Intros are not just for new COG members

[S Smith]

I joined COG a month or so after purchasing a new Concours in 1998 at the recommendation of a co-worker who was already a member. One day I passed another Connie going the other way when I was about a mile or so from home.  Several turns later I was home and in the garage. As I took off my helmet and turned around, I saw the same bike I passed minutes ago. We got to talking and hit it off.  He lives in town and is still a close friend. In 1999 we attended my first regional COG rally in Kingston, NY.  Met 30 or so other members. I was the new guy, but was made to feel right at home. I am still friendly with many of the folks I met there.

That was the beginning for me. In the next year I hosted a ride and attended another rally. The next year I volunteered to be an AAD and with a few others helped host a regional rally in Connecticut. What a great feeling it was to be part of bringing members together. I met many friends I never met before.  I was sucked in big time and a few years later I became AD. Thirteen years later I am still here. Many more friendships have been forged, and many miles ridden.

Several of my closest COG friends are founding members of the club...  others have been members only a few years...  I enjoy seeing each of them at the regional events.  I am looking forward to seeing others I have met from around the country at the national rally in Vermont.

What's your story?

 

[Cap'n Bob]

I bought my  beautiful 2003 C10 back when it came out. I had been riding for many years first off road when I was young. Then when I was still young (like 100 years ago  ) I made the jump to street bikes. Mom was not happy (and still isn't to this day) about my motorcycles, even though both of the parents had motorcycles of their own.
I finally bought my first brand new street bike when I was living in Austin, TX. It was a gorgeous candy wineberry 1983 Honda Nighthawk. Although I loved that bike, The brand new Honda Interceptor also gained my attention and became a must have. So already I was in the which to ride dilemma that I deal with to this day. I found that I rode the Interceptor both street and track for until 1985 when going back to NY. To this day I miss that Interceptor more than any bike, and regret selling her when I moved back north. I could have bought another like her, but it wouldn't be the same. Especially as time has gone on. Since now it motorcycles have improved with updates. If I was to buy one now, I figure it would possibly ruin my old memories, for now the bike I loved might feel antiquated!
I pretty much rode Honda's only for years. But I mainly went to cruisers and Wings after that (to slow me down).  ;D  But Always wanted to buy a Concours since the 86 came out. I went through a stint where I found I wasn't riding the Wing much because of work and family life. So I sold it and went bikeless for a few years. But as fate would have it, my hours at work dropped back to a normal life, and the itch to ride came right back. I wanted something small and nimble, so I bought a Suzuki Marauder 800 to play on. Well within a month, I realized the bike was too small, I really didn't want another wing right now. So I used the excuse to finally get the Concours I have always wanted. I found the Concours to be the bike that could do everything I wanted. It could carry stuff and had weather protection, which is why I like tour bikes. It could play somewhat like a sport bike. And you could just cruise around if you wanted. So enter my first C10.
I bought the beautiful red 2003 C10 and loved the bike. Even though at that point, it was already pretty much a  17 year old designed bike. But it just worked for me. Of course performance upgrades started almost immediately. I found the other website shorty after. But I was and still am pretty much a computer novice at best. Only worse back then. So I lurked and learned from others about the bike and Concours Owners Group. Well after a while of being the lurker who read, but didn't participate. I decided it was time to get involved. This was now in 2005. So I actually joined the forum as a member and decided to start actually posting and trying to get involved. I also joined COG at the same time, since I was getting involved. Well as luck would have it. Very shortly after I joined COG. I met up with another COGger for a ride. Well on that ride disaster struck. The result was being airlifted after a highside bounced me off a guardrail. I now have a titanium elbow after my original equipment snapped off at the radial head. Between that, the broken ribs and left knee injury, I thought my riding days might be over.
But with in two months I went to the NY Motorcycle show and was looking at new bikes. Two months later I bought my Mean Streak. My elbow  was weak and couldn't support a forward riding position, so another Concours was not an option for me. But I remained a member of COG, and stayed somewhat active on the forum, even though I had yet to make a COG event and didn't ride a Concours anymore. Well a year and a half later, I felt I could support the weight again for a forward riding position.
Well wouldn't you know that the new Concours14 just happened to be making it's debut. I didn't plan on buying one, since I was very happy with the bike I was riding. But when shopping for a bike for a Friend, I came across an available brand new 2008 C14 ABS. Well I went from not not planning on buying a bike to putting the deposit on a C14 in ten minutes. I picked up the bike a few days later on Friday July 13th, 2007.
Well it again was time to try to actually get involved with COG. I finally made my first anything type of COG event. I owe it all to my new friend (who I was just going to meet) Norm Walton. Norm was and still is the CT AAD for the NE Area. He had set up a advanced rider course that he wanted to fill with COG people. Well COG didn't fill the whole class, but we had a good showing. Although it wasn't a COG rally or ride. I already experienced the camaraderie and made friends, that made me want to get more involved. Coincidentally it was also my first time meeting Steve Smith who was and still is the NE area director. Steve wasn't in the class. But he is an instructor who was teaching another class at the collage where we were. So he stopped by to say hey! I really enjoyed that day and the people I met, even though it was like 900 degrees that day. Then turned into moonsoon rain riding the 100 or so miles home! 
Well I made my second event, and again, it was Norm and his wife Lorie Walton who had a meet and greet one night. So I made the trip out to Connecticut to have dinner with them. Again, I enjoyed myself, and just wanted to get more involved yet.
The next spring/summer finally gave me the chance to make my first rally. And it was a good one. I hooked up with 5 or 6 other COG members and made a trip down to the 2009 COG national in Fontana Dam, NC. Actually being at a national rally really inspired me. After that, I started hosting my own rides. Making more rallies. Then I started hosting more events that included meet & greets and rides. So I decided to become an assistant area director myself.
So I found that although it took me a long time to actually make an event and start experiencing some of the COG offerings. I had very quickly got sucked right into the COG experience, because I had made friends and had been having a great time. I found myself wanting to be more and more involved. And it all evolved around a motorcycle. One very special motorcycle that draws people together even after they no longer own the bike. The saying of " come for the bike and stay for the people", could never be truer.
Although I have since moved on from my C14, I did finally get and mow have that original 1986 C10 that I wanted so long ago!  So being on my third Concours, being a member of COG and AAD for the north east now. I can tell you, this is a great club that I'm proud to be a member of. Although I had been a member for a while before getting involved. I want to thank Norm Walton for making me feel so comfortable and welcome, that I wanted to come back. Both Norm Walton and Steve Smith have helped me immensely through out my COG Odyssey. Even at times keeping me in line when needed and building me up when I needed assurance that I could do it! I proud to call them my friends along with a lot of other I would not have met, had I not got involved.
So that was all it took for me. I just got involved and went to that first event. I enjoyed myself and wanted to go again. The rest took care of itself!  8)

 

[oldsawfiler]

I think this thread would make a good column for the concourier

 

[Cap'n Bob]

I think this thread would make a good column for the concourier

I agree. But you probably could only do one or two at a time, if there as long as mine! 

 

[S Smith]

I think this thread would make a good column for the concourier

I agree. But you probably could only do one or two at a time, if there they're as long as mine! 

Probably need a good spel chek and grammar correction too... 

 

[Cap'n Bob]

I think this thread would make a good column for the concourier

I agree. But you probably could only do one or two at a time, if there they're as long as mine! 

Probably need a good spel chek and grammar correction too... 

Yeah, I'll be the first one to admit that English was my worst subject in school. But your right, even I should have caught that one!  :-[ 

 

[S Smith]

I think this thread would make a good column for the concourier

I agree. But you probably could only do one or two at a time, if there they're as long as mine! 

Probably need a good spel chek and grammar correction too... 

Yeah, I'll be the first one to admit that English was my worst subject in school. But your you're right, even I should have caught that one!  :-[ 

Ummm...  this one too???  LOL

 

[willyp]

Here's mine: Out of the Blue - My 1988 Kawasaki Concours

 

[smithr]

Im keepin out of any spellin convo.  Funny thing is I dun good in spellin.  I can learn anything for a week.

 

[necron99]

 

[Strawboss]

I rode a 1982 KZ550A as my main motorcycle for 19 years, it was a holdover in 1983 when I bought it new. My buddy had just bought a new 2002 Goldwing and wanted to do a ride up around Michigan's Upper Penninsula, I live in NE Ohio. No way could I do that ride on that bike at that time at my age, 20 years prior, sure. I went looking around casually at bikes. Honda had recently redesigned the ST, nice bike, too much. Forget BMW. Yamaha was just releasing the FJR, too much, and , you had to put money down on a bike that you might not get. Walked into a Kawasaki shop and my 2001 sat there, a holdover in 2002, dealer said he couldn't get rid of it. I drove it home the next day. I joined COG in 2003 I think. My first ever COG function was the national rally at Johnstown PA in 2004. I met some great folks. I found out about the COG forum and signed up. I found out about Murph and started spending.  My next function was Wellsboro PA. I was hooked as I met a lot more great folks. Many of these people I still know and still see at COG functions and honestly say I wish I could have them as my real family as opposed to the family I have, but I consider them family anyhow.  Everything I ever did on a bike was by myself prior to this, now, with the Concours and with the rides and the people, I always include my wife. With COG folks, theres people you haven't seen in a year or more and when you meet again, you strike up a conversation as if you only parted yesterday. I cannot say that about any organization I have ever belonged to.