10 Years of Miles and Memories
By Kevin Irwin - Chapter President
This year’s Kickoff Ride will be a little different, because we are recognizing our 10th year as a chartered Indian Motorcycle Riders Group. Our trip to New Rumley to visit George Armstrong’s statue has become an annual rite of passage. It signals the start of another precious riding season. Our chapter Kickoff Ride allows us to catch up with friends and, many times, to see if our rain gear is ready for another season!
The late Bob Rogers, first IMRG 1963 Prez, writes this about our first ever group ride:
The late Bob Rogers
“On the day of our first ride we had a great turnout with about 12 to 15 bikes. Just as we left the original Dealership location on Portage Road, we were hit with a cloudburst!! Before we reached I-77, a mere two miles away, we lost HALF of the group, but the rain stopped and blue skies appeared as we merged onto I-77. Most of the remaining riders had on rain gear and had either a windshield or a fairing on their bike. This was not the case for one of our riders... he had no rain gear and rode without a windshield. He could not have been wetter if he had just climbed out of a swimming pool, but he remained on the ride, and by the time we reached New Rumley, he was almost as dry as the rest of us. We had an enjoyable visit to the Custer site and museum, then headed for the Marina Restaurant on Tappan Lake for lunch. After lunch, we continued our tour by riding around a couple more of the Muskingam Watershed Lakes before we finally headed home. It was a memorable day as our first ride together!”
This year, we will assemble on Saturday, May 3rd at 9:00 AM at Bair’s Indian Motorcycle for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. RAIN or SHINE!!! We will have a few announcements and speeches, pose for a big group picture, and then ride to see Custer and enjoy lunch. Make plans to pick up your pre-ordered anniversary T-shirts, which will be available for pickup.
Most importantly, May 3rd is also International Female Ride Day, and I would like to see all of our ladies join us on this ride!
Here are some past Kickoff articles:
2024 - Kicking Off the Season Visiting the Original “Iron Butt”
2022 - 2022 Riding Season is Officially Underway!
2021 - Kickoff Ride
