $12.00 each payable in advance or at the door.

Counter cards were distributed to dealers in the area by Mark Bosworth.

New business: John and Mary Mosir will once again host a New Year’s Day gathering at their place, Members have a map to the Mosir’s with this newsletter.

A discussion was held on members who are not paid up or who have quit coming to meetings. Frosty stated he will contact these past members, Mark will get a list to him.

Distributing membership lists to those outside the club was discussed. Motion was made and passed to distribute to members and corporate members only.

Per John Mosir, Cynthia – the waitress from Sports Page who took care of us at meetings for many years – is doing well in her fight with cancer.

Dan Huff, service manager for Moto Europa, announced past EMU member Russ Roberts has signed on as a service tech for them.

Visitors/ Visitor : Dan Huff, service manager for Moto Europa.

New Members:

Marty Pollvogt – Dennis Kuntzler’s brother-in-law. He rides as new VStrom.

Lynn Frosch

Gina Kessal

Raffle:

There was $34.00 in the pot for the 50/50 rally. $17.00 was won by Lynn Frosch.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 pm.

Program:

No program presented this month. Mark Bosworth volunteered to bring in his Triton for a presentation at a later meeting.

Submitted by Dale Knaus, Vice President.

Lost In Translation: A Triumph over BMW By Kris Loewe

2011-11-14T20:06:00.001-06:00

I have two friends who ride big K1200LT BMWs. I’m partially to blame for their choice of steeds. Both Eric and John started out on some older Japanese bikes and suffered the ills that affect older machines. Owning stuff made in this century, I figured their bikes would no longer migrate to my work bench. I was wrong.

I don’t know what it is about large touring machines, but many of them seem to find their way to me. Goldwings. I’m sick of Goldwings, but the owners write good checks. Venture Royals thankfully have not followed me from my days at RPM Motorwerks, nor have Kawasaki Voyagers.

John’s LT came to me first. It had burst the rear master cylinder brake line and bled out its brake fluid. Part in hand, he and Eric pulled in one lazy Sunday and it was replaced after much fiddling and consternation. Removal of the plastic or “Tupperware” body parts was done by him. I replaced the line and bled the brakes mechanically. BAM! Done. Sage advice was given to John by me: Forget the BMW badge, don’t be afraid to work on it yourself. He has since bravely moved forward with other repairs.

Eric brought his 2002 K1200LT by for the very same problem in late October 2011. It was the same brake line and the system had bled dry. Unfortunately his bike has intergrated ABS or iABS brakes. Undertaken on a Sunday morning, I had soon backed myself into a corner with this one. It won round one and I drove Eric home with his whale of a motorcycle beached on my Handy Lift.

The evening was spent diving into the KLT owners’ group websites and some other polite well-meaning BMW owners’ musings. Not arriving at anything definitive, I knew that there was a bleeding sequence I was missing as I was faced with (excluding the caliper bleed screws) seven other bleed screws for the ABS module. Standard mechanical vacuum bleeding would not cut it. The owner’s groups were helpful in learning how to “change” or flush the system, but there was no guidance on restoring a dry system. Their advice was simply, “Put it together, limp it to the dealer, open your wallet, wait for them to call you when it’s ready.” No offense to the dealers, but for something as simple as a hydraulic braking system, an owner with reasonable mechanical skills and a basic tool kit should be able to perform maintenance and repairs of this nature in a motel parking lot if necessary. I should think that the kind Bavarian engineers and their lawyers are very aware of the thin network of BMW dealers worldwide and how risky it would be limping one of these things 100 miles without brakes to the nearest dealer only to find mechanics as bewildered as they are.

That Tuesday I put in a call to Shannon Logan at Gateway BMW. It turns out this very problem had caused him much grief as the procedure is not in the LT manual. Rather they found it by accident in the K1200RS manual. The secret motorcycle mechanic handshake was shared when I visited, and I walked away with a 25 page printout, of which only two pages were relevant.

Armed with the proper sequence and an affirmation of what I’d already figured out, I set off to Sears, Lowe’s and Napa Auto Parts to gather my special tools. The actual bleeding wrench from BMW costs $200 or so. I made one by cutting an $8 Craftsman 7mm combination wrench then MIG welding the round end back on at 90 degrees. I then welded a ¼ drive socket to the wrench handle the ground the outer diameter of the end so it would fit in the tiny spaces where two bleeder screws were hidden. Then I bought a spare 10 x 1.00 mm bleeder screw at Napa. While there I picked up a small funnel that did not have much of a taper. Then it was off to Lowe’s to buy an assortment of vinyl tubing.

Home made brake fluid “Bimmer Bong”, bleeder tool and offending brake hose.

Eric had already removed the right side Tupperware on Sunday. I commenced removing the left hand side. This proved useful as I did not pay attention when Eric removed the right side. This exposed two bleeder screws I could not otherwise access. Even though the literature leads you to use the servo motors with the key on to bleed the system, the literature fails to tell you that you need to mechanically bleed an open system first. This important step is lost somewhere in translation from German into English, or the legal department intervened and simply did not want to risk an owner carrying out this procedure. Nevertheless, the “rear” reservoir (which on the LT is the front half of the reservoir under the seat) was topped by taking my $1.50 plastic funnel fitted with 5/8 OD vinyl tubing on the tip of the funnel…creating a sealed auxiliary reservoir ($234.00 from BMW, $34.00 from the Boneyard).

Because the reservoir is so tiny, it needs extra fluid on demand so the bleed procedure is uninterrupted. After vacuum bleeding through the caliper (not in the directions, but necessary for the rear circuit), I placed my home-made bleeder wrench on the first bleed screw followed by yet another piece of vinyl tubing to direct the fluid down to my drain cup. Push, turn, repeat….repeat…repeat….BUBBLES! Yea! Completing the sequence rewarded me with a firm foot pedal at last! Now for the fun: Flushing the circuit.

I topped off my “Bimmer Bong” funnel tool with half a pint of fluid, turned on the key, let the ABS circuit test itself, hooked up a tube to the rear caliper bleeder, cracked it with an 11mm wrench and pushed down on the rear brake pedal. Weeeeeeee! The servo really moved the fluid out and filled up my cup within two seconds. Bleeding and flushing of the rear circuit was finally complete.

For grins, since I had all the Tupperware off, I decided to service the front brakes. Since the front system had not been opened, the procedure is reversed. Flush first, bleed the “front” ABS circuit manually last with the battery removed to access a hidden bleed screw. This is a smart step as removing the battery resets any soft codes in the ECM. After the battery is installed, the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) is reset by turning on the ignition, slowly twisting the throttle to the stop and back twice, then switching the key off.

Anyone can do this in a motel parking lot right? Well, yes actually if you carry your home-made bleeder wrench in your BMW tool kit and there’s a hardware store or a Walmart nearby. I guess remembering the manual bleed sequence would be handy too. I’d take a crack at doing it in front of the Comfort Inn sitting on a milk crate. Of course I’d rather prefer the luxury of my Handy Lift and the accoutrements of my humble workshop.

An hour was spent replacing the Tupperware and wiping off greasy fingerprints. Then I backed it off the bench and test rode it. The ABS light dutifully winked out after the first twenty feet rolling forward completed its test sequence and it stayed out. I’d never ridden an LT before, so I rolled down to Collinsville and back on Route 157 and found it a very capable machine. The wind protection was superior…and disturbing. It’s so good that 90 mph seems like 50 on any other bike. I’d have a dozen speeding tickets if I owned one of these.

The servo assist takes a little getting used to, but I found the brakes to be excellent. I tried putting out of my mind the fact that a computer was actually stopping me. Rather than fight the technology, I quite marveled at it really. At its heart, however, it is still a simple hydraulic system. It just has more moving parts than a traditional machine.

I had won round two. I looked at my Tiger sitting in the corner next to the LT. It is four years newer, has half the technology….and mass… and I was trained by Triumph of North America to work on it. It is a bridge machine that took me from the world of carburetors and points, to ECMs and fuel injection. As sophisticated as it is, any problems I’ve had come down to basic mechanical intuition. The LT is no different, it’s just on a larger scale. I could not have fixed one without the other, though. It could be said I had a “Triumph” over BMW. Did I hear you groan? Eric gets the last laugh because his bike is faster.

President’s Corner, November 2011

2011-11-14T20:01:00.000-06:00

Wehave been fortunate to have had a beautiful Fall riding season. The Euro Motor Union’s club ride on October 22was well attended and the weather was cooperative. Dennis Spencer and Mel Heffron put togetheran excellent route. We covered a lot ofground and enjoyed some great scenery. Those of us that took the private tour of the Commemorative Air Forcemuseum and hangars at Smartt Field at the end of the ride, had a chance to seeboth the Avenger and the B25 bomber. Both aircraft are expertly maintained and in beautiful condition. Thanks to Joe Brinkman for makingarrangements for the private tour.

Speakingof Joe, he gave an outstanding program on board track racing at the Novembermeeting. We had a chance to see how thetracks were constructed and see pictures of the track in St. Louis as well asthe one in Los Angeles. Of most interestto me were the profiles of the racers themselves. With the high speeds, throttles wide open,and no brakes it was an extremely dangerous profession but very lucrative forthe time. Joe’s program concluded withvideos of actual races. For those of youwho may have missed the meeting you can find the races on the internet.

We’vehad interesting programs this year and I’d like to thank all those members whospent time and effort preparing and giving their presentations. We have several scheduled for Spring. Mark Bosworth will be showing his Triton andEric Miller is restoring a Puch and a Matchless that will be featured inprograms next year.

Ourclub says we offer rides, programs and tech sessions. So far we are weak on the tech sessions. Mark Oldham gave us one on suspension set upbut that has been it so far. I’d reallyappreciate a volunteer for another one in the near future. One that would appeal to me would be ontroubleshooting electrical problems. Just some basic tips on what could be done by an amateur, like me, thatcould prevent calling the tow truck. There are numerous other topics as well. Just step up and offer to contribute.

Thanksto Mark Bosworth we have very professional looking counter cards to promote EMUmembership. Mark designed a card thatholds the club’s business cards. He willdistribute them to appropriate dealerships in the metropolitan area. Mark also brought the finished club patches. They look great and a limited number will beavailable for ten dollars each. Don’tforget that you can get the club logo embroidered on any item of clothing forfive dollars. Just bring your shirt,jacket, or whatever, with money to the next meeting. Speaking of money we still have many longtime members who have still not paid their dues. Remember dues were due in June so be sureyou’re paid up. If your not sure ifyou’re paid up are not, send me an email and I’ll let you know.

Wefinalized arrangements for the EMU Christmas Party. It will be held Saturday,December 17, in the Moto Europa dealership showroom. Cocktail hour will begin at six and dinnerserved at seven. It will be buffet stylewith a menu similar to those in the past. We will have several desserts available (at no extra cost). Coffee, tea,and soft drinks will also be included. The charge per person will be $12.00. We have 39 members signed up already. I met with the Rusty, the person in charge of the restaurant, and hesaid we don’t have to give him a final head count until our meeting December6. If you haven’t made reservationsthere is still time.

I’dlike to start a new feature for the newsletter. It will feature “The Bike of the Month”. I’ll pick one for starters. Othermembers can submit offerings for future newsletters. If I don’t get any candidates, I’ll keepsubmitting my favorites. We’ll startthings off with the Goodman. It’s a bikethat some of you may remember and one that HD should have built but didn’t. In the mean time, ride safe and see you atthe December meeting and the Christmas Party.

HarlanHock, President

Norton Commando Rebuild 2011, By Dale Knaus

2011-11-14T19:57:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, my pride and joy is a pretty stock 1975 Norton Commando Roadster that I purchased from past member Bill Henderson in 2001. It’s been a very enjoyable and reliable motorcycle, (except for that little problem with the transmission layshaft bearing several years ago.)

Well, the Mark III had been getting a little tired lately, it seemed down on power and running a little rough, and not starting on the first kick like it used to. I regularly take it to Columbia Missouri, a 200 mile round trip, and in that mileage it goes from the full mark on the oil dipstick to the add mark, about ½ quart. Some of it is leaking, some burning. I had been thinking of tearing it down for a rebuild, but being currently between jobs I figured sure as soon as I got it spread all over the garage someone would want to employ me, probably out of state, and I’d be moving the proverbial basket case.

Well, on July 9, I took the 850 up the river road to Hannibal, and rode around a while. Coming home, the odometer hit 35,000 miles. Cool, me thinks. Just 17 miles later, the speedometer drive gearbox on the rear axle puked it’s guts out, and the speedo quit working. Hmmmm. A bad omen, maybe?

I gassed up in New London, and hit highway 61 to come home. I decided to get on it for a change, usually I don’t ride the bike very hard, and I discovered it ran out of steam at about 5,000 RPM! She would hardly climb above that limit in any gear. During a long, long distance phone call to King Mike French, I learned the low power was one symptom of a flat cam. Hmmmm. A lot of research on the subject, and it seems a lot of Mk III cams were flat at 12,000 miles. My bike had more that twice that mileage. Hmmmm again. Well, putting it all together, it seemed like a good time to consider the rebuild.

As luck would have it, the following Friday I got a rejection notice from the Kansas based company I had interviewed with, and Saturday I started teardown on the old Norton.

That little remnant of a cam lobe is still the original cam profile, giving some idea of how much was worn off. The cam tappets were pretty worn too, as you can imagine.

Surprisingly, the bike had not been bored. In fact, other than the cam and tappets, and the rings on the right cylinder worn out, it was in pretty good shape! It showed no signs of ever having been apart before.

I’m going to reassemble with a new cam and followers, and new piston rings. It also needed new intake valve seals and we put new exhaust valves in. The cylinders got honed and the original pistons are cleaned up for reuse.

After staring at all the parts, I decided to paint the engine before reassembly, and that’s the phase I’m in now. Next month I hope to report on progress, if there is any. By the way, I got a job offer (and accepted) the day after I split the cases, so work is progressing slowly.

November Meeting Minutes

2011-11-14T19:49:00.001-06:00

EMU Minutes - Meeting

November 1, 2011

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Harlan Hock, Pres.

33 people were in attendance

Old Minutes: The 10/4/11 minutes were masterfully read by Leo; Harlan Hock identified a correction I failed to note for these minutes. With the one correction, a motion was made by those still awake and seconded to approve the supposedly amended minutes.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported the following

Starting balance $1,089.83

Shirts sold $232.00

Dues $ 20.00

50/50 $ 16.00

Total Deposit $ 268.00

Final Balance $$1,357.83

The actual total is slightly higher as some additional shirts were sold.

Membership Report: Mark Bosworth mentioned that there is one new member. Some discussion ensued that at the lunch ride, members spoke about the large number of members they have not seen take part. At the Gary Hollowich Garage event (of which, this writer received 1 day’s notice) it was mentioned that for some it is the issue of coming into THE CITY and that there is a fear factor. Frosty said “bunk” or some similar idea, that the club used to meet at the Missouri Grill and there wasn’t a problem with that. Dale suggested that this is just what occurs when the location is changed. Frosty volunteered he would call some of those absent members and encourage their return.

Membership recruitment: Mark Bosworth shared a lovely recruitment counter display he made that will hold our club cards for display at willing cycle shops to give the club greater visibility.

The idea was put forth to approach dealers to give away EMU memberships to individuals buying new motorcycles. The membership would be free to the purchaser and the deal would chip in the discounted rate of $10.00. There was discussion, chaos ensued, and I didn’t quite get the drift of any final outcome. So I will presume there will be further discussion.

Shirt Order: Mark Bosworth chided and pestered our printer until he made good on our shirt order. As previously stated, the cost was $748.00 for the shirts. Mark took the time to bag each shirt, identify the purchaser and the amount to be paid. Mark’s hard work made the distribution of the shirts run smoothly. Extra shirts were ordered for new members and if members would like to purchase an additional shirt.

Monogrammed shirts and patches: (Carried forward from the October Minutes) Mark can have your shirt monogrammed with the EMU logo for $5.00. He recommended something like a golf shirt, bring the shirt plus $5.00 and when Mark has 5 or more he will take them to the service provider. Patches are $10.00 a piece. When the initial order has been sold we can poll the membership if there is enough interest for another order.

Old business:

The EMU Christmas party will be on Sat, Dec 17^th, 2011 in the Moto Europa showroom. The dinner will be buffet style with a menu of fried chicken, roast beef, smashed potatoes, gravy, desert, sinner salad and dinner rolls and nonalcoholic beverages for $12.00 each. Doors open at 6:00, dinner served at 7:00. Unless I missed it, it has yet to be determined the amount the club treasury will underwrite the meals, if any, and what the cost will be for spouses and guests.

Vintage Bike Night at MotoEuropa will hold what may be the last Vintage Bike Night for the season on Monday, November 7^th.

Visitors/New Members:

If there were any, I didn’t record it.

Raffle

There was $46.00 in the pot for the 50/50 rally. $24.00 was won by Bill Wasko.

The meeting was adjourned promptly at 8:00pm

Program

Joe Brinkman provided us with a fascinating look into the dangerous and daredevil world of board track racers. Thank you Joe for a great program.

Submitted with minimal humility, Leo Weisman Secretary.

November Meeting Date - CORRECTION

2011-10-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

The November meeting date for the EMU was incorrectly listed in the October minutes as November 8. The actual date of the meeting is Tuesday, November 1, 2011. We hope to see you there.

President's Corner, October 2011

2011-10-19T12:28:00.003-05:00

This past weekend (Oct 8 & 9) I went to the 7^th Annual Barber Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. I know some of you have been to one or more of these festivals and most of you have been to the museum. Most of the attention is focused on the racing, the swap meet, and the auction. I’ve watched a good number of AHRMA races, been to many swap meets, and attended more than a few auctions. The races main appeal for me in the racing is the sight and sound of the old bikes of the sixties but I’ve heard them before. The swap meets, while interesting, aren’t a place for me since I’m not looking for parts to restore anything. The auctions feature stuff I can’t afford to buy. Usually I try to spend time at these three events but this time I decided to take a different approach.

I read the program and decided to focus on the events unique to this festival. To me the most interesting was the “Race of the Century”. This race featured motorcycles one hundred years old or older. The speed wasn’t fantastic but it was amazing to see these bikes going full blast. The Harley fans had to be pleased since the HD was the winner. The other events I attended were seminars offered by highly respected experts in their field.

Don Hutchinson has been restoring motorcycles for 45 years. He’s an expert in all aspects of motorcycle restoration but his specialty is paintwork. If you’re restoring a Brit bike and want the proper paint he’s the man to contact. I have a copy of his handout on Bonneville paint schemes from 1959 on. To quote briefly he says “It is important to remember that these (tank) pin stripes were applied by hand with a striping brush. The exact width would vary with the time of day, amount of paint picked up from the pallet, age and condition of the brush and yes, the amount of beer consumed the previous evening”. I’ll be glad to run a copy if anyone’s interested.

John Healy shared the program with Don. John is known for his technical seminars across the country. He is another restoration expert. He supplies Hepolite, Lucas, Amal parts and sources parts worldwide to keep Brit bikes running. I have a copy of his handout on Amal Carburetor Information. It includes extremely detailed instructions for tuning your carburetor. There are plenty of illustrations including all part numbers. Again I’ll be glad to run copies.

Leo Goff is expert in many areas but he focused cylinder head design. He told us all you would ever want to know about air flow through intake and exhaust ports. I thought I’d be overwhelmed with this topic but this guy is a great teacher and by the end of the session I was asking questions about the head angles approaching and following the valve seats and what effect they had on air flow. I felt a little proud of myself that I could actually ask an intelligent question. Leo didn’t have a handout but I took pictures of the screen where he projected the information. I can make you copies of the pictures if they would be of interest.

Max Nightingale was a different story. He was like Kevin Cameron on steroids. There were just six guys at this session and they were all on the same knowledge level as Max. To try and follow that seminar you needed advanced degrees in metallurgy and physics and the vocabulary to go with them. I quietly snuck out of that session.

I’ve saved the best for last. Steve Hall is a panel fabricator. He learned his craft working for Rolls Royce in their five year apprenticeship program. This guy was fantastic. He didn’t give handouts or use on screen projections. What he did was make a Velocette gas tank, an Indian Chief front fender, a Lotus hood panel, and a Ferrari trunk lid. He did several sessions during the festival and at each he worked a little on each of those projects. My Dad was a sheet metal worker, who was an artist in his own right, so I knew something about the type of work he was doing. He tacked, hammered, welded, and finished these welds lighting fast on a wheeling machine while talking all the time about flux, solder, annealing and on an on. As soon as he finished a piece he passed it around and what had been two are three separate flat pieces of 16 gauge pure aluminum were now perfectly formed and joined. The guys at that session were taking notes like mad. I wish I had had a camcorder for this session so you could all have seen this guy in action. If you ever get a chance to see Steve work his magic take advantage of the opportunity.

The whole time I was there I looked for Euro Motor Union members but the only one I saw was Gary Hollowich. I did get to see and talk to Brian Slark. Most of you remember Brian from his days in St. Louis. Brian is now a technical consultant at the Barber Motorcycle Museum. He told me to be sure and see the latest addition to the museum. That addition is the freshly restored Hildebrand and Wolfmuller bike that was the world’s first mass produced motorcycle (see photo elsewhere in the newsletter). It is a horizontal twin cylinder 4 stroke engine. It produces 2 and one half horse power and @ 240 rpm. The displacement is 1,500 cc. The brakes are wood blocks acting on the front tire and there is no suspension. Now get this - the con rods connect to the rear wheel which acts as the crank shaft and you could vary the speed by changing the size of the rear wheel.

As you can tell, I was really excited about getting to see these guys. I didn’t mean to go on so long. Please remember the Fall ride October 22. Meet at 9:00 am at the McDonalds to your left as you cross the Lewis and Clark bridge coming into Illinois. We’ll leave at 9:30. There will be two pit stops and lunch at Mel’s Riverdock restaurant in Hardin. Also remember that Joe Brinkman has made arrangements for a tour of the Commemorative Air Force hangar at Smart Field at the conclusion of our ride. Hope to see you on the 22^nd.

Ride safe,

Harlan Hock, President Euro Motor Union

October Meeting Minutes

2011-10-19T12:27:00.000-05:00

EMU Meeting Minutes

October 4, 2011

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Harlan Hock, Pres.

There were 27 attending meeting, and 31 bikes on the street, including 11 Ducatis.

Old Minutes: 9/6/11 minutes were read by Leo; a motion was made and seconded to approve minutes as read.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported

Starting balance $1,742.82

Deposits $ 172.00

Expenses $ 748.00 shirts

$ 76.99 cards

Final Balance $1,089.83

Membership Report: We have 89 members, 40 members have not paid their membership dues.

Membership recruitment: New EMU cards have been printed. Please pick some up and share with prospective riders. We are going to ask various dealerships to have cards available for those of interest.

Monograms: Mark can have your shirt monogrammed with the EMU logo for $5.00. He recommended something like a golf shirt, bring the shirt plus $5.00 and when Mark has 5 or more he will take them to the service provider.

Patches: Mark passed around a patch of the EMU logo. Patches will be $10.00 a piece. The membership was surveyed and about a dozen people were interested. The initial order will be for 20 patches

Old business:

Club ride on 10/22/11. The ride will leave from the McDonalds restaurant in Alton at 9:30. Lunch will be at Mels in Hardin. For those who want to break off from the main group Joe Brinkman will be taking the Golden Eagle ferry over to Smart Field for a tour by his father in law of the WWII planes of the Commemorative Air Force.

The EMU Christmas party will be on Sat, Dec 17^th, 2011 in the Moto Europa showroom. There was a meeting with the Triumph Grill chef to determine the menu including salad, entre, sides and a desert and what the meals will cost. There is no deposit or minimum required though the restaurant will need a firm commitment on how many will be attending. It has yet to be determined the amount the club treasury will underwrite the meals, if any, and what the cost will be for spouses and guests

Harlan Hock has done an excellent job at providing advance notice to membership of the meeting. It was noted that the EMU Facebook page did not have the meeting information posted. This is something that will have to be explored.

Vintage Bike Night at MotoEuropa was held on the first Monday of the month on 10/3/11. It was well attended with about 80-100 bikes and people through the evening. A broad array of bikes were on hand to hold attendee’s interest. Beer and burgers were available as well. It is anticipated that the November bike night on 11/7/11 will be the last for the season.

New Business:

Missy from the March of Dimes spoke to the membership about taking part in the Biker’s For Babies event being held on 10/9/11.

Tony reported on the 19^th Ralph Wayne's Vintage Backyard Nationals he and Donna attended in Kansas City on 10/1/11. This is an event that has grown exponentially to the current event with approximately 1000 participants. It is held in a suburban neighborhood at Ralph Wayne’s house with the street closed off to car traffic. Ralph provides free food and beer and a vintage motorcycle contest in which everyone receives a first place ribbon. The story behind the contest is told that when Ralph would fix up a bike until he thought it was a winner and would enter it into a bike show, some other person perhaps from out of town would enter their bike, and having more money and time and a better finished bike would seize first place. Thereafter he determined everyone would win first place. Donations are accepted. No vendors are allowed though they do sell event t-shirts and paraphernalia which turns out to be a very slow process. See more about this event as well as photographs at http://www.cycleconnections.com/articledetail.asp?TypeID=2&ID=435

Tony reported on the COG (Concours Owners Group) Rally he hosted the weekend of 9/24/11 at the Huzzah Valley Campground. 47 people attended from 12 states and an excellent time was had by all including Leo.

Announcements & Upcoming Events:

Joe Brinkman has put a lot of time and effort in his upcoming program in November on board track racers. He will also present some videos of board track racers in action. Don’t miss this program! Mark your calendar, 11/8/2011.

Falling Leaf Rally: the Falling Leaf Rally put on by the Gateway BMW riders will be held in Potosi the weekend of 10/8/11. Leo described the “Anvil Ringing” that takes place at the opening and closing of the event in which one anvil is placed upside down, a pound of black powder is placed in the hollowed out area of the base, the edge is smeared with peanut butter to create a seal and a second anvil is placed right side up against the upside down anvil base. The fuse is lit, everyone scatters, there is a huge boom and puff of smoke and out of the smoke an anvil is seen flying several hundred feet into the air and if everything is just right and the anvil doesn’t tumble, it vibrates and sends out a ringing sound. All brands of bikes and riders are welcome. See the information and event schedule on the internet at http://www.gatewayriders.com/frmGeneral/b1FallingLeafRally.php

Barber’s Fall Vintage Festival is being held this coming weekend in Birmingham Alabama. Several of our membership will be in attendance. This is a great event and should be attended by all at least once to see what it is all about.

Visitors/New Members:

Ken Henton joined us. He is riding a plethora of KLR 650’s.

David Hunter joined the club after the meeting.

Raffle

There was 33.00 in the pot for the 50/50 rally. $16.50 was won by Tony Koenen.

Program

Bob Honz presented a cool program on café racers and brought two examples, a 1979 BMW RT1000 and a XS650 Yamaha, both of which were highly modified. The BMW had been Bob’s father’s bike, and though significantly changed from its former life, holds a sweet spot in his heart and is not for sale. The XS650, (which is for sale) is set up like a flat tracker. Bob road the bike on a snowy and icy evening from his shop to Donelson’s where flat track great Gene Romero was a guest. (Bob is a bit of a crazy man for those of you who don’t know it). Bob was introduced to Gene and showed him his flat tracker, and with little prompting Gene proudly signed the motorcycles gas tank. As a grand finale, Bob started the bike after about 20 sweat provoking stokes of the kick-starter. The sharp, loud crack of the bike was appreciated by all; the smoke and exhaust less so.

Humbly submitted, Leo Weisman, Secretary.

President’s Corner, September 2011

2011-09-20T21:21:00.000-05:00

For those members not attending our meeting September 6, you missed an excellent presentation by EMU member Neville McNaughton. Neville’s program included excerpts from the “Worlds Fastest Indian” starring Anthony Hopkins as Burt Monro. In addition were interesting pictures of Neville’s home town of Invercargill, New Zealand which is Monro’s home town as well. Also included were pictures of: the hardware store (where Monro’s bikes are displayed), the bikes, the actual dance hall (where the fund raiser was held to help finance his trip to Bonneville), the beach where Burt tested his bikes, etc. Neville also included photos depicting the vintage car/bike scene in his native New Zealand. I would like to give a big thank you to Neville for the time and effort he devoted to putting this program together.

We have two programs coming up in the next two months. Bob Honz is on tap for October. When you think of café racers you think of names like Triumph, Norton, BSA, Triton, etc. Bob, however, is going with a different marque. He is going to display BMW café racers based on his own concepts. Can’t wait to see them. In November, Joe Brinkman is working on his program featuring board track motorcycle racing during the teens and twenties with a special focus on board track racing in St. Louis. We’ll have the opportunity to see films of races from that time. These bikes were very fast with no brakes. Racing one had to be an exciting endeavor. I also want to thank Joe for making arrangements for us to have a special tour of the Commemorative Air Force hanger at Smart Field at the conclusion of our fall club ride on October 22. The B25 and the Avenger will be there that day. Check out the web site at http://www.cafmo.org/.

On the subject of that ride, we will be meeting at the McDonalds in Alton located to your immediate right after you exit left off the Lewis and Clark bridge coming in to Illinois. The plan is to arrive at 9:00 a.m. and leave the restaurant at 9:30. The ride will head north out of Alton and cover back roads on both sides of the Mississippi. There will be ferry crossings, two pit stops and lunch at Mel’s Riverdock restaurant in Hardin. The last pit stop will be outside Brussells at the intersection that leads to the Golden Eagle ferry. For those going to Smart Field to see the planes, we’ll take the Golden Eagle ferry to the Missouri side. For those not going to the airport, they can take the Brussells ferry back to Grafton, Illinois. Many thanks to Dennis Spencer and Mel Heffron for putting this ride together.

On another club matter, Mark Bosworth, our treasurer/membership chairman, went to the trouble to have our club logo digitized. As a result, we can have the logo embroidered on almost any item of clothing for a modest fee. Mark had the logo embroidered on his white polo shirt and it looked great. He is also checking to see if we can order embroidered patches. Mark is also looking into printing new business cards for the club. The old ones list our meeting place as the Sports Page. Obviously this needs to be changed.

I’m looking for programs for next year and volunteers to put on tech sessions (our Constitution says we offer tech sessions). We’ve only had one recently and that one was on suspension set up. There are a lot of mechanics, machinists, and engineers in the club so don’t be shy. I’m sure Pete would let us have use of the shop with access to the bike rack if you need it for a session. For those of you with the know-how, don’t assume we all know what you know. For my part, I can change oil and plugs, check tires, lube my chain and adjust my headlight and I’m sure that I’m not the only one in that category. Share what you know with the rest of us. If you’ve got an idea for a session, call me or email me. That’s all for now. See you in October.

Ride safe,

Harlan Hock, President

Note: Dues are due!!

If you’re not paid up for this year, please send your dues for twenty dollars payable to the Euro Motor Union to:

Mark Bosworth

7233 Crystal Lake Court

St. Louis, MO 63129

September Meeting Minutes

2011-09-20T21:17:00.003-05:00

EMU Meeting Minutes

September 6, 2011

24 bikes, 37 members present.

The meeting started at approximately 7:30 pm with Neville McNaughton giving a presentation on his experience growing up in New Zealand. With emphasis on motorcycles and the close proximity to Invercargill where Burt Munroe built and tested his record winning Bonneville Indian.

The meeting was called to order by Harlan Hock at 8:00 pm.

Harlan read the previous meetings minutes.

Mark Bosworth gave the Treasurers report that his computer had died but he had made a $60.00 deposit and there was about $1,800 in the account.

Mark also gave the Membership report that there are 88 members and that just under 50% of the members have paid dues that were due in June.

Old Business

Nothing was discussed.

New Business

The club T-shirts are going to be ordered this month so if you want one make sure you sign up on the order form being circulated so we can get a count on how many to order.

(Post meeting note- the shirts are ordered and will be at the next meeting please come and pay and pick them up we don’t want to be carting them around for a couple of months)

Schafley Vintage Bike Nights.

It was reported that they are not very well attended.

Club Ride

Harlan, Dennis and Mel are putting together a club ride for October. The date giving at the meeting was the 15^th. (that has been now changed to the 22^nd). The meeting place will be the McDonalds just north of the Lewis and Clark Bridge in Alton, IL. Please be there by 9:00 am (with a full tank of gas) and the group will depart at 9:30. The route will be back roads on both side of the Mississippi River using ferries to cross. Two pit stops and lunch is planned at Mel’s Riverdock restaurant in Hardin.

For those who want to break off from the main group Joe Brinkman will be taking the Golden Eagle ferry over to Smart Field for a tour by his father in law of the WWII planes of the Commemorative Air Force.

Future Presentations

Bob Honz will be doing one on Café Racers.

Joe Brinkman will be working on one on Board Track Racers. He is trying to get one out of the Mungenast museum but it does not look like they will let the bikes of the building.

It was reported that the Columbia, IL airport show is coming up but no date was given.

It was discussed that due to the poor acoustics and the loud AC system in the Museum some members are having trouble hearing. A request was made to move the meetings to the Moto Europa showroom. It was voted on and agreed to.

(Post meeting note Moto Europa has agreed to set up the showroom for meetings)

All British Car and Bike Show

Bob from the MG club spoke about the show coming up on Saturday the 17^th of September at Creve Coeur Lake park.

Davenport.

Dennis and Melvin reported that there were 11 board track racers present. They especially enjoyed seeing a Pope going around doing 60 mph and he was not the fastest one there.

Sturgis

Mark reported on his trip with club member Eric Miller and his parents. The size of the crowd was down from previous years and that was attributed to the high price of gas. The PC police have taken over banning all displays of public nudity making it a place that you could safely take you 12 year old kid or grandchild.

Springfield Mile

It was reported to be a great race with a very close finish where Chris Carr almost won his last Springfield Mile race (he is retiring) – Willie McCoy won the race, his first Springfield Mile win in many years of racing.

Guests

Matt Branda 2009 Triumph

Steve Mann 2012 Triumph Tiger XC

Keith Brenan 1998 BMW GS

John Becker won the 50-50 drawing.

Fall EMU Ride - October 22

2011-09-13T03:34:00.002-05:00

Our Fall Ride is scheduled for Saturday, October 22. We will meet at the McDonalds located just to the left, (North) of the Lewis and Clark bridge in Alton, Illinois. When you cross the bridge, exit to the left then look for the McDonalds on the right. Plan to arrive at the restaurant at 9:00 a.m. and we'll leave at 9:30. The ride will most all be on back roads on both sides of the Mississippi. There will be two pit stops and lunch will be at Mel's Riverdock restaurant in Hardin. Hope you can all make it.

Update: The B25 and Avenger will both be at Smart Field that day (no air shows). The ride will also include an optional side trip via the Golden Eagle Ferry to tour the CFA hanger and see the planes.

http://www.cafmo.org/

Great Story in the Post-Dispatch

2011-08-19T08:15:00.001-05:00

The Post published an interview with an Illinois state motor patrol officer. Read it here

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/illinois/news/article_f02c9d67-381c-5be8-a8fb-586cec96be30.html

President’s Corner August 2011

2011-08-17T07:33:00.002-05:00

Considering the heat, our meeting was relatively well attended. We had around thirty members present. There were fewer riders and more drivers than usual which was understandable. I had said in my reminder email that program plans fell through but it turned out that we did have a program after all. Jeff Pittinger and John Skala from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation discussed ramifications of age on riding skills. There were several exercises that tested our reaction times and cognitive skills plus an interesting video. In addition there was a “Seasoned Rider Fact Sheet” that they handed out.

For those of you not attending, I’ll summarize the content with emphasis on the more relevant information. In the general facts category it seems that older riders have fewer accidents than younger riders but have higher rates of fatal crashes. Medications taken by older riders have a significant effect on riding skill especially when combined with alcohol. My own experience with this proves this fact. A doctor, who knew I rode motorcycles, prescribed medication to me without any warning that it would affect my balance. It didn’t affect my walking but I dropped my bike three times in one week before I figured out what was going on. So as a precaution, I read that sheet the drugstore gives you with your medication about the side effects very carefully.

Age also affects rider functions. Visual clarity and peripheral vision diminish along with night vision. Eyes are more sensitive to light and they take longer to adjust to near and to far objects. They also take longer to adjust to dark and depth perception diminishes as well. Eye muscles and body muscles react more slowly, resulting in delayed response time. Reacting to a hazard may take twice as long for a rider 40 to 54 years of age, and up to three or four times longer after age 55 or so. Muscles are weaker. Muscle tone and strength deteriorate as we age. A person loses 6-10 percent muscle mass per decade starting at age 30. So much for the negative. I think we all know most of this stuff already.

On the brighter side, there are things we can do to mitigate these aforementioned results of aging. We need to keep a greater following distance. Some authorities recommend up to a six-second interval. Avoid complicated and congested roads that produce “input overload”. Since most accidents involve more than one contributing factor, this seems to be good advice. I find myself constantly checking my mirrors watching out for that distracted SUV driver determined to tail gate me. The other information like double checking blind spots, proper headlight adjustment, pre- ride checks of the bike, wear protective gear, etc. are things we all do. However, here some good suggestions regarding physical health and fitness:

Have annual eye check ups. I did and found out I had cataracts. I had a lens replaced and what a revelation. I could read road signs much sooner and my night vision was transformed. The annual medical check up is a given. Most important is to have an exercise regimen. It enhances flexibility, strength, endurance, and counteracts that muscle loss mentioned previously. This is all good advice but I disagree with their last recommendation which is “When the time comes to retire from motorcycling, buy a sporty convertible”. What I think I’ll do is buy a side car.

Ride safe,

Harlan Hock, President

August Meeting Minutes

2011-08-17T07:31:00.001-05:00

The 8/2/11 meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Harlan Hock, Pres.

Old Minutes: 7/5/11 minutes were read by Leo; a motion was made and seconded to approve minutes as read.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth has run off to Sturgis but he left the following report.

Treasurers Report:

Starting balance $1,418.82

Deposits $ 244.00

Current Balance $1,662.82

Membership Report: Just like before, Mark Bosworth is in Sturgis.

Old business:

Voted and approved ordering new shirts for new members. A t-shirt order form was passed around to the attendees

The EMU Christmas party was set at Sat, Dec 17th, 2011 to have the party with a buffet meal in the Moto Europa showroom.

A request was again made for the meeting reminder emails to go out further in advance of the meeting.

Attendees at the Mid Ohio Vintage days said attendance was down; the heat was oppressive. The only brands available to test ride were Kawasaki and Kymco.

Bob Fleming reported that there were about 75 bikes at vintage bike night, many of them vintage. Beer and burgers were available as well.

Kris Tucker Lowe submitted an article with photos of his Sherpa T restoration which will be in the newsletter in installments.

New Business:

It was asked if fish could be an option on the menu.

September meeting: Neville McNaughton will be talking about Burt Munro.

Bob Honz will present a program at the October meeting, topic yet to be determined.

Joe Brinkman will present a program on board trackers for the November meeting.

Announcements and Upcoming Events:

Membership dues for the coming year are being collected.

Saturdays morning	Every Saturday 8:00am joining Frosty and Cliff and other EMU riders for breakfast and a ride. Everyone is welcome. Steak’n Shake, 5828 South Lindberg, St. Louis, MO 63123
Mondays	Schlafly Brewery will be having Bike Nights each Monday. On the first Monday, Street Bikes – on the second Monday, European Bikes – third Monday, Vintage Bikes, and on the fourth Monday, Buells are honored. Bottleworks7260 Southwest Ave.
First Monday of the month	Moto Europa bike shop will have a Vintage Bike Night at their shop on the First Monday of each month. Please check their website for more information. http://motoeuropastl.com/
Tuesdays	Every Tuesday 11:00am meet for an early lunch with the EMU elite at Bandana’s, 4 Commerce Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234
Wednesday evenings	Gateway Rockers at Sonics on Lindberg by Big Bend
August 6th	RockerBox in Milwaukee Wisconsin
August 13 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm	Kickstart Café 3537 Chouteau Ave. Third Annual 'Classic Bike Movie Night' featuring the movie AKIRA! Our Espresso bar will be open, but feel free to BYOB, or BYO-whatever for that matter! Our friends at Schlafly will be having a beer tasting during the evening. The movie will actually play at 6:45. If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask us at our 'Kickstart cafe' facebook page
Sept 1 - Sept 3, 2011	Davenport, Iowa Antique Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet The Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds 2815 W. Locust St. Davenport, IA 52806
Sep 2 to Sep 4, 2011	Moto Guzzi 22nd Annual "Bring Your Own Everything" Campout at "Lincoln, Illinois Lincoln New Salem State Park.
Sept 6th meeting	EMU meeting. Neville McNaughton will provide us with a program on memories of Burt Monroe
Sept 23-25	Interstate cycles in Rolla is Sponsoring their Rally On The River. The campsite is West of Steelville, MO on Hwy 8. For info – Interstate Cycles at 573-265-6008.
Sept 28 to Oct 1, 2011	Blues Bikes and BBQ Fayetteville, Ark
Sept 30th thru Oct 2nd, 2011	MSTA Buddies of Bruce Cape Girardeau, MO
October 4th	EMU meeting. Bob Honz will present a program
Oct 7 - 9, 2011	Falling Leaf Rally
October 7 - 9	Barber Vintage Festival
Nov. 1st	EMU meeting. Bob Brinkman will present a program on Board Trackers
Dec 17th, 2011	The EMU Christmas party in the Moto Europa showroom.

Visitors/New Members:

Sam Bevin joined us. He is riding a 2004 Moto Guzzi Breva

Raffle

The raffle was on vacation this month.

Program

Jeff Pittinger and John Skala from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation discussed ramifications of age on riding skills.

Bumblingly submitted, Leo Weisman, Secretary.

Quick Ride BMW K1600GTL

2011-08-13T19:06:00.001-05:00

What do we buy motorcycles for? That was the question I was left asking myself after a test ride of the new BMW K1600GTL courtesy of Gateway BMW. It is not a psychological - I think therefore I am, freedom, open-road, lifestyle question - but rather a question about which physical aspects of a motorcycle make us choose one machine over the other. In that case it really comes down to two things: the motor and the looks.

Photo from BMW

While styling does sell bikes, the real answer, it seems to me, is the we buy bikes for the motor. Whether it is a Harley Davidson with its distinctive vee-twin rumble or a Yamaha R-1 four that screams to its 12,000+ RPM redline, bikes are purchased for their motors and the inherent thrill a motor provides when the throttle is twisted to its limit. If they weren't, wouldn't we all be riding bicycles? They are, after all, called motorcycles.

Which brings me to the new BMW. The motor is heaven sent, created by gods of all things mechanical and delivered on the wings of teutonic angels. Amazing, incredibly smooth, powerful and with a sound that only a perfectly balanced straight six can make, even when running in semi-hushed touring garb. In my short time with the bike I could not escape the grasp that engine put on my soul. All the horsepower and torque you could ask for (but of course you should always want more, again, they are called motorcycles for a reason).

That brings me to my issue with this bike. Sure it handles wonderfully for such a large machine and it has every accessory needed to take a trip from here to somewhere far, far, away: Sirrus radio, adaptive suspension, traction control, ABS, lights that follow curves; the list goes on and on and it is all controlled from a relatively simple interface. But to me, it doesn't even matter. I just want more of that motor. Put that motor in a honest chassis with a comfortable riding position and this would still be one of the best bikes on the road. The motor is so overwhelmingly spectacular as to make everything else fade into the background. Nice, but...

Now let me give a counterpoint. After the test ride, which included a trip by my house so my wife could give the bike the once over, I explained the position expressed above. She said no: sure it has a great motor but as a motorcycle, it needs those accessories to make it a joy to take from here to somewhere far, far away.

President’s Corner July 2011

2011-07-17T19:35:00.003-05:00

We had another good meeting with an excellent program by Bob Howard. Bob explained how he was able to obtain a racing motorcycle, not intended for street use, and modified it to make it street legal. His Aprilia 125 is a work of art. Everything about it reflects precision craftsmanship and a passion for detail. Bob had to do the obvious things like adding mirrors and turn signals. He also had to develop a completely new wiring harness. There was a lot more, but you had to be there to appreciate all his fine work.

At this point I would like to express appreciation for those of you who have given programs and those of you working on future presentations. We have Neville’s program on Bert Monroe in September and Joe Brinkman is putting together a program on board track racers. Until I talked to Joe I had no idea that St. Louis had its own board track. Anyway, his program will be sometime this fall or winter. For next month there are several possibilities. I’ll let you know before the next meeting what will be on offer.

Elsewhere in the newsletter is the first installment of Kris Tucker-Lowe’s article on the restoration of his Bultaco. As always Kris puts together some very interesting reading and he has included accompanying pictures. On the subject of restoration, our own Eric Miller is restoring a Matchless that will be the feature for a future meeting. Right now Eric is figuring out how to balance the crankshaft himself since he couldn’t find anyone to do it for him. He has taken photos as the restoration progresses. Of course, being an aircraft mechanic with machinist skills helps a lot. There are others in the club completing similar projects so I would encourage you to takes some pictures and make some notes. I think our members would be very interested to know about what you’re working on.

Now, as a favor to Gene Ronchetto, I would like to ask those of you who visit our blog and/or our Facebook page to let me know which you refer to on a regular basis. Of the twenty three at the meeting, sixteen go to the blog for info and three to Facebook. If you were at the meeting, there is no need to respond but I’d like to hear from the rest of you. Gene also wants to know what, if anything, you want included that he is not providing. Also, he would like to know why those of you who don’t refer to either the blog or Facebook don’t take advantage of this source of information. While on this subject, we all owe Gene a big thank you for his work in this regard.

It was brought to the club’s attention that we haven’t had any club shirts made for a while. Mark Bosworth has volunteered to do some checking on prices for short sleeved shirts with and without pockets and long sleeved shirts as well. Some requested that we go for grey shirts again. What are your thoughts? We’ll need your input at the next meeting.

Next month our meeting will take place in the dealership showroom instead of the Moto Museum. I’ll send you a reminder prior to the next meeting so none of us intrudes on the event taking place in the museum.

Finally, I want to remind you that dues are due. So far we only have thirty three members, out of eighty four, paid up for the 2011-2012 year. If you’re not going to be at the next meeting please send your dues for twenty dollars payable to the Euro Motor Union to:

Mark Bosworth

7233 Crystal Lake Court

St. Louis, MO 63129

In the meantime, ride safe and hope to see you next month.

Harlan Hock, President

EMU Meeting Minutes - July 2011

2011-07-17T19:34:00.000-05:00

Call to Order: 7:30 pm by Harlan Hock, Pres.

Old Minutes: 6/7/11 minutes were read by Leo; a motion was made and seconded to approve minutes as read.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported 17 members paid dues. Current balance is $1,618.82. We are continuing to accept 2011 dues.

Membership Report: Mark Bosworth’s reported the total membership at 86.

Old business: Dave Gries is still collecting magazines for the Adopt-a-Platoon program.

Discussion about membership use of the EMU facebook page and blog.

The EMU Christmas party was set at Sat, Dec 17^th, 2011, to have the party with a buffet meal in the Moto Europa showroom.

New Business:

Gary asked if we could obtain additional EMU shirts. Some of our newer members did not receive free shirts. Additional shirts can be ordered for purchase by our members. There was discussion to continue to use the wicking style, with pockets if possible. There was some preference to have the new group of shirts made up in Ash Gray. There was also some discussion to order long sleeve shirts as well. We will look into the costs and printing options.

A request was made to put out the meeting reminder emails further in advance of the meeting.

Kris Tucker Lowe submitted an article with photos of his Sherpa T restoration which will be in the newsletter in installments.

The next meeting will be held in the dealer showroom.

Visitors/New Members:

No visitors

Announcements and Upcoming Events

Saturday mornings	Every Saturday 8:00am joining Frosty and Cliff and other EMU riders for breakfast and a ride. Everyone is welcome. Steak’n Shake, 5828 South Lindbergh, St. Louis, MO 63123
Mondays	Schlafly Brewery Bike Nights - each Monday. On the first Monday, Street Bikes – on the second Monday, European Bikes – third Monday, Vintage Bikes, and on the fourth Monday, Buells are honored. Bottleworks7260 Southwest Ave.
First Mondays	Moto Europa Vintage Bike Night at their shop on the First Monday of each month. For information: http://motoeuropastl.com/
Tuesdays	Every Tuesday Early Lunch 11:00am - Meet with the EMU elite at Bandana’s, 4 Commerce Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234
Wednesday evenings	Gateway Rockers at Sonics on Lindberg by Big Bend
July 16	Donelson Cycles Movie Night. Dust to Glory! Movie starts at dark at our South County location - 11334 Concord Village Ave.
July 21 – 24	2011 BMW MOA International Rally - Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, 620 West Third Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815
July 22 – 24	AMA Vintage Days - Marque of the year is Kawasaki
July 25 - 31	EAA's AirVenture Oshkosh, WI
August 2	EMU meeting
Aug 5 - 7	Wisconsin Moto Guzzi Rally - Their 27th Annual
August 13 · 6pm - 9pm	Kickstart Café 3537 Chouteau Ave. Third Annual 'Classic Bike Movie Night' featuring the movie AKIRA! Our Espresso bar will be open, but feel free to BYOB, or BYO-whatever for that matter! Our friends at Schlafly will be having a beer tasting during the evening. The movie will actually play at 6:45. If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask us at our 'Kickstart cafe' facebook page
Sept 1 - 5	2011 Old Threshers Reunion, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Sept 1 - 3	Antique Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet, Davenport, Iowa - The Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds 2815 W. Locust St. Davenport, IA 52806
Sep 2 - 4	Moto Guzzi 22nd Annual "Bring Your Own Everything" Campout at Lincoln, Illinois. Lincoln New Salem State Park.
Sept 6	EMU meeting. Neville McNaughton will provide us with a program on memories of Burt Monroe
Sept 28 - Oct 1	Blues Bikes and BBQ Fayetteville, Ark
Sept 30 - Oct 2	MSTA Buddies of Bruce Cape Girardeau, MO
October 4	EMU meeting
Oct 7 - 9	Falling Leaf Rally
October 7 - 9	Barber Vintage Festival
Oct 20 – 21	Baxter Cycle 30^th Annual Open House featuring the Triumph Demo Truck, Marne, Iowa
Dec 17, 2011	EMU Christmas party - in the Moto Europa showroom.

Raffle

Bob Howard won the 50/50

Harlan won a motorcycle-detailing coupon from Gateway BMW that was donated by Kris Tucker Lowe’s son. Thank you Kris

Program

Bob Howard provided an interesting program on his 34 HP Aprilia RS125. This is a European bike, imported to the US as a track bike, and not intended to be street legal in the US. It took a lot of time and effort to source and install the lights, turnsignals, etc., on the bike and get it street legal in Illinois. The result is a very classy sportbike, and you aren’t likely to see any other bikes like it on the street. Good job, Bob, and thanks for the presentation.

Humbly submitted, Leo Weisman, Secretary.

President's Corner - June 2011

2011-06-14T07:34:00.002-05:00

For whatever reason, we had a slim turnout for the June meeting. I know the weather was a factor. The heat was stifling, especially with all the gear. Some may have stayed away because Neville’s presentation was moved to September. As it turned out we had a program anyway.

It was our good fortune that Jeff Pittenger from the Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program (MMSP) was giving a program for the Ducati club that also meets on the same night as our meeting. Pete Hall asked if we’d like to have him speak to EMU as well. He was finished with their meeting in time to talk to our club after our business meeting was finished. For those of you who live in Missouri the MMSP offers three courses; the Basic Rider Course, the Basic Rider Course II, and the Advanced Rider Course. The latter course is only available at the Forest Park location. For cost and additional information contact www.mmsp.org or the Department of Continuing Education at St. Louis Community College - Forest Park.

While on the subject of riding safety, I thought back to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course I took in Illinois a few years ago. I’d never taken a riding course but had been riding for over fifty years at that time. In Illinois the course was free and I figured what could it hurt? I picked up some useful information and learned the importance of practicing panic braking and aggressive counter steering to avoid obstacles. It turns out that one of the main causes of motorcycle accidents is locking up the rear brake and not using the front brake for maximum effect. I knew about counter steering but had imagined really forceful input would have resulted in loss of control. Improving these avoidance skills has proved very helpful on several occasions. All this thought about rider safety got me to thinking that maybe I needed to review some of the reports and books I had read and DVD’s I had watched.

The one that first came to mind was the Hurt Report from 1981. I never read the complete 300 pages but did I read a lot of it. Most of it we know but one surprising fact in it changed my mind about the type of helmet I would wear. For lots of years, as a kid, I didn’t wear a helmet but when I did it was an open faced Bell. Then I discovered that the part of the head that suffers the greatest and most frequent impact in collisions is the lower left quarter of the face. That information caused me to buy my first full face helmet. What’s more I discovered the hard way, in a crash, that that statistic had merit. I don’t know if the full face kept me alive but the concussion would have been much worse, and the broken face shield and chin bar kept my face from injury.

The Hurt Report is dated, of course, but much of the information is still relevant. I’ve read several summaries of more recent reports. There are many disagreements in those various studies but one of the best is the MAIDS - Motorcycle Accident in Depth Study. It is the first complete European in-depth study of motorcycle accidents. The study covers 921 accidents investigated in detail, resulting in approximately 2000 variables being coded for each accident. Many of the statistics in that study vary from those in the States but offers a different perspective that‘s worth considering. The causes for the variance would include the almost universal helmet use in Europe and the much more stringent training required before a full license is granted.

Another big difference between Europe and the U.S. are the motorcycle equipment requirements. I got a copy of the State Motorcycle Equipment Requirements provided by the Motorcycle Industry Council (let me know if you want a copy). Of course the requirements vary from state to state. The requirements included are; safety helmets, eye protection, rear view mirror, brakes, turn signals, daytime headlight use, periodic inspection, speedometer and several others. The only thing required in all fifty states is, get this, BRAKES! It should be no surprise that our safety record doesn’t compare with most European countries. The good news is that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is doing new comprehensive study that’s starting this year. This study should provide all of us with up to date information on rider safety and provide the rationale for politicians to make some needed changes in motorcycle equipment requirements.

In the mean time, I would encourage you to avail yourselves of the numerous studies available online. Most all are summarized and most summaries are only one are two pages long. Just type in “motorcycle safety studies” and you’ll have plenty to read on those days it’s too hot to ride.

Be careful out there.

Harlan Hock - President

June Meeting Minutes

2011-06-14T07:29:00.003-05:00

EMU Meeting Minutes

Meeting 6/7/11

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Harlan Hock, Pres.

Old Minutes: May 2011 minutes were read by Harlan; a motion was made and seconded to approve minutes as read.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported no change from last month, but dues are rolling in tonight.
Current Balance $1,238.82.

Membership Report: Mark Bosworth’s reported the total membership at 84 before tonight.

Old business:
The EMU banner was proudly displayed in the Moto Museum during the meeting.
Dave Gries is still collecting magazines for the Adopt-a-Platoon program; Harlan will collect for Dave this evening..

New Business:

The EMU constitution was discussed, and a motion was made and seconded to approve as submitted. Membership vote passed unanimously.

The new constitution calls for 2 year terms on officers, with Vice Pres and Treasurer to be elected in odd numbered years. Motions were made to keep Dale Knaus as Vice pres and Mark Bosworth as Treasurer for the upcoming two year terms, followed by membership vote approval.

The EMU Christmas party was discussed. Options for venue and menu were reviewed, and a motion made and seconded, and approved by vote, to have the party with a buffet meal in the Moto Europa showroom. Date was set at Sat, Dec 17^th, 2011.

Announcements & Upcoming Events:

Membership dues for the coming year are being collected.

Schlafly Brewery will be having Bike Nights each Monday. On the first Monday, Street Bikes – on the second Monday, European Bikes – third Monday, Vintage Bikes, and on the fourth Monday, Buells are honored.

Moto Europa bike shop will have a Vintage Bike Night at their shop on the First Monday of each month. Due to next month’s July 4^th holiday on that day, they will reschedule for that month. Please check their website for more information. http://motoeuropastl.com/

Honz is having a campout 4^th of July weekend. – see the Gateway BMW shop’s website for more info.

Gateway BMW is having a dual sport ride on June 26, leave their shop at 4:00 Sat evening.

·Baxter Cycles in Iowa is having a 30 year celebration bash the end of August – more info later.

Sept 6^th meeting, Neville McNaughton will provide us with a program on memories of Burt Monroe.

July 5^th Bob Howard will provide a presentation about his 34 HP Aprilia RS125

Every Saturday 8:00am join Frosty and Cliff and other EMU riders for breakfast and a ride. Everyone is welcome. Steak’n Shake, 5828 South Lindberg, St. Louis, MO 63123

Every Tuesday 11:00am meet for an early lunch with the EMU elite at Bandana’s, 4 Commerce Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234

Visitors/New Members:

Tom Burnett, K13GT, Suz 650DR

Harvey Small, new member, Triumph

John Cohen, Shadow ACE tourer

Bac Meek, new Triumph Thunderbird, Yamaha xs850

Program:

Jeff Pittinger and John Scalla representing the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Education Courses were present to give a presentation on the safety classes available to riders. Presently the Basic Rider Course, Basic Rider Course II, and Advanced Rider Course are available locally.

For Missouri classes, contact:

http://mmsp.org/new/

Submitted by Dale Knaus, 6/8/2011

My Bultaco Sherpa T Project Part II

2011-05-30T19:24:00.001-05:00

Story and Photos by Kris Loewe

My Bultaco’s original stainless fenders were long gone. Instead there were some non-stock fenders that had been improvised. I removed them and eyeballed the universal plastic fenders I’d bought (“universal” means it fits nothing in the universe). The front needed brackets. The rear needed something more: Tabs that were no longer there. The former could be purchased through Sammy Miller in England. The latter would have to be made out of steel stock and welded. Also, it appeared that the stop for the side stand would need to be welded up.

The welding dilemma suspended all other work. I blew the dust off a book I’d bought on welding and metalwork a few years ago. I visited the Sears catalog and crossed my eyes. Finally, one day I walked into a professional welding supply store and threw myself at their mercy. As luck would have it I was at CK Welding at the right time. There in the showroom was a regional sales guy who was a bike nut. He turned me on to a one-day event at the main location in Dogtown where they were selling rental and demo units at big discounts. A week later - a Millermatic mig welder was in my garage. I also bought an auto dimming helmet, a spool gun for aluminum, and consumables. With it came a class and access to some very good training material. All said and done, I ended up with a welder that was one step up from what I originally planned on getting plus the other items all for the retail price of the original model I intended to buy. Sweet!

A few months passed. A few trips to the hardware store and I installed a 220volt line for my welder (which is dual voltage anyway). Using some steel stock, I started teaching myself the welds I needed to make on the frame. I quickly learned welding is the easy part. Knowing the nature and thickness of the metal is a bit trickier. After I burned some holes and ruined some stock, I got pretty good….good enough to go back and fill in the holes I burned.

I made the missing tabs from 1”x1/8” bar stock. I practiced a few more welds on scrap tubing and I was ready for the big show. After looking at some generous photos of restored bikes posted online, and fiddling with placing the new fenders, I clamped the new pieces down and tack welded them into place. Checking the fender fit one last time; I removed it and finished the welds. Wow! All that work and money spent for two welds! But they were MY welds! Happily smug, I sat back with my feet up on the bench, drank a beer and stared at my handiwork.

The bike sat on the bench untouched until a big box from Ed James arrived in early December 2010. I opened it and my jaw dropped! Lying on my bench was a show-quality three-stage paint job with the correct decals and pinstripe. I knew I was in trouble right there. I placed it on the two-wheeled heap and recoiled. The rest of the bike did not deserve something that nice. Deflated, I placed the tank in a plastic bag, shelved it, went upstairs, got a beer and sat down in front of the TV. Three beers later I decided I had to go deeper into the Bultaco.

Ed’s pretty tank on a crusty frame.

A week later it was completely stripped, bagged and tagged. The frame, swing arm and a few other bits went to the soda blaster. I went online to Eastwood Company for a decent single stage paint for the frame. Their argent silver was close enough for my tastes. A trip to NAPA yielded a suitable self-etching primer and that was it for the paint supplies.

While the frame was away, I tackled the engine. Removal of the top-end revealed a broken piston ring and ruined bore, but standard sizing. The bottom end felt solid so I’d just focus on replacing seals and gaskets. Most importantly the crank seals were to be replaced. Off to Mobley’s the barrel went.

With the bits back from the soda blaster, I finished welding on the frame to repair the wallowed out kick stand stop. Then began the tedious cleaning and prep for painting. Finally, the weather broke and it was warm enough to primer everything. Weeks went by. Cleaning, wet sanding, more primer, repeat.

Bad news came from Mobley’s. The cylinder had arrived damaged: the bottom of the barrel sleeve had broken off. Not good. This meant resleeving. More expense and delay.

So let’s add this up so far: Purchase price, two parts orders, professional grade welding outfit, reproduction Dunlop trials tires, show-quality fiberglass tank repair and painting, new top end complete with sleeve. Yep, pretty upside-down in this “simple dirt bike project”. I was now approaching the purchase price of a basket-case Norton.

Fickle motivations: Following Wes’ condition on Facebook, the man all but died. Most of his intestines were removed, he was in a coma, then he started bouncing back. What a tough dude! What a loving wife and family. Why am I nervous over a little more money in this project then? Besides, I still wanted to hear from him when I showed him the pictures.

The weather broke again and I sprayed on the color. Eastwood did not let me down. It looked very good for a rattle-can job. Weeks went by again as the paint cured and a box finally showed up from Mobley’s. Now I had to paint the black engine bits….more cleaning, more prep, then good old Rustoleum high-temperature semi flat stove black. With that stuff on the shelf and curing, by the middle of March 2011 I started reassembling the chassis to get it back on two wheels.

While managing some projects at work for big diesel trucks, I discovered a nice upholstery shop in East St. Louis called Custom Truck Upholstery (618-875-9850). I left a truck seat there to be redone and noticed the motorcycle seats in the back. They eagerly showed them to me. Some were nice Harley seats done with ostrich hide. Others were more humble seats. I asked him about my Bultaco saddle and he said to bring it in. I did so, and a few weeks and only $15 later I had a nicely redone vinyl seat. Well, a Sherpa really does not have a seat. It’s more of a tribute to a seat. It’s big enough for one of my cheeks and useful for sitting while stationary. So, don’t read this thinking they’ll do your Indian “Chummee” seat in ostrich for $15. I took him $15 in cash and a six pack of Budweiser.

With the project coming together on the bench I chuckled to myself. All this work for a bike that ultimately is going to be thrown into the woods. But then I recalled a story by Peter Egan. He was lamenting the money he’d poured into a TR6-C Triumph until he looked at the original purchase price as new, and then adjusted it for inflation. He was spot on with what he had in it over 20 years later after adjusting the price.

The year 1973 sucked rocks economically. For a person to buy my Sherpa new in 1973 was a pretty serious commitment for an off road toy. Not much compares to it today. A modern Gas Gas or Sherco trials bike retails for about $6000. Things being relative, I’m still doing okay.

By the second weekend in April I had the chassis rolling. It finally was removed from the bench and the bits of the engine were spread out, and then cleaned. Murphy reared his ugly head when I removed the crank seal caps to have the right side engine bearing come pouring out onto the floor. Weird, the crank had felt fine. A peek at the parts diagram revealed a surprise: There are two bearings on the right side, one on the left. This is probably to compensate for the chunky flywheel. Drat! I had also revealed epoxied repairs in the clutch cover. Double drat!

Out came the case splitter and a propane torch. The engine was eventually rendered into hermetic piles of gears, spinning bits and gyrating bobs that I’d eventually have to put back together. A trip to the bearing store was in order, but alas it was Sunday. The epoxied clutch cover would do, but I’d keep my eye out for a replacement. I could use the damaged one as a future project to teach myself aluminum welding with my spool gun attachment.

Reassembling the engine cases was a lot of fun. Ideally, the manual wants you to heat the engine cases in an oven to 300 degrees F, and then move really fast to assemble it. This made no sense as the transmission takes time to fit into the left case. So, I heated one half at a time, dropping the crank into the left case half, letting it cool while I assembled the transmission. When that was complete, I removed the right case half and it dropped onto the new bearings without much fiddling. A little more persuasion from a propane torch and a soft mallet reunited the cases. Everything was tightened down and left to cool before proceeding further.

A marathon evening yielded a fully assembled engine in the frame by 2am the next morning. That whole next week I tried to steal time in the evening to get everything else sorted out. By the time we left for Easter, it was well sorted except the exhaust. I did not like how close the “boomerang” header pipe came to my pretty new tank. A trip to OReilly’s Auto Parts yielded some clamps and racing style exhaust wrap that solved the heat problem and an ugly dented header pipe which used to be chrome, but I’d painted with stove black to overcome its shoddiness.

After we returned, I headed downstairs to land the project. The wrapped header pipe looked very trick and hooligan. I dumped some 32:1 racing gas in the tank, backed it off the bench, performed a final adjustment to the handlebars and controls, backed it out of the garage and started kicking.

After

After about ten kicks and some carb tickling, she popped to life. Then came the idle adjustment to the Lund resleeved 927 Amal Concentric. It was idling happily. I checked for interference in the cables, then hit the kill button (a Yamaha item). On came a helmet and gloves, then one kick and I was ready to play Sammy Miller. Up the street I went in all five gears, noting how sweet second and third were. Up the street a second time just to irritate the neighbors and it was clear I’d done most everything right.

I was not happy with the swing arm movement. Also the side stand spring and the rear tire were interfering, but otherwise it seemed eager to shlep..er…Sherp my rotundness around the neighborhood.

One resurrected 1974 Model 92 Bultaco Sherpa T 350

Later that night I added up the receipts and got a good laugh. It’s more than Wes’ original asking price for his Guzzi. I resolved to snap some photos and send them to him. I think he could use a good chuckle. Now, about that Norton basket case………

My Bultaco Sherpa T Project Part 1

2011-05-24T09:28:00.002-05:00

Story and Photos by Kris Loewe

Motivations are fickle. After goofing around with some trials bikes at John Mosir’s a few years back I thought it would be neat to own one…specifically something Spanish. Why, I really don’t know other than the nagging tug back to vintage bikes and needing to rescue some godforsaken object from the dustbin. Plus I figured with today’s ballooning prices on vintage hardware, perhaps a simple dirt bike would be easier on the pocketbook than redoing a Norton or Guzzi…ideas I had been throwing around, but my budget always seems to be a few thousand dollars short.

Mel Hefron let me ride his Ossa at John Mosir’s

place three years ago. Dennis Spencer let me ride

his Bultaco Alpina. Note another Sherpa T in the background.

Going back a few more years, a conversation with a motorcycling friend in Texas over his lone Euro bike in a stable of 30 some odd Japanese classics yielded we were too far apart on his police prepped T-5 Moto Guzzi. As things would have it later, he would have a pair of Bultaco Sherpa T 350s that were more reasonably priced. A deal for one of them was struck over the phone, the check was sent, and arrangements were made for delivery on his way through to Mid-Ohio.

Several months passed before delivery, so I spent the time reading Bultaco related stuff, ordering manuals, parts guides, paying attention to internet ads, talking to club members like Dennis Spencer who still occasionally races his Bultaco Alpina. Some solid advice and parts referrals in hand, the Bultaco finally arrived. However, things were such at work that I had no time for it other than to stick it in a corner of the garage and forget about it.

Pre Purchase Photo: Note the Yamaha front fender.

Missing the air tube and the chain guard.

The winter of 2010 came and went and the Sherpa and some odd parts I had collected found their way into the back of my pick-up going to the Walnecks swap meet in Woodstock, IL that April. I had it priced reasonably. It got a lot of looks, but the only thing I sold all day was my son’s outgrown MX gear. Back home it went, into its corner again. There was no getting around it. I needed to get this thing in shape.

Back to its corner! Note the gigantic knobbies.

A year to the day I got the bike, I received some very disturbing news about Wes Anderson, my Texas motorcycle buddy who sold the Bultaco to me. Last year, while returning from Mid Ohio, he fell gravely ill. He did not make it past Enid, OK, where he stayed in the hospital for months having had most of his intestines removed. He was fighting for his life while his wife Cindy camped out there with him.

Powerless to do more than pray for the man, I started to look at the Bultaco again. Motivations…..fickle things. The Bultaco was starting to tell a story. When a story starts emerging you pay attention to things a bit more. What a total pile of crap this thing was. I imagined Wes’ face lighting up as I spun the yarn of resurrecting this sorry piece of steel and fiberglass.

Originally, I did not want to do much to the bike other than get it running and reliable. Cosmetics meant nothing. But needing to give the fragile fiberglass fuel tank a chance against today’s gas, I figured it needed to be sealed. Having never sealed one, I sought out Dennis Spencer who turned me on to yet another Texan, Ed James.

The name sounded really familiar. When I typed his email address I found it was already in my computer. After a long pause, I went through old emails and it turns out he’s the fellow who bought my Husaberg off Ebay a few years ago. Oh, God! After owning that Swedish turd blossom would he even speak to me?

I called him instead. It turned out that he had resold the Husaberg and it was running well for the fellow who bought it. Apparently it was ridden into town daily. Unbelievable! He agreed to take on my tank and to also repaint and stripe it. Cool! A trip to the UPS store and it was gone.

While it was away, I ordered some of the basic “make it go” parts from Mobley’s Bultaco in Nevada ($100 in parts, $1000 worth of advice), and Hugh’s Bultaco in New York. The bike sat in its corner and waited again.

To be continued ....

Moto Tire USA / No-Mar Tire Changers VIP Block Party

2011-05-20T09:04:00.000-05:00

Great deals on tires. Free installation on carry in wheels!
Go to their website for easy directions and other information. If you haven’t had a chance to meet Sue and Steve and the rest of the crew, you’ll enjoy them. They are good people.

http://www.mototireusa.com/

President's Corner - May 2011

2011-05-20T08:59:00.000-05:00

Well it’s May and winter is behind us. With all those months of motorcycle inactivity we now have two or three motorcycle happenings on the same day. I’m not complaining mind you but I do envy those riders in places like Santa Barbara that can spread these events over the entire year. Speaking of events, the ride that Mark Bosworth was planning may have to be put on hold since he’s in Denver awaiting the delivery of his first Grandson. I’ll let you know when he has time to finish up the details. In the meantime, if anyone is interested let me know if you want to put a ride together Also would encourage you to submit articles for the newsletter. I’m pleased that Kris Tucker-Loewe has submitted an article for this month.

For next month our program will feature Neville McNaughton sharing memories of Burt Monroe of “World’s Fastest Indian” fame. Neville’s hometown was Invercargil, New Zealand the same as Monroe’s. Not only that, Neville’s family members knew Monroe well. I don’t know about you but I’m really looking forward to this program. For July’s meeting Bob Howard has consented to bring in his 2009 Aprilia RS 125 and fill us in on it‘s many virtues. This amazing 125cc two stroke, oil injected, Rotax engine produces an amazing 33 horsepower. This bike is a true work of art and it looks and sounds fantastic. Bob rode it to Tuesday’s meeting and those of you who saw it had to be impressed.

While on the subject of meetings, I would be remiss if I didn’t express appreciation to Dale Knaus for his excellent program at our meeting this month. His elaboration on his many modifications to his 1997 Moto Guzzi Sport 1100i was of considerable interest. Dale’s problem solving skills are very impressive. I know I certainly don’t have the wherewithal to tackle the many intricacies of such a bike. In spite of the fact that the Guzzi had a bunch of minor glitches, it’s still one of the best looking bikes ever and Dale could write a book on the necessary changes he has made to make the bike trouble free.

On a completely different subject, you will find a copy of the original Euro Motor Union constitution as a separate attachment to the email. Included are the suggested changes that the Executive Board thought should be made to update the document- the original was last updated in 1991. What we’ve done is basically made the constitution reflect more accurately what we actually do as a club. You have a month to look it over before we put it to a vote at the June meeting. If you see problems with our changes, please let me know prior to next month’s meeting if you would. That way we can expedite the discussion on the revisions and bring it to a vote in a timely manner.

There will be a lot to attend to at the June meeting and I would like to see as many members as possible in attendance. Again I want to remind you that I would appreciate your feedback. I’ve got a thick skin and have no problem with constructive criticism so fire away. Ride safe and see you in June.

Harlan Hock, President

EMU Meeting Minutes, May 3, 2011

2011-05-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm. There were 35 members and guests in attendance during the meeting.

Old Minutes: April 2011 minutes were read by Leo Weisman; a motion was made to approve minutes as read and seconded.

Treasurers Report: Leo Weisman read Mark Bosworth report:
Beginning balance $1,153.32
Deposits $ 85.50
Current Balance $1,238.82.
Do not forget that annual dues are to be paid next month. Put a twenty in your wallet now and bring it to next month’s meeting.

Membership Report: Leo weisman read Mark Bosworth’s report that we had two new members join last month, Dave Muenzer and Bob Yancey bringing the total membership to 84

Old business:
• Shannon Logan brought in the EMU banner which will be displayed in the Moto Museum along with club information
• Mark Bosworth is still working on EMU cards to distribute to prospective members.
• Dave Gries is still collecting magazines for the Adopt-a-Platoon program.
• Dave Gries continue to promote our making use of the Knights of Columbus Hall in Collinsville. He reports that Tuesday night is volunteer night so the menu is slightly less expensive. It is also chicken night and all that that encompasses. Beer is cheap. For the purpose of full disclosure, Dave admitted that he is a member of that Knights of Columbus Hall.

New Business - Announcements:
• The Executive Board is working on revising the EMU constitution.
• Membership dues are due in June.
• Schlafly Brewery held its first Vintage Bike Night which was well attended including about 35 vintage bikes despite being a rather chilly evening. The Vintage Bike Night is the first Monday of every month.

Upcoming Events
• Monday, June 6th, Schlafly Brewery Vintage Bike Night from 6:30 to ? 7260 Schlafly Plaza, Saint Louis, MO off of Southwest Blvd near Bellview.
• ,
• May 7th, Gateway BMW will have an open house from 10:00-3:00 with the usual great food; watch Chris “Teach” McNeil perform stunts, and door prizes.
• May 13-15th Gateway BMW will be hosting a GS school at Honz’s Rouge Creek campsite. Registration is closed for the GS school, but everyone is welcome to come down and view the activities. Those who would like to camp will be charged $10.00 or $70 to camp including meals.
• June 7th. EMU meeting. Membership dues are due.
• June 7th Neville McNaughton will provide us with a program on memories of Burt Monroe.
• July 5th Bob Howard will provide a presentation about his Aprilia RS125
• Several Chicago motorcycle events were also mentioned at the meeting but are not included here.
• Every Saturday 8:00am join Frosty and Cliff and other EMU riders for breakfast and a ride. Everyone is welcome. Steak’n Shake, 5828 South Lindberg, St. Louis, MO 63123
• Every Tuesday 11:00am for an early lunch with the EMU elite at Bandana’s, 4 Commerce Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234

Visitors/New Members:
• There were several guests in attendance ( sorry for botching the spelling of our guests names, but I can’t hear to save my soul, or to take decent minutes)
• Tom Danover who has a BMW /75.
• Ed Caskin who has an R12S ?
• Don Huss who is the new service person for Moto Europa

Raffle: There was no raffle because Dale said so. (I was late due to traffic – DK)

Program:
Dale Knaus provided us with an interesting program about his Moto Guzzi 1100. The bike is well traveled and has had an assortment of tweaks and mods as well as repairs and crashes. Dale is meticulous at maintaining his machine which looks like it just came off the showroom floor. Thank you Dale for the interesting program

Submitted for your pleasure by Leo Weisman, Secretary. 5/6/11

MS 150 Rider Escorts Needed

2011-04-25T08:55:00.005-05:00

President's Corner, April 2011

2011-04-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

At long last the riding season is upon us. No more need for heated grips and electric vests. Especially for me since I don’t have them anyway. It felt great to be able to ride to our meeting and see a long line of motorcycles outside Moto Europa. We had a good turnout with over forty in attendance.

We started with a celebration of Frosty’s birthday. The restaurant provided him a birthday cake but it was lacking a sufficient number of candles. Several of his friends, not club members, were in attendance. In addition, there were visitors present and we added two new members. It was also good to see Cliff Smith back at a meeting and riding his bike again after his knee replacement. There was also news that Ron Martin is doing well after his accident. On a sad note, the club sent a sympathy card to Charlie Hillyer’s Family.

After the meeting, our program featured a Triumph Hurricane. The Craig Vetter creation was provided by Michael Kiernan of Michael’s Motorcycles. After a short session that covered the bike’s many interesting features, we had an extended question and answer period where we learned about the many intricacies such as setting the triple set of points and syncing the three carburetors - this turns out to be a real chore. The program ended by “firing up the beast“. Can’t do that in too many restaurants. Michael invited us to the Bike Show at his dealership April 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. He is located at 3537 Chouteau which is less than five minutes from the Triumph Grill. In case you can’t make the show, stop in sometime anyway. In my last few visits, I’ve seen everything from a Munch Mammoth to a Brough Superior.

With riding season in full swing I’m pleased to tell you that our treasurer/membership chairman, Mark Bosworth, is putting together a Spring ride. It will be sometime in May and details will follow later. Melvin Heffron, Dennis Spencer and I will sponsor a Fall ride. If anyone else is interested in leading a ride, let me know.

The club’s executive board is revising the club constitution. It hasn’t been revised since the club was founded in 1990 and the revision is long overdue. You’ll have an opportunity to see the recommended changes at least a month prior to the vote.

Our blog editor, Gene Ronchetto, has asked that I share information with you regarding an upcoming event called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). I passed around a flyer at the meeting. This program will be holding their world championship in St. Louis April 27-30. They will host 20,000 students from around the world in celebration of technology and the creativity of our youth. They need volunteers to work.

Next month our program will feature our former president and current vice-president, Dale Knaus. Dale will be talking about what I consider to be one of the best looking bikes in the club. That, of course, would be his Moto Guzzi Sport 1100i. In June, Neville McNaughton will be sharing memories of Bert Monroe of “World’s Fastest Indian” fame. Both programs should prove very interesting. Hope to see you there.

As always, I’m interested in hearing from you with your comments or recommendations. Also, please consider submitting articles for the newsletter. We haven’t had many lately. In the meantime, ride safe.

Harlan Hock, president

EMU April Meeting Minutes, April 5, 2011

2011-04-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:37 pm. There were 40 members and guests in attendance during the meeting.

Old Minutes: March 2011 minutes were read by Leo Weisman; a motion was made to approve minutes as read and seconded.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported that at the beginning of April, there was $1,132.32 in the account. During the month there were deposits of $21 of 50/50 proceeds to equal a total of $1,153.32.

Membership Report: Mark Bosworth reported that there are 82 members

Old business:
• Everyone stood and sang happy birthday to our friend Dale “Frosty” Frosch as a piece of chocolate cake with candles was served to him on the event of his 79th birthday.
• A sympathy card for Charlie Hilliard’s family was passed around and signed by members and friends
• Ron Martin is doing very well after multiple surgeries.
• Mark Bosworth is still working on EMU cards to distribute to prospective members.
• Shannon Logan will bring in the EMU banner which will be displayed in the Moto Museum along with club information
• Dave Gries is still collecting magazines for the Adopt-a-Platoon program.
• The club wants to express our continued thanks to Moto Europa and the Triumph Grill for hosting our monthly meetings. We enjoy the benefit of your participation and expertise as well.

New Business - Announcements:
• The Executive Board is working on revising the EMU constitution.
• Membership dues are due in June.
• Dave Gries left word that he would like to see a program on using GPS and the membership was asked for volunteers. None came forward. Sorry Dave.
• Gene Ronchetto announced there will be the FIRST Championship for kids and their robots on April 27-30th and they are looking for volunteers to help with the program. A flier was passed around.

Upcoming Events
• April 8th Kim Keen sent out announcements that Donelson Cycles on the Rock Road will be hosting the Yamaha team supercross riders. Autographs from 6-7pm.
• April 8th Moto Europa and The Triumph Grill will host World Motocross Champion Roger DeCoster and the KTM team supercross riders. The reception will be from 5:00-10:00. They will have on display a range of AHRMA motocross machines including a visual history of KTM motocross bikes and other special displays.
• April 9th, Mike Kiernan of Kiernan Cycles will have an open house, at 3537 Chouteau.
• April 9th The Monster Energy Supercross will be at the Edward Jones Dome
• May 3rd. EMU meeting. Dale will amaze us with a program on Moto Guzzi.
• May 7th , Gateway BMW will have an open house from 10:00-3:00 with the usual great food; watch Chris “Teach” McNeil perform stunts, and door prizes.
• May 13-15th Gateway BMW will be hosting a GS school at Honz’s Rouge Creek campsite. Registration is closed for the GS school, but everyone is welcome to come down and view the activities. Those who would like to camp will be charged $10.00 or $70 to camp including meals.
• June 7th. EMU meeting. Membership dues are due. Neville McNaughton will provide us with a program on memories of Burt Monroe.

Visitors/New Members:
• There were several guests in attendance ( sorry for botching the spelling of our guests names, but I can’t hear to save my soul, or to take decent minutes)
• Mike Conan who has old Yamahas and Triumphs.
• Tom Hammelmann who rides a Road King
• ? Dorer who rides a 93 FXLR
• Dave Muenzer who rides a Triumph
• Mike Florian who was in from Chicago and rides BMW and Yamaha

Raffle: The 50/50 raffle totaled $51; $25.50 was won by Jim Palmer

Program: Michael Kiernan provided us with an interesting program about the Triumph Hurricane, its design, history and strengths. When he started the machine, it positively purred. Thank you Michael for a great program. The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 pm followed by a program

Submitted for your pleasure by Leo Weisman, Secretary. 4/7/11

Dream Rangers

2011-03-30T07:36:00.001-05:00

This is for everyone who rides...

Standing Corrected - Sort Of

2011-03-22T20:58:00.001-05:00

A while back I wrote how new motorcycles had so much more to offer than older, vintage machines. I had just purchased a new F800GS and was truly amazed how the bike rode, handled and generally included all the safety and performance you can imagine. Who could argue with fuel injection, ABS, elctronic this and that? I certainly could not. To this day, I still believe that if you want the best manufacturers have to offer, then buy new. Me? I can't wait to ride a new BMW K1600 and think the new Honda VFR is quite a great piece of work. There is some amazing technology packed between those bike's wheels.

However, I recently got my old/new K1100RS back on the road, after rescuing the bike from the guy I sold it to five years before. Those five years were hard on the bike and it needed some work to bring it anywhere close to the condition it was in when I originally sold the bike. So the bike spent the winter in mine and others capable hands getting a top-to-bottom going over. This past week it finally saw the sunshine and road.

Wow! The bike is everything I remember it was. A lazy torque machine at low RPMs with a nice rush to its red line. Decent brakes (with ABS), comfortable controls and a steady as a rock ride.

In the five years it was out of my hands I had ridden some more modern machines - remember the original K bikes were designed in early 1980's and this machine is fifteen years old - but while they had excitement, handling and acceleration better than my "flying brick", it was not the same emotional attachment. Sure, the bike is far from perfect. It vibrates a bit at higher RPM, it is a heavy machine that is really slow to turn. The leg room is a little tight and without the Helibars my wrists would ache after an hour in the saddle. Yet who can complain? I can't. It is old, it is mine, and it brings pleasure that is hard to describe.

I stand corrected - sort of - I still really like my F800GS.

Easy Rider Captain America Replica to Be Auctioned

2011-03-17T16:53:00.001-05:00

Well, it is about that time... my annual reference to a motorcycle article in the New York Times.

In this case it is an article about the sale of the Captain America and Billy Bike replica motorcycles. While not the original bikes, these are probably as close to original as possible and with a pretty decent pedigree. Read all about the upcoming auction here:
New York Times Reference

President's Corner

2011-03-10T09:40:00.000-06:00

What can I say? I’ve survived another winter and the riding season is here. You probably share the same sentiments. It’s time to see if the Battery Tenders have done there job when we try to bring our bikes back to life. I don’t know about you, but I promise myself I’m going to get out and ride more in January and February. Somehow, Mother Nature has a way of putting an end to that plan. Granted we did have a few days in February that were down right decent. My only problem was I was fighting a cold that’s been on and off again since January so I missed out on those good days for riding. The plan is to make up for lost time with the onset of sunshine and blue skies.

Speaking of riding, I still don’t have any volunteers to host a Spring ride. If you’re thinking about it, let me know. Our Fall ride was a big success and I hope we can do more of the same this year. The Norton Club had a Fall ride on the Missouri side of the river that was very scenic. Some of you were on that ride as well and if you’re familiar with that area a Spring ride there would be a good way to start the season.

On a totally different subject, I want to express my appreciation to Tom Dutton for a great program on his experiences racing in the famous Can Am Championship races of the sixties and seventies. Tom gave an excellent presentation and shared some of his photos as well. Those of you not at the meeting really missed out. It was great to hear about the cars and racers of that time. I know I envied Tom having had the opportunity to share the track and to get to know John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, Roger Penske, Jim Hall and many others. His humorous antidotes were a real delight. I also want to thank Pete Hall for opening up the rest of the Moto Museum after the meeting. It provided us the opportunity to examine the other interesting bikes in the collection. There are many of them that can serve as subjects for future meetings.

Speaking of meetings, Dave Gries suggested that we have a program on GPS. Being a paper map person myself, they are still an unknown for me as well. I know many of you use them and could probably talk at length on the subject. Dave would like to know; all the things you can do with them, how you update the information, which one is the best for motorcycle use, etc. So if anyone is willing, please speak up. I’m pleased to say that volunteers are coming forward to do programs and so far we can look forward to hearing from Dale Knaus, Neville McNaughton, and Bob Honz..

Another club matter that is being attended to is the revision of the club constitution. It hasn’t been updated since the club’s inception and a quick overview made it obvious that some changes need to be made. The Executive Board is working on the revisions and we hope to present the recommended changes for your approval by the May meeting. Keep in mind I’m open for any suggestions so don’t hesitate to contact me. That’s all I have for now. Hope to see even more of you for the April meeting.

Harlan Hock

March Meeting Minutes

2011-03-10T09:38:00.000-06:00

EMU March Meeting Minutes - Meeting 3/1/2011

The meeting was called to order at 7:50 pm. There were 28 members and guests in attendance during the meeting and another 5 who never made it past the bar.

Old Minutes: February 2011 minutes were read by Leo Weisman; a motion was made to approve minutes as read and seconded.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported that at the beginning of February, there was $1,052.32 in the account. During the month there were $80 membership fees and 50/50 proceeds to equal a total of $1,132.32.

Membership Report: Mark Bosworth reported that there are 82 members, 5 of who are in arrears.

Old business:

No one went to the World Cycle Show in Chicago

New Business - Announcements:

None

Upcoming Events

April 8th - Kim Keen sent out announcements that Donelson Cycles on the Rock Road will be hosting some of the supercross riders on April 8th from 6-7pm.
We had heard that April 8, 2011 Moto Europa and The Triumph Grill will host World Motocross Champion Roger DeCoster . We do not have any additional details.
March 26th Donelson Cycles in Park Hills will be hosting a Vintage Trials exhibition on March 26th.April 9, 2011
The Monster Energy Supercross will be at the Edward Jones Dome on 4/9

Visitors/New Members:

There were several guests in attendance ( sorry for botching the spelling of our guests names, but I can’t hear to save my soul, or to take decent minutes)
David Fields who is the Triumph representative for 10 states.
Bob Willis who has a 65 Bronco Ducati
Don Figlure who is a motor sports photographer.
Dave Dels who has a 900 Yamaha and a Kawasaki

Raffle: The 50/50 raffle totaled $40.00; $20.00 was won by Tom Dutton

Program: Tom Dutton spoke on his life as a Can/Am racer and car builder/designer. I took many notes but I am not going to try to retell his fascinating stories. I will say that he spoke of Sterling Moss and Jim Hall and Jacky Stewart and Carol Shelby, and of Chaparrals. And he said if you want to go fast, keep your foot in it. The EMU crowd was absolutely quiet and attentive to every interesting word he had to say.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:54 pm

Humbly submitted by Leo Weisman, Secretary. 3/8/11

Dealer Expo Photos

2011-03-01T19:26:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Floyd Hoffman for the photos from the dealer expo held a couple of weeks ago in Indianapolis.

The new Yamaha adventure touring machine is sure to attract attention

Triton anyone?

Vintage Honda

February President's Corner

2011-02-20T18:30:00.001-06:00

Last Tuesday we had a good turnout considering it was a rescheduled meeting on a cold and nasty night. However, those who attended were in for a real treat. We met for the first time in the Moto Museum itself. On the display stand was the museum’s 1935 Scott Flying Squirrel. We also had the opportunity to meet Steve Smith who owns the Triumph Grill, the Moto Museum, and Moto Europa (the Triumph, Ducati, KTM dealership). While Pete Hall, Europa’s general manager, gave information and answered questions about the Squirrel, Steve talked about his experiences involved in acquiring some of the museum’s motorcycles. After the program, we had the opportunity to express our appreciation for the hospitality that Steve and Pete have extended to our club by providing us with a special menu and access to the restaurant, the dealership showroom, and the museum for our meetings.

Speaking of our meetings, you can tell from the club minutes we will be meeting at Moto Europa and/or the museum for the foreseeable future. However, I should also say that the general feeling of those I talked to was that we should be open to alternate meeting sites on occasion. It also should be noted, that although we are meeting at this dealership, Moto Europa has made clear that other dealerships are welcome to bring in their bikes and give programs there as well. I intend to contact other dealers and shop owners to let them know we would be delighted to have them present programs here or at their location. Frankly, I don’t see a problem with moving meetings around to different sites now and then.

While on the subject of meetings, I’m pleased to announce that the program for March will feature our own Tim Dutton. I didn’t know until last Tuesday that Tim had raced his own Lola in the famous Can Am series of the late sixties and early seventies. Further, later in the series he served as test driver for the famous Chaparral Team of Jim Hall. Tim raced against drivers including John Surtees, Mark Donahue, Joe Leonard, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones and many more. As many of you know Leonard and Surtees were also motorcycle racing champions. The Can Am cars were monsters with more than 600 horsepower with almost no restrictions. In fact, they set faster times on the shared race tracks than the Formula I cars. I know, they are not motorcycles but when I mentioned this to the club members they were all interested to hear about Tim’s experiences. In addition to Tim’s presentation the entire museum will be open at the meeting so we can examine the other bikes in the collection.

As Dennis Spencer recommended some time ago, we should feature our own members relating their personal experiences. In that regard, Dale Knaus has volunteered to discuss his Moto Guzzi Sport 1100i and the modifications he has made to it. In June, Neville McNaughton, will share with us memories of Bert Monroe of World’s Fastest Indian fame. Neville was born and raised in Monroe’s home town of Invercargill, New Zealand, and Neville’s uncles and cousins knew him well. In addition, I’ve also talked to Jerry Gossett, former president of the local Antique Motorcycle Club, and asked him to give us a program on his Indian bobber. I’m not a chopper/bobber fan but this bike is a work of art. He has done a wonderful job making tasteful upgrades without destroying the character of the bike. In addition it goes like stink. I can tell you that from personal experience trying to keep up with him on my modern bike in one of their club rides.

Speaking of club rides, would someone be willing to be in charge of organizing a Spring club ride? There are several of you that have done a great job in the past. Let me know if you would be interested. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got motorcycle withdrawal symptoms. I haven’t ridden since January 3 and I’m ready for a forty degree day. Remember, don’t hesitate to share your comments with (email withheld in public forum). In the meantime ride safe.

Harlan Hock, EMU President

February Meeting Minutes

2011-02-20T18:24:00.000-06:00

EMU Meeting Minutes 2/8/2011
The meeting was called to order at 7:30pm. There were 32 members and guests in attendance.

In advance of the meeting, a presentation of the Scott Flying Squirrel was provided by Pete Hall and Steve Smith, sharing the history of the designer, the bike and its many advanced features for its age.

Old Minutes: January 2011 minutes were read by Leo Weisman; a motion was made to approve minutes as read and seconded.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported that at the beginning of January, there was $1,109.64 in the account. During the month there were $102.50 in deposits from new member dues and proceeds from the 50/50 drawing. The New Years Day party was a $159.00 expense, leaving a final balance of $1,052.32. Tom Tokos was added to the checking account so that we have two members with signature authority.

Membership Report: Mark Bosworth reported that there are 53 fully paid members and another 6 in arrears. The EMU logo is being slightly redesigned, and Mark is working on making counter cards for people to pickup at dealerships as well as cards to share with prospective members.

Old business:

Shannon Logan has the club banner, an archive of old newsletters and a corporate stamp. Mark will pick them to store them. EMU will be looking for a volunteer to organize this memorabilia.

Club meeting place was again discussed. Dave Gries again advocated for and spoke of the benefits of the Knights of Columbus hall in Collinsville. It was reported that the Sports Page does not have a liquor license at this time and the facility’s prospects are not looking good. Pete and Steve are willing to continue to have the meetings at the Triumph Grill and Moto Museum. Frosty pointed out that Moto Europa seems like the natural fit for a European motorcycle club. A motion was made to continue meeting at Moto Europa, was seconded and approved by a clear majority of members.

Several members attended the Feb 5th, Flat Track Stars event at Donelson’s cycles. Gene Romero came in from California. Carol Donelson served a fine spread of food. Bob Honz showed up on a bike on that icy cold day and Gene Romero signed it for him.

Cliff Smith, our oldest riding member, continues to progress well from his knee replacement surgery. Frosty reported that he has been coming to the Saturday EMU breakfasts at Steak’n Shake. Three weeks ago he came with a walker, the next week with a cane, and most recently without the cane. Everyone is very pleased with his progress and recovery.

New Business - Announcements:

Dave Gries continues to collect magazines for the Adapt-a-Platoon program in Collinsville, Illinois. Please bring in your various popular magazines to the meetings.

Upcoming Events

Feb 11-13 is the Chicago bike show. Gateway BMW will not be running a bus to the event this year.

April 8, 2011 Moto Europa and The Triumph Grill will host World Motocross Champion Roger DeCoster . More information to be shared at the next EMU meeting

April 9, 2011 The Monster Energy Supercross will be at the Edward Jones Dome on 4/9

Visitors/New Members:

There were several guests in attendance

Glenn Stalling who rides a GS1150 which he says will do 130 miles per hour.

Rick Webber who has an 06 Harley Softtail

Scott Dollar and Eric Miller were in attendance from the Norton club. Scott has a Norton Commando and several other bikes. He says he has his roots in the dirt. Eric Miller has a Matchless/Norton and a 1969 Puch Twingle.

George Croissant, also with Gateway Norton Owners Club.

Matt Holden

Raffle: The 50/50 raffle totaled $40.00; $20.00 was won by Tom Dutton

The meeting was adjourned at 8:17 pm

Humbly submitted by Leo Weisman, Secretary.

February Meeting Rescheduled

2011-01-31T16:21:00.001-06:00

EMU Members,

Due to the weather forecast EMU officers have decided to reschedule our February meeting. Weather permitting, we will meet Tuesday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. instead of tomorrow night. The meeting will still take place in the Moto Museum and will feature Pete Hall talking about the Scott Flying Squirrel. Pete says he will have an exciting announcement to make at the meeting. Please share this information with your fellow members just in case they don't read their email. I will call all those without email addresses. Hope to see all of you February 8.

I'd also like to remind you that Donelson Cycles will be hosting a flat trackers reunion this coming Saturday in celebration of Neil Keen's 75th birthday. Kim Keen tells me there will probably be around 80 racers and tuners. It sounds like a excellent opportunity to meet and greet those we have watched race in the past. The party starts at 10:00 a.m. at Donelson's St. Charles Rock Road address. Hope you can make it.

Be careful out there.

Harlan Hock

President's Corner

2011-01-23T18:27:00.002-06:00

All in all, the first week in January has been a plus. Starting with New Years Day at John and Mary Mosir’s. We had good weather and most had a chance to hone their off road skills. Monday the third, Mel Heffron and I got in a good ride and tonight we had a good meeting in the dealer showroom of Moto Europa.

The fun time at the Mosirs is possible due to the hard work John and Mary put in to food and motorcycle preparation. When I think of the time John puts in getting those bikes ready to ride and then cleaning them when we’re finished I get tired just at the thought. Of course the same can be said of Mary’s efforts. They both put a lot of hours in order for us to have a fun time. We owe them a debt of gratitude. Speaking of gratitude, I want to thank Pete Hall, manager of Moto Europa, for providing us with a meeting space in the dealership, Mark Oldham, sales manager, for presenting a program on how to set up a suspension, and to Kevin Haney, service manager, for being there to answer questions. Having the chance to have a meeting surrounded by motorcycles is as good as it gets.

Speaking of meetings, our February meeting will take place in the Moto Museum. The reason being, we will have even more room and bikes can be displayed on a raised platform. As was the case tonight, tables will be set up in the museum and food will be served there. Since we are meeting in the Moto Museum, Mark Bosworth suggested that one of the museum bikes could be the subject of the program. My favorite bike in the collection is the Scott Flying Squirrel. I know some of you are saying a Scott Flying what? Take my word for it, the Flying Squirrel is a motorcycle way ahead of it’s time and it will be a privilege to get to see it close up and hear Pete Hall tell us about it‘s attributes. Alfred Scott was a real innovator and way ahead of his time. For example, the Scott was the first motorcycle to feature a kick starter. The Flying Squirrel, first built in 1926, had a 596cc, two stroke, water cooled twin. This was in 1926! There was no water pump but instead it used a thermosyphon system to cool the engine. Scotts won the Isle of Man TT at least twice in the teens and set fastest lap records on five or more occasions at the IOM. I’m looking forward to hearing more about this bike.

Regarding future events, be sure to plan to attend Donelson Cycles Open House on Saturday, February 5. Carl will have many of the most famous names in racing on that date. I know for sure that Gene Romero, former National Champion, will be there. Gene was famous for his dirt track and road racing skills. When I talked to Kim Keen she said many more famous names would be there as well. When I get confirmation on final list I will send it to you.

I also hope to hear from more of you. We need volunteers for future programs. I know there is a ton of expertise included in our membership so please consider sharing it with the rest of us. Don’t make the mistake of thinking we all know what you know because we don‘t, especially me. Dale Knaus has volunteered for a program on his bike and the modifications he has made, once the weather permits.

Speaking of Dale, I want to thank him for doing an excellent job during this past year as President. Also deserving of praise are our former Vice President, now Secretary, Leo Weisman, and our former Secretary/ Treasurer, Dennis Kunzler. I’m also pleased that Mark Bosworth has taken over as the new Treasurer/Membership Chairman. I also know that Kevin Tennant, our Events Chairman, will have some interesting events planned for this year. We’ll look forward to hearing from Kevin at the February meeting.

That’s all for now. As always, keep the black side down and the shiny side up.

Harlan Hock

January Meeting Minutes

2011-01-23T18:15:00.000-06:00

EMU Meeting Minutes

Meeting 1/4/2011

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 PM, with 37+ members present as well as guests and Moto Europa staff.

Old Minutes: November and December 2010 minutes were read by Leo Weisman; a motion was made to approve minutes as read and seconded.

Treasurers Report: Mark Bosworth reported that at the beginning of December, there was $1,584.91 in the account. During the month there were $225.00 in deposits and $700.27 in expenditures (the remainder of the account for the Christmas dinner) for a total of $1,109.64

Membership Report: Mark Bosworth reported that there are 79 members, 8 of whom still owe their dues.

Old business: New Years Day John Mosir’s EMU Annual event was enjoyed by a number of EMU members. The club members expressed their gratitude and thanks to John and Mary for all the hard work they put into this event every year. Everyone had a chance to ride. About ½ of the bikes ridden there were Johns and we want to give recognition to all the effort it takes to keep that many old machines running. John will be reimbursed by the club for his expenditures for food and drink. We like going and John likes having us. John was awarded the Annual Trophy for his outstanding deeds. Bill moved we officially thank John Mosier.

New Business - Announcements:

· Discussion as to where the February 2011 EMU meeting will be held. There was some discussion of the options:

o Sports Page: applying for a liquor license. Do not know if it will be open for business in February.

o Knights of Columbus hall in Collinsville. Dave Gries reported the facility has good prices for alcohol and food. The building is about 15 years old. Some years ago we had our EMU Christmas party there.

o Shady Jacks had previously been proposed by Kevin Tennant who was not at the meeting.

o Michael Motorcycles, Michael Kiernan’s shop on Chouteau, was mentioned as an option by Joel Brinkman. There is a coffee shop and limited menu.

o Discussion: Shannon Logan said the accommodations at Moto Europa/Triumph grill are ideal and that Pete Hall said we can continue to meet there. Frosty and others concurred. Our appreciation was expressed at the work done by the staff of Moto Europa and Triumph Grill in setup, quality dining, and great atmosphere.

· Club checking account: Mark Bosworth is currently the only person on the club checking account. It was proposed to have Tom Tokos as the additional person with signature authority on the account. The motion was made, seconded and approved by a show of hands. It was noted that both Mark and Tommy are left-handed. Mark and Tommy will meet at the bank with a copy of these minutes and add Tommy to the account.

· Clifford Smith, our oldest member, had a knee replacement surgery yesterday and is still in the hospital. A get well soon card was passed around and signed by all.

· Dave Gries is still collecting magazines to send to the troops in Afghanistan

· Gary Hollowich reported that Ronnie Martin continues to mend from a compound fracture in 7 places. It was noted that he has had 2 major leg injuries since retiring.

· Jan 8^th, Donelson Cycles will have the new Yamaha Super Ténéré on display, one of only a handful in the country.

Upcoming Events

· Jan 22, Ice Racing at the Family Arena in St. Charles, MO

· Feb 11-13 is the Chicago bike show

· Feb 25, Flat Track Stars will be at Donelson’s cycles including Gene Romero, and Dick Mann may attend. Contact Donelson Cycles for more details.

Visitors/New Members:

John Hesterberg was introduced; he rides a BMW 800 GS that goes very fast.

Program: Mark Oldham gave an excellent program on how to set up your motorcycles suspension.

Raffle: The 50/50 raffle totaled $45.00; $22.50 was won by Dale Knaus (who also sold the tickets).

The meeting was adjourned at 7:53 pm in advance of the program by Mark Oldham, on set-up of modern motorcycle suspensions.

Submitted by Leo Weisman, Secretary. 1/10/11

Happy New Year from the EMU

2011-01-04T08:49:00.001-06:00

The Last Words for 2010

2010-12-21T09:33:00.000-06:00

It is only fitting to close out the blog with news that Paris Hilton will be sponsoring a motorcycle racing team. The team will be running 125 Aprilias in Moto3. It is a combination that is sure to draw attention to the series, which is exactly the objective. Putting butts in seats is much needed across the spectrum of motorcycle entertainment.

2010 was a motorcycle world gone mad. Paris Hilton sponsoring a race team is just icing on the cake.

Motorcyclists are aging rapidly; the average age now pushing 50 years old and new riders not enter the market. This demographic change is hardly a surprise as mom and dad - who usually fund junior's motorcycle ambitions - are stretched thin and worried about job loss. Junior is going to have to be content with a skateboard or BMX bike. The thing is, that contentment will extend to a lifetime and future riders will be lost forever. There is not a lot the manufacturers can do. Except...

Go upmarket. The recession has pummeled the Japanese manufacturers, with sales rumored to be down 40% from peak sales years. The Big 4 are retrenching and focusing their volume manufacturing on emerging markets. That leaves the mature European and US market ripe for some change. The European makes are throwing all sorts of new bikes and technology in the market. Imagine talking about a BMW sport bike or a Ducati cruiser a decade ago? Just a part of an effort to continue to sell to folks with disposable income. Lastly, scooters remain a relatively hot spot and this trend will most likely continue if gas prices rise. Those aging baby boomers and urban 20 somethings have to get to the store somehow.

December Meeting Minutes

2010-12-21T08:33:00.000-06:00

December Meeting Minutes- 12/10/2010

Of the EuroMotorUnion

The December meeting was held during the Christmas Party at Hodak’s Restaurant.

Chris Tucker-Loewe gave the blessing before the meal.

Minutes of past meeting:

A motion was made and seconded to dispense with the reading of the November minutes. They will be read at the January meeting.

Treasurers Report: Treasurer’s report was waived.

Membership Report: Membership report was waived.

New Business:

Club officer elections were held.

Harlan Hock was nominated and elected to the position of President.

Leo Weisman was nominated and elected to the position of Secretary.

Mark Bosworth was nominated and elected to the position of Treasurer/Membership Chairman.

Dale Knaus was nominated and elected to the position of Vice President

Old Business:

The January 4^th 2011 meeting will be at the Triumph Grill. See the box above for address, and map to the grill is below.

Announcements:

See Calendar of Events below.

Program by:

No program.

Guests and new members:

Mark Bosworth introduced a guest, Sherman Schroeder. He rides a BMW, one of the old flying bricks – I didn’t catch the model.

Drawing:

None

Submitted by Dale Knaus.

Potential Meeting Locations

2010-11-18T11:18:00.002-06:00

Three new potential club meeting locations have been identified. They have been mapped so that club members can compare locations. Each is centrally located near downtown.

Calendar of Events

2010-11-11T15:20:00.000-06:00

November 18^th Moto Europa‘s Grand Opening is set for Thursday evening from 5:30 until 9:00 p.m.

December 4^th Gateway BMW Christmas Party

Dec 10^th EMU Christmas Party at Hodaks’, 2100 Gravois Ave

Meet for social hour at 6:00, the meal will start about 7:00.

In the past the party is over by 10:00 or so. We will have the December meeting during the Christmas Party – We’ll try to keep it very short.

There will be a gift exchange, optional for those who want to participate, as in past years. Just bring a gift, value limit about $10, for the gift exchange. Everyone putting in a gift can receive a gift. As in the past, the members can bring motorcycle related items, and for our non-riding female companions, they will have their own exchange of items that will appeal more to them.

December 11^th RPM Motowerks Christmas Party

December 18^th Donelson’s Open House Carl’s open house will be from 11:00 to 3:00.

January 1^st, 2011 John Mosir’s New Year’s Day ride at John & Mary’s house. Start time about 10:00 or so.

January 4^th EMU Meeting – 7:30 @ Triumph Grill, 3419 Olive St

EMU President’s Corner

2010-11-11T15:18:00.000-06:00

The big discussion at the November meeting was where the EMU club will meet in the future. This Old Tavern (Sports Page) has let it’s liquor license go, is closing at least temporarily, and is in the process of reorganizing. It hopes to reopen either under new ownership or under a lease to another party. They are proceeding as fast as possible, but cannot say when they will be fully open again. We needed to have a contingency plan.

There was much discussion during the meeting, and the members at the meeting voted to hold the December EMU meeting during the Christmas Party.

Several members had contacted other places prior to the meeting, and they were discussed at the meeting. It sounds like the Triumph Grill wants our business. (They even offered to come up with a limited special sandwich menu if we want.) And several members thought it would be a good fit for the club, at least worth a shot.

We will meet at the Triumph Grill for the January meeting, in the meeting room adjacent to the restaurant. It will accommodate about 50. We are also welcome to use space in the dealership, or in the museum, for future meetings if we wish. The Grill has told us there is ample parking, and the area is patrolled with 3 police departments sharing jurisdiction. By holding the winter meetings there, we should be able to get a good feel for the area before the spring riding season starts. If you have an alternative location that you want to be considered for a meeting place, please bring it up at the meetings, and the club can consider it. Please try to make it to the January meeting to see for yourself what the Triumph Grill has to offer us.

If anyone has an interest in taking an EMU office for next year please contact me or one of the other officers before the meeting, we will be glad to explain the club officer functions and try to talk you into it. The most critical position to be filled is that of secretary, as Dennis Kunzler has been traveling for work and cannot do the secretary duties on a regular basis. The time required for this position is - to be at the meetings and take notes, and type them up and forward the meeting minutes within a couple of days of the meeting, so the newsletter can be sent out in a timely manner. A couple of hours spent outside the meeting should be ample time. Leo and others have covered for Dennis when he couldn’t be present, and will continue to do so when the secretary can’t be at the meetings. Dennis has done a fine job, I want to thank him for the good work he has done in the secretary position.

Harlan Hock gave a very good talk at our November meeting, on motorcycling in the 1950’s. If you missed the meeting, you missed a very good presentation. Thanks, Harlan, it was very informative and enjoyable.

We need someone to volunteer for the January meeting Program. It can be a show and tell, or just a talk on whatever subject the club would be interested in. It can be on your experiences, a motorcycle, or whatever. If you want to bring in a bike or other items of interest into the meeting for the program, you are more than welcome to.

Also, if anyone wants to submit an article for the newsletter, or a ride report, please do so, - just send it to me and I’ll put in the next newsletter. It doesn’t need to be sent to me at any particular time, because if that month’s newsletter has been compiled I’ll put it in the next one.

Ride Safe out there.

-Dale Knaus

November Meeting Minutes

2010-11-10T16:52:00.001-06:00

November Meeting Minutes - 11/02/10 Submitted by Dennis Kunzler, Secretary

Dale opened the meeting at 7:44pm.

Dennis read the October minutes and they were approved as read.

Treasurers Report: club account has $1,584 in the bank.

Membership Report: 56 paid members (24 present at this meeting), 7 bikes were ridden to the meeting

New Business:

Volunteer to server your club, officer elections are coming. We will nominate and vote on officers at the Christmas party.

A motion was made to combine treasurer with membership officer. It passed unanimously.

A motion made to move our regular meeting for December to the Christmas party night, passed unanimous.

The last motion of the meeting set the place for our January 4^th 2011 meeting. After much discussion and Harlan’s research into this possibility the motion passed unanimously. We will be meeting at the Triumph Grill in January.

Old Business:

Dennis Spencer went to the SMOG rally (Spanish Moto Owners Group) near little Egypt and had a good time.

The Columbia air show was fun but not well attended.

Announcements:

The Sports Page is being sold, and will have new owners - until then EMU will need a place to meet.

Christmas party Friday December 10^th at Hodacks – The Bar will open 6pm, dinner at 7pm

New Years day ride at Mosir’s,01/01/11

Program by:

Harlan Hock – Harlan described riding motorcycles in the 50’s, black leather jackets and engineer boots on Triumphs BSAs and the like. He spoke to the fact that there were few guys riding in his high school days. His bike in the day was a ’51 Triumph speed twin with a spring hub rear suspension. He brought in many books and some pictures to look at. All in all a very interesting program. We had 4 other members present who were also riding at this time, a very interesting discussion followed about the local motorcycle shops and the characters that ran them

Guests and new members:

Gerry Jacobi Triumph tiger, ‘76 Bonnie, BSA A10

Drawing:

Won by Leo Weisman

Adjourned at 8:36pm

Spring Time Road Trip Opportunity

2010-11-04T08:39:00.001-05:00

Vespa St. Louis Winterization & Storage

2010-11-04T08:26:00.001-05:00

Gateway International Raceway to Cease Operations

2010-11-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

According to a report in the Post Dispatch published today, Gateway International Raceway will cease all operations. See the story here:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/article_44b5b038-e763-11df-8068-0017a4a78c22.html

October Meeting Minutes

2010-10-24T20:54:00.012-05:00

EMU October Meeting Minutes- 10/05/10, Submitted by Dennis Kunzler, Secretary.

Dale opened the meeting at 7:28pm.

Leo read the September minutes and was approved as read.

Treasurers Report: The club account has $1584 in the bank.

Membership Report: We have 56 paid members

New Business:

Volunteer to serve you club, officer elections are coming.

A motion was made to have the club pick up the tab for the meal for all members and their spouses at the Christmas party, excluding alcohol. It passed unanimously.

Old Business:

The Creve Coeur All British Car and Bike Show was a fun time, many members attended.

Gateway BMW open house had good food and entertainment was provided by stunt rider “Teach McNeal”.

Moto Europa had their opening Oct1&2

Heartland rally was enjoyed by many members

Cynthia is feeling better and sends her thanks for the members thoughts and prayers and gift.

Announcements:

EMU Christmas party Friday December 10th at Hodacks

New Years day ride at Mosir’s,

Program by:

Melvin Hefron a very long time member. Show and tell, he brought in his made from parts (8 different bikes) and some newly made original parts, Aeramacchi Gambulunga ! The motor and frame from a Aearmacchi Harley Davidson Sprint, the front end, with disc brake and forks and wheels from a Honda CX500. The rear fender from a Sportster and parts from other bikes. Absolutely beautiful one and only. A very enjoyable presentation by Mel.

Guests and new members:

none

Drawings:

50-50: Mel Hefron

Gift certificate : Kris Tucker-Lowe

3 tee shirts were donated by Kevin from Moto Europa, won by :

John Mosir Jim Palmer Ed Lemon

Meeting adjourned at 8:07pm

This is Going to Get Good

2010-10-14T15:16:00.000-05:00

Here is a Triumph press release picture of their new mid sized dual sport. It looks amazingly like the BMW F800GS. I can see a great run off test developing between the two marques. All the EMU will be on the edge of their seats for the results.

Product Review - Fox Bomber Glove

2010-09-28T14:50:00.000-05:00

Finding a good set of riding gloves is always a challenge and a very personal experience. Gloves which are perfect for one rider may be terrible for another. That being said, I have attempted to highlight the features in the Fox Bomber glove which made it appealing to me, both on initial purchase and after wearing them for the entire summer. I began searching for a set of "summer weight, dirt bike" gloves after returning from the BMW Performance school. I had worn a set of leather roper style gloves at the school, but found them completely inadequate for slow speed dual sport riding. The leather ropers left blisters on my thumbs after two days of very intense, precision riding and they failed to dry completely overnight, having been soaked with sweat from my efforts.

In a nutshell, I wanted something that gave a great deal of feel, was reasonably breathable in warm weather, dried quickly and offered some measure of protection. I also did not want something that looked like I just stepped off the Supercross podium, so flashy colors and graphics were not in the cards.

In years past I had used some lightly protected motocross gloves as my summer riding glove, but I was always a bit concerned about the minimal protection they provided. I found the Fox Bomber gloves at Cycle Direct for about $35 (I forget the actual cost - look on line if you want the details). I bought them because when I tried them on in the store the synthetic leather and nylon glove fit snuggly, but provided some stretch to conform to my hand. There were no seams in the palm or fingers that could cause blisters, they had a decent amount of ventilation and the carbon fiber knuckle guard gave a greater degree of protection than any of the motocross gloves on the shelf. Lastly, the black, with just a touch of white graphics kept the retina burn away.

Now, after wearing the gloves almost exclusively for five months, the Bomber gloves have become my primary motorcycle glove. They are comfortable enough for an all-day ride and dry quickly when they get wet from sweat, rain, or when immersing your hand in a creek while trying to pick up a fallen motorcycle. On the road, the gloves provide good wind protection and reasonable ventilation, but they can be worn on cooler days without any problems. The gloves have worn extremely well. The palm shows just modest signs of wear and I am sure that I will be able to get at least one more season from them.

There are only a couple of nits with the glove. First the velcro strap is very small and often comes loose. Second, these are short gloves and it took a while for me to get used to a glove without a gauntlet and the corresponding air flow up the sleeve of your riding jacket. (I admit, if Fox offered this same glove with some type of gauntlet, it may be my perfect set of winter riding gloves. I need something to keep the wind out of my sleeves.)

From my perspective this glove earns a solid A for its performance, styling and durability.

Triumph Demo Rides

2010-09-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

This Friday and Saturday the Triumph Demo Truck will be at MotoEuropa and you can ride the new, 2011 Triumph's. There will be food, drinks, door prizes and more....be sure to bring your friends and family.

www.mymotoeuropa.com

3410 Locust
St. Louis, MO 63103

Home Again, Home Again

2010-09-16T08:25:00.002-05:00

In spite of what I have said on this blog about new being better, I recently listened to the siren song of an older motorcycle. Now, for some in the club a 1996 model does not qualify as "older", it may represent emerging technology. Regardless of the viewpoint, I recently purchased a 1996 BMW K1100RS which I had owned until 2005.

In mid 2005 I sold the bike to a gentleman in Little Rock, Arkansas because of some health issues. It was a forced sale, so while it was a mature decision at the time, I regretted getting rid of the motorcycle. In the years that followed I had occasionally searched for the bike on the web, but I lost the name of the owner and other than knowing he lived in Little Rock, there was not much I could do except leverage the power of the web and stay abreast of want ads and various forums.

A few weeks ago I was on the web and went to Craigslist for Little Rock and searched the motorcycle ads for BMWs. Down at the bottom of search list was a BMW K1100RS SE with just a couple of days remaining before the ad expired. Could it be? Well it had a Corbin seat, a Parabellum windscreen and Heli bar risers, the exact options I had installed. It was low mileage, with just a few thousand miles more than what were on my bike when it was sold. An inquiring email "Do you still have the bike? Did you buy it from someone in St. Louis?" The answers came back positive and the owner recognized me as the person he purchased the bike from, so a couple of emails late and the bike was mine.

Last week I flew to Little Rock and rode it back to St. Louis. In five years the owner had put a little over 4,000 miles and so while it was still a very clean machine, the lack of use and time in the garage had worn the bike down to the point where it needs a bottoms up cleaning, fluids replacement, polishing and general TLC. I have a wintertime project. It still has all the feature I loved - effortless acceleration, smooth handling and a feel that leaves you thinking you are swooping through the Alps on your way to Switzerland. So very German. Exactly why I bought the bike in the first place and reason enough to buy it again.

Monthly Meeting Minutes and Calendar of Events - September

2010-09-13T09:08:00.001-05:00

EMU Meeting Minutes

Meeting 9/7/2010

The meeting was called to order at 7:32 PM, with 21 members present

Old Minutes were read by Leo Weisman, there was a correction to be made, the new Triumph & Ducati dealer, Moto Europa, 3410 Locust behind the Triumph Grill, will open September 14th. Minutes were approved with the above correction.

Treasurers Report: Dale Frosch reported there is a little over $1,080 in the account. The lunch ride cost $225.00

Membership Report: Harlan Hock reported that there are 54 paid members.

Old business:

Dale Frosch’s club ride was cool and applauded by all present. Frosty took a bow. He gave shared credit for the route with Tony Koenen. Lunch was at Reed’s Harvest House in Chester. There were 16 members on the ride.

Moto GP: Jim Palmer went, said he had good seats though the event was spoiled by the crash and death of Peter Lenz, a 13 year old 250 cc rider. The event was well attended; they had clear and hot weather, 92. Jay Leno was spotted riding in a Hummer, he was the Grand Marshal and he did the checkered flag for the main event.

The Springfield Mile; some members attended the Mile races. The main event was won by a rider on a highly modified Kawasaki 650 twin.

Davenport Vintage Days was well attended. They had 6 vintage 100 board racers who put on a good show; banquet was enjoyable. The event is more focused towards the old Harley and Indian crowd.

New Business - Announcements:

See EMU Calendar of Events below.

Visitors/New Members

John Newell, rides a BMW K 1200 LT, doesn’t know how fast it will go.

Program: Bob Howard spoke about his new RS 125 Aprillia. It was one of 100 brought into the country, originally did not have lights and was not but now is street legal and registered pending the return from Dept of Motor Vehicles. It is 250lbs, 34 hp 2stroke Rotax motor, which will do 105 mph.

Harlan Hock volunteered or was volunteered to give the program for the next meeting

Raffle: The 50/50 raffle totaled $22; $11 was won by Ed Leamon. The Sports Page restaurant coupon was won by Bill Wasco.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 pm

Submitted by Leo Weisman, vice-president for Dennis Kunzler, Secretary. 9/9/10

EMU Calendar of Events

September 14th Moto Europa opening, 3410 Locust behind the Triumph Grill. Will sell Triumph and Ducati motorcycles

September 24-25 Rally on the River at Green’s Camp ground, Heartland Moto Guzzi Club and Royal Enfield family reunion. See:

www.interstatemotorcycles.com , for info.

October 1-3 MSTA Friends of Freddie Rosener's Inn, Park Hill, MO

October 8-10, Falling Leaf Rally, Gateway BMW Rally, Potosi, MO

October 8-10, Barbers Vintage Festival, Birmingham, Al

October 15th-17th MSTA Byway Boogie, Paris Arkansas

Rally on the River - Update from Bill Dunkus

2010-08-12T14:11:00.000-05:00

The following was received from Bill Dunkus, Interstate Motorcycles. Bill has been a long time supporter and friend of this club’s:

I wanted to drop a line to you regarding the Rally on the River 2010. The rally is held annually on the last weekend of September. This year's dates will be Sept. 24 thru 26 at Green's Canoe Rental and Campground on MO Hwy 8 just a couple of miles west of Steelville, MO. The rally began nearly ten years ago as the Royal Enfield Family reunion and later it combined with the Heartland Moto Guzzi Owners as their annual rally and eventually just became the Rally on the River. ALL BRANDS welcome with a heavy emphasis on Europeans. Over the years we have accumulated an eclectic group of regulars and this year I would like to extend to the Euro Motor Union a personal invitation to join us. You guys will fit right in. I know in years past the EMU has held a club campout in the Fall and perhaps you would like to have the campout here, along with us. I'm sure we could set aside an adequate area exclusively for the EMU if you like. The rally is free. The only fees are for the services each attendee elects to utilize. Camping is $10 a person per night, Friday night meal (usually hamburger on a bun, chips and a soda) $2.50 a plate, Saturday night meal is Skip Hajek's famous one inch thick pork steaks with ALL the trimmings $15 AND draft beer is free all weekend to Heartland Owners members and weekend long charter memberships are $10 which includes a free beer cup. All of these prices are subject to slight changes as the weekend nears, depending on actual costs to us but they give you a good picture. Many EMU members, most notably John Mosir, Leo Weisman and Bob Odell, have attended over the years so the club can get a first hand review.
I hope you guys will consider the rally as your own annual campout.

Thanks
Hope to hear from you soon
Bill Dunkus

EMU Calendar of Events

2010-08-12T14:02:00.001-05:00

Here is a list of upcoming events:

August 14th, Blood Drive at Donelson’s Cycles – Donelson’s is having a blood drive at their store at 9851 St Charles Rock Road, St Ann, MO from 10:00 to 4:00 on Saturday, the 14th.

August 15th, Frosty’s ride – Frosty is planning a ride, pavement only, on Sunday morning, the 15th. He asks that the bikes be there and gassed up ready to go at 8:30 AM, for stands up promptly 9:00 AM. Meet at the McDonalds at I55 & Rt 3 in Columbia Il. Lunch at Reed’s Harvest House will be picked up by the club treasury.

September 11th - British Car & Bike show at Creve Coeur Park. Registration is 9 to 11, and the show is from 11:00 to 3:00. Bike registration is $15.00.

September 24th and 25th 2010 Rally on the River. All brands bike rally hosted by Interstate Motorcycles.Green's Canoe Rental and Campground on MO Hwy 8 just a couple of miles west of Steelville, MO

August Meeting Minutes

2010-08-12T13:58:00.003-05:00

August Meeting Minutes- 08/03/10
Dale opened the meeting at 7:31pm.
Dennis read the July minutes and they were approved as read.
Treasurers Report: club account has $1243 in the bank.
Membership Report: 47 paid members
New Business: none
Old Business:

Dave Gries is still collecting old jackets and moto magazines for Martha Fish to send to the troops in Afghanistan.

Bill Wasco’s BD party was a success, he’s 1 year older

Mid Ohio racing just not the same without ARHMA or the auction

Announcements:

New Years day ride at Mosir’s

Frosty will lead a club ride on August 15th be at the Columbia IL McDonalds by 8:30am leave at 9am, Rain or Shine . lunch at Reeds Harvest house, hwy 150 near Chester IL !!FREE LUNCH!!

All British Car and Bike Show in September make plans now. Check blog for more info.

New Triumph & Ducati dealer Moto Europa 3410 Locust behind the Triumph Grill open in September.

“Royal Enfield Family Reunion” at Green’s Canoe & Campground September 24th-26th contact Interstate Motorcycles Rolla for more info.

Program by:      none
Guests and new members:
Bob Yancy - 74 Norton( fast in it’s day)
Paul Parson - Wee Strom (cool)
Drawing: Dennis Spencer -   $15 Cliff Smith - EMU tee shirt
Adjourn 8:06pm

MOTORCYCLE ESCORTS NEEDED!

2010-08-04T10:39:00.000-05:00

There are only 49 days left until the Express Scripts Bike MS Gateway Getaway Ride, in Columbia, Missouri and we are actively recruiting volunteers to help in this year's event. The Motorcycle Escort Committee Team needs your help!

Last year we had 58 motorcycles participate and weI'd like to raise that to 60 to cover 150 miles each day for 3000+ cyclists.

Currently, we only have 15 and really hoping you can help us out this year.

Your assistance in providing motorcycle escort will greatly enhance the goals of all the cyclists to be able to meet their pledges for this terrible disease for this year’s Express Scripts Gateway Getaway (MS 150) ride in Columbia, Mo, Sept 11TH and 12Th, 2010. Come ride either day or both.

Some facts about MS:

More than 200 Americans are diagnosed with MS every week. This is why we ride. Thank you to our National City Gateway Getaway (MS150) Bike Tour participants, sponsors, crew and volunteers for another successful year. 2802 participants rode 150 miles over two days (September, 2009), raising more than $1.9 million to end the devastating effects of MS.

For more information, please visit their website at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/mos/event/default.asp?g=6

If you’d like to make a difference and support these cyclists, then we can truly use your help. Please contact:

Gary Deabler

gdeabl@charter.net

NMSS Gateway Chapter

Motorcycle Escort Coordinator

July Meeting Minutes

2010-07-16T20:50:00.000-05:00

July Meeting Minutes- 07/06/10

Dale opened the meeting at 7:41pm.

Dennis read the June minutes and was approved as read.

Treasurers Report: club account has$1204 in the bank.
Membership Report: none

New Business: none

Old Business:
Dave Gries is still collecting old jackets and magazines for Martha Fish to send to the troops in Afghanistan.

New motorcycle shop is opening behind The Triumph Grill in late August. They will sell Triumphs and Ducati’s.

Dale is setting up a vintage ride more info to come.

Frosty is working on the details for a club lunch ride info coming soon.

Announcements: Bill Wasco’s 70th birthday party will be July 11th, save the date. Check your email, no presents. RSVP

New Years day ride at Mosir’s

MID-OHIO THIS WEEKEND 07/10-11/2010

Program by: Mel Heffron

Started his riding life on a Whizzer (sp) and currently rides a Triumph Thruxton.

Mel was at the second meeting of EMU.

He is building an Aermacchi Gumbalunga (sp) using a sprint engine with 4xx original miles and many unorthodox parts.

Hopefully he will be riding it to the August meeting.

Guests and new members: Don McCollum ZX14 veryfast

Drawing: $11 Gary Brandt

Gift certificate Dave Bauman

EMU tee shirt Tom Dutton

Adjourn 8:03pm

Submitted by Dennis Kunzler, Secretary. 7/11/2010

A Glass Half Empty or Half Full

2010-07-16T20:44:00.001-05:00

It is a sunny and hot Friday afternoon in mid July and I am sitting alone in my living room trying to decide if the glass is half full or half empty. I really should not be here. Instead I should be about an hour outside of Auburn, Indiana getting ready to spend a great weekend visiting my daughter. I should have been tired, hot and a bit road weary from riding my motorcycle all day. Instead I spent the greater part of the day in tow truck and at the BMW motorcycle dealership because of another warranty issue on my motorcycle.

Yes, a trip ruined by another quality problem with my motorcycle.

Earlier today, on my way to Indiana, I pulled up to a stop sign and my motorcycle just died. Stopped dead. I tried to start it a couple of times and then did some basic troubleshooting. Nothing. I got further out of traffic and to the mini mart around the corner and tried the troubleshooting procedure again. Nothing. I got a cup of coffee and relaxed before considering what to do next. After coffee, I called Gateway BMW and Shannon, the service manager said it he thought it could be a couple of things: a loose battery cable or a failed battery - BMW installed an battery where the plates collapse from vibration. He suggested I check the cables and that does not work, call BMW for instructions on using their roadside assistance.

The cable check revealed no problems and about an hour later the bike and I were on our way back to St. Louis.

Certainly the glass is half empty when I consider this is my fifth problem or recall on a very expensive motorcycle. This time an actual failure ruined a trip. But perhaps the glass could be half full . Gateway BMW's service department was friendly as always and quickly validated the battery problem and installed a replacement. My very expensive motorcycle did come with roadside assistance. Lastly the bike failed only one hour from home and in a location where I could relax while I dealt with the problem. It could have been much worse - no roadside assistance or the breakdown occurring when I was much further away from home.

However, in retrospect, I think my glass was half empty. An opportunity squandered may never reoccur. In this case the trip was time to spend time with my daughter and time with your children is priceless.

June Meeting Minutes 6/1/2010

2010-06-09T14:33:00.002-05:00

Dale opened the meeting at 7:34pm.

Dennis read the May minutes and was approved as read.

Treasurers Report: club account has $849 in the bank.

Membership Report: 16 paid members, 28 in attendance with 1 visitor

New Business:

The cost for Business dues was questioned and a vote was taken to reduce fees, passed unanimously. Gene Ronchetto will contact all businesses that have or have had a membership.
Need for a group ride was discussed with the club paying for lunch. Location maybe Brazil Creek in the Council Bluff Recreation area with a catered lunch. Frosty volunteered to do the research.
Blog Master Gene Ronchetto asked club members to send pictures, stories, etc for the Blog.
Christmas party – vote to have it at Hodaks again passed unanimously. John Mosir will reserve the room for December 10^th (Friday) 2010.

Old Business:

Dave Gries is still collecting old jackets and magazines for Martha Fish to send to the troops in Afghanistan.
BMW air head tech day went well, Dave Gries said everyone knew what they were doing!

Announcements:

Bill Wasco’s 70^th birthday party will be July 11^th ,save the date. More info to follow, no presents.
New Years day ride at Mosir’s
Gateway BMW has the 30^th anniversary editions of the GS’s in, limited editions.

Guests and new members:

Dan Berringer

50-50 Drawing:

$19 Tom Dutton

Adjourned at 8:01pm

Submitted by Dennis Kunzler, Secretary. 6/4/2010

European Car Show - June 12 and 13

2010-06-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

This just in....

There will be a European car show June 12^th, 13^th. European Car Show at Plaza Frontenac. There are plans for the Norton Club to attend as well as a vintage AJS making an appearance. Click on the title link for more information or to register to show your classic ride.

Be sure to sport the club colors (tee shirts) if you attend! Lets make an impression.

Vespa St. Louis Garage Sale!

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Admit it, at one time or another we're all scooter trash.

So, with that in mind plan to attend the Vespa St. Louis Garage Sale on Saturday, June 26 from 11:00am until 5:00pm. They will have food, music and huge discounts on everything in stock, including motorcycles. Why not stock up on the latest Italian fashion accessory or a fully loaded Vespa, Piaggio, Moto Guzzi or Aprilia motorcycle or scooter.

Vespa Saint Louis is located at 5127 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108, just east of the U City Loop.

Winners and Losers

2010-05-22T21:08:00.001-05:00

Every economic upheaval has its winners and losers. As history shows, The Great Depression caused a number of smaller motorcycle manufacturers to close their doors and put into motion a series of events which led to the downfall of Indian. In this, "The Great Recession of 2008 - ????" the most visible result of the downturn has been Harley Davidson liquidating Buell. Some can argue of course, there are a multitude of factors which conspire to cause a company's downfall, but the point is pretty simple: an economic downturn is the last straw for some companies or the cataclysmic event for others from which they will never recover.

There have been other impacts to the motorcycle industry as well. In no particular order they are listed below, but I am making no predictions on the ultimate outcome:

The total disintegration of AMA Professional Roadracing. For sure, the series was on life support a while before the recession, but the downturn just made it worse. Wait and see how this plays out, but for professional motorcycle road racing to be more than a fringe event, so big changes will be needed. On the other hand, Supercross seems to have maintained its entertainment value, still playing to packed stadiums and picking up sponsors in every energy drink ever bottled.
The shrinking Japanese motorcycle motorcycle juggernaut. Time was, these guys dominated the market but with sales down over 40% the Big Four are retrenching. Things are so bad at dealers Suzuki decided to forgo the 2010 model year with hopes to clear out dealer inventory. This mess was complicated by the lead ban imposed by the CPSC which stopped sales of bikes to children. It was a one-two punch that cause any number of dealers to close and even long-established dealers to rethink their options.
Along those lines, MotoGP racing took a hit. While the early 2000's were exciting times as the 990cc four stroke bikes replaced the 500cc two strokes, the last few years have been challenging. Grid sizes have fallen and the organizers have taken a number of steps to reduce cost. Interestingly, Moto2, the replacement for the 250cc class, has full grid in its first full season. Is spec racing the future?
Motorcycle magazines were hit by the advertising downturn of the recession and the continued morphing of information flow from an editorial to a user-dominated experience. This change has been developing a long time before the recession, and will continue afterwards.

Who knows where this will lead, but check back in a decade.

May Meeting Minutes

2010-05-10T18:54:00.002-05:00

May Meeting Minutes- 05/04/10 - Submitted by Dennis Kunzler, Secretary.

Dale opened the meeting at 7:33pm.

Dennis read the April minutes and was approved as read.

Treasurers Report: club account has$1057 in the bank.

Membership Report: 66 members ,32 in attendance with 2 visitors

New Business:

PAY YOUR DUES IN JUNE! Meeting is June 1^st.

Old Business:

Dave Gries is still collecting old jackets and magazines for Martha Fish to send to the troops in

Afghanistan

Frosty reported that the Moonshine run was a lot of fun from the homemade cinnamon rolls to the great burgers, and lots and lots of motorcycles.

Gateway BMW’s open house was a good time and many riders were there.

Swinging bridges tour was a great success everyone had fun.

The other open houses, Donelson’s and Kiernan’s, were well attended.

Gary Hollowich reported that the hare scrambles were a muddy mess.

Important note Cynthia has been fighting cancer and that’s the reason for her absence Tuesday night. We all wish her well and hope to see her at the next meeting June 1^st

Guests and new members: Pete Hall from RPM Motors and Stephen Zompa from Vespa Saint Louis (also Aprilia , Moto Guzzi and Piaggio).

They spoke to the need to inform the Saint Louis public about the great European motorcycles available. Maybe another MOTO Fest next year. Track days to try out the new models in conjunction with MCRA. They also brought 3 motorcycles along so any EMU member could take a test ride. They are having a bicycle race in downtown Saint Louis on May 12^th& 13^th.

New member Mike Nesladic BMW R12GS

50-50 Drawing:

$16 Mark Bosworth

Gift certificate: Tom Tokos

Adjourn 8:20pm

Euro Motor Union of Greater St. Louis

President’s Corner January 2012

EMU Meeting Minutes - January 3, 2012

President’s Corner December, 2011

EMU Meeting Minutes, December 6, 2011

Lost In Translation: A Triumph over BMW By Kris Loewe

President’s Corner, November 2011

Norton Commando Rebuild 2011, By Dale Knaus

November Meeting Minutes

November Meeting Date - CORRECTION

President's Corner, October 2011

October Meeting Minutes

President’s Corner, September 2011

September Meeting Minutes

Fall EMU Ride - October 22

Great Story in the Post-Dispatch

President’s Corner August 2011

August Meeting Minutes

Quick Ride BMW K1600GTL

President’s Corner July 2011

EMU Meeting Minutes - July 2011

Every Saturday 8:00am joining Frosty and Cliff and other EMU riders for breakfast and a ride. Everyone is welcome. Steak’n Shake, 5828 South Lindbergh, St. Louis, MO 63123

Moto Europa Vintage Bike Night at their shop on the First Monday of each month. For information: http://motoeuropastl.com/

Every Tuesday Early Lunch 11:00am - Meet with the EMU elite at Bandana’s, 4 Commerce Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234

Gateway Rockers at Sonics on Lindberg by Big Bend

EAA's AirVenture Oshkosh, WI

EMU meeting

Wisconsin Moto Guzzi Rally - Their 27th Annual

Antique Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet, Davenport, Iowa - The Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds 2815 W. Locust St. Davenport, IA 52806

Moto Guzzi 22nd Annual "Bring Your Own Everything" Campout at Lincoln, Illinois. Lincoln New Salem State Park.

EMU meeting. Neville McNaughton will provide us with a program on memories of Burt Monroe

Blues Bikes and BBQ Fayetteville, Ark

MSTA Buddies of Bruce Cape Girardeau, MO

Falling Leaf Rally

Baxter Cycle 30th Annual Open House featuring the Triumph Demo Truck, Marne, Iowa

EMU Christmas party - in the Moto Europa showroom.

President's Corner - June 2011

June Meeting Minutes

My Bultaco Sherpa T Project Part II

My Bultaco Sherpa T Project Part 1

Moto Tire USA / No-Mar Tire Changers VIP Block Party

President's Corner - May 2011

EMU Meeting Minutes, May 3, 2011

MS 150 Rider Escorts Needed

President's Corner, April 2011

EMU April Meeting Minutes, April 5, 2011

Dream Rangers

Standing Corrected - Sort Of

Easy Rider Captain America Replica to Be Auctioned

President's Corner

March Meeting Minutes

Dealer Expo Photos

February President's Corner

February Meeting Minutes

February Meeting Rescheduled

President's Corner

January Meeting Minutes

Happy New Year from the EMU

The Last Words for 2010

December Meeting Minutes

Potential Meeting Locations

Calendar of Events

EMU President’s Corner

November Meeting Minutes

Spring Time Road Trip Opportunity

Vespa St. Louis Winterization & Storage

Gateway International Raceway to Cease Operations

October Meeting Minutes

This is Going to Get Good

Product Review - Fox Bomber Glove

Triumph Demo Rides

Home Again, Home Again

Monthly Meeting Minutes and Calendar of Events - September

Rally on the River - Update from Bill Dunkus

EMU Calendar of Events

August Meeting Minutes

MOTORCYCLE ESCORTS NEEDED!

July Meeting Minutes

A Glass Half Empty or Half Full

June Meeting Minutes 6/1/2010

Baxter Cycle 30^th Annual Open House featuring the Triumph Demo Truck, Marne, Iowa