Look Twice – Save a Life

U-Tube video presents a “You didn’t see me” message

How to document 30 years in ABATE?

Since I retired after being an officer, specifically Secretary of Central Illinois A.B.A.T.E., Inc. from April 1987 to January 2009, and also had been the ABATE of IL Newsletter Coordinator from December 1991 to June 1999, I was also District 3 Director under the first ABATE of Illinois, which State Director Bill Orce talked me into after I complained enough times about not getting a newsletter. I was in that position from May 1980 to April 1984 when the factory closed and had to find other employment, working on the farm.  The gravy train was over.  Gale Products was the first to close in this area and all the riding buddies I had worked there.  I got a job finally at Wilson Foods in Monmouth in Feb 85, but they closed in May 86. Back on the farm.  Started my own business in 87 working on RV’s at the campground my folks owned near Knoxville.  It gets pretty lean in the winter!

I have been trying to get things sorted out and make arrangements for the new webmaster for Central, Scooter, to have the website available. I used yahoo as I had the free geocities website to begin with and after the traffic got heavy enough, (they blocked your site from downloading to a specified amount per hour) we went with the small business plan which has way too many email boxes, and way too much space, but space is good if you have pictures to share. But since the issue of someone offering up their credit card to yahoo for billing has not gotten any volunteers , they may have to go to the ABATE of IL server.

Its really hard not to be involved in the social interaction of ABATE, but since I am now in my codger years, it was time for the next generation to step up and learn the jobs while I am still here to answer the questions. Much better than dying in harness and leaving the organization trying to figure out what I did or where certain things are. I still am director of Illinois Motorcyclists Rights Organization, which is a tiny group, but it fulfills my need to be involved in the process. I have been posting the listing of bills that I think average bikers may find interest in.

Part of the process is that I am going though the old photos from the seventies and eighties and scanning them in for posting on the IL Motorcyclists.org website: http://www.ilmotorcyclists.org

Winter weather in Illinois

Can’t ride in this weather, and winter starts next week!

(forecast according to AccuWeather.com)

Tuesday, Dec 16

High: 19 °F RealFeel®: 15 °F

Cold with 3-6 inches of snow

Tuesday Night, Dec 16

Low: 7 °F RealFeel®: 9 °F

A little snow this evening, accumulating up to an additional inch; otherwise, cloudy and frigid

Winter Ridin’

Since the snowfall on early Sunday morning, Nov 30th, riding outside of the garage is not likely to occur until it warms up some and the salt on the road goes away. I live about a mile from the Highway Garage, so I know there is enough salt on my section of US 150. I don’t like to wash the bikes often anyway, but getting saltwater into every nook and cranny is not my idea of an intelligent thing to do. So until it warms and/or rains, I will post interesting things that others have posted or sent me in the hopes that you haven’t yet seen them.

Tokyo Rosie- 1970 CB350 Chopper

Going Back in Motorcycle Time

Going back in motorcycle time, thank you google. Click on this link to see how!

Bikes in the Fast Lane – Daily Motorcycle News

by Mike Werner

Remember Time Life Magazine? They always had fantastic photos.

Now, thanks to good old Google, all their photos are on-line and searchable.

Count on spending hours…

Been a Lousy Year!

March 29th, the XS 1100 Yamaha I was trying to start, started leaking fuel out the carbs and caught fire, the air filter canister is plastic and by the time I knew it was flooded, the plastic was burning and I had to get away from the flames and then the fuel lines caught fire. Had to get away. Called the fire dept. Result was the fiberglass skylights in the shop building burned out, the 56 panhead seat, back tire, windshield, wiring, hand grips, and tail light burned. These were stock type items that I was putting back together after putting new rings in. The tanks were not on it yet. The XS 1100 was finished as the fairing burned, the back bag burned, but the hard saddle bags were not on the bike. Carbs were melted. Both tires burned. Also the back tire and and seat on my stock 72 XS650 were burned as well as tail light and signals. The seat on the CB350 chopper, the original seat from the panhead when it was chopped, was burned slightly making it unusable and crispy. What a bad day!

Now for the next rotten thing. On June 28th, my good friend, Kevin Cain, was killed by a teenage driver trying to pass a car. Hit Kevin head-on and Kevin was on his 2000 Softtail Heritage that he loved so much. Died instantly. Sky and I watched him go by the shop where Sky and I had returned from J&P’s Open House earlier that day and Sky took a break before continuing on home to Williamsfield. The wind had been blowing hard all day and we took several breaks to rest up on the way up and back from Anamosa.