Having read and reread the books and watched the video countless times, I felt pretty well prepared, but nevertheless somewhat apprehensive for my first time on a track. And the track is a beauty—2 miles of smooth asphalt with a “technical” section consisting of a few really sharp turns in quite rapid succession.

The beginners’ group was divided into two sections and we gathered around one of the huge tractor-trailers to start the day.

The day consisted of six segments. For each, there was a classroom lecture—given by Keith himself—followed by a track session to practice the particular aspect that had just been explained. I found it to be an ideal way to learn, since each session built on the previous one. The segments were as follows:

Each bike was equipped with a transponder that allowed lap times to be recorded. While some, especially the more advanced students, were trying to improve over the course of the day, my goal was to learn the cornering techniques. In the course of the track sessions, about 5 to 6 laps each, I was passed by several of the faster bikes, but by the end of the day, I could handle the turns about as well as anyone at my level.

The on-track instructors were great. Each instructor had 5 or 6 students to monitor. The one assigned to me—Steve Nottingham—gave me a lot of attention. (That’s him on number 06 just behind me in the picture.) I followed him through the turns several times. What a difference when you take the right path! I went off the track once, but it was a controlled detour and I managed to keep the bike upright in the sandy grass apron. Four or five of the others laid down their bikes during the course of the day.

All in all I had a great time and learned a lot. I had the bike at angles that I never thought I could attain—even so, I was nowhere near the bike’s limit. Now maybe I’ll be able to keep up with Bill Royal in the Florida twisties.

Cost is $600/day with the school’s bike or $400 with your own, plus a damage deposit and $50 to rent their leathers. For information go to www.superbikeschool.com.

For Sale

1997 BMW F650. BMW's most versatile bike. Cruise at 80 or ride the trails. Handles the twisties like a sport bike. Can be enjoyed by a new rider or a veteran. Excellent condition, 11K miles, dealer serviced. Sargeant seat, new Pirelli tires. Priced right at $4495. Bill Robinson: 904-730-9719, warrior@aol.com

Sargent Cycle Seat for an ST1100 - Black Grip-Tex cover with silver piping. $150 or best offer - Phil Ridgdill at 904 287 9654 or rfoxrdr@earthlink.net

1994 Honda Nighthawk 250 - 13K miles, Dark Blue. This is an outstanding beginner rider's bike and/or for riders with a short leg reach. In good condition. Asking $1650 or Best Reasonable Offer.
Call Bill or Eve anytime between 8:00 AM and 9:30 PM - (813)633-8155 or email wgr@sprynet.com

HSTA Florida Member Author Henry Custer offers the following:

Henry's book, "Concept of Justice" is now available at the Hillsborough County Libraries. Ask for it by name. Other Library systems will most likely order it, if requested by patrons. (That is how we got it stocked here.)

Last month, more or less, I cautioned everybody about pushing too hard on the street. Hopefully I didn’t tee off anyone too badly. Every now and then we all need to take a deep look at what we’re doing on the street, and cool it a bit. A big thanks to Sam Ulbing for his, “ Where in the World is my ST? “. Well done Sam. If any of you have something you want published in our State Newsletter, please send it to me or Bill Royal and we’ll do our best to have it in the newsletter. Another thing, membership renewal. When your membership is up for renewal you will receive a notice from the Membership Director. If by chance you choose not to renew, if its not too much trouble would you please drop Bill Royal and I a note and let us know why.

Thanks to everyone who came to Trenton for lunch, food was as good as the last time. From the Jacksonville area, we had Davie Boland & Diana, Alan & Terri Singer, Steve Smith, Tyler Kinchen, and Carmel & I. 3 BMWs, 1 Ducati & 1 Honda, HSTA rides are always a good mix, I like that about this club. We had a total of 23 people for lunch.

Ok, on to the Alps. In this newsletter you’ll see an excellent write up on what we all did on the Edelweiss Tour. Before we left on this trip I asked Bill Robinson if he would take the time to keep track of what we did and would he please write something for our newsletter. Bill is an excellent rider and he does know how to write, Journalism Degree helps.

When I first started organizing this trip, I knew it would be a beautiful ride but to be very honest I didn’t have the foggiest idea that it would go so well. I have to credit the people that went on the trip, the daily rides, food, accommodations, Edelweiss Guide, the motorcycles( all BMWs), scenery, it was all fantastic. But, what made the trip was the people on this tour, Davie Bolan, Ray Kenney, Andrew Kenney, Ron & Valerie Ritchie, Bill Peterson, Bill & Valerie Robinson, Craig Merritt, Bill & Leslie Briley (Honeymooners) and Carmel. It’s great to go on any of these tours but when you have your guys/gals with you, its perfect. This was the BEST group. On our second week Carmel and I toured around Austria and we enjoyed it, beautiful Country, but we did miss the group.

Read Bills article and you’ll get the picture.

Take out a second mortgage on the homestead. Put all your vintage bike magazines on eBay. Sell your Confederate war bonds. Do whatever it takes. You need to head for the Alps to ride up and down some of the most spectacular roads on earth.

When Phil Ridgdill began to talk about going to the Alps more than a year ago, it sounded like a great idea. But we all had our concerns about cost, logistics and our resolve to make it happen. Fortunately, Edelweiss made it a relatively simple process.

You probably know that Edelweiss is the world's largest motorcycle touring company. They've been organizing rides worldwide for over 20 years, and currently offer over 150 tours in 23 countries. They would prove to be an excellent match for our Alps aspirations.

Our group turned out to be an excellent one. Phil, our fearless leader and his lovely Irish midwife wife Carmel. Ray Kenny and his son Andy, out for some serious male bonding. Ron and Val Ritchie, our token really nice couple. Davie Boland, the retired NYC cop and firefighter. Craig Merritt, banker, photographer and crazy person. Bill Peterson, our expert in all things Alpine. Valerie Robinson, my Canadian bride piloting her own bike. And me, your humble scribe. We ranged in age from 20 to 60-something, and we averaged well over 20 years riding experience.

If you were counting carefully, you may have noticed that we had only 9 riders. One of our original couples had to cancel, so Edelweiss provided us with replacements. Bill and Leslie Briley were honeymooners from Pennsylvania, and they had no idea what they had gotten themselves into. More on that later...

In early September we all made our way to the Innsbruck, Austria area. The nearby Holzleiten Hotel west of the city would be our home base for the week. When we first drove up to the hotel, it didn't seem overly impressive. Once inside, however, our perspective changed considerably. The rooms were comfortable, the restaurant quite a nice place to be and the spa offered everything you could desire. Covered parking for the bikes was a nice touch as well.

Sunday afternoon we met our tour leader Michael, a very cordial Austrian who is studying to become a doctor. In the days to come we would find that he was also an excellent rider who knew all the area roads as if they were old friends. In short, he was perfect for our group.

That evening we took possession of our bikes, were given a tour orientation and had our first dinner together in the private dining room the hotel provided. Throughout the week we would find that the dinners provided at the hotel exceeded our expectations.

The four course meals offered plenty of variety and choice, and no one ever went away hungry. The carnivores among us enjoyed the veal, pork, beef, fish and even rabbit that was served. There were always lots of vegetables and salads too, along with tempting desserts. An unexpected bonus was the wine that was provided with every dinner at no additional cost. The local white was excellent; while the red was, well, drinkable.

The breakfast buffet included just about anything you could think of, with the possible exception of Pop Tarts or grits. Whether you fancied a hot breakfast with eggs and sausage or a healthy meal of cereal and fruit, you could find what you wanted.

Following breakfast we would discuss the plans for the day. Prior to our first ride that Monday, Michael reviewed the 693 local road signs that we would need to memorize. I made sure I could recognize "do not enter" and "avalanche ahead" and let the other signs take care of themselves. Our first day’s ride would consist of relatively easy roads and lots of sightseeing in the Tyrollean countryside.

If you haven't seen the Alps, I'm afraid I don't have the skill to adequately describe them to you. Everywhere you look are lush valleys, jagged mountains, colorful villages and lakes carved out by glaciers 15,000 years before there were motorcycles. Our riding was punctuated by a morning and an afternoon coffee stop, with a delightful lunch at an outdoor cafe just outside the entrance to a magnificent church.

One of the highlights of the day was the visit to King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein castle, shortly before returning to Austria from Germany. It is one of the area's newer castles at about 115 years old, and it certainly is one of the most beautiful.

Late in the afternoon we returned home, the final stretch down a bobsled run winding through a forest. It's sort of like trail riding, only the trail is paved. What a way to finish off a great day. Every one of the 275 kilometers we rode were a treat for the senses.

On Tuesday things got serious.

Michael's tone of voice was much more somber as reviewed mountain pass riding techniques with us. Today we would tackle the Timmelsjock, with it's 7000 foot summit and countless switchbacks. Your key brake is your gearbox. Downshift well in advance, look all the way through the turn for oncoming trucks, enter wide, delay your apex, and accelerate your way out. The most experienced among us were focused on the task ahead. The others among us were wondering if we were up to it.

Which brings me back to the honeymooners. Bill expressed his concerns, as most of his considerable experience had been on roads with less character. Riding two-up on a large touring bike (R1150RT) would be a challenge in this terrain. We all offered our advice, but in the end it would be up to him.

The weather was spectacular, as it had been the day before. Crisp and clear, with more vapor trails than clouds. Riding the Timmelsjock was an amazing experience. We'd catch a glimpse of the valley below or the mountains in the distance a split second at a time. Most of our attention was focused on where we were going, which was not always apparent.

The roads were tight and mistakes were not acceptable. Whenever the conditions would allow, I checked my mirrors to see how our lone female rider was doing. Valerie's experience over the past few years in North Carolina had helped to prepare her for this day. This wasn't the Smokies, but she was adapting well. Just behind her the honeymooners were hanging tough. It might not have always been textbook riding, but Bill was getting the job done. Young Andy could be seen displaying considerable skill despite his limited experience.

At the front, Phil and Carmel were riding as one, smooth and flowing. Peterson's experience in the Alps was evident as he glided his GS artfully through the hairpins. Davie had his big RT well in hand, riding it like a sportbike. I couldn't see the others, but I knew their riding well enough to know they were fine. And me, I was having a blast!

Lunch at Nina's was a delight and a relief. We all knew we could not only handle the riding, but we could enjoy it as well. The Timmelsjock Pass had been a strategic prize during WWII, and I could only imagine the Germans trying to wrestle their BMW sidecar rigs up the mountain. Our assault was much more fun.

Later we would tackle the Penserjoch Pass with a good deal of confidence. The day was shaping up to be one of the most enjoyable we could imagine, with stops to take in the view. At one point we looked down upon the path that Hannibal (the warrior, not the cannibal) had taken with his elephants (the animal, not the Cagiva). What an incredible part of the world. After 347 kilometers of beauty and the beast, we returned home.

That night dinner tasted especially good, and we offered the honeymooners our congratulations on their riding. After a few toasts we retired to the main dining room where a local Austrian entertainer was just switching from accordion to keyboard. After he belted out a few Beatles tunes in his best phonetic English, we felt moved to join in. Carmel led us in a moving rendition of "American Pie," and Valerie did her best Julie Andrews as she crooned "Edelweiss," easily the most appropriate tune of the evening. Malicious rumors persist that Ray and I briefly danced together, an allegation we vociferously deny, despite photographic evidence to the contrary.

Wednesday would offer much different riding, with spirited rides down local roads, many of which could pass for footpaths. We stayed in Austria, riding past Innsbruck's Olympic Stadium among other points of interest. Riding a local mountain pass put us at our lunch destination, a charming spot with great food and views to match. As usual, Val's knowledge of the German language helped us order something other than Wiener Schnitzel.

That afternoon we visited a major Innsbruck motorcycle dealer, with a huge inventory of bikes and gear. It was easy to find a world-class sport bike, and nearly impossible to find a cruiser. We were definitely not in the USA.

Just one more great day with weather to match, and a total of 201 kilometers of very pleasant riding. Little did we know that things were about to change in a big way.

We woke up to heavy rain, with no relief in sight. After a leisurely breakfast, we discussed our options. Michael offered to escort everyone into town for lunch and shopping. A few of us chose to take the rental Mercedes A140 (small, but lots of fun) into Burg Berg to the Held leather outlet store. There would be no bike riding today.

Michael offered some insightful comments in his most creative Austro-English; "Normalwise we ride today, but the roads are very slickery due to the rain. At least it may wash some of the skreddle off the surface." Just what I was thinking myself.

The auto ride to Held was really interesting, with Valerie at the wheel and me performing navigator duties. At one point the screen of Bill Peterson’s GPS resembled an X-ray the small intestine, tracking the twists and turns of Fernpass. Davie and Bill both successfully avoided car sickness while riding in the back, and we enjoyed our outing at Held. If you are looking for deals on gloves, jackets, pants or just about anything else in riding gear, you’ll love this store. We each spent more money than my first new bike cost, and headed home poorer but better equipped.

The others had gone shopping, enjoyed spa services or both. Although we all preferred to ride, the day off had been a refreshing change of pace.

Friday was our last day to challenge the passes. Unfortunately, it was still raining. We were all a bit bummed, but Michael offered hope. He had called friends in Italy, and skies were blue there. If we were willing to endure a couple of hours in the wet, we could still carve some corners. Most of us went for it.

It was pretty miserable until we crossed the Italian border. As promised, however, the sky cleared and our spirits lifted. We briefly paused at the man-made lake that the Italians had created by flooding a village. Only a lone church steeple rising from the surface of the water gave testimony to the town which once flourished there.

We next pushed on to Glurns, a small walled city that struck me as a miniature Rothenberg. It was one of the prettiest places we visited, and the spaghetti lunch, followed by a tour of the town, was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Continuing on our journey we weaved our way through numerous apple orchards in the valley. Beautiful scenery matched with interesting roads, a combination we had experienced throughout out trip. I remembered thinking that this is what biking is all about.

There was still one pass remaining that we wanted to challenge. The Jaulfenpass offered plenty of opportunities for testing motorcycling skills as well as experiencing amazing vistas. Pausing at the top I couldn't help but realize that our trip was nearly at an end. All that remained was the twisty ride down the pass and back to the hotel.

We arrived home at 6:00 GMT (General Michael Time) or 8:00 PM local time. Michael always had a way of being an hour or two optimistic as to when we would make it back, so we adjusted accordingly. The 351 kilometers we covered on our final day was our longest outing, and one of the best despite the rain which fell both early and late.

That night our dinner was both a happy and a sad event. Sad that we would soon be moving on, but happy for the wonderful experience we had shared. Craig marked the occasion by presenting Michael with several parting gifts, including his very own do-rag. I guess those things come in handy for wiping the do (or dew) off your bike.

Valerie and I agree that his was one of our favorite vacations of all time. I think the others would tell you much the same. And the honeymooners? Somehow I think they got even more than they bargained for.

For those who may want to enjoy the Edelweiss Alps touring center for yourselves, let me offer a few additional bits of information. The cost per person will fall roughly in the $2000 - $3000 range, depending on the type of bike you choose and whether or not you share a room. Basic insurance, breakfast, dinner, hotel transfers and some spa services are also included. Airfare, gas, lunch and incidentals are extra.

Editor’s Note: At this, the 2nd anniversary of my editing the newsletter, I want to thank everyone who has contributed articles. Thanks to stories like these, I can only hope that everyone enjoys reading it as much as I do putting it all together!

So, if you haven’t contributed before, how about writing up whatever you can about that big trip this summer, or even that little one last weekend? Whatever it is, it’s always great to share your passion with other like-minded folks.

Ok everyone - time to fess up! How much did you really ride this year? Do you remember the mileage contest that was announced in the STAReview last spring? Well, the close of that contest is fast approaching. To refresh your memories, the contest is scheduled to end on Nov. 15th. The start of the contest was April 1st. Here’s a recap on the details:

Awards

Results for the 2002 contest will be announced in an early 2003 issue of STAReview, with a follow-up presentation of awards at STAR 03.  We will be working with the industry for prizes to sweeten the pot.

Award categories are:

The submission form will be in the April and November issues of STAReview, with new member packets posted on the national web site and mailed with the Blue Book. 

The Rules

1. The contest is intended to record miles ridden on motorcycles.  HSTA promotes safe riding and encourages participation in motorcycle safety courses.
   

2. The mileage award contest starts at 12:01 a.m., April 1, 2002 and ends 11:59 p.m., November 15, 2002. 
   

3. Beginning forms must be postmarked after 4/1/2002.  Ending mileage forms can be submitted anytime during the contest period.  Beginning and ending mileage may be reported on one form but all forms must be postmarked by November 30, 2002.
   

4. All makes and models of motorcycles with two and three wheels are eligible.
   

5. All members, including members of household, may participate.
   

6. In the event of a failed odometer, mileage must be substantiated with ride logs, trip-tiks showing mileage calculated by trip software and sworn statement witnessed by a non-member-of-household HSTA member or dealer.
   

7. In the event of an odometer replacement, mileage must be substantiated with a sworn statement listing old and new odometer readings and witnessed by a dealer.
   

8. Personal mileage from shared motorcycles may be submitted separately but must be substantiated with ride logs and sworn statements witnessed by a non-member-of-household HSTA member or dealer.
   

9. If your bike measures kilometers, please convert your statistics to miles.
   

10. Mileage forms can be submitted several ways but, please, no phone calls.

Complete the form in Star Review or from your membership materials and mail it to:

Theresia Shearer
6629 English Drive
Avon, IN 46123

Or, from a link on the HSTA website, or e-mail directly to: theshearers@peoplepc.com

Be sure to include all information, in the same order as listed on the form.

Here is the data needed on the universal Starting/Ending Mileage Form:

HSTA # ___________ Male / Female
Name ________________________________________
Address ______________________________________
City _________________________State ___ Zip Code _________
E-mail ________________________________________________
Phone Numbers (____) _____________________

Bike #1

Make _________________Year _____ Model ___________

April 1 Mileage _________November 15 Mileage________

Bike #2

Make _________________Year _____ Model ___________

April 1 Mileage _________November 15 Mileage________

Bike #3

Make _________________Year _____ Model ___________

April 1 Mileage _________November 15 Mileage________

The Daytona Dinner is scheduled for Saturday 5:30pm, March 8th 2003. We will have a speaker this year. Mr. Jon Seidel from American Honda has agreed to speak to us about Honda and the good things they do for all of us. The Dinner will be at the same location as last year, Indigo Lakes Golf Club, 312 Indigo Drive, Daytona Beach, FL. The Manager is Marc Lillis. Great Location, 5 minutes from the Daytona Speedway and 5 minutes from the Daytona Memorial Stadium (dirt track). Indigo Drive is the first intersection East of I 95 on International Speedway Drive (US 92 ), turn left on Indigo Drive, pass in front of the Holiday Inn, continue on Indigo Drive through a residential area until you come to the Indigo Lakes Golf Club (approx 1 mile) If your coming from the Speedway, it’s the last traffic light before I 95, turn right on to Indigo drive.

We will have a private Banquet Room and will have a buffet dinner, menu as follows; Same as last year only better, as promised by the manager of Indigo Lakes Golf Club. Tossed Garden Salad with dressing, Pasta Salad, Fruit Salad, Cranberry gelatin Salad, Chicken Marsala, Broiled Fish du jour (grouper) Roast Beef Sliced, Savory Rice, Mixed Vegetable Medley, Fresh Baked Rolls & Butter, Hot bread pudding with Brandy hard Sauce & a Choice of Beverage, Coffee, Tea, & Ice Tea. There will be an Open Cash Bar in the Banquet Room. Price, Meal $ 18.95 per person, with tax & service charge total will be $23.70 per person.

Dinner will be by Prepaid Reservation. All cheques made out to the Indigo Lakes Golf Club, Mail Cheques to Phillip Ridgdill, 720 Opossum Lane, Switzerland FL 32259, last day to receive reservation will be Feb 26 2003, all checks will be deposited with the golf club. The Golf Club Staff will have the Reservation List at the Banquet Room.

Coordinator – Phil Ridgdill, (904 287 9654) e-mail rfoxrdr@earthlink.net

We dropped this column last month due to space constraints, and I would have this month too had I not added the two extra pages to the newsletter! But, that’s a good thing, as it means that our membership is submitting lots of great stories of their motorcycling adventures.

Here’s a tip based on something that occurred on one of our lunch rides last month. As we arrived at our lunch destination a Gold Wing rider experienced a sudden flat tire. Fortunately, he was going slow at the time, preparing to make a turn, and was able to keep from going down. The culprit turned out to be his front valve stem, which had cracked part way around the stem so it was miraculous that it would hold any air at all (it did hold enough for the rider to limp 10 miles to a Honda dealer to make the repair!) This same issue was mentioned once before by Henry Custer in one of his trip reports, but it bears mentioning again.

Tip #1—Replace your valve stems at tire changes - if you’re the conservative type, make it every tire change, and if you’re the tightwad type make it at least every third tire change. You really don’t want to experience a sudden loss of tire pressure at any time based on saving $5-$10 do you?