RoadHouse Report

by James Yaney

Greeting's to my fellow HOG lovers and rider's of the storm. This month we got some interesting things to look at. First we're going to G.W. Kay & Co. to get my motorcycle seat customized, then to a birthday party and finally, talk about attitude and survival. Sound interesting? We'll, let's get this show on the road and find out what's what! Kick `em, spin em and drop `em in gear-we be gone!

I ordered a custom seat with a back rest for `Phoenix II' shortly after taking delivery in 2000. The Harley seat (PN51562-00) fit perfect and worked like a dream, however one annoying problem kept cropping up. Every time I would go to check the oil I would have to remove the seat. The design of the seat over lapped the dipstick making it very difficult to remove. Being a maintenance nut I check my oil frequently and this design was driving me crazy. I made the task easier by installing quick release screws on the seat, however over time, this too because annoying. Because of the great comfort of the seat and the price ($559.95) replacing it was not an option. Enter Walt Thompson and G.W. Kay Company of Muncie. Always on the prowl for a story I over heard Phil talking about the great job Walt did on the Benson's Family car a few years ago. Phil described the excellent craftsmanship on the interior and the quality of the finish. Being an avid supporter of all HogPrints advertiser's I contacted Walt immediately and set up an appointment.

Walt is a life long rider and a member of 1277 along with his lovely wife, Fran. Both are members of the Christian Motorcycle Association and avid motorcyclists. Both devote much of their time to fund raising for several charities throughout Indiana. Talking with Walt is a pleasant experience, he's laid back, knowledgeable and has a keen sense of humor. Describing my problem with the seat and what I wanted was made easy by Walt. He listened carefully, asked specific questions and was open and honest with what he could do. The seat had over lapping seams and chrome studs at the area that needed to be modified. To complicate things further, the opening had to be made at an angle to accommodate the dipstick. Leaving the seat in Walt's hands over the warm December holidays was tough because of the warm afternoon rides I'd been taking. With his busy schedule Walt said he would still find time to work my seat in.

Walt came into the upholstery business the hard way. He started helping out at the shop in his youth working with old time craftsmen. Learning the trade from the ground up, he worked for years mastering the trade. He started in 1960 working under the watchful eye of George Melnik, then in 1977, he bought the company and set out on his own. G.W. Kay Company specializes in custom cars and is well known throughout Indiana for their custom work. Many of the cars at the James Dean Festival are Walt's creations. His attention to detail and his artistic ability have made him famous. His shop is located at 1700 N. Wheeling in Muncie at the Bethel-Wheeling intersection. Their phone number is 765-252-0850. Besides auto upholstery, Walt and his staff customize tops for convertibles, seat covers and motorcycle seats.

A few days later I went to see Walt and my customized seat. What a surprise! I had expected the seams and chrome studs to be removed to make way for the dipstick cutout, however Walt had carefully peeled back the existing leather and painstakingly cut an angled, precise hole for the dipstick and then pulled and stretched the leather back into place. The result was looked perfect! The modification looked factory made and the best part was that it was hardly noticeable. By taking his time and using his experience, Walt was able to use the existing leather and fabric without disturbing the over lapping seams or removing any of the chrome studs. The best part was that the dipstick slid out without any effort! Nice job, Walt. The cost was so low for this repair that I will not mention it. I highly recommend G.W. Kay & Company to anyone wanting some customized work done. They are simply the best!

The safety briefing this month is on `attitude'. Specifically what makes up a `safety' attitude. The word attitude is defined by the dictionary as `orientation, feeling or state of mind'. The definition our society puts on the word is our `manner and/or dress'. The biker attitude has been well defined (incorrectly) over the years, thanks to Hollywood. It paints the biker in black leather, scowl on the face, thundering around town looking for trouble-a stereotype we've had to put up with for years. The truth is far removed from the Hollywood version. We all know the rap the media gives us, slow to recognize the charity work, quick to report the `bad' biker hype. It's all based on attitude. The media see's our leather, hear's the loud pipes and sum's up we're out for trouble. The attitude we take can either feed into that picture or erase it.

A few years ago on a ride to Bloomington about twenty #1277 members pulled into a gas station in Martinsville. It was early spring and the weather was cold. Teresa was dressed in her heavy leathers and cold weather gear. As she and the other gals got off their bikes and headed indoors to use the restroom, me and the guys started to fill the bikes. A few minutes later, Teresa comes out with a queer look on her face. Asking what's up, she's tells me to follow her into the station. As we enter, she's tells me to watch the clerk. Teresa then starts walking up and down the aisle's looking at the various snacks. The store clerk kept positioning herself so that she could watch Teresa in case she stole something! At the time this was pretty funny. The clerk didn't know that Teresa was an Emergency Room nurse, college graduate and a Christian, only that she was a biker in black leather and MUST be up to no good!

The attitude of the clerk was already set. Is your attitude set as well? Motorcycling is a constantly changing environment that requires the rider to conform quickly to various situations, sometime stressful situations. Your first line of defense is your attitude. A `safety' attitude is one that keeps you ready for changing road conditions, keeps emotions (such as anger) in check and your mind focused on the task at hand. If you've had a fight with the boss, been drinking, worried about your bills or focusing on the bumper sticker in front of you, then your `attitude' has been compromised. A safety attitude is something you switch on as soon as you turn on the ignition. It's a state of mind that is constant and is unaffected by `outside' influences. To be able to focus on operating your motorcycle and to block out the things that make you unsafe-day dreaming, speeding, road rage, following too closely-gives you the safety edge. I'll even go so far as to avoid wearing a watch while I ride. I don't want to know what time it is, I just want to ride.

A disturbing trend has sprung up the last few years. The fatality rate has started to climb. In Indiana the rate has increased steadily over the last three years. The age of the riders involved has increased also. It's no longer the kids that are getting killed, it's the rider's in the 40 plus age bracket. There are many reasons for this-older folks buying their first Harley, the increased speed (and recklessness) of other road user's, lack of training, drinking and riding, inability to control the machine in turns and/or high speed maneuvers-or just the wrong attitude. Safety is simply not getting hurt. That's my definition. Motorcycles are for fun, pure and simple. One of the most, if not THE most important part of your safety gear is attitude. It's something that must be developed and used every time you ride. It's a `state of mind' that protects you from bad judgement. Slow down and really look what's going on around you. Are you following too closely? Can you stop your bike quickly if you have too? Are you looking at least eight car lengths in front of you? Do you have an escape route?

One of things I've discovered about getting older is that I don't have to rush. I can slow down and enjoy the moment. Slowing down gives me the time to enjoy my motorcycle more and prolong the experience longer. And that helps me with my attitude. And it makes me safer. Keeping an attitude that filters out the distractions of daily life is something that will increase your enjoyment of motorcycling and make you a safer rider. The goal of any motorcyclist is to ride a long, long time. That takes determination, planning, good riding habits and a `safe' attitude. What's your attitude like?

H.O.G. 1277 celebrated it's thirteen birthday on January 19, 2002 at Benson's. It was the first `official' party held in its honor. On hand were many of the `founding' members. Photo's from the Club's early days were scattered about and a large blowup of the first Club photo was on hand. The group photo was taken at Peggy Simms farm in the summer of 1990 and revealed many familiar faces. Comments were made about Phil's weight in the picture and Kay's hair style, however most were kind (not!) and Don's bike which he still has to this day. Cake and punch were served and many stories told.

As the Club becomes a `teenager' many of our parents know the troubles ahead for young teens, however our `teenager' will be different from the rest because we have 322 `parents' to keep an eye on it's growth and development! However our `teen' already knows we won't take the keys to the motorcycle away from them because we all ride too! Maybe we can make them clean up the Club House. Yeah. Right!

Let's close out this session with a couple of dates to remember. First the Motorcycle Expo at the State Fair Grounds (38th & Fall Creek, Indianapolis.) Runs Feb. 21-24. This is your chance to sign up for Rider Education at the Expo. Monday, Feb. 25, you can call ABATE at 1-800-23-ABATE or go on line at www.ABATEOFINDIANA.org. Feb. 25th is when anyone can sign up for classes. The cost is the same from last year, $50.00 for non-ABATE members, $25.00 for ABATE. Please sign up early has the Muncie Site is usually filled by May.

Finally, spring is just around the corner and now is a good time to get your bike into the shop for any repairs or modifications. The time to ride is VERY close. Until we ride again, SEE YA'