Gulf Coast R.a.t. Pack December 2008 Green Light

Gulf Coast R.A.T. Pack

Green Light Volume 1, Issue 4

December 4, 2008

Just a couple of days late Special points of interest:  Hap’s Cycle Sales 60th Anniversary  Gulf Coast Motorcycles 6th Anniversary  March of Dimes Bikers for Babies

So, I was gathering articles for the November newsletter when Thanksgiving arrived. Hope everyone had a good holiday. I was earning double-time on Thursday night, but did some major cooking and enjoyed Saturday with a few friends.

 Jeff Resurfaces

Inside this issue: A Letter from Jeff

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Upcoming Rides and Events

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Our Next Meeting

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Since our last newsletter, we took a ride with occasional showers on up I-75 to Sarasota to help celebrate Hap’s Cycle Sales’ 60th Anniversary. The turnout was so incredible, we had difficulty finding adequate parking for our bikes. Events in-

cluded a bike show and slow races. Many of us were surprised by the noise of the drag bike when it got cranked up. On the way back we took the leisurely Highway 41 south and made sure to stop for a chocolate shake. A Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving. shower or two later, we made it Beach, and McGregor home. Definitely a Blvd. to Fort Myers H good test of our rain -D. All I can say gear. about my riding is On November 2nd, we participated in the Annual March of Dimes Bikers for Babies. Starting off in Naples we joined the parade of motorcycles and rode up through Bonita Beach, Fort Myers

that once she gets the scent of a V-Twin in her nostrils, it takes all I have to reign in my bike. We represented the Triumph brand well, and had many bikers looking over our distinctive bikes. There has already been talk about helping make next years’ experience even better, at least continued on page 2

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A letter from Jeff Hi Everyone! Yea yea, I know, it’s been a while since you’ve seen anything from me in the Newsletter and I’ve been kind of absent from meetings and rides….I’m a busy man though playing Mr. Mom several days a week! I will soon be anticipating my son joining us on RAT rides. But in reality, that may be a few years away as I don’t think he’d enjoy the A rare ride in a tank bag since he’s only about 10 months old! Heck, I’ve even got a couple really nice bikes picked out for “him”, but my wife is smart and sees right through that plan. I’m just looking for another bike for Dad she says! Joking aside, Taylor and I are so happy with how GCRats has developed and continued to gain members! We have such a great group of riders who are likeminded, which makes the club very strong and enjoyable at every “turn”. Let’s keep it up and be sure to spread the word about GCRats. Let everyone you know,

whether they are riding a Triumph, BMW, Honda or Harley Davidson. The point of our club is to ride and have fun!

we’ve actually beaten summers of the past, even when the economy was booming and strong! How did we manage this? Quite clearly it has been because of Triumph. Triumph sales have remained strong throughout the summer, while BMW and Ducati experienced a slide in retail sales. Triumph builds an exceptional product with extremely aggressive pricing. While BMW and Ducati also follow suit with the quality, their prices are at different levels. In general, you can’t beat the value you get with our Triumphs! Also an interesting fact is that essentially every motorcycle brand out there this year has experienced a dramatic decline in sales. However, Triumph (along with Ducati) has posted record numbers and its growth continues! This is validation that Triumph is bringing the right product to the market, at the right time and at the right pricing!

I thought I’d take a moment to recap how we’re doing at the store these days and how the Triumph brand in general is doing. While the economy is certainly in dismal shape, sighting of Jeff Gulf Coast Motorcycles is hanging in there- fear not! While there are certain stores across the country who are so greatly affected that they are closing their doors, we are standing strong. This is only possible because of all of you! Summers are traditionally our toughest times of the year (hot, rainy and seasonal residents are up “We have such a great group of north), and riders who are like-minded, this while this past makes the club very strong and summer was traditional in enjoyable at every „turn‟.” that sense,

We realize everyone these days is affected by the current state of the economy, so we have been runcontinued on page 3

Just a couple of days late ...continued from page 1 by making the food line faster after the ride. 8th

Our meeting on the started off with lunch at The Islamorada Fish Company and then we headed over to Triumph of Ft. Myers. This seemed to

Gulf Coast Rats at March of Dimes Bikers for Babies

work well, since we could actually communicate and get our

scheduling taken care of. On November 23rd, we headed up to Snook Haven in North Port. We picked up Lynn, a Bonneville rider, in Port Charlotte and had her continued on page 3

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Just a couple of days late ...continued from page 2

and with the atmosphere, food, and live entertainment, it didn’t disappoint. Rusty and his son had already been camping down the road for a couple of days, and took the opportunity to meet up with us.

and Kris lead the way. It was a first time for many of us at this biker destination,

All in all, in the last month, we’ve covered a lot of ground in Southwest Florida. I’m glad to be a part of our little organization, and am

more than happy that we are a group that enjoys riding together. Cheers, Taylor

A letter from Jeff ...continued from page 2 ning some specials lately at the store. For November (our 6 year anniversary month already) we’ve run 20% off in stock apparel. While this 20% off will end in December, trust that there will continue to be opportunities to save. We also have several 2008 models that need to go, so if you’re in the market, stop in to see me!

Finally, our Track Day at Jennings GP is fast approaching. The event will be held on December 13th and 14th (Sat/Sun). All skill levels and bike types are welcome! If you have interest in joining us, call or shoot me an email for more information. We also plan on holding track days a couple times a year, so if you can’t make this one and are interested,

there will be more opportunities! Again, thanks to everyone for the support of GCRats! I know we all have a great time, so let the good times continue to roll!!! Have Fun and RIDE SAFE! Jeff Gallo [email protected]

Upcoming Rides and Events We have a pretty full schedule in front of us. On December 13th, we lunch at Five Guys at The Forum on Colonial and I-75 then ride down to Gulf Coast Motorcycles for our monthly meeting. Later, that evening, is the Cape Coral Bike Night. The 13th and 14th are Track Days at Jennings.

The 14th is the 28th Annual Christmas Run to Gulf Coast Center leaving Fort Myers H-D at 12:30. A great ride and a great cause. December 20th is our breakfast ride out to Sanibel and Captiva. We’ll be leaving GCM at 8am.

Ft. Myers Bike Night happens again on January 10th. We have more rides, events, and details listed at www.GCRats.com, which is always being updated. So visit the site, and visit often. And if you have any pictures, stories, or news to offer, lets us know! [email protected]

GULF COAST R.A.T. PA CK 16090 South Tamiami Trail Fort Myers, FL 33908 USA E-mail: [email protected] Editor: Eric Borgia Publisher: Taylor Musburger

And there we are, amid the throng of motorcyclists in the Annual March of Dimes Bikers for Babies Motorcycle Parade.

Come, Join Us!

Happy Chanukah Merry Christmas And Safe Riding To All!

www.GCRats.com

Our Next Meeting Saturday, December 13th at noon is the date of our next monthly meeting. We’ll be lunching at Five Guys located at The Forum on the northeast corner of Colonial and I-75. Afterwards, we’ll be heading to Gulf Coast Motorcycles to hold the actual meeting. For anybody that may have missed our last meeting, we found that having lunch, then heading on over to the dealership resulted in a very productive meeting and included a short ride.

This next ride from Five Guys will take place on the very pleasant Treeline Ave-

nue. We hope many of you can make it. We’ve been having a great turnout. Make sure to bring any ideas on rides or events. We’ll also be needing restaurant suggestions for our next meeting. We’ll be seeing you soon!