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2nd
Annual Sonestown Rally
By Dennis McCartney
September 21, 22, 23 2001 |
For the second year in
a row we had a fun, well
attended rally in Sonestown,
PA just north of Williamsport,
PA. We had planned on giving
the area a rest but by popular
demand Jack & Nancy Gutshall
stepped in and organized
the event.
Once again the ICOA sold
out the Sonestown Country
Inn so some members and guests
wound up staying up the road
at the Pine Tavern and elsewhere.
About 26 members and friends
attended. Many riders including
a 6-rider contingent from
Ontario Canada led by James
Elliot arrived Thursday night.
Jack Gutshall and I took
time off from work Friday
to get out to Sonestown and
do some (sport) touring with
the Canadians on a beautiful
Friday. Ingo Lahneman and
Pete Bartholomew from NJ
and Mike Brown from Harrisburg
joined us. We had quick ride
thru some of our favorite
backcountry empty roads and
made a brief stop at the
McCartney residence at Harveys
Lake where the first “incident” occurred.
Seems that yours truly acting
as ride leader “lost” George
Barker, Bill Elliot (not
that Bill Elliot) and Mike
Brown. A brief search ensued
but we gave up and went to
my home and waited around
to see if the lost riders
could find their way to Harvey’s
Lake. The guys turned up
later at the hotel having
found their way back to one
of the main roads. A thousand
pardons. Ride leaders must
pay closer attention to the
group. One demerit for yours
truly. At least all the riders
got to see some spectacular
mountain scenery including
the really special view from
high atop Sugar Hollow Road.
Back at the Sonestown Country
Inn many more members had
arrived so we had a great
time chatting which there
was plenty of time for because
the service was terrible
in the restaurant. Pretty
unusual because the place
is known for great country
cooking, prompt service and
fair pricing. Turns out that
one waitress, one hostess
and one cook had not come
in to work that night for
various reasons. The meal
was much better Saturday
night when the place was
back up to full staff. After
dinner there were some unsanctioned
coasting contests out on
Route 220 down the two-mile
hill to Sonestown from LaPorte.
Naturally the organizers
had no idea any of this went
on till the next day with
the only casualty being a
GSXR-1000 that was dropped
hard right outside the Inn
breaking off its entire left
footpeg assembly. Would never
have happened to a Honda!
Fortunately James Elliot
is pretty handy with safety
wire and was able to get
the rider going again.
Saturday morning dawned
another spectacular Northeast
PA day. The weather throughout
all three days was simply
spectacular like it always
here in our area. Hardly
a drop of rain fell on anyone
(except for Thursday!)
We met at a nearby gas station and broke into three groups for
our morning ride to Bob Logue’s Honda in Williamsport. Bob
Logue is one of the original Honda motorcycle dealerships and has
a museum that is really worth seeing. His collection of about 50
bikes has Hondas from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and
the 80’s. Bob has a nice 81x in the collection, rides a 79
and was selling a low mileage 82 to a new ICOA member from the
Allentown area, named Dave Matchick. As a matter of fact we had
hardly even gotten off our bikes when Dave came over to us with
Bob and started scoping out our bikes and hitting us with questions.
We checked out the 82 Bob was selling to him and pronounced it
fit with the only need being some new rubber. It was still wearing
its original tires!
Back to Bob Logue’s
museum for a minute: When
is the last time you saw
a 1983 CX-650 Turbo with
zero miles on it? Honda only
brought 566 of these beauties
into the US! How about a
mint 1974 CB400F with its
original four into one exhaust?
In addition to a group of
60’s bikes like Dreams,
Super Hawks, 305 Scramblers
and CT 90’s, Bob is
into off road riding. He
has a mint 1974 Elsinore
MX’r and a TLR250 Reflex
Trials bike. We didn’t
actually get to see all his
bikes because some of them
are on loan to the AMA Heritage
museum in Ohio! After about
a two hour visit we left
for a ride up to Wellsboro,
PA where we turned west and
went to Ansonia, PA for lunch
at the Log Cabin Restaurant.
Yes, it’s a real log
cabin building featuring
good food and reasonable
prices. The Saturday AM arrival
riders led by Bob and Lori
Buehler joined us for lunch
and the afternoon ride. Good
to see Lori again. It’s
been a long time. I remember
back about ’92 when
she brought her video camera
to a CBX Rally. I had never
seen anyone ride backwards
on a bike and shoot video
before…..After a brief
photo session we were off
for our afternoon ride back
to Sonestown. Unfortunately
for your narrator our 79
started showing 11 volts
on the voltmeter which all
of us know means its brush
time. We stopped in Canton,
PA and took over the parking
lot of the local mini mart
where Rip Parsells, Pete
Bartholomew and Jean Paul
Grasmuck began to do a standard “brush
job” when Jean Paul
raised a discouraging word.
Seems he noticed that the
alternator clutch plates
were burned badly, a result
of a failed bearing on the
shaft that meant our riding
was over for the day. Jean
Paul was kind enough to go
back to the Sonestown Country
Inn and grab his car and
trailer and bring us back
in time for dinner with the
group. Many thanks to Jean
Paul and also to Rip and
Pete! Dinner that night was
filled with conversations
about the day’s rides
and about Rip’s friend
Hans Bachmann who had had
an accident on the way back
to the Inn. Hans lost control
of his Gold Wing Trike and
hit a guardrail and was launched
up and over and down the
hill beyond. He spent the
next few days in the Towanda
Hospital. Jack Gutshall,
Chris Chollak and Neil Nepiarsky
went out and recovered the
trike with Jack reporting
it couldn’t have been
done with out Neil’s
help and knowledge. Good
work Neil!
Saturday night was marked
by a report from the McMunns
of a late night screaming
match between the manager
of the Sonestown Inn and
his wife who kept calling
on the phone prompting some
X-rated language from the
manager. We suggested that
the McMunn’s ask for
a front facing room next
time instead of a room over
the kitchen.
Sunday morning, when most
rallies end and everyone
just heads for home, was
different this time. Jack
and Nancy Gutshall invited
the group over to their place
for breakfast. They live
about 30 minutes from Sonestown,
which gave us an excuse for
another great group ride
to their place. For those
of you that don’t know
yet Nancy is a wonderful
chef and put out a “country’ breakfast
that was better than any
restaurant. Finally it was
time to say our good byes
and wish especially our Canadian
friends safe journey. Add
another successful rally
to the books!
Long Distance Award: James
Elliot and the Canadian
Contingent consisting of
Bill Elliot (Not that Bill
Elliot), George Barker,
Mike Whitmill, Tom Redgrift
and Murray Anonymous.
Injury Report: Several.
One minor “coasting
incident” and Hans
Buchman’s accident.
Last report has Hans doing
well and back at his CPA
practice with the trike under
repair.
Incident Report: Failed
alternator bearing in the
McCartneys 79 required a
tow in.
Treasurers Report: $130.00
collected and since we had
no insurance to pay it was
donated by Jack Gutshall
to his company which matched
the amount and sent it to
the United Way, September
11th fund for the New York
disaster relief fund.
Riders Comments: Super
roads & accommodations
and when we will we do this
again? Dennis needs to keep
better track of his group
riders (Noted DM!)
Is the weather always this nice? (Answer: Most of the time!)
Footnote: We
will have a rally somewhere
in Northeast PA again next
September (2002) but it won’t
be in the Sonestown area.
We have lots of other great
empty roads here to explore
and we look forward to showing
them to you.
Personal note: It
is immensely gratifying to
have folks travel a great
distance to go riding with
us! We (The Gutshall’s,
McCartney’s and the
Cohen’s) look forward
to having as many of you
as can attend join us next
September. Also, don’t
overlook the annual “Ladies
Choice Rally” in May
of each year. May 2002 will
be the third year and we
look forward to coming up
with another interesting
place to visit in 2002!
Dennis
Remember: Four wheels move
the body, two wheels move
the soul......
Member ICOA-International
CBX Owners Association
Member HSTA-Honda Sport Touring Association
Member Turbo Motorcycle Owners Club
Member Honda Riders Club of America
Member IXXRA-International XX Riders Association
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