MAY 4, 2007 ... Disaster strikes Greensburg, Kansas (to learn more, google it...)
Greensburg, Kansas was established in 1886, just one year after the first Dr. Pepper was consumed in 1885. Historians record this date as simply DP ... well, maybe not.
Anyway, Greensburg was named after a hot rod stagecoach driver of the day, Mr. Donald R. Green, who was called "Cannonball" Green. Cannonball had a stage line that was known as the fastest stage in the west, or going west, whatever ... his stages were pulled at a high rate of speed by an eight horse team that was changed out every 8 to 10 miles. Today, traffic on that part of highway 54 are traveling Cannonball's route, one will see signs along the route denoting that fact ... the "Cannonball" highway.
Today, well ... actually yesterday, I joyfully rode the 180 miles round-trip to see for myself. What did I find?
Greensburg is an amazing town, having survived the devastation that you see above ... nowdays, it is almost all new and fresh and, yes ... green, very green. You will be happy to know that it does indeed have a gas station of sorts, maybe two. It, Greensburg, was rebuilt with the idea of zero carbon content, not sure that was achieved, again ... google it and find out for yourself or better yet, don't google it, just stop by on your way to Gate, Oklahoma to attend the FSSNOC FALL FESTIVAL on October 8th, Friday ... we eat as a group at 1:00PM!!!!
There are many things to do and see in Greensburg, but probably the most memorable to most folks is a visit to the "Big Well". It is subscribed to be the "World's Largest Hand-dug Well". It was dug back in 1888 and was used as the town's water supply until 1932. One might pause to wonder if an ice cold Dr. Pepper was served the weary staff?
After the tornado of 2007, a modern museum has been constructed on the site of the well that contains artifacts of the tornado plus, and get this, a 1000 pound meteorite of 1/2 stone and 1/2 iron, called the Pallasite Meteorite (Space Wanderer). This little known fact may be of particular interest to those among us who have invested in a new Meteor from Royal Enfield. It is our desire that we will have several of these gems at our event, or maybe even more fitting, at Greensburg the night prior to our luncheon date in Gate?
Oh, NO! I may have just let the proverbial "cat out of the bag..." Read on the find out?
Hopefully this tidbit of information has whetted you appetite to come see for yourself ... to learn more and why this information is pertinent to you fellow FSSNOCers ... go to the Event Page by way of the History Page ... where this message is continued... ----->
See you there - Thump! Thump!
but first, finish this page, okay?
Hello JR,
Nice bridge pictures these last 2 weeks on the Garage. Last weeks picture of the big bridge looked familiar to me. After some thought it came to me, I've crossed that bridge on 2 wheels 35 times. Two of those times happened during my "Tiddler to the Rescue" story about 5 years ago in TN.
Before the bridge there was ferry service there. I remember being on that ferry on a fishing trip with an uncle in about 1956. The towers for the bridge were built but no cables or deck at that time.
Am having to limit my handlebar time do to minor health issues. Hoping to get out again in a few weeks. Ride safe, Vic Force, #3701, NC
Hey Vic ... Wow! You've crossed the Mackinac Bridge 35 times!! You have me beat by 33, both on Four-Stroke Singles I am proud to say!
Okay, out there in FSSNOC land, how many times have YOU crossed the Mackinac, and note that Vic did not say "on my Thumper" for every time ... send us your count to FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com (this will not work by clicking upon it, as we have lamented many times to no avail...) Go ahead, email us your own crossing count?
Thank You, Vic! Best Wishes, Pal! - #000
Hi Jack:
Hope all is well with you and yours. I've been busy putting miles on my Meteor and not spending much time on the computer. But want to RSVP on the Gate, OK Thumper Cafe. I'll be there on my Meteor.
(AWESOME, LLOYD-see above then check the other pages for "the rest of the story"! - #000)
Looking forward to the trip. We routinely travel through Oklahoma to visit our grandchildren in Texas. I also spent a couple of months in artillery school in Ft. Sill by Lawton. See you on 8 Oct.
Lloyd
#5224 - South Dakota
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NOW we can GO to the OTHER PAGES.......................... thank you! - #000
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BRIDGES ... BOTH OLD AND NEW ERA.
LAST WEEK WE FEATURED THE MACKINAC BRIDGE, THIS WEEK WE FEATURE A LOCAL KANSAS BRIDGE ON A TWO-TRACK GRASSY ROAD ... we rode this one on our return trip to the house. That's Jay in the photo ... (09-16-'21)
Jack--sorry about missing the Goshen/JANUS visit.
Gene Burgess and my brother and I were about two hours from Goshen and headed that way from Defiance, Ohio when my Honda XR650 picked up a nail.
By the time we located a dealer with a tube and a trailer to transport my bike, it was too late to make the tour.
So we headed to our next motel destination which was 1.5 hours south of Goshen.
Hated to miss everything, but it's about the journey, not the destination, right? We had 1476 fun miles anyway.
Quick question about the club policy. I have an opportunity to trade my XR650 single for a Kawi 650 twin. Does that exclude me from being able to participate in any future FSSNOC events? I'll respect and understand your answer as I already have an idea what it will be. Thanks.
Paul Dellinger, FSSNOC member #5342
Hi Paul ... So sorry you missed our gathering! Happy to hear that you made it home and all is well. Did you guys go ahead and go to JANUS? It was great fun and very interesting to talk to those guys, ride the new bikes, and take the factory tour. Hope you got to do it...
And, in reference to your question ... we invite FSSNOC members to attend our club's gatherings, arriving by whatever conveyance they like ... so there ya' go.
See, that was easy, huh?
Best Wishes, Paul! - #000
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*******2021 Bonneville Report*********
Each summer I volunteer at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on my motorcycle. Last year this event was canceled due to the pandemic. Windover Utah is approximately 630-miles from my sunny home in California. After Bonneville I usually take a leisurely motorcycle ride through Idaho and Montana to visit friends and family. This year with the new variant of the Delta Virus all my friends and family that live in Idaho and Montana said not to stop by for a visit.
So this year I caught a ride in my friend’s Tesla. It was also a benefit not to have to breath all that smoke from the forest fires. Basically I went straight to Bonneville Salt Flats, volunteered for a week, then straight home.
The Bonneville Salt Flats is a very unique place to visit or in my case volunteer to help the world’s fastest motorcycles run. As a volunteer in past years I have worked in the radio room announcing the motorcycles. This year due to a shortage of volunteers I also worked in the “Pre-Stage” area. Both jobs gave me a front row seat of the motorcycles, the race teams, and riders.
In the photo below (not shown here), I’m standing next to one of the markers of the race course. The race course is so vast that the curvature of the earth hides the start and finish locations. Sometimes the motorcycles are racing for a couple of minutes before they appear low over the horizon.
Navigating across the salt flats is bad enough in the daylight not to get lost. But the volunteers have to be in place on the race course before sunrise while it is still dark. So finding your place on the race course before sunrise can be really tough.
In the photo below (not shown here) is the “Pre-Stage” area that I worked. At this location you can see forever in all directions. This is where the motorcycles get their instructions as to which of the two race tracks to race and start locations.
Due to the restrictions of the pandemic very few international racers attended. The few foreign racers that attended had to spend weeks in quarantine coming and going.
Smoke from the forest fires in California was all around us during the racing. This year we never really saw a sunrise or sunset.
In the next photo (also not featured here) is one of the more extreme motorcycles that races on the salt flats. I use the word “motorcycle” loosely, it has two wheels. The owner of this motorcycle has been working on it for 12-years.
At the other extreme end of the motorcycles that appear at the Salt Flats is something more on the artistical or whimsical side. There is a large group from the Washington state area that builds very custom motorcycles that look like they came from a post-atomic holocaust era. I call them Frankenstein motorcycles. But they look pretty cool anyway
This year my motorcycle club sponsored a 13- and 16-year-old to race. The two boys have volunteered in past years but never raced. In the photo below is the 13-year-old getting ready to race.
The 13-year-old was a little intimidated racing for the first time. He never got the 125cc motorcycle in top gear and went only 24 MPH. On his second run I gave him a goal that I thought he could do, I suggested he not ride over 150 MPH. After his second and final run he managed to ride 26 MPH. So I guess he was successful in keeping that little motorcycle under 150 MPH.
The 16-year-old rider managed to push the little motorcycle closer to it limits of 60 MPH.
The last race day we shut down early so everyone could clean up to attend the Celebration Banquet that night.
I guess it was a good thing I skipped visiting friends in Idaho and Montana on my way home because the Corona virus was spreading badly in those areas.
I need to get home to get ready for my next adventure.
Alan Smith, #5286 - California
Hey Alan ... Thank You for the above article! I had to dump the sand out of my boots after reading it!
A future adventure? Sure! We invite you to come to GATE, OKLAHOMA on OCTOBER THE 8TH, FRIDAY at 1:00PM for lunch at LAURIE'S CAFE. Be sure to confirm with FSSNOC prior to heading out by texting/calling 620-663-1869 or checking our website at: www.fssnoc.com COME MEET, GREET, and EAT with us? - #000.
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be sure to visit the other pages on this website for more thumper info, etc...
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(09-09-21) MACKINAC BRIDGE ... the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere at 26,372 feet, is 552 feet high, 68.6 feet wide (four lanes - two are steel grates, two are paved), and has a daily travel count of 11,600 vehicles ... including the three Thumpers within the above photo (well, our host photographer failed to get much of Ron's awesome KLR650), but otherwise she did a bang-up job and she didn't run away with my phone!
Note that two outta the three dudes are sporting brand new riding gear from Aerostich ... the third guy had to have some special measurements so Andy said it'd be coming soon, I can hardly wait!
What you can't see is that over our shoulders, to the Southwest, there was not one but two NASTY storm cells gaining more momentum by the minute ... but who was looking?
I won't give all the details here, I plan to tell all within our upcoming issue of Thumper News, but I will say this ... two outta the three guys stayed dry in the next few minutes.
Can you guess who didn't?
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FINALLY FIFTY
When Jack announced this year's Thumper Cafe destination, I knew I had to make the trip. After traveling with my late husband Larry for 20 years, mostly on motorcycles, I had visited every state but Hawaii and North Dakota. I made it to the islands 3 years ago, but still not the illusive North Dakota!
...Gemma Rickner #4848- KS
(LEARN MORE FROM GEMMA IN TN#145, coming to a mailbox near you... - #000)
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FORT RANSOM
Jack,
Here's my story for Thumper News. I hope the club members will enjoy it.
Steve #5266
(THANK YOU, STEVE! ... was really good to see a fellow Himalayan rider there! - #000)
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AN OLD FRIEND RETURNS
Hi Jack ... I know this is short notice but I am not going to make it to Fort Ransom.
We had a family death Friday night and I need to deal with that. I was looking forward to coming as it was going to be so close. Maybe next time.
On a happier note I got back my old 1978 SR500 Yamaha. Needs a little TLC but should be a fun project.
Later John B #4794 - North Dakota
John ... We did miss you at Fort Ransom. Our sympathy to the family and you, yes, we hope to see you, as they say, up the road! Thank You, John! - #000.
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OPEN THE GATE, HERE I COME
Well, I won't be making it to ND, but Gate in October may be doable.
Gate, OK - isn't that deja vu all over again?
Kerry, #4543 - AZ
(REPLY) Yeah, you are right, Kerry ... almost double deja vu, maybe?
This is our third time to frequent that proverbial "wide spot in the road" ... we just can't get enough of that "one"derful stuff!
It's always a fun destination, always has great food, and the nice lady that runs the Cafe, "in one of the two useable buildings in town", as commented by a patron, keeps our photos on her phone in memory of her late husband who was also a motorcyclist.
As we say, "COME TO GATE,
DON'T BE LATE,
WE DINE AT ... ONE!
... #000
(REALLY MISSED YOU AGAIN THIS YEAR, IT'S BEEN WAY TOOOOO LONG AND YOU WOULD HAVE L-O-V-E-D THE LOCATION!!)
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YO BOB ... Thanks for the memory photos but, alas, they were too small to enlarge here on the big silver screen without loosing clarity ... sorry! - #000
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THREE FENDERS ... sorry to report that the forward you sent on that really cool XR100 didn't transfer, so we were unable to use it ... bummer!
Who wouldn't just have a ball on a hot rod 100cc Honda ... or am I too old for that kind of foolishness?
Is it A or B?
A - No
B - No
C - Maybe (remember, broken collarbones hurt!)
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TUNE IN NEXT WEEK ... (but don't forget to visit EVERY PAGE before you thump away) ... we here at the FSSNOC THUMPERGARAGE are updated every week, just in time for after-dinner on Thursday ... tell your friends and neighbors to check us out ... no password needed! They will thank you for your sharing your fun with them, MR. ROGERS would tell his neighbors, right? Keep On Thumpin'!
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(Website Details and Instructions: )
Hello Thumper Enthusiasts...
I'm Jack Robinson (FSSNOC #000), your club Director.
It is an honor to introduce you to the THUMPERGARAGE. This mini-venue is in addition to our legendary hard copy THUMPER NEWS quarterly magazine. After enjoying this page, please visit our other pages on this site. Go to the masthead above to make it happen...
You are encouraged to "thump" by the THUMPERGARAGE weekly. This is a FREE site for you and your friends.
Members may contact us anytime 24/7 with comments, conversation, stories, or questions via a mailed letter, a phone call/text or an e-mail. When you E-mail, please give us your first name, your FSSNOC member number, and your state. You'll receive a courtesy confirmation E-mail back.
Our actual response to your E-mail will generally be posted on the following Thursday's THUMPERGARAGE update so be sure to tune back in then... (Address-phone number-email address is below... **)
We also encourage you to join our club:
Complete the application found elsewhere on this site (click on "more" above) and mail it to us with $100.00 dues for a 12 month USA membership, WE MAIL ONLY TO USA ADDRESSES. Include your shirt size so we may gift you a FREE club t-shirt if this is your initial membership.
A subscription to THUMPER NEWS magazine, mailed to your mailbox (NOW BY FIRST CLASS), is included in your membership as well.
U.S. POSTAL address is: FSSNOC P.O. Box 1809, Hutchinson, Ks 67504-1809.
To call OR text our club, phone 620-663-1869. If no answer, leave a message as these are spam times.
You may send an E-mail: FSSNOCTHUMPERS@yahoo.com
NOTICE: Please understand that your E-mail may be reproduced on this site. Any/all subject matter and information submitted may be used in-part or edited and will become the property of the Four-Stroke Singles National Owners Club (FSSNOC,INC.). All included content in Thumper News or Thumper Garage is solely for entertainment, not advise....
THE CLUB STORE ... GO VISIT IT WHEN YOU ARE DONE HERE?
The Autumn season means awesome riding for many areas ... time to get some new club gear, eh? Order yourself a bright new yellow and black club cap, a couple t-shirts, and at least one sweatshirt to wear under your riding gear. Remember, every day is FSSNOC gear day. Tell the world about our club ... Thanks!
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YOU'VE JUST VISITED THE THUMPERGARAGE. PLEASE CLICK ON THE "MORE" ON THE MASTHEAD ABOVE ... AND CHECK OUT ALL THE OTHER PAGES OF THIS SITE.
PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE FOUR-STROKE SINGLES NATIONAL OWNERS CLUB (FSSNOC) TODAY ...Thank You! - Jack, FSSNOC #000/Director
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