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THE

SAN DIEGO WANDERERS

MARCH  2008

NEWSLETTER

WWW.SDWANDERERS.ORG

EDITOR   John Del Santo                                             @ San Diego Wanderers

THE SAN DIEGO WANDERERS ANNUAL ELECTION FOR THE BOARD OF OFFICERS IS APPROACHING.  “Ride to Eat…Eat to Ride” is cute,  but it doesn’t make things happen.                         ….. HELP OUT!….. RUN FOR AN OFFICE !…….VOTE !….

 

 

 

MOTORCYCLE RIDER PROTECTION BELLS

RIDE BELLS are said to protect the Rider and the Motorcycle from notorious road Gremlins.
These mischievous Gremlins litter roads and highways with treacherous hazards such as oil puddles, potholes and obstacles such as boards and scrap metal. The ringing of a Ride Bell is a perfect deterrent for fiendish spirits.
TWO BELL STYLES, EACH HANDLING the GREMLINS in a DIFFERENT WAY:
With all inverted cup or open bottom shaped bells, the fiends are caught up inside the bell shape and ejected to the
ground below. Vaporizing a Gremlin causes a pothole.
GREMLIN DESTRUCTION INSIDE the BELL: Potholes are proof of vaporized Gremlins!
The rounded style bells ring much more loudly than the cup style and
are much more efficient at calling in the Angels from greater distances. Important, because
Legend also has it that the ringing of a ride bell calls an Angel to protect the rider and bike from any harm,
evil spirit or otherwise - no new potholes for Bikers behind you.
GREMLIN DESTRUCTION by your GUARDIAN ANGEL: Lets your Angel do the Gremlin vaporizing!
Bells are mounted as low on the motorcycle as possible. It is best if the bell is gifted to the rider, because it's power is doubled. Give your biker friends and family the protection of a Ride Bell.

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GOOD  READING___ CALIFORNIA CAMPING  THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO MORE THAN 1,400 TENT AND RV CAMPGROUNDS.  2007 – 2008 edition. 925 pages of great information. Camping tips, descriptions, directions, hiking and foot care, predicting weather, and up to date write-ups on campgrounds all over our state. Written by Tom Stienstra, publishedby Moon Outdoors.  $22.95 ISBN978-1-56691-831-2  FOUR STARS ****

PACIFIC  NORTHWEST  CAMPING__  THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO TENT AND RV CAMPING IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON.   Written by Tom Stienestra,  Published by Moon Outdoors.  $22.95   ISBN978-1-56691-694-7  FOUR STARS ****  AVAILABLE AT BARNES & NOBLE, REI, OR THRU THE WANDERER’S LIBRARY.

NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA  CABINS & COTTAGES__   AVAILABLE FROM THE SAME PUBLISHER   WWW.MOON.COM  

 

ARE YOU READY FOR THE “BIG BEAR WEEKEND” RIDE ?        JUNE 6, 7. 8_

 

 

 

“DEAR  CYCLE  ATTORNEY”__  FROM Michael G. Sullivan cycleattorney@aol.com  from the Motorcycle Consumer News.                       “A few months ago I let a friend borrow my Triumph 675.  He is an experienced rider and I have ridden with him for more that ten years, so I had no questions about letting him borrow my motorcycle.  Unfortunately, he hit a patch of sand and crashed going into a left hand turn.  My motorcycle sustained about $2000 worth of damage.  My insurance company told me they would pay for the repairs.  The problem is now my ex-friend told me he injured his neck and has considerable medical bills.  He wants me to make a claim against my policy for his medical expenses.  I don’t wand to do that,  and feel my “friend” is imposing on me. 

Your insurance will cover someone who uses your motorcycle with your permission.  In effect, that person has the same coverage you would have on your motorcycle.  Your insurance company paid for the damage to your bike caused by your “friends” accident.   HOWEVER ,  since it appears this was a single-vehicle accident and your friend was at fault,  he must look at his own health insurance to pay his medical bills,  just as you would have to.  He probably doesn’t want to do this because claims made can increase the cost of your coverage in the future.  To even ask you to make such a claim suggests this person is no friend indeed.  Your “friend” may have been thinking about Med Pay which is common in automobile insurance policies.  However this coverage is costly and sometimes rejected by riders for that reason.  Insurance agents tell us this is extremely important coverage and in places where it is available,  you should avail yourself of it.

Have any questions about this or any other matter ?  Call your Broker or insurance Co.  After putting this article in the newsletter,  I called my Ins. Co. to ask a question,  and found out that they had neglected to send a renewal notice to me back in October,  and Fran and I had been four months without insurance !

IF YOU CAN’T  SEE THEIR FACE IN THE MIRROR…THEY CAN’T  SEE YOU !

 

 

PLACES  WE  RIDE__SO HERE’S THE STORY….  They were building this cute little beach town in San Diego,  and they named about half of the streets after the Famous Missions that run up our coast,  and they named about half of the remaining cross-streets after Famous Beaches, and so what else  could they name the town but……..Mission Beach ! 

 

 

 

                                        A  GOOD  PLACE  TO  START  A  RIDE !___

“THE  WATERFRONT”   AT 2044 Kettner Blvd in Little Italy. 

Breakfast starts at 6 AM !  Good burgers and a good menu during the day and  Party Hearty in the Evening !  It’s the Oldest Tavern in San Diego and Motorcyclist Friendly. Close to the Airport Exit off         Route I-5. www.WaterfrontBarandGrill.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOOD INFO,  GOOD ROUTES,……AND IT’S  FREE !___

 

“FREE  2  WHEEL”  magazine….for the Southern California Motorcyclist.

A monthly publication, with at least one main story and many side articles,  Advertisements on new stuff, a Ride Calendar, Good Routes to try out, and an “Ask The Sergeant” column that can keep you from accidentally running afoul of the law. Free at most Bike Shops.  Pick one up !

www.free2wheel.com  

 

 

 

MAY   IS  “MOTORCYCLE   AWARENESS  MONTH !

 

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS

 

o:	"John DelSanto" <mcbwaycool@yahoo.com>

Here's the links...

 

PSA May is Motorcycle Awareness Month (30 secs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLqIbMRhTUA

 

PSA Look Twice/Save Friends Life (30 secs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlwB1uSTUmc

 

PSA Look Twice/Save Own Life (30 secs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxcxyXVIUqQ

 

What is ABATE of California? (8 mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqGzm841cAY

 

 

 

 

                                               

 

 

 

                                                  STAYING BETWEEN THE LINES

by John Del Santo 

 

One of the first assignments for children in Kindergarten is to give them  a coloring book and a box of crayons, and they are taught to color nice and be careful and stay between the lines.  Somewhere between that time and the time they learn to drive,  something bad happens to that portion of their brain, and a large percentage of auto drivers go down the road  floating around like a boat in the bay, totally unable to keep a six-foot wide car in between a set of twelve-foot wide lane lines…..and we’re  sharing the road with them !

 

You see them all the time around you…the ones who are probably not reading the highway road signs,  staying out in the left lanes until they are eleven feet from the exit they wanted, and then making a dive for the exit.  Or their counterparts who are already on the exit ramp when they decide they really didn’t want to get off here, and they make a radical swerve back out onto the highway…without  checking their blind-spots….And DON’T expect a directional signal from these folks!     Some of these other “special” drivers start out in one part of a double-left-turn lane, and finish in the other lane whether or not there is another car or motorcycle occupying that space, not knowing or being aware of any other vehicle nearby them.  They’ll stop at a traffic signal in a left-turn-only lane, or in a right-turn-only lane, and when the light turns green they go straight through the intersection.  Sure… if You or I missed a street or an exit,  we would just go to the next exit and get off and go back…but so many of these drivers seem like they would rather take a chance crashing their car into the vehicles around them, or up against the exit-divider, than miss their turn.  That area around the exit-divider is called the “gore” area by the highway engineers… I betcha we can guess why they call it that.   Most people who drive like this, driving as if they have a paper bag over their head, don’t maintain enough following distance, either.  So when something unexpected happens, they brake hard and  swerve out of their lane….usually towards the right side.   When you are approaching them on a residential street, streets without a painted center-line, don’t expect them to figure out where their  half of the street really is.   All good reasons why we want to be aware when we are in anyone’s  blind area,  or when they are in ours,  and adjusting our space so that we are not at the mercy of their poor driving. 

 

We can read the ‘body language’ of their intentions most of the time, and figure out what they are probably going to do before they do it.  Like the National Safety Council advises,  “recognize the hazard,  understand the defense,  and act correctly and in time.”   Don’t trust the ‘tailgaters’ … They’ll change lanes fast and use no directional signals.  When driving around those big, wide, tall S.A.V.’s  (Suburban Assault Vehicles),  be aware of them and be ready to move somewhere else  in self-defense … be ready to use your horn if they start to move across the line, to let them know that you are near them,  but don’t be surprised if they can’t hear  your horn or pipes over the stereo.    Watch for them glancing at the rearview mirror…They’re getting ready to move.  And when they’re just thinking  about moving,  they will unconsciously drift their car towards that side of the lane… Be ready for them!              The poor things are  driving at a disadvantage,  Ya know…   It hardly seems fair for us to  expect them to steer,  talk on the car-phone,   use directional signals, take sips from their Cappuccino, and  stay between the lines  all at the same time when they only have two hands.  Gee Whiz!    

If we were the Judge and Jury, we could sentence these sloppy drivers  to spend thirty days with a box of crayons and a coloring book  practicing staying between the lines.  But as long as we are riding near them,  sharing the road with them, we should expect the worst from them and do the best we can to avoid  becoming a target.        Be Aware,  and….Ride Safe !!        

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