FSSNOC THUMPER GARAGE
************************************************************************************ THIS WEBSITE UPDATE IS FOR ... 01-10-19
OUR NEXT ANTICIPATED UPDATE IS ... 01- 17 - 2019
See "Website Details and Instruction" section at the bottom of all this great conversation.
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"Sure, I like the mud!"... that was Kevin's comment.
This mud is special. It is red, as you can see, but what you can't see is how slick it is! One minute you are doing fine, the next second, you are down and looking up at the world ... fun stuff, but it is messy! We did get the BMW F650 picked up but it was all we wanted, largely because our footing was so insecure.
The following story which goes with the photo above ran last week on the Event Page so it'll be a repeat here but you might enjoy it again or you can skip down over it as you desire...
SOME DAYS ARE JUST SPECIAL!
My day in mind was last Friday. A bit of background here ... I have a text loop of sixteen local FSSNOC members who allow me to invade their media privacy several times a week, sometimes later in the day than I should, and sometimes with information that is of little or of debatable value.
Weather-wise, last Thursday was a nice day, last Friday was a great day, and Saturday looked like, and today proved to be, an over-the-top day!
This assemblage of thoughts and memories before you and the photo above is about what went on or as street-speak says, went "down" on Friday.
I don't watch much TV, well, regular TV, as I dislike commercials, mostly, that and the fact that most TV shows are of little interest to me and I seldom to never watch the weather channel. I do hope to catch some SuperCross later this evening but first I need to get my story told here, eh?
12:01PM. I think it was on Thursday, in anticipation of Friday's great weather as forecast on my I-phone, I had put a message on our text loop that I planned on riding dirt roads to Kingman, Ks. and to dine at Smitty's Drive-In ... did anyone want to go?
Silence... then:
12:09PM. I get a text from Kevin, FSSNOC #5414. "What time, #000?".
12:10PM. This is cool! I text him back, "About 1:00PM?"
12:12PM "Let's ride. I just need some air. Stop by my place, I'll be ready at 1" he replied by return text.
01:58PM. I get another text nibble. "Mr. Kenny will join you!" ... that be my ole pal, FSSNOC #5313.
07:30PM. At our local M/C club's monthly meeting, Dwain, #5174 and Ro, #5357, tell me they're coming.
Smitty's Drive-In will make your day special. Onion rings as big as softballs, cut and cooked within a few feet of where one places the order. You will want to pay cash 'cause they give a discount for cash, save that plastic for another time, okay? And, sweet tea! Ahh, one thing that global warming has done for us here in Kansas is to bring us this delectable beverage, along, however, with a few hundred Armadillos up from Texas and Oklahoma. You can tell the ones from Oklahoma 'cause they are covered with red dirt and the Texas 'dillos make a sound that sounds curiously like "ya'all got any grubs 'round here"...
Another thing that is special about Smitty's is the opportunity to dine outside just a stone's throw away from US50 as the east-west bound traffic charges smack-dab through the center of town, shaking the ground and stirring my tea, all in one fail swoop. I can sit there for hours, or at least as long as the sweet tea and the onion rings hold out ... and the burgers are really good, too.
1:00PM. Anticipating meeting everyone at Smitty's at 2:30PM, I get to Kevin's house as planned, the garage door is open, no one is around. I steal some tools, I top off my tank from his lawnmower fuel, I snack on some day old (?) powder donuts that I discover laying about, and I wash all this down with some cold beverage from his double-door garage fridge...
1:10PM. Kevin shows-up from inside the house, his eyes look sleepy and his speech seems slurred as he struggles to put on a layer of cold-weather gear, that micro-thin stuff that I can't afford. (grin)
1:20PM. After finally getting a medium-sized bike bag strapped onto the rear rack of his F650 BMW, he pushes the bike outside in the sun and hits the starter.
Silence.
1:30PM. He hastily attempts to connect one of those mini-jump starter things that will jump-start a left-over from WWII tank but again, silence ... except for that warning signal that they give off when the wrong terminals are connected...
1:36PM. "You better go, I'll see you there...", he mutters.
1:36.5PM. My Yamaha is running and my wheels are turning, I'm humming, "Onion rings on my mind..."
2:37PM. I arrive at Smitty's few minutes late. Dwain and Ro are already eating. I catch some flak for being late, I just smile and shake my head, it's how we roll. I, of course, attempt to blame Kevin, which they didn't buy that...
2:45PM. Kenny and Barbara arrive. By then, I've dragged the picnic table out into the Drive-In driveway to take advantage of the warm sunshine and you know what, they don't mind at all, they're good folks at Smitty's!
2:55PM. Kevin rolls in on his BMW F650, a smile on his face.
It was a wonderful afternoon. Great conversation. Tasty food. The sky so blue it almost hurt to look at it. Not a cloud, not a flaw. Perfect.
4:15PM. Kevin and I ride out of town in search of some cotton bales to photograph for the monthly PPMC "Simon Sez" contest which, earlier in our meal, Kenny and Barb had put me onto the location of said bales. They suggested taking "old 54 highway" to get there. It was my bright idea to take a rustic (as they are called in Indiana) route that runs parallel to their prescribed route, what could be the harm, right?
4:22PM. We clear the city, topping a couple of red bluffs and negotiating a damp and rutted curve or two. I take note that I can no longer see Kevin's headlight in my rearview, not good. I make a tight u-turn on the wet red clay surface and back-track...
4:23PM. I find Kevin, standing beside his BMW. He is upright, the BMW is not. We'd crossed a wickedly muddy section, or at least, I had ... Kevin had made it halfway. Does a bike make a sound in the woods when it falls? How about in 6 inches or more of red gooey mud?
I hurriedly dismounted and did what? I fished for my phone and snapped a couple of photos, of course. I may never get another chance to get a photo of Kevin's bike on its side in the mud. Kevin's comment, "I've just returned from a five week motorcycle trip in Viet Nam and I didn't ever fall down! I come back here and fall down in the mud!"
Why no photo of Kevin in his moment of plight here on the Thumper Garage? Well, I'm going to wait to see what Kevin says about me writing all this and if he is still friendly and speaking to me, I'll run the photo at the next update ... so as they say, tune-in next week!
As for the photo above ... it was the toasted marshmallow after a weaner roast on a crisp Autumn night, it was the last morsel of that really flaky crust on one of Carrie's cherry pies, it was a thin layer of 90wt oil on a dry shiny chain, it was a hot cup of french vanilla laden coffee at the end of a super day.
I really enjoyed Kevin's company and I hope he'll ride with me again someday. Of note, I didn't really steal any tools or gas up my bike or eat those stale donuts, but sometimes a writer just can't pass up the opportunity to embellish, ya' know? What is it they call that ... poetic license? Anyway, I hope he enjoyed the day like I did and he'll go again, it isn't easy to get people to ride with me for some reason, can't figure that one out?? - #000
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Now on a sad note ... Jim Crank, an old riding buddy of mine has departed this earth after fighting the good fight against cancer. A fellow resident of ThumperVille, Jim was an active FSSNOC member until just a few years ago, having joined in 2004. He often rode his Kawasaki KLR650 with me to attend club ThumperCafe events. One of our favorite trips was to a ghost town called Gold Point, Nevada. We covered lots of miles in almost two weeks time on the road during that trip and we always marveled that we didn't get rained on, nary a drop! I had the pleasure of meeting Jim's step-dad, Richard, in the mid-sixties, introducing him to the joys and follies of the two wheeled world, then it wasn't long before Jim followed suit. Richard still takes an occasional spin on his 650cc BSA leftover from the old days. Good people, Good friends. - #000
You are welcome to read Jim's obituary at the address below:
https://www.elliottmortuary.com/obituary/jim-crank
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HAPPY NEW YEAR, SIR! ... Hard to believe it is 2019! Time to renew and stay up to date. I really treasure this membership and I appreciate your enthusiasm and commitment to the club.
Currently, it's 34 degrees here in the Pacific Northwest, but I see a good chance for a ride on day 1, 2019.
Have a great year! Dale, FSSNOC #5369 - Washington
Hi Dale ... Enjoy that ride! Thanks for the nice comments. It is a pleasure to have you as a member... #000.
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For those of you who have opened your FSSNOC Thumper Calendar for 2019, hopefully you have read the two center pages titled,
"Welcome To The New Year of 2019!"
The gist of my comments is that we, as a body of Thumper enthusiasts and fellow members of FSSNOC, need to get serious about building our club membership numbers so that we may prosper well into the future. Now I'm sure this isn't a new subject to many of you, and believe me, it isn't very fun to have to always be talking about getting new members, BUT ... it's true, so what can I say?
However, I have good news! The New Year has kicked-off, here it is the 10th day of January, we have three new members, each one signed on by an existing member ... and that is exactly the action we need! Two Kansas members responded and one Ohio member responded to the challenge ... Guys, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
More good news ... another member noted that we should have a bigger, better calendar in 2020! How is this good news, one might ask? Because he cares, he shares his thoughts ... and he's right, who wouldn't enjoy a bigger, better calendar. So, why don't we have it? Because we can't pay for it. What happened to the nice printed response form that we used for years to thank members for their annual renewals? It had to go, same deal ... no funds to pay for it. Now don't get me wrong ... fancy paper products do not make a club, in fact in years past some major motorcycle companies attempted to form clubs. You can count the ones that survived on a couple of fingers. They had slick paper, fantastic photos, lots of ads and lots of commercial content to pay the bills ... but no personality, no heart ... and little success. Hopefully, we can regroup, we can grow, we can revitalize ... but trust me, it won't happen without member involvement. Thankfully we do have the opportunity to act and 2019 is that opportunity, don't let it pass by unnoticed...
I'll try to keep you all posted on our progress, and just for fun, I suggest we make a competition out of it, based on the states: Example - the score is currently Kansas - 2, Ohio - 1
If you don't live in one of those states, your state has a goose-egg, nada, zip, zero - 0
Thanks for listening, thanks for being a FSSNOC member ... you are appreciated!! "Thump-Thump" - #000
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Be sure to check out the other pages on this site before you head for the house!
The posts below this line are from previous updates...
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Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z... : }
What day is it? Really! Are you kidding me??? Sorry, Thumper Guys and Gals ... this is your leader, Rip Van Thumper, awakening from a long winter nap ..... but I did get in some riding on my new Four-Stroke Single! (See the Event Page).
That's me above, showing you all the newest Honda CRF450L, I think that is the model number ... it's a real hot rod with a service schedule to match. Read the fine print, this isn't your typical Honda release, I'm jus sayin'...
Check out the FSSNOC cap, the awesome FSSNOC Hoodie with a full length zipper, and layered underneath that Hoodie is a FSSNOC sweatshirt over a FSSNOC t-shirt. Snug as a bug in a rug ... and looking good, too. Get the hint? - #000.
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FSSNOC 2019 THUMPER CALENDARS ARRIVE IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR TWO WEST COAST MEMBERS...
Hi Jack (000),
Hi All,
My riding buddy (Bruce) and I received our 2019 FSSNOC calendars the day before Christmas. That was a nice unexpected surprise. I’m sure Jack planned it that way, thanks!
No detail is too small to escape my trained ey! - #000
In your 2019 calendar, Jack talked about the need to recruit new members. Recruiting members like most of us in our 60s, 70s, or even 80s is not the thing to do. Sadly due to their age, membership time will be limited.
No, No, actually to the contrary ... no one is too old to get some fun and add some input to our club! One year, ten years, thirty years, EVERYONE'S membership term is dearly appreciated! We love "old" Thumper riders!!!
We need to recruit a much younger generation. The younger members will be around much longer and have the energy to keep things going.
Yes, youth is a product of being young. Don't sell these guys and gals short just 'cause they've never heard of a BSA Gold Star or a motorcycle without an electric starter. Get them onboard now and let them spearhead our club into the future. You make an excellent point, Alan! - #000
Over the Christmas Holidays, I had some time to catch up on some TV shows. One TV show was about Wild Bill Hickok and his adventures in the towns of Hays City and Abilene, Kansas. I had forgotten how much Wild West history in Kansas there was. I bet Jack could put a nice loop around Kansas to historical sights.
Kansas has lots of history. It became a state in 1861. As many of you know, Kansas is on the way to lots of other destinations, both now days and in the old days as well. - #000
Alan Smith (5286) CALIFORNIA
P.S. FSSNOC has arrived at a major crossroads! What we do this year (now - 2019) will determine:
What ... we do in the future,
How long ... we go in the future,
If ... we go into the future,
Where ... we go in the future ...
and ... EVERY MEMBER will play a factor in our success or failure!
A wheel needs EVERY spoke to be load-bearing to maintain its integrity ... let's take a life lesson from the wheel, okay? Ask another member, "What have you done for our club today?" and expect that question in return.
We can do this, is it not an insurmountable situation ... apathy is our greatest enemy. - #000
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Jack ... 2019 Oklahoma City Bike Show. Ed, FSSNOC #4052 - Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY BIKE SHOW FEBRUARY 23-24, 2019 COX PAVILION, OK. STATE FAIR PARK
SATURDAY, 10AM - 6PM AND SUNDAY, 9AM - 4PM
816-228-5811 or 816-456-4415 jwswapmeet.com
Custom bikes, Antique bikes, Swap Meet, Vendors, Tattoo Contest, Live Music and more..!
Presented by Jeff Williams Promotions
Ed ... Thanks much! Working to get a photo of the flyer and will plan to put on this website soon... #000
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Hi Jack #000,
At 14 yrs old, I owned a Zundapp 98 cc bike, brand new. First bike was a 49cc Allstate Puch Moped . Being a less experienced rider, winter and snow (Southern Ohio) was not a problem , let alone a common sense decision. We (3 of us) rode to school every day regardless.
The snow days were riding very slowly with both feet dragging along on the ground. This made for three very cold bike pilots, since riding gear was your normal, winter coat and engineer boots. I don't know how we avoided crashing the bikes, but we didn't. (Very lucky, common sense didn't apply again) . There were a few brick streets left in our town also. Those were imho worse when wet than ice.
This was our start, not very smart, but those were days that I still cherish/laugh about. It didn't take away our love of bikes / riding, and that passion is as strong today as back then and still with us to this very day. And for # 000, these were both single cylinder bikes.
Terry # 4953 - Ohio
Hey Terry, good to hear from you! That's an excellent story, and one that many FSSNOCers will be able to identify with, for sure. In my case, that MoPed was a Cushman Scooter! - #000
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You okay?
If you are, Happy New Year! If you aren't, get well soon and Happy New Year!
Maynard, FSSNOC #1196
Hi Ya, Maynard! Thanks for the inquiry ... yeah, just got a case of the lazyness and I'd be telling you a tale if I told you that it didn't feel good to play a bit of hooky, 'cause it was fun to get lost in the holi-daze, of sorts.
Back on-track now, and I am enjoying this visit as I sit here in the Thumper Garage, my computer on the worktable amidst an array of hand-tools and such. We had a 60 degree day here in ThumperVille and it was like someone somewhere threw a giant flag, 'cause the two-wheelers were out in force.
Carrie and I had fourteen at our S.O.S. lunch (Saturdays On Singles) earlier today. It was a breath of fresh air, in fact, I serviced Carrie's CBR250R so she could go for a spin. She came back all fired up and with a BIG smile.
It is a privilege and a joy to do this weekly gig and my ongoing hope is that all you readers out there in ThumperLand get some enjoyment out of it as well! - #000.
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There is more ... see the History Page, the Event Page, the Club Store Page, and to join our club, go to the Membership Application Page ... do all this, then tell someone this week to check out our website. No Password, no secret handshake, but we would like for every reader to give some serious consideration to joining our group, after all, it is how we fund this site...
Keep On Thumpin! - Jack, FSSNOC #000/Director
*************************************************************** (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 THUMPER GARAGE. 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 THUMPER GARAGE 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 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 THUMPER GARAGE posting so be sure to tune back in then... (Address-phone number-email address is below... **)
We encourage you to join our club: Complete the application found elsewhere on this site (click on "more" above) and mail it to us with $40 dues for a 12 month membership or save a few bucks by sending $75 for a 24 month membership. Include your shirt size so we can gift you a FREE club t-shirt if this is your initial membership.
A subscription to THUMPER NEWS magazine, mailed to your mailbox, is included in your membership as well.
Our U.S. POSTAL address is: FSSNOC P.O. Box 1809, Hutchinson, Ks 67504-1809.
To call our club, phone 620-663-1869 or you may send an E-mail: FSSNOCTHUMPERS@yahoo.com
NOTICE: Please understand that your E-mail will likely be reproduced on this site. Any/all subject matter and information may be used in-part or edited and will become the property of the Four-Stroke Singles National Owners Club and FSSNOC,INC. All included content in Thumper News or The Thumper Garage is solely for entertainment, not advise....
THE CLUB STORE ... CLICK ON 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 cotton 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 THUMPER GARAGE. 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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