2012 - Issue #1 - Early Spring
COGnitions Random thoughts and ramblings from your Area Director Happy New Year and welcome to another riding season. I am extremely pleased to announce that the COG Northeast is fortunate to have to additions to the Northeast Staff. The first is a recent appointment to fill the Assistant Area Director (AAD) in Maryland. John Hamilton, COG # 9279 of Hagerstown, has graciously volunteered to take on this role. Although John is somewhat new to COG, he is not new to riding. The second AAD appointment welcomes back Patrick Sprague COG #1887, who has rejoined the NE Staff as AAD for VA/WV after a well deserved break. Pat was AAD between 2003-2007 and is well know for the many activities he (and his wife Sharry) have hosted. Over the years, a recurring comment I have heard is “There are no club activities near where I live.” Even with 60+ local activities on the NE schedule there will be some of our 540+ members who find they are not conveniently located to local activities. I’ve created a membership map and see clusters of members that represents a great opportunity for local meet and greet and rides in regions that have no activities at present. In New York State I see that there are over a dozen members spread across the Southern Tier, and clusters in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, the Finger Lakes and Leather Stocking regions. In Canada I see clusters of members forming in Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax. If you live in any of these regions and want to see local activity, please contact me and I will help you plan a local “meet and greet” activity to try to get other COG members in your region together. It is easier to do than you think it is, and is a lot of fun. COG is looking to fill two on the Board of Directors: Secretary and Merchandise Manager. Presently these positions are held by Northeast members, and I would love to see another Northeast member take over. Anyone interested in these positions should contact Executive Director Ken Ford at exec-dir@cog-online.org For several years the COG Board of Directors has conducted monthly board meetings via Skype conference call. Recently the Northeast staff began to have quarterly staff conference calls via Skype. Thanks to the guys & gals for taking additional time out of their schedule to do this. These calls are a great way to share ideas and coordinate plans, and fits in well to communicate information up and down the chain between members and the Board of Directors. Registration for the Spring Fling is open and rooms at the motel are filling. Some key details about the event can be found on the back page, with complete detail on the web site and mail-in registration form.
photo courtesy Bob Barbanti #7134
t Ride & Even E SCHEDUL e6 starts on pag
Until next time, ride safe.
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
New Members
First things first, a warm welcome to our newest NE area COG members!
Summersville WV Joseph Caldwell #9914 Carlisle PA Tom Muirhead #9923 Sterling VA Wes Rogers #9941 Brooklin ME Frank John #9944 Forest VA Milton Hallmark 9949 Kitchener ON S.Tserghanos #9955 Westbrook ME David Vietze 9957 Mississauga ON Paul Miller #9969 Harrisburg PA Jon Adams 9975 Milbury MA Ron Brigham #9979
Melrose MA Bruce Young #9988 Acton ON Oliver Knoop #9989 Schenecty NY Bruce Herbst #9990 Oak Hill WV Cecil Robinson #9991 Sidney ME Dave Corwin #10008 Hyde Park MA Jim Dixon #10026 Brewerton NY Kirk Dwyer #10028 Raymond NH Stephen Retzke #10045 Susquehanna PA Charles James #10047
Photo Board
ut the sion. Read on page 3 abo Last year’s MA Tech Ses nt. eve r ula pop this upcoming 2012 edition of booth tt at Toronto Supershow Jim Scannel & Craig Sco
Editor’s Corner
Random Requests & Rants
NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
is published 5-6 times a year for Northeast Area members of the Concours Owners Group. Submissions are welcomed and members are encouraged to share their COG experiences. Email: cog@peacockforest.ca Snailmail: 821717 Sideroad 1, RR3 Chatsworth, ON, N0H 1G0, Canada Many of the opinions stated in this publication may make no sense to those sound of mind and may just be conveniently ignored. If you use any of the information in this rag to incur damage to yourself, your motor or any innocent or not so innocent bystanders it is you own fault...you were warned! © 2012 Concours Owners Group
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Neil Baldwin #5762
volunteer This may help bolster the how. ers cadre for the next Sup
I have never seen it so huge! I am referring to the Ride Schedule and, as I start my 4th season doing the newsletter, this must surely be a record number of events… thanks to the NE members who volunteer to make them happen. A certain cure for Parked Motorcycle Syndrome (PMS) is to read greetings from your local AAD, check out the ride sked, and start dreaming of twowheeled fun & friends.
2012 - Issue #1 - early spring
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
Around the NORTHEAST
News from your Assistant Area Directors (complete list of AADs on back page). MD - John Hamilton #9279 I’m still relatively new to COG, and brand new to being AAD for Maryland. So please bear with me as I slowly get my feet wet. One of the things I found out in the course of downloading the names, cities, email addresses of COG members in Maryland is that one of us lives in Maugansville, which is 5 minutes from me. So if nothing else, I will have someone to bug about going riding this summer when nothing is scheduled. Which won’t be often. We have several meet and greet events on the calendar already. Russell has planned a breakfast event on the 15th of April, and another one on the 6th of May. Both are on the calendar, and both are at good breakfast joints. There is a meet and greet, and short ride after, at the Crabby Pig in Cumberland on the 12th of May, followed by ice cream at Page’s Ice Cream and then a short ride on old 40 East back to Hagerstown for anyone that wants to ride part of it. The Spring Fling starts May 17th, up in Rhode Island. A nice ride from Maryland if you hug the coast as much as possible. And not long after that, the 2012 National at Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I’m already getting excited about that one, it is 2 long days each way (I’m doing 3 easy days each way, because I’m an Old Guy ™ ) from Maryland, but I’m guessing it will be well worth it. So drop by one of the social events calendared early in the riding season, and say “Hi” to folks you may not have seen since an event in 2011. Personally, I’m looking for Marylanders close enough to me that we can do some riding together and possibly ride to some of the 2012 events together. Would be pretty cool to roll into Eureka Springs with a group all from Maryland!
2012 - Issue #1 - early spring
Ok, I’m out. I have a brand new 2012 Concours 14 ABS (black of course) sitting in my garage, just a week out of the crate, and it needs farkles moved from the box to the bike, so better get started!
Ontario GTA - Dave Clancy #5452 We had a booth at the Toronto Motorcycle Super Show at the International Centre on Airport Road again in January. We met some COG members, some owners of both Concours models, some owners of other brands and folks interested in COG or Concours bikes. We hope some of them come out to our second Tuesday of every month meet & greet, explore the COG website and end up joining through the site or one of the forms we gave out. Show pix on pg 2. Many thanks to Richard DeJong for acting as point man and banner stand/ banner storage and Dave Perkins for his help with set up and take down. Craig Scott kindly lent his C14 and delivered it for us. The other crew members were Jim Scanell, John Strupat, Simon Sullivan, Pete Bokkers, Greg Coleman, Dave Gingrich, Livio Persi, Paul Marshall (and Susie) – thanks, you guys make it happen. I am booked at the Winnapaug Inn in Rhode Island (which is not an island !?) for Patricia and myself. The “North South” also attracts attendees from our area. This mild winter has me pining for motorcycle season, I've got a set of Michelins ready to spoon on in April and my plan is to wear them out before season’s end. Come to our monthly meeting at the Mohawk Inn (see Event Calendar online), a great place to make contacts and plan trips.
Ontario East - Ken Fader #8534 Last year was not the best year for my bike time. Work seemed to win out over all the fun time. This year I am finally getting things caught up and will have a little more play time.(I hope) Here in eastern Ontario we have enjoyed one on the
warmest and least snowy winters in a long time, and now that the thoughts are turning to bringing Connie out to play, it has started to act like winter, the good thing is even if winter has finally arrived it will not last that long, at least that is my hope. For this year I am working on getting a meet and greet night going, so watch the event Calendar for the time and date. Well not much else for now, remember to check out those bikes before hitting the road.
VT/NH/ME/MA Greg & Tracey Habel #7010/a A big hello to all our fellow COGers! Greg and I are excited for a fun-filled 2012 season as we are putting some of the final touches on our scheduled events for our first season as co-AAD’s. We started 2012 with a social which we held at our home in Hopedale MA and found ourselves with a full house! It was wonderful to see 38 people come to socialize and share some ideas. There were a handful of new members and a couple joined COG at the Social! Great feedback was received from everyone to help us bring our members what they want; and a list of volunteers to help fill the calendar with great rides and events for the upcoming season that will quickly be upon us. Thanks to all who helped out and who offered to assist in the many events we are planning. We could not do it without your help. There will be monthly Meet & Greets from March to October at a different location each month to change up the ride routes and to accommodate local members from each area. The first one is at Lowell’s Restaurant in Mendon MA, Saturday March 24th to be followed by a ride of the surrounding area. Bring a friend and stop in to say Hi! We are also hosting our 6th annual Tech Session along with family members Pat & Sher Mulloy in Monson MA. Kevin Martin will be hosting his annual ride from Bickford’s in Acton MA to the Tech Session. The Tech session starts at 9:00am with a breakfast of muffins and
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Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS the like with plenty of coffee. Lunch is also provided. If you would like to attend go register at www.cog-online.org as space in the garage is limited and we need a head count for food. This event has grown in popularity with last year’s attendance at an all time high: 30 bikes! May kicks off with our COG camping weekend in CT on May 4-6th. Bring your bike, your tent and your camaraderie and let us take care of the rest. We provide the food for Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast & dinner (lunch stop is on the ride) as well as Sunday breakfast. Our Weekend in the Berkshires is coming together for June 8 – 10. We have a block of rooms on hold at a special rate so book your room before May 1st to get the special COG deal. Interested in a little ride contest? Using Roadside America we put together a list of sites throughout our area. Check out the 2012 MA/ME/NH/VT ride contest and rules posted on the forum: http://preview.tinyurl.com/82z6s3b . Check the online calendar regularly for additional events and rides as we continue to finalize details for such things like our Meet & Greet with bag lunch atop Wachusett Mountain State Park and Kevin Martin’s ride to Petey’s Seafood on the NH coastline. If you have an idea for a ride or are interested in hosting an event, please contact us and we will help you put it all together!
Metro NY/NJ—Terry Faherty #792 Greetings from Gotham and its lovely environs! Looks like winter has given our area a pass so far (crosses fingers) and spring is right around the corner. Time to get busy and make those rally arrangements you've put off all winter! The Javitz show get together was rather thin due to weather concerns (of course it snowed THAT day!) most folks who did make it just stopped off to say hi and passed on our BBQ sojourn to Blue Smoke. Thats ok; it was still dee-lish! Your humble servant has plans to attend the Spring Fling, Dog Days Down
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and Dirty, and the Fall Rally so far. I will try to throw my departure times on the forum to see if anyone would like to head out with me. The national is a no go for me unfortunately which is a shame because it looks like a good one. New roads are always a blast so anyone attending will have to ride em for me. I'll also be attending Americade this year, as usual, but due to the fact I get another 2 weeks vacation as of June I will be spending the whole week in the Great (Not so) White North. We might try to put together a ride or meet and greet from Scott Sorger's palatial digs in Queensbury, if the mere mention of it doesn't give his wife Norma a coronary! Keep your eyes open for the BBQ ride in July too. I'll definitely try to make this one, the Q is worth the trip. I might try to set up another local meet and greet to try to get some of the NYC members both full and forum to give COG a closer look. Response was less than stellar on my first attempt but hey ya never know! If anyone has any ideas, questions, suggestions, you can always give me a holler via forum, email or passenger pidgeon. Hope to see you all out on the road this season!
PA (western) - Joe Cyprych #4665 By the time you’re reading this we all will pretty much be back in the saddle again or real close to it so just putting out a few rides that we have planned in this area: the Cook Forest (July 13-15) and Canaan Valley (Sept. 28-30) are both are set up already so time to make your reservations! We are also going to do Sunday meet & greet rides starting in April, weather permitting… contact me if you plan on attending because our schedule changes depending on other rides or plans. The summer rally in Marlington is also on the schedule and is a must attend. If you have ridden in the area you know what I am talking about. If not, you need to experience it. Go on over to the cog web page and check out the calendar… it’s loaded with rides and activities to attend (north east rocks!). With
the weather breaking we are looking forward to hooking up with old friends and making some new ones so don’t be shy come on out and join the gang. As always if you need any more info or have a ride suggestion hit me or Steve up and we will make it happen.
NY (Hudson Valley NW) Bob Barbanti #7134 It has been basically a pretty mild fall/winter, which rewarded folks who waited to winterize their motorcycles. It seems like most weekends ending 2011 and starting 2012, were decent riding weather. That changed for the Newburgh, NY Meet & Greet on January 14th. It was a sunny day, but never got above freezing. So it was totally normal for a winter M&G, that folks came in cages. There was an exception: Ben Otuno. living close by, rode his Concours to the M&G. I thought he was nuts, even with heated gear. I personally do not take chances with the possibility of black ice. Ben was rewarded for his persistence with a nice January ride, as well as lunch on me! (I sometimes come up with rewards for folks who come to the M&G's). Eight people came for lunch. Besides Ben, there was Ben Thompson and Mike Aldea both from New Jersey. The rest of us were from New York: Jon Gould, Alex Benoit came with his wife Sonia, and daughter Jazmine. It was nice to meet Alex's family for the first time. Hopefully they will come back! LOL We did not plan a February or March M&G in Newburgh. We instead participated it the Verona Pizza meet in CT, on the Second Sat. of February. March 10th we will be having The Lower (NY) Hudson Valley “Meat ‘n Greet” Hamburger Social. Steve Cerutti hosted a winter go cart track day the past few years but we have had trouble last year with the track being closed for a private event. Since we always seem to hit the Blazer Pub for food after we will just have a winter M&G at the pub instead. On February 18th, we had the "COG @
2012 - Issue #1 - early spring
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS Motorcyclepedia, Newburgh" event. This turned out pretty well. We met for breakfast then went over to Motorcyclepedia, a motorcycle museum in Newburgh, NY. At this point everyone was on their own, touring the museum at their our own pace. Then we left to head home at our own convince. About 17 people showed up, some of them were even riding. Starting in April, we will be trying out a new diner for the Newburgh M&G. The Neptune Diner is right around the corner from where me met previously. The food is very good. Location: 82 Rte. 17K, Newburgh, NY 12550. See the events calendar for directions and particulars. I am also looking to do another un-rally so welcome ideas on where folks would like to go for the night. Keep in mind we would prefer reasonable lodging rates, as well as food and things to do within walking distance for the night. If you have idea's: ny.neaad@yahoo.com.
VA/WV - Pat Sprague #1887 Now that riding season is gearing up it’s time to check over the bike and lay out plans for turning the wheels. We have not had a bad winter in the VA/WV area but, for some reason, I still have “winter-butt” and, along with that, winter thinking. My first forays out onto that scary venue, the street, will be a bit more cautious, allowing some time to re-bond with the machine. As many of you know, I stepped up again to resume the AAD position for VA/WV. During the absence of an ohfeeshul leader, others, such as Kurt Nordstrom, Jason Kaplitz, Clyde Watson, Russell Fleming, Guy Young, and myself, have sweetened the riding pot by adding some events for us to enjoy this year. Many thanks to all! The entire North East ride schedule in online. January saw a few of us meet at the Progressive DC Motorcycle Show to check out the latest, and enjoy a great lunch at the Capitol City Brewery. Our February ride, slated for Gordsonsville, VA, was
2012 - Issue #1 - early spring
cancelled due to 12°F, frozen precipitation, and winds 15-30 mph. Well, at least it was sunny. Our season opener and a perennial favourite, the Crab Cakes Ride, will take place 24-25 March. On 22 April we’ll gather for brekkie and a ride at the VFD at Marshall, VA. May 6th will have us at the Sport Touring Camaraderie Ride at Clearbrook, VA. No ride is planned for June as several of us will take advantage of the South Central Area’s hospitality and great roads to attend the COG National. A local brekkie and ride is in the works for 22 July. Stay tuned. On 09-12 August we’ll head over to Marlinton, WV for the Dog Days Down n Dirty event. There will be several suggested street and dual sport routes for this area of wonderful riding. I’ll likely be over there this spring ‘proofing’ some routes and will post any info about that on the COG web site. In September we return to “Memories of Dan” on the 7th through the 9th, when Willville Motorcycle Campground at Meadows of Dan, VA will welcome us back for a great weekend. In October we’ll head down to the New River in WV for a “Bridge Day” weekend. Some folks actually bungee-jump off this thing, but I won’t even look over the side. More nice riding in the Mountain State. The annual Brrrrrrrrr Ride has been extended a day to include the holiday on Monday and is on for 09-12 November. This is always a well-attended favourite and sometimes we get some Northern Neighbors seeking a final dose of good riding, eats, and COG friends. In December we move towards the Coastal Plains, with a ride being planned for the 16th in Williamsburg. It’s not too early to let me know of any ideas, suggestions, or not-to-be-missed roads you’d like to see on the VA/WV ride schedule in 2013. Any input is much appreciated! Looking forward to seeing you on a COG ride!
Northeast Region Website Updates Wayne Geiser #8542 Web Editor Over the past months, I have cleaning up the Northeast Region pages on the COG website. “I didn’t know we had region-specific pages,” you say! Send your browser to www.cog-online.org, point your mouse at the “About COG” menu choice, and select “COG Chapters” then click on the Northeast region on the map or on one of several links on the page with the word “Northeast” in them. The “Home” and “Newsletters” pages are relatively static and we have not, yet, decided exactly what to do with the “Member Pages”. The other pages have been overhauled somewhat: Leadership Team Page This page lists the COG staff for the Northeast Region. We have names and contact information for each volunteer and we are working on adding a photo and short biography as well. In addition, it shows which areas are currently without an AAD (you can use the contact info at the top of the page to learn how to contact Steve Smith, Northeast Area Director, to volunteer for any of these positions). If you want to find out how to contact your local AAD or any other staff member, this is the place to go. Events & Rides Page This page is intended to show all the events going on in the Northeast. For each event, you can click on the link to take you to the event page in the calendar (so you can find out more information or to sign up). There is also a link to send an e-mail message to the member organizing that particular event. In many cases, there is also a link to take you to the on-line forum thread discussing the event. Events are grouped by type (Rallies, Group Rides, Weekend Rides, Meet ‘n Greets, and Other Events). Events that have already occurred will have a line through them. Reports & Photos Page This page collects links to any photos and write-ups of any COG events. It does not include material that appeared in a Northeast newsletter, so not all events will be listed here. Please feel free to e-mail me any corrections, additions, suggestions, and the like that you might have for the Northeast Region pages. I look forward to improving them further. wayne@mypowercouple.com
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Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
RIDE&EVENT SCHEDULE
Time listed is START time. Visit www.cog-online.org for updates. (NY) SAT 10 March 11:30AM Blazer Pub Meet & Greet Normally this time of year we do our annual go-kart track day followed by lunch at the Blazer Pub. This year we are skipping the racing - which has been unpredictable in its availability - and going straight to the meat of the matter. Come for a great hamburger and steak fries in an old timey country pub setting, and relax with some COG friends as we reminisce about the past year’s riding and look hopefully forward to the near approaching spring. If you need directions, see below or go to the Blazer web pages. A word of warning if you ride: only a small parking in front and alongside the building is paved. The remainder is a dirt lot that can be snow/ice covered or muddy. STEVEN SMITH 203.720.7575H 203.499.6825W nead@cog-online.org
(ON) TUE 13 March 7PM South Central Ontario Meet-Up 2nd TUE each month Mohawk Inn, Campbellville, Guelph Ln, just N of 401. All welcome, friends, wives, girl/boy friend. Many hungry people arrive earlier to their dinner - road house food, salad, wings, burgers, fish & chips etc. A mainly social function to meet other riders, shoot the breeze, plan rides. DAVE CLANCY 905.389.7681 dnclancy747@gmail.com
Woody’s Crab House in North East MD (29 South Main St) for dinner at 6:30 pm for crab cakes. If you cannot make the ride and want to join us for the evening please let me know so I can put your name on the list for dinner. Sunday morning we have reservations at Pier 1 Restaurant for breakfast at 8.30 am. This is located at 1 North Main Street, North East MD. RUSSELL FLEMING 410.374.9687. fleming@qis.net
(VA) SUN 22 April 8:30AM Breakfast & Ride
(MA) SAT 24 March 11AM MA/ME/NH/VT Monthly Meet & Greet
Kevin Martin will be leading a 2-1/2 hour back roads ride down to the spring Tech Session (see next item) again this year. Anyone wishing to join me on a group ride down to Monson MA, meet up at at Bickfords Restaurant, Nagog Park, Rt 2A/119 in Acton MA. Ride leaves at 7:30 am, so get to Bickfords early if you plan on having breakfast before we leave. Please gas up before breakfast. KEVIN MARTIN 978.459.6275 cog145@verizon.net
Join us for our 1st meet and greet lunch in Mendon, MA at Lowells Restaurant. After lunch we will go on a short 2 hour ride if people are interested. Bring a friend to check out COG and what we have to offer. GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873.1042M COG7010@verizon.net
(ON) TUE 10 April 7PM South Central Ontario Meet-Up Same details as 13 March.
(NY) SAT 14 April 11AM Newburgh Meet & Greet Come join us for lunch at our monthly meet and greet in Newburgh, NY. It's a chance to meet some of the COG family and friends. There is also the possibility of a short ride afterwards. This is a monthly Meet & Greet, normally held on the second Saturday of the month. All are welcome to attend our get together. Come meet some of the COG bunch and hopefully have a great time. BOB BARBANTI 845.895.1130H 845.206.7406M ny.neaad@yahoo.com
(NH) SAT 14 April 11:30AM NH Meet and Greet
Time for the monthly meet and greet dinner at our old haunt, Cromwell Diner. NORM WALTON 860.635.0803H 860.836.5162M ctaad@live.com
Join us for a meet and greet lunch in Raymond, NH at Famous Legends. After lunch we will go on a nice ride. Bring a friend to check out COG and what we have to offer. The more, the merrier! GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873.1042M COG7010@verizon.net
(MD) SAT-SUN 24-25 March 9AM Crab Cakes Ride
(MD) SUN 15 April 8:30AM C14 Riders & Friends Ride
(CT) SAT 17 March 4PM Cromwell Diner Meet & Greet
Meet at Holly''s Restaurant located east of the Bay Bridge on the service road on the north side of Rt. 50 at exit 43B, heading east (exit 43A if you’re heading west). Breakfast at 9; depart restaurant around 10 and ride the eastern shore of Maryland and Delaware. Ride will end at Elk Neck State Park in North East Maryland where we will camp for the night. Campsites allow 2 tents per site. Hookup with a COG friend and make reservations by calling 1.888.432.2267 and ask for camp site #230 to #240 area which is close to the bath house. I have made reservation at
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Meet for breakfast at the Golden Corral in Frederick MD on route 355 south of route 70 at 5621 Spectrum Dr. Route sheets handed out at breakfast for a 145 mile selfguided ride that will end at Dutch Country Restaurant in Hanover PA. The ride will take you on some of the finest motorcycle riding roads in the area. Come out and show your support for Sport Touring at its finest. If you would like a copy of the ride in GPS format ahead of time contact RUSSELL FLEMING 410.374.9687 fleming@qis.net
Meet at the Marshall VFD at 8:30 AM, 4160 Rectortown Road, Marshall, VA. A ride will follow, weather permitting. PATRICK SPRAGUE 540.743.5132 psprague@shentel.net
(MA) SAT 28 April 7:30AM Ride to Spring Tech Session
(MA) SAT 28 April 9AM Spring Tech Session Hosts Pat and Sher Mulloy along with cohosts Greg and Tracey Habel will be having another spring tech session at the Mulloy’s in Monson MA. Spring Tech Sessions tend to be very popular with area members so if you’re interested in servicing your bike, contact either Greg or Pat in advance to reserve a spot on Tech Day, and to discuss requirements for tools and supplies to accommodate your particular service request. If you don’t have any service needs, stop by anyway to meet fellow COGgers. We will also be providing lunch so bring your appetites! Bring a friend to check out COG and what we have to offer. GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873.1042M COG7010@verizon.net
(CT) FRI-SUN 4-6 May 1:00PM CT Camping Weekend Join hosts Greg & Tracey Habel, and Pat & Sher Mulloy for a memorable spring camping weekend in north western CT near the NY border at the Housatonic Meadows State Park Campground. Friday: arrival, campfire, cowboy dinner. Saturday: day ride, lunch at a family restaurant followed by a cookout and campfire back at the campground. Event cost: ~$20. Camping: ~$17-27. Complete schedule & details on web site. GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873.1042M COG7010@verizon.net
(VA) SUN 6 May 8:30AM Sport Touring Camaraderie Ride 1 All makes and brands Motorcycles welcome. Meet for Breakfast at 8:30 am at Denny’s Restaurant at the Flying J Truck Stop ( I-81 exit 323 ) 1530 Rest Church Road, Winchester VA. There will be 5 rides to
2012 - Issue #1 - early spring
Concours Owners Group NORTHEAST AREA NEWS choose from 150 to 200 miles long, all include paved & unpaved roads and end back at the Flying J Truck Stop. More details on web site PAT SPRAGUE 540.743.5132 psprague@shentel.net RUSSELL FLEMING 410.374.9687 fleming@qis.net
(ON) TUE 8 May 7PM South Central Ontario Meet-Up Same details as 13 March
(NY) SAT 12 May 11AM Newburgh Meet & Greet Same details as 14 April.
(MD) SAT 12 May 12PM Maryland (& tristate) Meet & Greet Bring a friend to introduce them to our Maryland COG family. Meet other Maryland COG members, eat some good food at the Crabby Pig in Cumberland MD, then go on a nice 1-2 hour ride in the mountains to help digest the fine lunch. Route suggestions welcome JOHN HAMILTON 301.733.5387H 301.393.8221W 240.291.8603M john.hamilton@myactv.net
(RI) THU-SUN 17-20 May 6PM NE Spring Fling Rally See back page for description.
(RI) SAT 19 May 12PM Twisted Throttle Open House Join us under the COG canopy for a Meet and Greet at the Twisted Throttle Open House "Bolt on accessories that fit YOUR motorycle". There is no fee for this event. Twisted Throttle will provide lunch free of charge. Whether you are attending the RI Spring Rally, just want to hang with COGers, or are interested in finding out about COG, stop by! GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873.1042M COG7010@verizon.net
(NH) SAT 2 June 8:30AM Petey’s Seafood Lunch Ride Meet with Kevin Martin at the Acton Bickfords, Nagog Park, Rt 2A/119 for breakfast followed by ride leaving at 8:30AM to Rye NH for lunch at Petey’s Seafood Restaurant. We’ll ride up thru southern NH and out along the coast then stop for lunch at Petey’s, located at 1323 Ocean Blvd (1A), Rye NH, 5 miles south of Portsmouth NH, or 8 miles North of Hampton Beach. We should be at Petey’s around 12:30 pm for anyone who wants to join us for lunch. KEVIN MARTIN 978.459.6275 cog145@verizon.net
(MA) FRI-SUN 8-10 June 3PM “Unrally” in the Berkshires Super 8 Lee/Berkshires/Outlet Area, Lee, MA, Call ASAP since they are holding a block of 12 rooms till May 1. Mention COG to get
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rooms at the reduced rate. There will be a Saturday escorted ride in the Berkshires with a lunch stop at a local restaurant. Complete details, local attractions & alternate lodging/camping options on web site. GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873.1042M COG7010@verizon.net
(AR) MON-FRI 11-15 June COG National Rally “No Bad Roads” Eureka Springs, Arkansas. See web site for details.
(ON) TUE 12 June 7PM South Central Ontario Meet-Up Same details as 13 March
(MD) FRI-SAT 22-23 June 3PM North & South Get-Together #15 Come on Friday, setup your tent and have a cookout in the evening. Saturday breakfast, ride and evening cookout. Breakfast will be held in the driveway serving bacon, eggs, juice and coffee starting at 8AM. Then you can leave at your free will on one of many routes that could take you in PA, VA, WV and MD of 260 miles or 1 of 2 short routes of 100 miles or a DUAL Sport Ride. Around 6:30 pm will be the evening cookout. Sunday breakfast served, with a ride there after. Detailed directions and alternate lodging listed on web site. RUSSELL FLEMING 410.374.9687 fleming@qis.net
(NH) SUN 24 June 11AM Wachusett Mountain Meet & Greet Meet us at the top of Mount Wachusett Mountain State Reservation. Bring a bag lunch as we enjoy the view. Ride to follow. Bring a friend! Rising above the surrounding forest to a height of 2006 feet, Mount Wachusett stands as a unique landmark within the central New England landscape. From the summit, a clear day reveals views of Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire, the Berkshires to the west, and the Boston skyline to the east. GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873 COG7010@verizon.net
(??) SUN 1 July 9AM Independence Ride to Big W BBQ What better way to kick off the Independence celebration that to go for a ride and enjoy great BBQ. Like last year, the hope is to set up 3 meet points to kick off rides and make another three prong attack (like the three corner hat of the time) and converge on Big W. More details to follow on web site and next newsletter. TERRY FAHERTY 718.227.2099H tmcefah@aol.com BOB BARBANTI 845.895.1130H 845.206.7406M ny.neaad@yahoo.com
(MA) SAT 7 July 8:30AM Pioneer Valley Ride Meet at Bickfords Restaurant, 526 N. Main St (Rt 12) Leominster MA to join Kevin Martin for a ride which will include some of the best motorcycling roads in western MA, including The Mohawk Trail, 8A, 116, 112, and a number of unmarked county roads. We’ll be stopping for lunch in South Deerfield MA at Wolfie’s Restaurant. KEVIN MARTIN 978.459.6275 cog145@verizon.net
(ON) Tue 10 July 7PM South Central Ontario Meet-Up Same details as 13 March
(PA) FRI-SUN 13-15 July 10AM Cook Forest Camp&Ride This has turned into an annual event with a great turnout every year. This campground is very nice place and motorcycle friendly. The Cook Forest area is a awesome place for riding, with great roads, awesome scenery and plenty of attractions to visit. For you dual-sporters, they have a awesome trail system in the forest to explore, or just kick back and relax around the campfire. They are holding a area for us so when calling for a reservation mention you are with COG. Two tents per site so share if you like. They also have a cabin and sleeping rooms for rent for those who prefer that. Hope to see everyone there. JOE CYPRYCH 724.796.1401H cyprych@windstream.net
(VT) SAT 28 July 11AM Lower VT Meet & Greet Join us for lunch in Springfield VT at Fifty Six Main Street Restaurant followed by an afternoon ride. Bring a friend. We'll stop at the Underground Telescope Museum for pictures as part of the MA/ME/NH/VT Rodeside America 4 state contest. Details & links on web site. GREG HABEL 508.444.2235H 508.856.7609W 508.873 COG7010@verizon.net
AND MANY, MANY MORE (for details of these events see online and in next NE newsletter) (NH) SAT 4 AUG Newport Day Ride (WV) THU-SUN 9-12 AUG Dog Days of Summer Down & Dirty (ME) SAT 18 AUG Spurwink Country Kitchen Lunch (PA) SUN 19 AUG Sport Touring Camaraderie Ride 2 (VA) FRI-SUN 7-9 SEP Memories of Dan/ Crookedest (NH) SAT-SUN 8-9 SEP 2nd Annual Whitehorse Gear Ride & Unrally (MA) SAT 22 SEP West Bridgewater Meet and Greet (WV) FRI-SUN 28-30 SEP COG in Canaan (MA) FRI-SUN 28-30 SEP No-Frills Camping
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Area Director (AD) Steve Smith #3184 203-720-7575 nead@cog-online.org
wayne@mypowercouple.com
Newsletter Editor Neil Baldwin #5762 519-794-0129 cog@peacockforest.ca Assistant Area Directors: (AADs) VT, NH, ME, MA Greg & Tracey Habel #7010
508-444-2235 COG7010@verizon.net
860-836-5162 ctaad@live.com
Metro NY/NJ Terry Faherty #792 718-227-2099 tmcefah@aol.com NY (Hudson Valley NW) Bob Barbanti #7134 845-895-1130 ny.neaad@yahoo.com PA (western) Joe Cyprych #4665 724-796-1401 cyprych@windstream.net
Northcentral PA Duane Shaffer #9189 570-726-4676 dkshaff@kcnet.org
VA/WV Pat Sprague #1887 540-743-5132 psprague@shentel.net
South East PA+NJ south Jim Ansbro #8443 215-805-0909 bluecon06@gmail.com
ON (GTA) Dave Clancy #5452 905-389-7681 davecla2@sympatico.ca
DE, east MD Bob Chappell #1283 302-791-0582 cog1283@comcast.net
ON (eastern) Ken Fader #8534 613-865-7995 kensc14@gmail.com
MD John Hamilton #9279 301.733.5387
Vacant: NY: west/SE/central Canada: Maritimes
john.hamilton@myactv.net
NE AREA STAFF
Web Editor Wayne Geiser #8542 978-851-2710
CT, RI Norm Walton #7011
COG NE “SPRING FLING”—FIRST TIME EVER IN RHODE ISLAND! We have secured motel and banquet facilities in the beautiful coastal town of Westerly. The southern coast of RI is a great location for riding and sight-seeing, and has many attractions nearby including Newport (shopping, sightseeing, the mansions), wineries in Portsmouth, RI, the various attractions at Mystic CT, the casinos in nearby CT and much more. We are sneaking in one week before the “season” officially starts so we can enjoy everything this area offers at more reasonable prices and without crowds. The hotel will open the outdoor, heated pool one week early for us; depending on the temperature, we might need bathing suits or wetsuits. And, of course, this will be the first COG event endorsed by Kirby the KiPass Maskot and held in his home state, so you never know if the little fella’ might show up. Rally Details: Winnapaug Inn 169 Shore Road (Rt. 1A), Westerly, RI 02981 800.288.9906 or 401.348.8350 (www.winnapauginn.com) A limited block of rooms will be held until 4/1/2012 at a reduced price-book early. Member Rally Fee: $35 before April 1; $40 after. The group Dinner will be Friday evening. Saturday COG will have a booth at the Twisted Throttle open house. Review the online Calendar of Event entry at www.cog-online.org for complete details, registration, and contact information. Sample ride routes will be posted in the near future. Rally Questions? Contact Brian Felice at bdfelice @ cox.net or 401.828.3354.
If you are unable to access web-based info & registration, contact Brian with your postal address and a registration form will be mailed promptly to you. photo courtesy Kevin Martin #145