Ice, Ice, Baby!
Stan Brein
This article comes to life while looking out at a couple of inches of snow covering the streets, sidewalks, and houses. This, after completing the reversal of the ceiling fans to the clockwise rotation to divert the sacred heated air at the ceiling to the floor so we can be more comfortable.
How does this relate to motorcycling in January/February? Have you ever seen motorcycle ice racing? Yes, it is a thing. Riding a motorcycle on ice seems impossible, but after you add a few hundred razor-sharp traction screws to the front and rear tires, you get traction levels as good as the best dirt or even asphalt tracks. Unbelievable, but true.
Ice racing is used as training for flat-track racers living in northern states, allowing them to stay fit and fast all year round. Riding off-road or flat-track bikes modified with studded tires, special protective fenders, and (sometimes) lowered suspension, ice racers compete on plowed courses that are either oval style, like a flat track, or grand-prix style with right and left turns of all shapes and sizes. In fact, the American Motorcyclist Association Ice Race Grand Championship ran Feb. 7-8 at the Leisure Lake Family Campground in Sumner, Mich.
One of my bucket list items was to have a Robson Ranch Motorcycle Club board meeting in a barndominium. I was able to do this, courtesy of board member Scott Loftis. I won’t give the exact location, but the weather was nice enough for some of us to “Rhome” out to his property on our motorcycles. We began the meeting by making some important decisions: brats or hot dogs?! Scott, thank you so much for your hospitality!
High on the agenda was plans for the club Orientation and Safety meeting scheduled for Feb. 11. Growth at the Ranch has been rapid, and there are probably some new arrivals who recently joined or will be joining us for adventures. We want their journey to be safe and stress-free. President Mike Conley always does a great job of conveying this important information, which is often overlooked.
Activities for the remainder of the year include monthly lunch or dinner rides, as well as the Hill Country Ride (May), Angel Fire/Gunnison/Black Canyon (August), and the trek to Granbury to see Footloose (October).
By the time you read this, the Robson Ranch Open House for clubs and organizations will have taken place. I hope we had the opportunity to chat with you and tell some tales.
Thank you to the club members who donated gift cards at the holiday party. In December we delivered $360 in gift cards to Lynn Charles, coordinator of Social Services for Denton ISD. These gift cards will come in very handy to help families get through the post-holiday challenges of getting back on track.
See you on the road! Beware of cagers, and keep the rubber side down.