The SumSumx2 Summary

[didit]

Judging from the images, comments and the vibe in Montrose, this years' SumSumx2 was a great success.

We were blessed with great weather, backed up by an almost perfect host location in the Best Western Red Arrow hotel.

The central courtyard and pool were used by many, with up front reserved parking for the bikes right below the patio and tent area.

Horsefly Brewing Company, one of the major sponsors, not only provided excellent meals and brews in their pub (a short 10 min walk) but aslo

kicked in for a full keg on the Thursday night, plus a discounted keg on Wed, complete with Trevor, our barman for the evening.

Thanks again to Phil and all his staff for so much support and personal care of the VFRD.

I highly recommend, should you find yourself in or passing through Montrose to stop in for lunch. Ask for Gunner or Phil & they'll know who you are.

Best Western Corporate also came to the plate with $200 in gift cards for door prizes, as well as the great corporate deal and points program.

We stayed in several BW hotels on the route after the meet and the standard of room & service were always there.

I'll be sure to keep them on the front lines for future event sponsorship and always look to book with them on all my trips.

Mark from Scott's Printing (shirt, maps & swag provider) was a great contact to work with, making sure the shirts were done, done right and even

personally delivered to the hotel. He then kicked in some great embroidered door prizes plus pens & pad for the swag bags.

Mark came out Thursday for the dinner and made a point of talking to almost every member, getting a real good idea of the type of people we are.

He even got us a box of outstanding peaches, for a very reasonable donation to his son's soccer team.

I'd say without a doubt, I'd look to them in the future for meet shirts, printing and corporate materials.

I can't go much further than to give a HUGE shout out to radar (Darren) for arranging a freak'n awesome dinner for Thursday night.

Lee and his mobile BBQ put out delicious ribs, chicken, beans, salad, corn and potato salad.

I'd like to go on about how everything was perfect. Not looking to post a big rant, I do have to share this.

Davis Service Center, the local Honda dealer: The service guys were very helpful to a few members needing some parts and even a full brake job.

However, the owner's promise to provide support and prizes never happened.

I'll be sending him and Corporate Honda a letter expressing the disappointment of putting their logo on all the materials and receiving NOTHING in lieu of.

Unless he expresses his apology and sends out a check for the next SumSum, and other than his staff being great - not a dealership to support. Rant off.

Okay, you prize winners out there. Daugherty Motorsports and WireMyBike both kicked in with some great prizes and rather than trying to fit things into

already stuffed luggage, they'll deal directly with each of you to fulfill your prize. Jamie at Daugherty and Joshua at WireMyBike have also received

this list and are ready to hear from you to make the arrangements: Congrats again on your luck of the draw!

DAUGHERTY MOTORSPORTS (Jamie Daugherty) daughertymotorsports.com / 260-710-4049

$100 off a fork & shock spring revalve Lee Scheffer / Lee2002

Free rebound upgrade with purchase of fork spring & revalve Phil Salembier / Belfry

Free rebound upgrade with purchase of fork spring & revalve Terry Gale / MaxSwell

Free 6th Gen upper mount with purchase of F4i spring / revalve Kevin Simpson / Cageless-in-Seattle

Free 6th Gen upper mount with purchase of F4i spring / revalve Gary Swanson / GSwanson

WIREMYBIKE (Joshua Tilton / Tightwad) wiremybike.com

This first prize was donated, via WMB but from an appreciated, anonymous benefactor.

'02 - '09 VFR HID kit Quennel Delhoneau / QDawg

VFRness for Rider's choice of year Tammy Condon / Mrs Axel_7

VFRness for Rider's choice of year Dean Forbes / Frogn8r

Fuse Panel Kit, Rider specifies # of switches Jill Forbes / Mrs. Frogn8r (aka Laura)

Digital Volt / Ohm Meter Michael Schroeder / Dutchinterceptor

E-A-R earsoft disposable ear plugs. All the following:

- David Simmons / Texasvfr

- Arman Alimkulov / Sparrow75

- Bill Gillie / Reddog

- Derek Condon / Axel_7

- Curry Garvin / Cogswell

- Ron Walton / Buzzard60

- Robin Treaster / Zia's Rider

- Jeff Blundell / JFviffer

- Deb Mountenay / Mrs. GMtech94

I hope no one takes offence to names being posted. This is meant to help both you and the sponsors, to connect as easy as possible.

Now, for the moment some have been waiting for. 38 attendees (3 unable at short notice), 28 VFRs + several additional bikes, 3 days of great roads,

no accidents, no tickets (I'm aware of), only a few very minor repairs and a whopping good time.

I present the 2012 VFRD SumSumx2 flyby.

The 2015 SumSum Cubed (3) is only 1074 days away. Book your time and squirrel your funds away.

Dates most likely to be Aug 18 - 20th, 2015. Location to be determined.

There will be many new and great ideas applied. Major sponsors already expressing interest. A big twist to the ride days.

Great times, Great people, Great roads and we hope to see you there.

Thanks to everyone for all the support, leaders, helpers and attendees. Your happiness and ability to attend really makes it all worth while.

Cheers,

Tony (didit)

[ronimalvfr]

Awesome time Tony.You and your crew did a great job!

[ki-speed]

Tony,

A big Texas "Thanks" for all your hard work and your helpers hard work to pull off a great event.

See you in 2015.

Mark "ki-speed"

[MaxSwell]

Tony, you and all the organizers did a fabulous job. It was a great time from beginning to end. Looking forward to SumSum3 With Wild Anticipation!

I have to say something good about Davis Service Center. I arrived Wed. afternoon after the Black Canyon ride about 4:15. They were due to close service in 15 minutes. But they still installed a complete set of brake pads front and back while I waited. I considered their accomodation above and beyond the usual. That aside, I agree they were remiss for not following through with their commitments. I WILL take that into consideration in the future.

Again, Todd, you indeed DIDIT. Congrats on a successful rally and Thanks For A Job Well Done.

Terry (MaxSwell)

[gswanson]

Tony,

I too will echo the kind words flowing so freely. This had to be the best ride I have been on to date. The organization was outstanding, the comeraderie was the best and the roads and scenery were absolutely awesome! The only down side to the whole trip was that my camera decided to die and what pictures I did take (including the bear in New Mexico) are not worth publishing. I am missing my new friends and am anxiously counting the days til SumSum3. Well done my man!

[HispanicSlammer]

Tony, as always a man of details and boy what details. I listened in awe as you described to me last summer your thoughts on what you were going to do for this meet when we were putting in your new stator in the hotel parking lot in Eureka and it all came to Fruition, I wish I had your eye for details. I guess thats why I have friends to make up for my shortcomings. Thanks for everything it was fun and awesome - and I am sure some of your ideas are going to be stolen in future vfrd events to come! Dont fret its a compliment.

[panamawing]

Thanks Tony and everyone for the fantastic experience and memories that put a smile on my face now and in the future!

"It's all good!"

[Lee 2002]

Tony and his orange-shirted helpers put on as perfect of a meet as anyone could imagine. Tony claims that he has ideas that will make the 2015 meet even better. I don't see how it would be possible to improve on 2012.... but if he says it is so.... I'm a believer.

I absolutely intend to be at the 2015 meet, wherever it happens to be, to see what his ideas are. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

If you've never been to a VFRD meet make it a point to get to one.

[Guest]

My thanks to Tony, and to everyone who came to Montrose. What a great time! It kind of restores ones faith in the human race to meet such a group, everyone, and I mean everyone, was such a pleasure to meet. I would like to comment on Davis Service Center. I have some feelings of guilt for not being a bit proactive in the dealings with them. I know them. The owners are not motorcyclists. They are shrewd business people, looking only for profit. The employees, on the other hand, are riders and friends of mine. Great people. When I heard that Davis was a sponsor, I thought it best to just keep out of it, not wanting to get anything mixed up. I am not an organizer. After the event, I spoke with a few of the employees. To the man, or woman, they wished I had personally invited them to the evening social hour. They are motorcyclists, and love to meet others. They were unaware of the nature of our event. The owner (actually the son of the owners), Lincoln Davis, had not mentioned any times or meetings to the employees. He had mentioned to them that some VFR owners might be in to purchase parts or service, and to take good care of them. So I wish I had done more, coordinated with Tony on this one issue, or been more vocal at the shop. I will not apologize for the owners/mangement, they failed miserably. Knowing them as I do, I am not suprised.

[panamawing]

Unfortunately Davis Service did not take care of VFRD SumSumx2. Fortunately they did take care of me personally and the service was first rate! I happened to press my luck alittle to much and often with my riding of unpaved roads on my way to Montrose. Did a whoop, whoop, whoop, and down in the sand I went. All my fault! Broke the right side mirror. Called Davis Service Center (thanks for the phone number Reddog) from 10,000 ft in the air up by Twin Lakes near Monarch Pass on Tuesday morning. They ordered me a mirror and I had it in my hands Thursday afternoon. Unlike my local Honda dealer (which I do business with on a regular basis), they did not require my credit card pre order.

[MaxSwell]

To the man, or woman, they wished I had personally invited them to the evening social hour. They are motorcyclists, and love to meet others. They were unaware of the nature of our event.

While I was waiting for brakepads being installed I had a conversation with, I think, the service manager. He ended up taking me back to their storage area to show me a beautiful 1960-something Honda 360 they had recently bought. The content of the conversation is not my point, it is that the employees were indeed motorcyclists, to the bone, and would have been a fabulous addition to our evening parties. Is seems obvious to me now, but I wish I had thought to invite them. I suspect the tech who did my brakes worked late that day. Obviously Great People.

Buzzard, I'd appreciate it if you would pass along to your friends there my appreciation for them. I think it would be great if they could come next time.