EVENT PAGE - updated on 05-14-26
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(photo) THE RED ROCKET ... sighted just a few days ago! Sir Higgs was out for a Thumper ride!
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(Last week's) ... photo was multi-informational ...
Enjoy the Kansas sunset. We generally have one daily with always a different light show. And always worth the wait. Turn that key off, let the silence of the moment come over you, admire and breathe.
Also, take note of the right hand grip in the photo, or in this case, the right hand grip COVER ... we talked about it earlier today, it's a 5" GRAB-ON grip cover. They've been around for decades but I cannot remember when I viewed another on someone else's motorcycle. I'm not suggesting anyone get these, I'm just showing you a product from the old school days of $2.00 faceshields, $30 dollar helmets, and 15 cent hamburgers ... hey, is THIS the HISTORY PAGE?
Today's ride was a mere but dear 52 miles. I left the shed on the Himalayan 411 about 5:30PM, rolled in at home about 7PM ... gassed up earlier at 6:28PM with Top Tier fuel at the T & A truckstop; 1.9166 gallons of 87 octane at Pump 3.
As I rode into the facility driveway and headed for the pumps, I about got ran over by a gangster in a red Dodge Charger who was fleeing the scene for some unknown reason. He swerved to his right but never lifted, that big Dodge was moving! I swerved to my right ... we passed without contact ... I motored over to Pump #3, a smile on my face.
I fish out my wallet, stick in my card, and follow the exact same prompts as last night's fuel-up. The pump doesn't think I have the ability to learn, so I get the same simple instructions day after day, reminds me of home (grin).
$3.599 per gallon. $6.90 total. 117 miles, yesterday and today divided into 1.9166 gallons = 61.0 miles per gallon ... a bit less than my normal but it's been a cool couple of days and my road speed has been a bit higher than my normal loaf-along pace so, as they say, if you are gonna dance, you have to pay the piper. As always, my receipt Thanked me and asked me to Please Come Again. I replied that I plan to ... gasoline across town is $3.99 per gallon on non-Top Tier fuel. My fore-finger touched the starter button and the motor fired to life. I waited a moment to allow the spinning motor to settle in, then I softly clicked the Himalayan into first gear and off I rode...
My route had been a meandering one, first south then east, then more south, then west, then back north, then east ... you get the drift ... Oh! One photo. I try every ride to take at least one photo of something, it isn't always about the photo, but it is always about the moment ... there is something about stopping for a moment, taking a moment, shutting off the motor, to set there in silence, interrupted only by any nearby traffic or animals, etc and always the metallic ticking of the rapidly cooling exhaust pipe, which I think on this bike is stainless steel ... it has a distinctive high note "ting" to it ... nice.
My photo was of a signboard. You might not believe it, but I was momentarily on a short stretch of four-lane highway, US Highway 50. The big sign was supported by a large center post and was in a grassy area quite a ways off the road. There were weeds, etc. randomly about, the area having a look of disarray that seemed to down-play the presence of the soft blue signboard with words in large white letters...
LIFE IS HARD
Because of that, I try to remember this:
* Show up every day
*Look for the good
*Walk with the wise
Proverbs 13:20 (signed in cursive by) ... Jarod C. Oatney
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KEEP ON THUMPIN' - SHARE THIS SITE AS YOU WISH WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. NO COST AND NO SECRET PASSWORDS - IT IS OUR GIFT TO THE MOTORCYCLISTS OF THE WORLD AND THEIR FRIENDS... #000 (updated each week, so motor by weekly)
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May 20, 2026
FSSNOC THUMPERCAFE LUNCH #67
ST. FRANCIS, KANSAS
... Located very close to the actual center of the lower 48 states, in other words, no matter where YOU live in the lower 48 states of the USA, YOU are already half-way there! AWESOME!
This lunch is for FSSNOC members only. If you are planning to attend this THUMPERCAFE lunch, please respond ASAP with how many you expect to be in your group even if it is only one, YOU. This is helpful for planning purposes, seating needs, staff, etc, etc ... and should something change your plan, not a problem.
To respond, you may call or text: 1-620-663-1869. If we do not pickup, leave a voice message with your name, FSSNOC #, phone number, and a good time for us to return your call.
Or ... you may E-mail this website at: [email protected]
(Note that our response, if one is needed, will be posted here at this site on the next update opportunity...)
As always, please note that attendees (FSSNOC members) may drive, fly, ride, whatever ... Members are invited to get there via the conveyance of their choosing. Area lodging abounds in nearby Goodland, KS. and Burlington, CO. and sources indicate that there are a couple of lodging opportunities in St. Francis as well.
Arrival time for our group lunch:
12:45PM on MAY 20, 2026, a Wednesday.
Please register with FSSNOC when you arrive at our dining site, and yes, we will have name tags. We plan to dine as a group. Group seating is scheduled for 1:15PM. Don't be late, ya hear (grin)?
As always, we respectfully request that alcohol not be consumed prior to or during our club gathering. Individual checks will be utilized so bring money for your personal expenses. And, we suggest the wearing of club gear (t-shirt and/or cap) to enhance our experience. Please travel safely.
The small city of ST. FRANCIS, KS is nestled in the extreme NW corner of Kansas, adjacent to both Nebraska and Colorado. Founded in 1887, ST. FRANCIS has a colorful history as does the area where it is located and much of that history remains today.
One of the possibilities to consider within the City is a mosey through the ST. FRANCIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM located in the very heart of the city. Ha! Ha! ... Yes, I know! We all visit museums in our own way, some breeze through and others can spend the day.
Do as you wish or if you wish ... Questions to the Museum? You may call their phone as listed: 785-332-2400. City Offices phone is listed as 785-332-3142. Museum hours are listed as: OPEN DAILY, 10AM - 5PM ... so should you care to visit the Museum, feel free to choose a time that is convenient for you and ... Enjoy.
The last time I rode to St.Francis, there was gasoline available.
If this will be your first THUMPERCAFE, please note that FSSNOC gatherings are static events ... in other words, no riding. We have been doing all this for 40 years and long ago we discovered that our group enjoyment level is at its highest when we gather around a table to share a meal, hence, our name: THUMPERCAFE.
Our cherished motto is: Come Meet, Greet, and Eat.
FOR MORE INFO, see THUMPER NEWS #163, pages 30-31...
Carrie and I wish you all an awesome time and safe travel! JR/CR
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!
1776-2026 - 250 YEARS!
FSSNOC MEMBERS ... YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND US A PHOTO OF YOUR THUMPER WITH OUR FLAG, THE STARS AND STRIPES, WITHIN THE SHOT? DO THIS TO REMEMBER OUR COUNTRY AND TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION WITH FELLOW FSSNOC FRIENDS AND MEMBERS...
PREFACE YOUR EMAIL WITH THE WORDS ABOVE:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!
INCLUDE A FEW WORDS OF COMMENT ABOUT THE PHOTO SCENE, YOUR THUMPER, ETC ? EMAIL TO:
[email protected]
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**************************************************************************************************
(photo) THE RED ROCKET ... sighted just a few days ago! Sir Higgs was out for a Thumper ride!
**************************************************************************************************
(Last week's) ... photo was multi-informational ...
Enjoy the Kansas sunset. We generally have one daily with always a different light show. And always worth the wait. Turn that key off, let the silence of the moment come over you, admire and breathe.
Also, take note of the right hand grip in the photo, or in this case, the right hand grip COVER ... we talked about it earlier today, it's a 5" GRAB-ON grip cover. They've been around for decades but I cannot remember when I viewed another on someone else's motorcycle. I'm not suggesting anyone get these, I'm just showing you a product from the old school days of $2.00 faceshields, $30 dollar helmets, and 15 cent hamburgers ... hey, is THIS the HISTORY PAGE?
Today's ride was a mere but dear 52 miles. I left the shed on the Himalayan 411 about 5:30PM, rolled in at home about 7PM ... gassed up earlier at 6:28PM with Top Tier fuel at the T & A truckstop; 1.9166 gallons of 87 octane at Pump 3.
As I rode into the facility driveway and headed for the pumps, I about got ran over by a gangster in a red Dodge Charger who was fleeing the scene for some unknown reason. He swerved to his right but never lifted, that big Dodge was moving! I swerved to my right ... we passed without contact ... I motored over to Pump #3, a smile on my face.
I fish out my wallet, stick in my card, and follow the exact same prompts as last night's fuel-up. The pump doesn't think I have the ability to learn, so I get the same simple instructions day after day, reminds me of home (grin).
$3.599 per gallon. $6.90 total. 117 miles, yesterday and today divided into 1.9166 gallons = 61.0 miles per gallon ... a bit less than my normal but it's been a cool couple of days and my road speed has been a bit higher than my normal loaf-along pace so, as they say, if you are gonna dance, you have to pay the piper. As always, my receipt Thanked me and asked me to Please Come Again. I replied that I plan to ... gasoline across town is $3.99 per gallon on non-Top Tier fuel. My fore-finger touched the starter button and the motor fired to life. I waited a moment to allow the spinning motor to settle in, then I softly clicked the Himalayan into first gear and off I rode...
My route had been a meandering one, first south then east, then more south, then west, then back north, then east ... you get the drift ... Oh! One photo. I try every ride to take at least one photo of something, it isn't always about the photo, but it is always about the moment ... there is something about stopping for a moment, taking a moment, shutting off the motor, to set there in silence, interrupted only by any nearby traffic or animals, etc and always the metallic ticking of the rapidly cooling exhaust pipe, which I think on this bike is stainless steel ... it has a distinctive high note "ting" to it ... nice.
My photo was of a signboard. You might not believe it, but I was momentarily on a short stretch of four-lane highway, US Highway 50. The big sign was supported by a large center post and was in a grassy area quite a ways off the road. There were weeds, etc. randomly about, the area having a look of disarray that seemed to down-play the presence of the soft blue signboard with words in large white letters...
LIFE IS HARD
Because of that, I try to remember this:
* Show up every day
*Look for the good
*Walk with the wise
Proverbs 13:20 (signed in cursive by) ... Jarod C. Oatney
**************************************************************************************************
KEEP ON THUMPIN' - SHARE THIS SITE AS YOU WISH WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. NO COST AND NO SECRET PASSWORDS - IT IS OUR GIFT TO THE MOTORCYCLISTS OF THE WORLD AND THEIR FRIENDS... #000 (updated each week, so motor by weekly)
**************************************************************************************************
May 20, 2026
FSSNOC THUMPERCAFE LUNCH #67
ST. FRANCIS, KANSAS
... Located very close to the actual center of the lower 48 states, in other words, no matter where YOU live in the lower 48 states of the USA, YOU are already half-way there! AWESOME!
This lunch is for FSSNOC members only. If you are planning to attend this THUMPERCAFE lunch, please respond ASAP with how many you expect to be in your group even if it is only one, YOU. This is helpful for planning purposes, seating needs, staff, etc, etc ... and should something change your plan, not a problem.
To respond, you may call or text: 1-620-663-1869. If we do not pickup, leave a voice message with your name, FSSNOC #, phone number, and a good time for us to return your call.
Or ... you may E-mail this website at: [email protected]
(Note that our response, if one is needed, will be posted here at this site on the next update opportunity...)
As always, please note that attendees (FSSNOC members) may drive, fly, ride, whatever ... Members are invited to get there via the conveyance of their choosing. Area lodging abounds in nearby Goodland, KS. and Burlington, CO. and sources indicate that there are a couple of lodging opportunities in St. Francis as well.
Arrival time for our group lunch:
12:45PM on MAY 20, 2026, a Wednesday.
Please register with FSSNOC when you arrive at our dining site, and yes, we will have name tags. We plan to dine as a group. Group seating is scheduled for 1:15PM. Don't be late, ya hear (grin)?
As always, we respectfully request that alcohol not be consumed prior to or during our club gathering. Individual checks will be utilized so bring money for your personal expenses. And, we suggest the wearing of club gear (t-shirt and/or cap) to enhance our experience. Please travel safely.
The small city of ST. FRANCIS, KS is nestled in the extreme NW corner of Kansas, adjacent to both Nebraska and Colorado. Founded in 1887, ST. FRANCIS has a colorful history as does the area where it is located and much of that history remains today.
One of the possibilities to consider within the City is a mosey through the ST. FRANCIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM located in the very heart of the city. Ha! Ha! ... Yes, I know! We all visit museums in our own way, some breeze through and others can spend the day.
Do as you wish or if you wish ... Questions to the Museum? You may call their phone as listed: 785-332-2400. City Offices phone is listed as 785-332-3142. Museum hours are listed as: OPEN DAILY, 10AM - 5PM ... so should you care to visit the Museum, feel free to choose a time that is convenient for you and ... Enjoy.
The last time I rode to St.Francis, there was gasoline available.
If this will be your first THUMPERCAFE, please note that FSSNOC gatherings are static events ... in other words, no riding. We have been doing all this for 40 years and long ago we discovered that our group enjoyment level is at its highest when we gather around a table to share a meal, hence, our name: THUMPERCAFE.
Our cherished motto is: Come Meet, Greet, and Eat.
FOR MORE INFO, see THUMPER NEWS #163, pages 30-31...
Carrie and I wish you all an awesome time and safe travel! JR/CR
************************************************************************
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!
1776-2026 - 250 YEARS!
FSSNOC MEMBERS ... YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND US A PHOTO OF YOUR THUMPER WITH OUR FLAG, THE STARS AND STRIPES, WITHIN THE SHOT? DO THIS TO REMEMBER OUR COUNTRY AND TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION WITH FELLOW FSSNOC FRIENDS AND MEMBERS...
PREFACE YOUR EMAIL WITH THE WORDS ABOVE:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!
INCLUDE A FEW WORDS OF COMMENT ABOUT THE PHOTO SCENE, YOUR THUMPER, ETC ? EMAIL TO:
[email protected]
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