WELCOME TO THE
FSSNOC THUMPER GARAGE
"The BERMUDA TRIANGLE OF HIGHWAYS IN THE USA, to many folk, is Highway 10 in Colorado.
72 lonely miles of sun-baked asphalt, between Walsenburg, CO and La Junta, CO ... wild storms, people disappearing, strange sightings ... are just a few of the tales of mystery associated with this intriguing road. You can read more about it in the upcoming issue of THUMPER NEWS..."
“Don’t let this photo fool you ... yes, it was an overcast day but the fun in the switchbacks over Grand Mesa in western Colorado was all BLUE SKIES! 213 miles of high altitude attitude! Many Thanks to Lynn and Johnnie Pittman, long time friends and FSSNOC #0139, for sharing their moto-playground with me today!”
“If you guessed the FLAMING GORGE, you are correct. Beautiful day and beautiful scenery...”
"Rolling through Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks ... sure glad I had my Old Geezer card, saved me $30 highway toll!!! 1385 miles so far ...
"Taken a brake in the Big Horn Candy mountains... 50ish - Wearin' my 'lectric vest."
"After yesterday's photo this is later that afternoon when this was my view - Guernsey, WY"
"I'm gonna get wet!"
#000...On the road again!!!
*********** 07-12-18 *************
Our next routine update is expected to be 07-26-18.
NOTICE TO THE READER OF THIS WEBSITE: CONTENT WITHIN IS THE OPINION AND VIEWPOINT OF THE SUBMITTING PARTY AND MAY NOT BE THE OPINION OR VIEWPOINT OF THE FOUR-STROKE SINGLES NATIONAL OWNERS CLUB. ALL CONTENT IS TO BE CONSIDERED SOLELY AS ENTERTAINMENT AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED AS ADVICE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SCROLL DOWN TO "SITE DETAILS AND INSTRUCTIONS" BELOW...
Want to make a comment, show us your Four-Stroke Single, ask a question, whatever ... you are invited to email us at: FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com or call us at 620-663-1869 (leave a message if we are riding!) or write to:
FSSNOC P.O. Box 1809, Hutchinson, Ks. 67504-1809 ... Thanks for stopping by! - Jack, FSSNOC #000-Director
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FOR SALE: '77 YAMAHA XT500 (PHOTO ON THE EVENT PAGE)
... Asking $1,200 or reasonable offer, rebuilt in 1997-98 approximately 800 miles on bike since rebuild, always garaged. Featured in Thumper News #47, page 12. Engine mods include: WB1 cam with after market valve springs and racing cam chain; head ported and polished; BSR exhaust pipe; new clutch plates & springs; modified oil line to both valve rocker spindles. Front fork from a Yamaha Heritage Special 650; front wheel XT rear rim lace to '82 Honda front hub. Rear suspension units are new Progressive Shocks.
This is a package deal with 2 boxes (computer paper size) of extra parts including “Genuine Yamaha TT/XT/SR500 1976-79 Models Service Manual, 4 oil filters, misc electrical parts, plus more...
Bike is located in Southern California.
Contact Fran McClain, FSSNOC #1440, at mac4bike@yahoo.com
Thank You. Fran! Boy, your 500 Yamaha is a honey! Well done, for sure... Jack, FSSNOC #000
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BE SURE TO READ THE EVENT PAGE ... SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DAYS AHEAD! - #000
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Salutations, Mr. President...
I haven't been receiving my Thumper News lately, so if you would you be so kind as to double check to make sure I gave you my latest mailing address, I would appreciate it:
As I mentioned earlier, my plans, as of this date, are to make the Creede, CO, TC on Aug. 24, (Lord willing and the creek don't rise), Hope to see you then.
Sincerely, Bruce #5078 - SD
Hi Bruce ... Yep, gotcha down on the ThumperCafe decal list and your address on current file here matches the address sent with your post. Hmmmmmmm? Which issues are you missing, Bruce? Let me know and I will start digging to see what has gone amiss ... so far, the records on this end indicate that they were sent to the correct address. - Jack, #000.
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LAST WEEK'S PHOTO OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
I'm very surprised that you would put that picture in your weekly post, Jack, seeing as how there were no Thumpers in sight. (I thought maybe we thumper guys and gals could use some culture, eh? ...grin - #000 )
The Wall is about 3,000 miles long. Be glad that you didn't get the job when you applied, ya ol' coot! About 400,000 workers died on the project (no OSHA back then) and most are buried in the foundation. The pic I took is of one the hundreds of barracks along the Wall. That building housed about 200 soldiers. They went to the Wall as young men and served until killed or passing away.
Kind of like "Taking the Black" for you fans of "Game of Thrones"!
Attaching a pic (2nd one)of me and a friend's Thumper---125cc but a "big" bike in China! The first pic is of a scooter-towed rickshaw (electric-powered). Scooter drivers are insane here---every one I saw was scuffed & scarred. This one is no exception! (Just to keep you guessing, I didn't post your photos this week and they DID have Thumpers, well ... sort of. Fun stuff, your Chinese posts! - #000)
Joe, FSSNOC #661 - Maryland
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Hi Jack (000)...
I know this is not a thumper article. But I know some are interested. I blew up my engine on my streamlined Ninja 250 the day before the only motorcycle fuel economy competition of the year. My streamliner had a little over 104,000 miles. I thought that I was good for one more summer. I guessed wrong.
(Ahem ... maybe if it would have been a Thumper... jes sayin' - #000)
I called AAA to get me and my dead motorcycle back home from Milpitas. One of my buddies that I compete against, Vic, had not left home yet so I asked him to meet at my house.
Back home it took a while to transfer my gear and some specialty parts from my streamliner to the stock looking Ninja 250. The only advantage with my stock looking Ninja 250 is that it has a highly modified test engine with all the latest modifications for my streamlined motorcycle. At least I had a motorcycle to ride but probably would not pass tech inspection for the competition. Vic and I rode together through very bad Bay Area traffic to Craig Vetter’s ranch in Carmel Valley. I usually refer to the 20-acre Vetter Ranch as the slums of Carmel Valley. Actually, it is pretty nice.
The bad part about blowing my motor is that I was one of the main organizers for this event. I laid out the course and was the designated pilot/pace vehicle. So there was a lot of pressure on me to attend. Also this was the only motorcycle fuel economy event going on this year. So it was important to make this happen. Vic and I finally arrived in Carmel there were last minute things to go over for the competition.
Tech inspection on competition morning; it turned out that my stock looking Ninja 250 barely qualified to compete. My motorcycle had room to carry the 4-bags of groceries in the custom built aerodynamic trunk. Also I think the judge gave me a little slack. So now I was a contender, not just the pilot/pace vehicle! The bad thing I was competing an unstreamlined Ninja 250 against my buddy’s fully streamlined Honda CBR 250.
After tech inspection everyone had a little down time waiting for the electric vehicles to top off their batteries. I decided I needed a little fun and wanted a picture of me with a couple of umbrella girls. The only readily available ladies for my umbrella girls were my competitor’s wives. During competitions the wives are usually “race widows”, they just sit around with nothing to do. Later that night it was celebration night at the Vetter’s ranch. I ended up having dinner with umbrella girls then movies, popcorn, and drinks. Their husbands were still tinkering with their motorcycles. It was a long day.
I was lucky that my aerodynamic truck (I think Alan means "trunk" here - #000) was just large enough for me to pass tech inspection. Finally we departed from Mike Corbin’s shop, the starting point. The group stayed in a pretty tight formation.
From Hollister, we headed south on scenic Highway 25. The weather was pretty hot. The temperatures felt slightly cooler as we rode over the hills to King City for lunch and for the electric vehicles to top off their batteries.
Walking out of the air conditioned restaurant, it really felt hot. Later in the day I found out the temperature was 104 degrees. At least it was a cool dry 104 degrees. On our returning trip over the hills to Highway 25, the air temperatures continued to rise. It felt like we were riding into a furnace. It was getting hot enough that the riders on their electric motorcycles were checking their motor and battery’s temperatures. We also stopped during the competition for everyone to hydrate.
133-miles later, we finally arrived back at the starting point. It seemed like a long day. Vic and I were the only two gas powered motorcycles competing. We had two electric motorcycles that completed the entire course. Others only rode part of the way then rode on to other locations.
Results: Overall, I got second place with 109.19 Miles-Per-Gallon! My engine modifications, aero trunk, modified windshield, taller gearing, and rider technique paid off. The streamlined Honda CBR250 was the only bike to beat me with 136 Miles-Per-Gallon. (Yea Thumpers! - #000) All the other motorcycles (electric) did use less energy but they did not have the capacity to carry the 4-bags of groceries requirement. We all had a fun ride anyway.
For those that wanted to get the worst gas mileage at the competition. All you had to do was get less than 109 Miles-Per-Gallon. Even your car or pick-up truck could have won. You missed your chance.
The day after the competition it was time to relax at Mike Corbin’s 50th Anniversary Party. There was live music, vendors, custom bike show, etc. Also Hollister was having their big motorcycle celebration. I even got a chance to hang out with Sonny Barger of the Hells Angels fame for a short time.
I first met Sonny Barger many years ago at what I thought was going to be an antique motorcycle show at a local motorcycle hangout, Mountain House. The event turned out to be a Hells Angel party to celebrate Sonny getting out of prison. There was a really ruff looking crowd at Mountain House. I did not know anyone there. Before I finally snuck away I took first place in my class for my old Harley.
In the afternoon, I remembered it was my mother’s birthday. I made a quick dash home.
There were a lot of other things going on but I don’t have the space or time to cover it. Now that the Vetter motorcycle fuel economy competition and my mother’s birthday is behind me, I can get back to my regular routine, whatever that is.
Alan Smith (5286) California
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Uhhhh ... this is July 12 ... just FIVE days left before the WORLD BIRTHDAY DINNER - 2018 ... on July 17th ... for more info, "Thump" over to the Event Page ------------------------------>
(and more information below in the previous posts, too.)
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OUR 2018 THUMPERCAFES ARE APPROACHING FAST! MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND...
On August 20, 2018, Monday, FSSNOC members are invited to TOUR THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM at Anamosa, Iowa before or after attending our FSSNOC THUMPERCAFE #46 group lunch at 1:00PM at McOTTO's RESTAURANT located across the parking lot from the Museum.
Lodging may still be available at the AMERICINN as suggested by the Museum staff. Tell them you are "FSSNOC" ... they were offering a lower price for our members as availability allowed ($79.90 + tax). 319-462-4119 and/or www.Americinn.com
ON AUGUST 24, 2018 ... FRIDAY - JUST FOUR DAYS AFTER THUMPERCAFE #46, we have another event, THUMPERCAFE #47 at Freemon's General Store at 39354 Highway 149, near beautiful Creede, Colorado. We dine as a group at 1:00PM.
We go from "historic" to "scenic/mountain rustic" ... this is a cool place!
FSSNOC events are open to FSSNOC members. See ISSUE #131 of THUMPER NEWS for additional general information about our events on page 03 and page 04. We still have a few days for attendees to share their plans with FSSNOC World Headquarters, should they be planning to attend one or both ThumperCafe events, and thereby earn a FREE FSSNOC 2018 THUMPERCAFE DECAL ... a $5.00 value (actually priceless!).
Email FSSNOC at: FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com or call 620-663-1869, leave a message if you miss me, that will work. Currently we have attendees from 15 states on that list... AZ-CO-NE-CA-KS-IA-SD-MO-OK-MN-AR-ND-OH-MT-MD
Of Note ... should anyone be traveling from Anamosa, Iowa to Creede, Colorado ... and that seems like the natural thing to do to me. There is an interesting side trip available as per a tip of the helmet from Lloyd Lunde, FSSNOC #5224 - Nebraska ... "Bob's Burgers and Bar" is in downtown Martinsburg, NE. They make an amazing hamburger and an even more amazing plate of onion rings/french fries ... this off-the-beaten-path venue is Americana overload! While there, pickup one of their t-shirts for a "Single" ten dollar bill ... I did!
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BE SURE TO PERUSE THE HISTORY PAGE, THE EVENT PAGE, THE CLUB STORE, AND THE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PAGE ... for additional thumper-related information.
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POSTS BELOW ARE FROM A PREVIOUS UPDATE:
Hey Jack and fellow FIZZ-KNOCKERS!
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
There's an old Chinese saying (I'm paraphrasing from memory)
"He is not a true man until he has walked upon the Great Wall!"
I guess I'm finally a "true man" !!! We went to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Not very crowded---it's about 2 hours from Beijing. And "Yes---it's as steep as it looks in a couple of the pictures!"
See you in August! Joe & Carol Gilmore #661 & 661.5 - Maryland
Wow, Joe! You BE the man! What a great opportunity for you two (Joe and Carol)! Thank you for sharing this with us, this is awesome!! This is one of the very few times that the photo on THUMPER GARAGE doesn't have a Thumper in the content... (grin). Well worth the sacrifice!
On a side note, I remember, back in the day, when I heard they were building this wall, I considered applying for a job but couldn't handle the commute!
Actually, on a more serious note, some historic accounts have the first construction of the Great Wall of China beginning as early as 205BC and the completion date as 1450AD, some 568 years later. You'll also note that both of these dates were BF (Before FSSNOC)...
Thank You again, Joe! This is great stuff... - Jack, #000
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HI jack ... just a quick note!
Myself, Logan, and Kevin will be there (at the ThumperCafes in August), can’t get here soon enough!!!
See you soon my friend.
Jim LeMaster, FSSNOC #5296 Keokuk, Iowa
Hi Ya, JIM... You three are now on the list for a FREE commemorative decal. Thank You for the heads-up on your planned attendance. It'll be great to see you guys and do some ketchin' up! - Jack, #000
NOTICE: A potential headcount of attenders is very helpful for the kind folks who are hosting us at our annual events happening sooooon in August, for sure. Should any who are reading this post plan to attend a 2018 ThumperCafe, PLEASE let us know here at FSSNOC World Headquarters that you are planning to come. We will henceforth put your name on the list for a FREE commemorative decal to be presented to you as you sign-up at an event.
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Hi Jack (000),
I wanted to attend the FSSNOC meet in Amamosa on August 20th but I have a very tight motorcycle schedule this summer. There are too many motorcycle events and not enough time!
I do plan to attend the FSSNOC Creede location on August 24th. I’ll be riding my KLR 650. I’ve already made my reservations for two nights at the Movie Manor Motel, Thursday and Friday nights. Like last summer, I plan to bring a couple of possible new thumper members!
Jack, to answer your question, on July 6th, I’ll be riding my streamlined Ninja 250 at the Vetter motorcycle fuel economy competition, sorry not a thumper. I’m sure some of you members have seen it in past summers.
Alan Smith (5286) California.
Yo Alan ... not a problem. See you and your KLR650 on August 24th at ThumperCafe #47 in colorful Colorado! - Jack, #000.
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Hey Jack...
100,000 miles on my 2007 Kawasaki KLR650! Went 94,245 on the original chain and rear sprocket! Used three front sprockets. Replaced the doo-hickey at 47,083, it was cracked but not broke-off!! Replaced throttle and clutch cables at 85,492 miles, a water-pump seal at 59,891 miles, and at random times, one fan fuse, two batteries, 8 rear tires, and 5 front tires.
Gotta love it! See you in Iowa and Colorado!
Slatz Lowery, FSSNOC #4292 - Ohio
Epic, Slatz, just EPIC! Well done! Oh, the joy of a well ran-in motorcycle, eh? - Jack, #000.
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JULY 17TH in GREYBULL, WYOMING
... STEVE OAKMAN and I are meeting for THE WORLD BIRTHDAY DINNER - 2018. It approaches at the speed of light! Any FSSNOC member who has a birthday or has had a birthday in 2018 is invited to join us. Attendees, imaginary or real, are to bring a gift of little or no value to exchange with other participants. Steve and I have been doing this each year now for a few years, meeting in some remote spot on the globe for a few hours to shake each others hand and exchange stories of the road. The gift exchange is new this year so we'll see what comes out of that...
I thought I was ready to go several weeks ago as I casually watched the rear tire on my Honda CBR250R wear smooth without any real concern. A plastic-wrapped replacement tire was leaning against the wall on the car side of my garage, so no big deal, right?
Sure enough, one afternoon early in the week, I found myself with a couple of free hours so I raised the garage door, pulled a frosty bottle of water out of the fridge, and proceeded to do the rather routine change, as this would be rear tire number 13. All went smooth, even kinda fun, until I realized that the arrow on the sidewall was pointing THE WRONG WAY! How did THAT happen? Was this a manufacturing error? No one had turned my bike around! Oh well, I began to try to get it off ... trust me here, removing a new fresh thick un-used and un-worn tire is MUCH harder than removing the faded-gray worn, beat carcass of a tire with almost zero tread ... but, a bleeding knuckle or two later, I did persevere. (No stinking tire machine in my garage!)
This time it went on correctly, the arrow indicating the desired direction ... ahhhh! I relaxed a moment, even took a photo of the new tire mounted on the wheel and into the swing-arm and put it on FACEBOOK under the title of "FRESH RUBBER". It was posted on the Four-Stroke Singles National Owners Club page, btw. The bright orange of the freshly scrubbed mag-style wheel with the shiny black of the new tire, and there was even a splash of color added by two thin stripes that ran completely around the tire, one purple, one blue-green, though I have no idea what they mean, anyone? Anyway, a striking photo, at least to me.
It was then that the other shoe hit the floor. Ya! I noticed a kinked link in the now low mileage drive chain. With little concern, I reached over to straighten it out as this is not an unusual thing on o-ring chains. Common thought is that the o-rings swell slightly due to the constant contact with oil, at least on my bikes (grin), as I do everything I can to extend the service life of every component on the bike. The o-ring swelling can create some side-pressure to the link causing it to have a slight resistance to being perfectly straight as it travels the return trip from the front sprocket back to the rear in a somewhat relaxed mode.
It wouldn't straighten. Hummmmm. I popped the chain off and worked for an hour trying to move that link enough to get it pliable enough to re-install. It didn't happen. Now, sweating like a pig, I surmised that the lube on the internal pin of that link, the pin that is lubed by the factory upon manufacture of the chain, then capped with the o-rings to seal in the lube and to seal out anything else ... somehow that lube had gone away! Surely a carefully manintained DID Professional 520VO chain is good for more than 14,000 miles?
Now in the "olden golden" days, we would have just cut that link out, put in a connecting link, making two connecting links in that chain, and rode off on our merry way. Like two patches on a tire tube, no big deal! Each patch doesn't know there is another patch, right? No big deal...
Somehow, these days, I want more ... so I ordered a new chain from a dealer 60 miles away. Would it make it in time for me to get it on by my leave date? Oh no, July 4th ... a day off at the dealership, maybe even a 4-day weekend, I thought in horror. Then my mind began to invent stuff like ... what if he, the rushed parts man on the phone, forgot to even order the chain? What if it went on back-order?
Incidentally here, should you look on the History Page, you'll see yet another discovery that day. Ya, though this one not quite so serious, until it breaks and maybe gets me on my head! In last weeks posts, you may remember reading a commentary sent to me personally from Dan Cooley, FSSNOC 4323 - California, describing how he took off the sidestand on his own Honda CBR250R.
Well, I did something similar and I did find what was causing my Honda, when put on the sidestand, to lean at an increasing angle from new (Thank You, Dan!). I originally considered it to be the result of the stand bolt possibly wearing out over the years and miles put on the machine, a 2013 model with 80,000 plus miles. The bolt proved to be fine, what was wearing was the "tang" off the frame that the stand pivots on. The bolt is likely hardened steel, the frame likely just mild steel, hence, the hole in the frame tang was going "egg-shaped".
Also, as you will observe on the History Page, the spring that holds the stand in the up and/or extended position has a notch worn in it, maybe about 40% through ... not good. If that spring snaps and parts company with the sidestand, gravity will cause the sidestand to undoubtedly flop down. Going staight down the road, it'd probably scare me with the resultant commotion, but if I were executing a turn, it might not be pretty! I ordered a new spring from Honda via that same phone call to said dealer.
In the meantime, sweating blood almost, I instituted a back-up plan, Plan-B, if you will. I ordered a chain from a site on the internet. A cheery unhurried voice assured me it'd be at my door sometime this Friday, that's TOMORROW, as I relate this tale to you. Also, of note, this time I decided to up my game by getting a DID chain with X-ring seals, advertised to give DOUBLE the service life of their own o-ring chain. That sounds good, though the price was 39% higher as well.
So, I'm still on "hold" at this time, but I remain hopeful that I will indeed be on-the-road by my intended leave date. With that said, on the evening of July 17th, if you are in Greybull, Wyoming, give the club phone a call or a text at 620-663-1869 or just simply keep your eye peeled for a bright orange Repsol-painted Honda CBR250R and/or Steve's brand new Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 ... grab your gift and come eat with us... #000
What? What was that? You said, "That sounds like a crazy deal!"?
In 2001, we did the same thing only the destination was ... Tok, Alaska! You think Wyoming is crazy? Twelve guys showed-up in Alaska! When we added up the miles ridden by those 12 guys and gals to get there, came to more than 40,000 miles! That trip remains one of my most cherished moto-memories! (Remember those roses-in-the-winter...)
HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK EVERYONE! THUMP WHEN YA' CAN... JACK, FSSNOC #000/DIRECTOR
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************ Check out the other pages on this site before you thump back home, okay? **********************
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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 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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