The January 2000 business meeting was held at 10:30 AM, February 20th, at Quincey's Steakhouse in Morganton, NC. Members were welcomed and officers were introduced.

Treasurer Sharon Wilson reported that the club had $962.27 on hand. Bobbi Smith announced that Sharon Wilson was named the "Knobbiest Knobby" for 1999. Bill Clayton announced that Wayne McBride won the mileage contest with a total of 42,000 miles.

In other news, Lydia Sweatt spoke about raising money for the Ride for Kids, which benefits the National Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and which will be held on June 24th in Asheville in conjunction with the Honda Hoot. The club voted to donate $300 above and beyond private donations for this charity. When Bonnie Arnold offered to custom-make a stained glass piece for a fund raiser, a committee consisting of Bobbi Smith, Sharon Wilson, Bonnie Arnold, and Shelba Murray was formed to raise money for the Ride for Kids.

Walt Sweatt asked that members help him again this year with parking during the Ride for Kids. Those who would like to help may call him at (828) 628-4769 or e-mail him at lsweatt@pipeline.com. Walt also announced that the Georgia Mountain rally will be held May 5-7 this year.

It was decided that there would not be a Perry's Outback this year. Activity Director Danny Wilson asked for suggestions of places to have the Knobby Campout, and members suggested Blue Ridge Motorcycle Camping Resort at Cruso, NC, Eufala State Park in Alabama, and T.W.O. in Suches, GA. Danny said that he would check on places, times, and dates and report his findings at a later date.

The club also agreed to have the Knobby Christmas party at Little Siena, and Terry Murray agreed to try to reserve it for December 10th (first choice) or for December 3rd.

A motion was made and approved that only club members could win door prizes at the Knobby Campout, not those who become members during the event itself.

The 50 - 50 club raised $170, with $85 going to Crystal Gibson and the other half into the treasury. The meeting was then adjourned.
 
 

In lieu of Perry's Outback, we are planning a Knobby Fun Run which we hope will help raise money for the Ride for Kids. We will sign up for the event at Quincey's Restaurant on Hwy 181 (exit 105 off I-40) after breakfast on June 4th (about 10 AM). Members will then go riding on Knobby-led tours during the day and will return to an evening meal to be held at 4 PM that evening. Donations for the meal are $10 per person. Anyone who wants to come is welcome, and friends and family can attend the dinner, but we must have a head count that morning at 10 AM so we will know how much food to prepare. (See flyer elsewhere in the newsletter.)

Also, the drawing for the stained glass piece to be custom-made by Knobby Bonnie Arnold will be held at the evening meal. If you haven't bought a ticket for the stained glass piece but would like to purchase one ($2 per ticket or 3 for $5), contact any Knobby officer or call Bonnie at (828) 652-9416 or e-mail her at arnold@icu2.net. Tickets are going fast, so hurry if you want one.

Also, on the back of the Fun Run flyer, you will find a picture of a Knobby and of the fathers of some Knobbies receiving a Safety Award from the American Motorcycle Association in 1958. Can you identify them? If not, you'll find out at the Fun Run. We'll count on seeing you there!
 
 

With job and home stress building up for both of us, Terry and I were looking forward to spending Easter weekend on the Outer Banks. Terry had gone to Daytona Bike Week, so his cabin fever wasn't so bad, but I hadn't been anywhere since Shamoo's Shindig where our camper burned to the ground, so I was ready for some days away.

We left early on Good Friday, and, except for a traffic snafu at Burlington, where we bumped into Knobbies Skip and Kaye Sinclair on their way to Norfolk, VA, the ride east was uneventful.

We pulled into the Hatteras KOA and set up camp. Since we were the only bikers, our neighbors watched with interest and maybe a little trepidation as we set up the Kwik Kamp. The camp patrol on his silent golf cart even stopped to asked if we had really towed that "tent camper" in with just a motorcycle. Terry assured him that we had and then proceeded to pull out our camp chairs and set them up. The poor guy just smiled, shook his head, and silently left.

We spent much of our two days there riding from Ocracoke to Kitty Hawk. Of course, this activity involved taking ferries, which we did with ease and with pleasure. The only problem with the ferries was that we had to stay with the bike, and that involved standing up for forty minutes each way. We also went to see several lighthouses, none of which we were allowed to enter. The Cape Hatteras light house is not yet open to the public; no grass had been planted, and the whole area around it was a muddy mess. Besides Hatteras, we saw the lighthouses of Ocracoke, Bodie Island, and Currituck.

One of the most fun things we did was visit Brent and Maggie Hollowell and their family in Kitty Hawk. Although they are not (yet) Knobbies, you may have seen them yourself at Turkey Tom's, and you've almost certainly seen Brent at the Georgia Mountain rally or at Daytona. Anyway, we had a pleasant visit with them, and then we visited the Wright Brother's Memorial before riding back to camp.

We ate out for breakfast and lunch and even for dinner once, but we also cooked out on the camp stove and on the electric grill. The wind made cooking difficult at times, but it was fun, and the food was very tasty. The best part of the whole trip, though, was just getting away from the daily stresses of life. When you can do that from time to time, well, life is so much better.
 
 

One of the few New Year's resolutions that Tim and I made was to try to visit a rally that we had never been to before. Thus, the weekend of April 7-9 found us on the road to the European Bike Rally that is held in Burkesville, KY. This rally is sponsored by the BMW club out of Nashville, TN, and is in its second year.

Friday afternoon was a 75-degrees sunny delight and somewhat windy. Heading out on I-40 toward Knoxville where we were to spend the night, we ran into some road construction (imagine that!) that cost us about 20 minutes. This would be the only time we would actually sweat on this trip.

Later, after supper, we watched The Weather Channel to get some idea of those severe thunderstorms that were heading toward us. By morning, the clouds had dissipated; however, the cold front had decided to go with us to Burkesville. Onward we went, through the steady rain. It's 52 degrees, and this is as good as it's going to get today. We head up I-40 to US 27 North to 52 West. I laughed wildly as we puttered through the township of Sunbright, TN.

Not today! Further up, we came to historic Rugby, an English colony that was founded in 1880. Seeing the cafe sign, we pulled in for a hot breakfast. What a quaint, cozy spot! And there was a crackling fire going in the dining area! The food, service, and prices were great. The waitress told us that there is a group of Gold Wing riders that stop there on their touring loop. It figures. Back on the road, it is 44 degrees, and it has now started to sleet. For the next two hours, a mix of rain/sleet/snow would accompany us.

We missed our turn in Livingston, TN, and we had to pull over to consult the map. It had started snowing for real, and the policeman had his mouth wide open as he cruised slowly by us. What was his problem? Had he never seen anyone read a map before? Anyway, we were on our way again and soon pulled into the Dale Hollow State Resort. It is a nice place, and they do have our room ready. (We forgot about the time change.) After extremely hot showers and then lunch, we headed out to the rally site. We pulled up in front of the Legion building just as the sport ride participants were leaving. We had already had our sport ride, so we went in search of the registration committee. She was inside where it was warm. The campground itself is beautiful. There are level sites beside the river, with lush, green grass, which was looking a little like Siberia right now.

We got our tickets, bought one shirt, and got two freebies as well. All meals and the door prize give-away would be held inside the building due to the still dropping temperature, and then there's that sleet and snow thing going on as well. The vendors were calling it a day and packing it in as we nipped back to the bike. Just as we were about to climb aboard, a gentleman came over to us and started a conversation. His name was John Stombaugh, and he is a member of the Buckeye BMW Club. He told us that this rally was being dedicated to the memory of his good friend, Sam Hill. As some of you already know, Sam died November 6th due to injuries suffered in a motorcycle/car accident at the last Halloween

Campout. Later, dinner was a pretty good steak and fixin's. The door prize event was somewhat normal. We missed out by just barely missing the long distance two-up, but that esteemed honor went to a couple from Memphis, TN. However, we did win a hat and didn't claim the exhaust plugs when our number was called. After the door prizes, a very sweet memorial was held for Sam Hill.

It's Sunday morning already and 25 degrees. Tim etched out the date on the seat, which was thickly covered with cold, frosty stuff. We stopped for breakfast in Rugby again, and when we headed back out, it had not warmed up. If anything, it was colder. If shivering burns calories, then I should be a size 4 again by the time we get home. We had planned to go home by way of Newfound Gap, but that wasn't going to happen on this trip. So, it was back to I-40. It was quite alarming as we swooped out on the interstate as Tim accidentally activated the bike alarm. We whooped and wow-wowed for about five minutes at eighty miles an hour until he finally got it stopped. As we crossed the state line into Haywood County, NC, we noticed that there was snow covering the mountains, and, apparently, the roads had been salted. We are so glad that spring is finally here!
 
 

Cindy is my wife, an average Chicago suburbanite. She has been riding with me on my motorcycle for over seven years, even though her mother totally disapproves. A couple of years ago, she decided to try riding a motorcycle on her own. She isn't into shifting and wears a dress to work, so we decided on a Honda 125 scooter. We saved our money and finally had enough money to buy it.

The day we brought it home, Cindy couldn't wait to ride it. She rode it up and down the driveway and in front of the house. She didn't venture too far because she didn't have her motorcycle license yet. Richard, our neighbor who used to be in the "Hell's Henchmen" motorcycle gang, came out to to check it out. He just shook his head.

Cindy was going pretty good until she took off too fast down the driveway. The scooter got away from her, and she rode straight down the driveway, across the street, over the neighbor's curb, lawn, and sidewalk. That was it for that day. She decided that a little more practice was needed. She realized that riding a motorized bike was not as easy as it looked.

The next day, I set up some plastic buckets on the driveway and showed her how to do "figure 8's" around the buckets. The first time she tried, she ran into the bucket and over the lawn. Within a short time, she was doing "figure 8's" better than I could. She was getting comfortable on the scooter.

Next was the learner's permit, which would allow her to ride with me so I could show her the safe way to ride in traffic. With a little studying, she passed the test with ease.

We then started riding in traffic. I rode my Harley, and she rode her scooter. She learned quickly, and soon she was ready for the riding test to get her motorcycle license. The next Saturday, she was going for the license.

Saturday morning, we were waiting for the doors to open at the local testing facility. Cindy was nervous. She was thinking of the first day when the scooter got away from her, and she rode over the neighbor's lawn. I reassured her that she had learned a lot since then and that she was ready for the test.

There were about 20 people waiting in line with us. One was a young man who was there to get his license, too. We started talking to him. He was there with a friend and his first motorcycle. It was a new, red BMW R-series touring motorcycle with a fairing, radio, and saddlebags. He had it delivered the night before and trailered it to the facility. He had just finished taking a rider safety course. Later in the summer, he was going to tour the Rockies and Canada. He had maps and had it all planned out. He was really prepared. I was envious of him and wished I could go with him on his ride.

The doors finally opened, and we went in. We went to the counter, and the uniformed lady behind the counter (who wore far too much makeup and smelled like she dumped a bottle of cheap perfume on herself) said in a gravely voice, "Get your bike and wait out back 'til the tester shows up. "She wasn't very friendly, and we were glad she wasn't doing the testing.

The tester arrived, and she started testing three at a time. The first three were Cindy, a girl on a Honda 175, and the young man with the new BMW. The first part of the test was easy: "Where's the clutch, brake, light switch?", etc. The next part was riding down a narrow, two-lane blacktop, which had an open, grassy field on the right and a brick wall on the left. The test was to ride down the road on the right side, make a "Uterine" around a plastic cone, and return.

Cindy and the girl on the Honda had no trouble starting their bikes for the test, but the BMW didn't want to start. After I showed the young man where the gas shut-off was, he finally got it started. It was a cool May morning, and the BMW was running rough. It wasn't warm yet - he hadn't ridden it in; he had trailered it.

The first run went fine. Cindy had no trouble going around the cone. She was well-practiced by doing "figure 8's" in the driveway. The girl on the Honda did fine, too. The young man on the BMW went around the cone but put his foot down to make the turn, and the tester got on him about that. "Do not put your foot down," she said.

The next run was a little more difficult. Each rider had to shift into second gear. Cindy was told to just go a little faster because she didn't have a clutch. Cindy still had no trouble cutting right around the cone. The girl on the Honda swung a little wider but still had no problem. The young man on the BMW was another story. His BMW was still cold and running rough at high idle. He took off and shifted into second. When he tried to swing around the cone, he lost it (even though he shifted his butt like they showed him in the rider course). He banged hard into the wall with the right side of the bike, and then the bike fell over and the left side was scraped as it was dragged along the asphalt. He wound up standing half on top of the bike and next to it while it was still running, lying on its side. We all rushed over to help. I felt so sorry for him and his new BMW. Both sides of the bike were badly damaged. The fairing was broken, and the cylinder heads and the saddlebags were severely scraped. There was a least a couple thousand dollars in damage. The main thing was that he wasn't hurt even though it looked like he would start crying at any second. Obviously, he failed the test and loaded the bike back onto the trailer. It was sad. It was a prime example of the need for experience. Books and a rider course cannot replace the knowledge and comfort attained by riding time on your own motorcycle!

Cindy passed with no problem and got the motorcycle designation on her license. She was so proud that "she did it". She was smiling ear-to-ear as we rode home. We started riding together and had some good times and adventures.

Everything comes to an end, and "Scooter Cindy's" riding came to an early end. Within two months, she became pregnant with our son, Danny, and the doctor said, "No riding of any motorcycles or scooters. "We sold the scooter the next week. Cindy was sad to see me go but was proud knowing that she could set her mind to something and then accomplish it.
 
 

For Sale: 1996 FZR 600. White with red, purple, orange, and yellow splash and stripes. Metzler racing tires. Good shape. Runs great. Good first-time bike. Call (828) 738-3887 after 5 PM and ask for Lucas or Mike, or call Pizza Hut (828) 652-8873 and ask for Lucas.

For Sale: 1994 K1100LT/SE.35,000 miles, new tires, trailer hitch, heated grips, AM/FM cassette, gel seat, headlight cover. Better than excellent.$7,800Call Paul at (631) 878-6878 or e-mail at peterhosh@aol.com.

Want to Buy: A trailer hitch for a 1997 R850R and a trailer hitch for a 1988 R100GS. Call Danny or Sharon at (828) 397-6419 or e-mail at sharonzwilson@peoplepc.com.
 
 

Gotta make this quick 'cause we're going to press: Stop by your Knobby web page sometime. It's at

http://home.att.net/~knobmtn/index.html

There's now a groovy, blinking title line, and you can link to numerous motorcycle links. Click on "Chat" and you can enter your name or the name of anyone else and enter the Chat room. You can chat to anyone who meets you there. Some people think that, if you enter a chat room, there will be lots of chatters around. Ain't so. E-mail a buddy or buddyette and tell him/her to meet you there so you won't have to talk to yourself. E-mail me bobmcdonld@worldnet.att.net and I'll meet you there for you to practice chatting. Better still, there's a bulletin board to post things to sell or buy. From what I can tell, there have been more people from Belgium, Germany, and Australia who dropped into our site than there have been from NC. Don't be afraid. Put on your helmet, boots, and leathers and surf over to our site. Also, if the editor of our newsletter will send me a copy, I'll start posting the newsletter.

Oh, yeah. I'd like to start putting up pictures of you and your current bike as well as a picture of your 1st bike/scooter. I can probably find a picture of your first bike if you'll tell me who you are and what it was. I found a picture of a Cushman Eagle like I had in '62 and '63. Also if you need any help with the site, let me know.

Editor's note: I will send this newsletter to Bob via e-mail and will hope that he can post it on the web page.

The Knobby Christmas party will be at Little Siena Restaurant at the intersection of Hwy 70 and NC 80. The luncheon date and time is December 10th at 12:30. Mark your calendars, and watch for more information as the date draws nearer.
 
 

His real name was Maurice Lafayette Norton, Jr., but ever since childhood, everyone knew him as "Sunny". When Tim and I found out of his passing Tuesday, December 21, we were both absolutely shocked and stunned. Tim had called Sunny and Jim Sunday night to congratulate Jim on his new, red K1200RSA, and they all got to talking about the four of us getting together Christmas Eve.

In the next few days that followed, waves of memories washed over us. So many of the good times involved Sunny and Jim. If you think going through Deal's Gap on a bike is hairy, you should have been there when Sunny and I went through in that little, red Mercury Tracer that he had at the time. And, right after that, the same day as a matter of fact, he and I got lost in Robbinsville. Then there was the time that the four of us got chased by that backwoods guy who thought that were we stealing his Christmas trees. Sharing the cabin at Fontana. His Russian Cossack hat. (Boris, dahhling!) Stealing signs. His look of utter disbelief as he watched Jim and I devour a whole box of banana popcycles while sitting on the front porch long ago in Sapphire. He showed me the proper way to peel a tomato. We both agreed that only Duke's mayonnaise would do on our tomato sandwiches. One of the best birthday presents he ever gave me was the day he and his two helpers washed, dried, and waxed my car to shining perfection. The birthday rallies, meals, and secrets shared on and on.

Tim and I were at the memorial service Thursday afternoon, December 23, 1999. The day had been cloudy and cool. However, as the service commenced, a bright ray of sunshine filtered in through the church's windows. I like to think that Sunny was letting his loved ones know that all was well.

I'm writing this on the evening of Christmas Eve. Nearly all day, a light flurry has been swirling around and about. Sunny always knew that Tim and I love snow. I like to think that he sent us a special Christmas gift. We'll miss you, Sunny.
 
 

May 5-7, 10th Annual Georgia Mountain Rally, Bald Mountain Park, Hiawassee, Georgia

  25-29, Rocket City Rally, Ditto Landing, Huntsville Alabama

  26-29, Cass Memorial Day Rally, Boyer Station Campground, Rt. 28, 6 miles north of Green Bank, WV

June 4, Knobby Fun Run, Quincey's Steakhouse, exit 105 off I-40, 10:00 AM (See related story inside.)

  9-11, 8th Gathering of the Clans, Turkey Tom's Country Cycle Camp, Ferguson, NC

  20-24, Honda Hoot, Asheville, NC

  23-25, 27th Missouri State BMW Rally, Crane City Park, Crane City, Missouri

  30- July 22, 5th Annual BMW Firecracker Rally, Brewster, Ohio

July, 13-16, 28th BMW MOA Great Lakes International Rally 2000, Midland Co. Fairgrounds, Midland MI
 
 

Terry L Murray stamp

Route # 3, Box 198

Marion, NC 28752

tlm@wnclink.com

KNOB MOUNTAIN NC MOTORCYCLE CHAPTER

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