Northern Colorado IMRG Informer Newsletter (April 2023)
NORTHERN COLORADO IMRG APRIL EVENTS
Saturday April 15th. Chapter Meeting and Ride. We’ll start with our monthly Chapter meeting at the dealership @ 9:30am.
After our April Chapter meeting, we will ride around Horsetooth and Carter Lakes. We’ll end the ride at the Derby Grill in Berthoud where we will have lunch. Randall and Mark will be leading the ride.
This ride will be about 60 miles with an estimated 2 hour ride time. Ride difficulty level is rated at 4 (1=easy, 5=difficult) for mountainous roads, bicycles, and other potential road hazards (sand).
Horsetooth & Carter Lakes, Derby Grill Route Map for Indian RideCommand and other GPS’s.
Saturday April 22nd. Road Officer Training. Mark Whaley, Road Director, will be conducting Road Officer Training for 2023. Any Chapter Member interested in becoming a Road Officer or remaining a Road Officer should plan to attend this training on your bike. Meetup will be at the Indian Motorcycles of Fort Collins @ 9:30am. Road Officers are responsible for planning, briefing, leading and sweeping our Chapter rides throughout the year.
Road Officer Responsibilities Include (but not limited to):
- Plan, lead and sweep ride routes for Chapter ride events
- Appoint “fill in” Road Officer(s) as necessary
- Provide a pre-ride overview: road conditions, safety, planned stops, etc.
- Follow and adhere to the NoCo IMRG Road Officer manual
- At each ride make sure each driver has a verified motorcycle endorsement
- Verify each rider has signed the appropriate liability waiver on each ride
- Will make every effort to pre-ride the route prior to the scheduled ride
- Lead at a pace appropriate for the riding abilities of the group
Road Officers are expected to attend a Road Officer Training each year (e.g. this training session), Lead a minimum of one ride during the year, and Sweep at minimum one ride during the year.
Thursday April 27th. Dinner Ride. This will be a short evening ride to a dinner destination. Dan & Rambo will be leading the ride. More details to come… Watch your email’s and check back here: Dinner Ride.
Sunday April 30th. Beecher Island Battlefield Ride. This ride will take us to the Beecher Island Battlefield in Wray, CO.
The Battle of Beecher Island was an armed conflict between elements of the United States Army and several of the Plains Native American tribes in September 1868. Beecher Island, on the Arikaree River, then known as part of the North Fork of the Republican River, near present day Wray, CO, was named afterwards for Lieutenant Fredrick H. Beecher, an army officer killed during the battle.
This ride will be around 370 miles round trip, and of course, will be very much an all-day event. While this is a flat-lander ride, it is rated as a difficulty level 3 (1=easy, 5=difficult) for highway speeds and distance.
More details to come… Watch your email’s and check back here: Beecher Island Battlefield Ride.
RIDE EVENTS CALENDAR
The Northern Colorado IMRG Ride Calendar (nocoimrg.org/events) on our Chapter’s website is actively being updated. You will want to check here periodically for updates on scheduled rides. We will also keep you informed via Facebook and Slack, and we’ll will send out emails for any last minute updates.
You can also view the Ride Schedule in Spreadsheet Format and download it to print out. The link to this spreadsheet formatted file can be found on nocoimrg.org/events.
BYLAWS REVISED LANGUAGE: MEMBERSHIP FEES AND DUES
A little wordsmithing was done on the Membership Fees and Dues (article 1, section 1.03) section of our Bylaws to improve clarity around Membership Dues being applicable for the current “calendar” year paid. The revised language reads as follows:
Membership dues shall be subject to annual review and change. Dues are valid for the calendar year from January 1st through December 31st. Member dues will cover the remainder of the calendar year from the date paid. Dues should be paid by January 1st each year and are valid for the one-year period from January 1 through December 31. Board discretion may be used for a new member joining in the months of October through December to partially or fully apply their dues to the following year.
Renewing members should pay their dues by January 1st of the new calendar year. If the dues for a renewing member have not been paid by January 31st of the new year then their membership will no longer be considered in good standing until reinstated with their paid dues.
DOES YOUR MOTORCYCLE HAVE A NAME?
With a name, your motorcycle is more than just a machine and becomes an extension of yourself. You’ll feel connected with it and enjoy riding more because of it. When you find the right name for your bike it can make all the difference when it comes to how much fun you have while riding.
People name their motorcycle for various reasons. Just like people give names to their pets, cars, and other possessions. Naming a motorcycle can give it a distinct personality and make it feel more like a part of the family. It can be a way to personalize the machine and make it unique. A motorcycle can be more than just a vehicle; it can be a source of joy, adventure, and freedom. Giving it a name can help create a stronger emotional connection between the rider and the bike. It can also help the rider feel more attached to the machine and take better care of it.
Choosing a name for a motorcycle can be a fun and creative process. It can be an opportunity to come up with witty or clever names that reflect the bike’s style, color, or features. It can also be a way to show off your creativity and sense of humor. Some riders believe that giving their motorcycle a name can make them more alert and focused while riding. By referring to the bike by name, they are more likely to stay focused on the road and avoid distractions. Motorcycles are all about fun, and if they weren’t any fun we wouldn’t ride them. Naming your mo-torcycle can be yet another aspect of that fun.
Overall, naming a motorcycle can be a way to personalize and humanize the machine, create an emotional connection, and add a touch of fun and creativity to the riding experience. How do bikers come up with names for their motorcycles? A name may be based on the bike’s color, or size. If it’s a large red cruiser, it might be named Titan Ruby. Some will use a name based on the make or model of the motorcycle, such as Demon Springer for an Indian Springfield. The type of motorcycle (adventure, cruiser, sports, tourer, etc.) may influence a name, such as Bullet for a sports bike.
A name may come from inspiration other than the bike’s features, such as from a celebrity, athlete, or favorite rock band. If you’re a big fan of Peyton Manning then your bike name might be The Sheriff. There are those who name their motorcycle after a favorite animal or bird. A motorcycle may be named after a large animal such as Dane, Panther, or Moose. A fan of birds may use the name Hawk, Eagle, or Roadrunner.
Does your motorcycle have a name? If you’d like to share your motorcycle’s name and how it got its name, shoot us an email ([email protected]). We’d love to hear it!
RAIN GEAR – WHEN YOU CAN’T OUTRUN THE RAIN
We’ve been known to get caught in the rain on occasion while on group Chapter rides. When you ride long enough and as often as we do, it’s simply bound to happen at some point. Naturally, there are a few odd riders who like riding in the rain. But most of us will do anything to avoid it. We may alter our planned ride route or try to outrun the rain as much as possible. But it’s inevitable–at some point there is a good chance we will get wet!
Riding in the rain doesn’t have to be so terrible. Being prepared with rain gear will give you some peace of mind and can make riding in rainy weather much more tolerable. The primary purpose of rain gear, of course, is to keep you dry and protected from the wet weather. If you ever feel uncomfortable or out of place in the rain then you can put on your rain gear. It’s always important to be prepared for the unex-pected, and this why you should consider carrying rain gear. Take charge of your personal dryness and safety!
There are as many choices in rain gear as there are makes and models of motorcycles. With a gazillion diverse types, styles, designs, and price ranges it can be difficult to choose what to buy. A short list of characteristics you should consider when looking at rain gear includes:
- Is the rain gear waterproof or water resistant? It is important to wear totally waterproof rain gear. You don’t want water soaking through to your clothes.
- The rain gear should be easy to put on and take off. The pants should unzip at the bottom to allow you to put them on without having to remove your boots. Rain jacket sleeves should be wide enough to allow you to easily put on over your riding jacket.
- Sizing needs to be slightly large so you can comfortably wear over your clothes and riding jacket.
- Heat resistant panels on the insides of the lower legs to prevent melting caused by the exhaust and motor.
- Rain gear should be as lightweight as possible. It should fold up as small as possible for carrying on your bike.
- Ideally you will have some form of fabric panel on the seat to help you resist sliding around from the wet rain while riding.
- A rain jacket should have a good way of sealing against your neck to prevent water from dripping down your neck. The wrists on the sleeves should also have a good way to prevent water from coming in and getting your arms wet.
- The pants should have elastic cuffs to seal around your ankles and also have an elastic waist to prevent water from getting in. Some rain pants have straps that keep your pants from riding up your leg by connecting underneath your boots.
Staying comfortable is really the key. How far you go in “rain proofing” yourself will depend on your riding circumstance. If it’s not a heavy rain, and you don’t mind getting your jeans a little wet or you have a full fairing, you may choose to only wear a rain jacket. When close to home and it starts raining, you typically don’t stop to put on rain gear. You simply change into dry clothes when you get home. Perhaps it’s been an exceptionally warm day and you welcome getting wet from a gentle shower, so you might simply choose not to wear your rain gear. When a down pour is inescapable you may choose to put on all your rain gear.
YOU MAY BE IN LOVE WITH YOUR MOTORCYCLE IF…
- You constantly stare at your motorcycle
- You have lots of photos of your bike
- You get anxious when hearing a strange sound
- Your motorcycle has a name, gender, and birthday
- Your ringtone is the sound of your motorcycle revving
- You refer to your motorcycle as the love of your life
- You have a tattoo of your motorcycle
- You have a poster of your motorcycle in your living room
- You wash your hands before working on your bike to keep it clean
- You enjoy showing off your motorcycle to others
- You are always thinking of ways to make your motorcycle better
- You clean and polish your motorcycle even when it’s already spotless
- You like how your motorcycle sings to you when you twist the throttle
NEW MOTORCYCLE MODELS FROM INDIAN
Indian Motorcycle launched the 2023 Sport Chief in February. The Sport Chief is another modern take on the classic cruiser and it’s packed with features that are sure to make you smile. It’s powered by the 1890cc Thunderstroke 116 V-twin engine that produces a healthy amount of torque. The bike features Fox Piggyback rear shocks and KYB inverted front forks for better road dampening. It also has a new handlebar design on 6.5” risers and a quarter fairing giving it a slightly new styling from the other Chief models. The Sport Chief has an upgraded Brembo braking system with dual discs for better stopping capability. Finally, it has the 4” Ride Command touchscreen.
Since 2018 on a yearly basis, Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s have collaborated on a Jack Daniel’s branded Indian cruiser or tourer. 2023 introduces the Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Chief Bobber Dark Horse. This one-of-a-kind motorcycle draws inspiration from Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 whiskey. Only 177 of these motorcycles will be made. The paint finish resembles the raw-metal look of the period and has Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey mixed right into the paint. The Thunder Stroke 116 motor will even have a special finish with non-machined highlighted cylinders and heads along with Cloud Silver painted rockers and pushrod tubes. Each unit’s serial number will be imprinted on the solo seat and Montana Silversmiths Badge. Jack Daniel’s signature will be etched on the rear fender and exhaust.
RIDE, SEEK, AND EXPLORE WITH YOUR LOCAL IMRG
Joining the Northern Colorado Indian Motorcycle Riders Group is a perfect way to connect with fellow Indian Motorcycle enthusiasts and to explore the open roads together. Joining the group offers an opportunity to make lifelong friends who share your enthusiasm for motorcycles. Whether you’re looking for a community of like-minded riders or just want to enjoy the freedom of riding with others, joining the NoCo IMRG is a great way to get in-volved in the motorcycling world.
We’ve done a pretty good job of making ourselves known in the Social Media world with positive feedback from other IMRG Chapters and more notably from Indian Motorcycle in the past. Just recently at an Indian Motorcycle corporate sponsored event in Austin, the Marketing team discussed being on the web and using Social Media such as Instagram and Facebook, and the importance of this media. The NoCo IMRG was one of two Chapters pointed out as, “doing it right.”
While we continue to promote the IMRG on Social Media to others as a great way to connect with motorcyclists who share our passion, we will also work on further raising awareness of ourselves at the Dealership. For starters, to help draw attention to the IMRG for those coming into the showroom, a new large movable floor standing banner has been positioned. Also a very noticeable large NoCo IMRG banner has been placed up high at our informational booth.
2023 INTERNATIONAL FEMALE RIDE DAY
Saturday, May 6th is International Female Ride Day. On the first Saturday in May, International Female Ride Day celebrates women motorcycle riders. The day also encourages and empowers other women to get involved in powersports.
NoCo IMRG will again celebrate this annual event with a ride that will take us across Happy Jack Road, a scenic route between Laramie and Cheyenne, to the Bunkhouse in Cheyenne for Lunch.
The ride will be about 160 miles total. And, as always, our male riders are also encouraged to attend to celebrate our female members and riders around the world!
More details to come… International Female Ride Day.
KEEP YOUR MOTORCYCLE HELMET VISOR FROM FOGGING
Motorcycle riders need to be able to see clearly through their helmet visors in all weather conditions. Fogged-up visors can pose a serious safety risk by impairing vision and limiting the rider’s ability to maneuver on the road. This is particularly true for riders who travel in cold or humid conditions, or who tend to ride at night or early in the morning when temperatures tend to drop.
Luckily there are products on the market that can help prevent or limit fogging on motorcycle helmet visors. One of the most popular solutions is using an anti-fog spray that can be applied to the inside of the helmet’s visor. The spray works by creating a film on the surface of the helmet to prevent moisture from building up and forming fog.
Another effective solution for anti-fog on motorcycle helmet visors is anti-fog inserts—often referred to as “pinlock” inserts. These semi-permanent inserts are made from a special material that absorbs moisture and repels fog, making them ideal for riders who want a more long-term solution to their fogging problems. The inserts can be easily installed on the inside of the visor and they are usually made from a sturdy material to withstand harsh weather conditions and repeated use.
Anti-fog solutions are a critical element of safe and enjoyable riding. Whether you prefer an anti-fog spray, or anti-fog insert, there are plenty of options available to keep your motorcycle helmet visor clear and fog-free. With these solutions, riders can help ensure they have optimal visibility and control on the road no matter the weather conditions.