“Now that we have our bikes looked at, there are probably questions. Every bike is a little different. Check out your Owner’s manual for basic answers about tire pressure, oil levels, tire tread, and more.”
- Clancy’s Pub, 114th and Dodge – Thursday, April 5th, 6:30PM Piston Party, 7PM regular meeting
What’s Shifty talking about? Read below 
What’s up everybiker?
If you know that subject line, you probably just had a tune running through your head. Sorry to give you a case of the Lionel Richie on a Wednesday.
I have a tune running through my head too…it’s Born to be Wild! Is anybody but me ready to get their Motor runnin, and head out on the Highway? I know you are because I have heard from a few of you that you are ready to ride. I have taken my first few rides of the year solo to check out the bike, regain my skills, and see what sand is still out there.
Speaking of ready to ride, there are a few things you need to do to get your machine ready to go. Here’s a minimum checklist:
Check tire pressure
Check tire tread, and replace if out of spec.
Check oil level
Visually inspect fuel system, exhaust, air cleaner, and forks.
Work all levers on your controls, and make sure your throttle returns to idle
CHECK TO SEE IF YOU HAVE GAS IN THE TANK before you wear out that battery and blow up the starter…
Fire up your bike
Listen for "Wierd" noises… (Sammy approved technical term there)
check idle to make sure it isn’t racing after it is warmed up.
Check headlight, turn signals, and brake lights.
Critters, water, and corrosion can all get into our machines during the winter months. Be smart, be prepared, and check out your mechanical goods before you blast out of hibernation for another year of "Takin it to the streets".
If your name is Tutti, you should also check for extra shoelaces in your wheel…
Now that we have our bikes looked at, there are probably questions. Every bike is a little different. Check out your Owner’s manual for basic answers about tire pressure, oil levels, tire tread, and more. The folks at Dillon Brothers Motorsports and Dillon Harley miss you too, and are glad to help you out with your "gettin ready to ride" questions. There’s always help available in the group too. we ride lots of different things, so chances are, someone has a similar model and can help you out.
SO…now what? Where do we go, and when are we going there?
Our favorite place closed last year and hasn’t reopened that I know of. It’s cool, we will hop around a little until we find a more permanent place. This week, let’s meet at Clancy’s on 114th and dodge. Thursday night April 5th for the inaugural Cycleshifty meet-up of 2012! 6:30 Piston Party, 7PM meeting (There he goes again, What the heck is he talking about)
I have lots of things to talk to everyone about, so we will have a meeting type get-together. I have a few ideas below of things I want to do this year, and we will want and need some help planning and executing them. PLEASE BRING YOUR IDEAS TOO!
Antique Motorcycle show in Lincoln (Yep, the one most of us got lost on last year)
Scoot and Shoot – Motorcycle ride to the Gun range and then fire some pistols….Females beware, this gives you instant chest hair, but you are more than welcome.
Biker night for the Lincoln Salt Dogs – we have been specifically invited as a group
MDA Day of the HOG!!! – I look forward to this every year, so do the MDA kids we help.
Crappy Biker Movie night (I watched a really horrible one last night on Netflix – Angels from Hell 1968) and I loved it.
Biker games (Our friends at EV HOG are masters of having fun playing games on a bike) some require a partner.
Motorcycle show and shine at the free Motorcycle parking at the CWS, and a game for those that can make it.
Sunday AM doughnuts and Bikes in Memorial park
Geocaching (Geo-Nerdy, but extremely fun)
Scavenger hunt on the Dillon Brothers property (Both stores)
New Member Shifty Saturdays – if you can’t sell a free membership…
and more!
Because of all the cool stuff I’d like us to be able to do this year, we probably need to have some help. My job like many of yours is very busy, and there’s not a lot of time for planning great activities. I don’t want to go down the road of having officers, and a hierarchy, and all that. There are no fees, this is our group, and it’s all for fun. I do need a few special souls to help get this cool stuff set up. I can’t make it to all of the activities, and most of us have to be careful with our time, money, or both!
That’s why I am proposing and opening for discussion….drumroll….the first Cycleshifty Piston Party.
To be a member of the Piston Party, you have to do a lot…but not really. We will ask the Piston Party to show up at least 2 Thursdays per month (Or call in, we will put you on speakerphone) before the regular meeting for 30 minutes to talk about the upcoming activities.
The head of the Piston Party is…you guessed it…the Spark Plug. The Spark Plug will be responsible for writing and keeping the agenda for the piston party meetings to make sure we stay on task and have some fun. It’s a lot of work to have this much fun, and the Spark Plug is what gets it going. Show up – Clancy’s Pub, 114th and Dodge – Thursday, April 5th, 6:30PM Piston Party, 7PM regular meeting. Let’s try it out. If it doesn’t work, we will try something else…or your money back. (It’s a free club…see?)
Looking forward to a great year riding, socializing, having fun, and laughing with all my fellow riders, bikers, scooties, cyclists, sportbikers, goldwingers,….whatever you call yourself, if you are on 2 or 3 wheels with your knees in the breeze you are both qualified and welcome with the Cycleshifty group. Spread the word!
Shifty
For ABS Questions, see below (Thanks Dave C)
