Rumblings

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Almost Time!!

It is the most exciting time of year for the Azusa StreetRiders. Not only is riding weather in full swing, we are also rapidly approaching the 7th Annual National Rally and our annual business meeting. This is always a great time of refreshment and renewing while having tremendous church, riding, and fellowshipping with our ASR family. As we prepare for this event, I want to encourage every one of us to reflect upon our purpose within the ASR along with our mission as a whole. We must continually remind ourselves that our purpose is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ and salvation message of Acts 2:38 to a world that is hungry and seeking fulfillment through various avenues. We fulfill this mission through various methods. It is imperative that we are individual witnesses and incorporate personal evangelism in our life. Our chapters organize and host local events throughout the year. Motorcycles are donated through the Motorcycles For Missionaries program to ministers that provides a new avenue for them to reach even more people efficiently and timely. The common denominator in each of these avenues is us; each individual member of the ASR. Each one of us must be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Ghost for direction in our personal lives, in our chapters, and for the direction of the ASR as a ministry and organization. As we reflect on the purpose of the ASR, I also ask that each of us spend extra time in prayer in regards to our upcoming annual business meeting. I am confident of your knowledge that we will be electing three of the board positions; President, Vice President, and Treasurer. We are blessed with great nominees. Each of these nominees have given of themselves to the ministry of the ASR and have proven through time and efforts that their heart is in the ASR. That being said, every organization is at a critical juncture when faced with a possible change in leadership at three out of four elected offices. However, the ASR isn’t just any organization. The ASR is an Apostolic ministry. We MUST know and follow the direction of the One that this ministry is to represent. For that reason, I cannot adequately stress the importance of seeking His direction and will for the upcoming election. I implore each of you to join me in prayerful consideration that will enable each of us to cast our ballots with certainty that, ultimately, the will of God will be accomplished. I look forward to seeing you in Texas!!

Blessed to Serve,
Michael Luttrell
Secretary
Azusa StreetRiders

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Mark Hardin bio

Mark Hardin bio:

It is with great appreciation that I submit this not so short bio for our ASR constituents to consider for the upcoming elections. I’m a country boy at heart and not much for politicking. It shows the growth of this organization that we have multiple candidates capable of carrying on the vision of this ministry.

I’m a third generation Apostolic minister. My grandfather and dad both exampled a love and concern for souls…in both the physical and spiritual needs. My grandpa came out of the world during the prohibition days. He made his own brew back in them hills of southern Indiana and never backed down from a fight. When he came to the Lord, at a brush harbor revival, he fought for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Clarence Hardin left an example of miracles, signs, and wonders for me to believe in.

My dad followed suit by starting or reviving several churches from Indiana to South Dakota, Louisiana to Illinois. No matter the challenge his example taught me to persevere and hold to Truth. He cared for the soul, disregarding race or social status.

I briefly mention these men because it is their combined example that has provided me a heritage of serving others. When I signed up with ASR it was after 2yrs of meeting some of the leadership. I had started several interest based outreach programs, such as “Christian Trail Rides”. If I could get them to ride a horse with me long enough, I could share the Gospel with them. As I heard the heartbeat for souls coming from those I met (and I already rode a bike with a group of neighbors), I was all in. I never dreamt of moving into any further leadership role other than wearing a patch and leading people to Christ by what it represents…this Acts 2 message.

Coming out of High School, I didn’t know what I wanted to be or do, so I had the opportunity to travel with a band called David and the Giants as sound man and roadie. That “gig” led me to Bible College in Houston TX, then came home to a 30yr carrier in the printing industry, with management, sales, and business development experiences. All along, serving in our local church in just about every capacity except pastor. I had a life change in 2010 when the company I worked so hard for was bought out by another and they let our whole sales staff go. I knew the Lord was in it, but it was still a painful separation. I then determined to move more full time into the ministry, which has led to writing a book, “Cultivating a Culture of Caring” and beginning to evangelize when the doors open.

I am a principled individual that finds my strengths in organizational skills. I’m a softer spoken evangelist that believes if the Spirit moves it, nothing will be able to stand in front of it. I’m on a hunt to find the same keys that the Book of Acts Church had with God…not so that we can display power, but that God will speak to and through this earthen vessel to meet the needs of hurting people. If the lame walk, the dumb talk, and the blinded eyes are open then there will be no need for outreach. The lost will be coming to you. One thought I would leave with us…if the ASR Ministry can tap into the same Holy Ghost power that was given to our forefathers, then we can turn this world upside down by the power of the Holy Spirit. One would not need to doubt if he/she has received the Holy Ghost, for once a Holy Ghost filled ASR Member lays hands on them, they shall receive and It will evidence with speaking with other tongues…following closely behind…love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness… It is our lacking that causes many to not receive. I’ve said it many times, “I have not arrived until my shadow heals the sick as it did in the book of Acts!” Wouldn’t it be appropriate that those who have been set free, and feel such freedom when the wind is blowing in our ears, that we would become Apostles of the Gospel to such a degree that we are called upon to bring revival to churches and whole communities…as they did in Acts when folks had not received the Holy Ghost, they called for delegates to come and lay hands on them that they would receive. That, my brothers and sisters is what we are called to do…in the jailhouse to the church house!

I pray that gives you a glimpse of who I am…my heartbeat…my dream for the ASR Ministry going forward. My old pastor told me many times, “Mark, don’t bring a problem if you don’t have a solution to offer. Go pray till God provides some direction and then bring the problem.” I’ve found that to be sound advise, and, it makes me pray before I do anything else.

I would close with this…we have great men and women already in leadership, and we have the same in the various candidates that have been nominated (nominated not running…I believe is the theme, so it makes it hard to commercialize and politic). So, whoever the body votes into any position, you will not hear me moan and groan…I will continue to win souls and grow this great outreach ministry to the best of my ability in the area in which I am contained.

God bless and keep you all…I look forward to seeing all of you in Texas!

Keep The Faith,mark

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Lydia Diaz Bio, Position nominated for: Treasurer

I started in 2008 working the ASR website and store. My husband and I became Roaming Ambassaders for ASR in 2010. We would go to many events as ASR representatives during the course of the year and helped with starting new works in the churches using motorcycle ministry as an outreach. In 2011 I was voted in as Treasurer for ASR and I am currently still in that position. I have over 30 years experience in bookkeeping and accounting and I used to serve on the school board as well as the SJ chapter board. Most importantly is that I have a desire to reach lost souls. I was called when I was in 3rd grade and have had a personal relationship with God while growing up. When I was 22 I was lead to a church that preached the truth and it has been 38 years since I was baptized in Jesus Name and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. We are more than just a board we are representatives of Jesus Christ.

ASR is the Army of Jesus Christ and the gifts of the spirit are our weapons. Prayer and fasting will allow us to use our weapons in spiritual warfare and we will be victorious.

Ephesians:

6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Lydia
ASR International Treasurer

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60,000 Mile Motorcycle Tires Would you buy them?

The other day I was discussing tires with a non-motorcyclist friend of mine. He is a very smart man that is in management who is well schooled in physics and logic. Imagine my surprise when I learned that not only were a few tire facts not understood by him, but that most of my motorcyclist friends, whose lives depend in no small part on their knowledge of our sport, have the same blinders on.

When I told my  friend that motorcycles can almost always stop more quickly than cars, I did not get the typical agreement based on the popular misconception that this is true because cars are heavier than motorcycles. Instead, he challenged that fact based on the ‘increasing popularity of ABS system on cars.’

  • Stopping distance is not determined by weight! You will recall that Galileo (I originally said ‘Sir Isaac Newton’ in error) crushed the popularly held belief that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones. Falling is an acceleration. Braking is simply a negative acceleration.
  • ABS was not designed to enable you to stop more quickly. (Goggle  Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS).)

As we got on with our discussion of tires he happened to mention that he had just purchased a set of new tires for his car and that he expected to get about 60,000 miles from them before they wore out. This seemed to please him very much. I’m afraid I may have caused him to have second thoughts on the matter as our conversation continued.

I told him that I had a set of ‘high mileage’ (by motorcycle standards) touring tires on my motorcycle and that I would be happy to get anything in excess of 20,000 miles from them. He was amazed to learn that I paid nearly as much for my rear tire alone as he spent for all four of his car tires, particularly since I would have had to replace them three times before he replaced his once.

It must have sounded defensive on my part when I told my friend that if the manufacturer of my motorcycle tires was to announce a new tire with an expected life of 60,000 miles they would have trouble selling them.

I explained that the reason a motorcycle can stop faster than a car is that its tires provide better traction than automobile tires. Our traction is better because the rubber compounds our tires are made of are softer and thus ‘stickier’. Beyond their price in dollar terms, better traction tires cost mileage – they wear out faster than harder tires. [Obviously, stopping is a function of your brakes. With the assumption that your vehicle was designed with brakes that are more than sufficient to lock (stop your wheels from turning), regardless of speed, then the stopping of your vehicle must be limited by available traction, not brakes.]

(It is a curiosity to me that many motorcyclists brag about the mileage their tires provide – actively seeking to buy higher mileage tires without a thought to relative traction provided. I suppose that they believe the higher mileage is provided without traction cost – but is it?)

However, given a choice between buying tires that lasted three times as long or those that allowed faster stopping, it would be a no-brainier for most motorcyclists. If a motorcycle tire could be made that provided 60,000 miles of life, by virtue of being made of harder rubber compounds, the manufacturer could not give them away.

Well that concept got the attention of my friend! Can’t you just imagine the thoughts running through his head: 
Maybe.

The problem is that there is no way for a consumer to know what level of traction one tire has as compared to another. There is no indication on the tire sidewall, for example, that lists its traction, and there does not appear to be standards available to the consuming public that facilitates comparisons. It is entirely possible, though unlikely, that a rubber compound can be developed that provides longer life without sacrificing traction.

But there are other reasons that most motorcyclists should consider before buying a tire with a long wear life expectancy. For example, about every other tire that I have had to replace was the result of tire damage rather than normal wear and tear. (three nails in three tires just last year alone, severe sidewall cracking along with similar cracking in the tread grooves, cupping, etc.) If you push your tire all the way to the end of it life you are putting your self at risk with loss of traction.

Maybe the discussion above explains why no manufacturer has announced a 60,000 mile motorcycle tire – yet. I wouldn’t buy one if they did. Would you!
Michael Theodore
National Road Captain

 

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International Board Nominations / Elections

Elections will be held for ASR international President, Vice President, and Treasurer at the annual business meeting this year. As always, it is imperative that we include prayer and fasting throughout the election process including nominations and voting. We must focus on Him and His will to allow His direction for this ministry to be fulfilled.

All nominations must be submitted no later than June 15. Nominations will not be accepted after June 15. Nomination ballots are available and are posted on the ASR website. You can also request the nomination ballots from me if you have issues accessing them from the website for any reason. My contact info is listed below. Feel free to contact me on FB messenger, email, text, or call and I will get the nomination ballots to you. Absentee voting will be underway shortly after the close of the nominations. Please stay tuned to the website and the Azusa StreetRiders Facebook pages.

Also, I am asking everyone to please help me get the word out. Chapter presidents, please be sure to communicate this information with your chapter.

Blessed to serve,
Michael Luttrell
Secretary
Azusa StreetRiders
mluttrell79@yahoo.com
(502) 681-7155

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Weight Transfer What is it, why does it happen, and why should you care?

When you change speed (accelerate or decelerate) the weight of your motorcycle (including you) shifts in such a way as to put more or less load on your tires. You do not have to weigh the load on your tires to know this with certainty because you can see it happen by observing your front-end ‘dive’ when you brake.


Traction is proportional to the weight carried by your tires. Thus, when you brake your front tire gains traction while the rear one loses it. Clearly losing too much traction is dangerous since the result is that your tire will slide.

Despite what you may think, weight transfer can be controlled beyond simply adjusting your acceleration and braking rates. That is, how fast you change speeds is not the only thing that determines weight transfer. Surely you would be interested in minimizing the odds of losing traction during a panic stop? Read on… 

Braking Transfers
Ignoring wind resistance, essentially all the forces that try to slow you down when you apply your brakes are at ground level. That is, at the contact patches of your tires. On the other hand, the inertia of your bike works not at ground level, but directly through its center of gravity (CG.) Since the CG is higher than ground level the resulting net force translates into a torque. In other words, braking does not simply shift weight forward, it tries to shift it down in the front and up in the rear.

The higher the CG is, the greater the torque. (If the CG was at ground level the torque would be zero.) On the other hand, the longer your wheelbase is, the lesser the torque. This is just another way of saying that the amount of weight transfer resulting from a change in speed is a function of the ratio of the height of the CG to the length of the wheelbase.

Gravity is acceleration. At ground level gravity tries to make you fall with acceleration at the rate of about 32.2 feet per second per second (henceforth  fps/sec.) This acceleration is called ‘1 g.’

‘Weight’ is a force. Weight is simply how hard a mass is trying to fall to the center of the earth because of gravity. Like inertia, gravity works directly through the CG of an object.

When we brake we apply force which we will simply call a braking force. Braking is nothing more than a negative acceleration. Thus, when the total braking force is such that your bike’s forward speed is being reduced at the rate of approximately 32.1 fps/sec, you are decelerating at the rate of 1 g. That is, your braking force then equals the weight of the motorcycle (including the rider). If your motorcycle weighs 1,000 pounds, then braking at 1 g means you are applying 1,000 pounds of braking force.

You can calculate the amount of weight transfer involved in any stop knowing only the braking force being used and the ratio of CG height to wheelbase length. For example, if the total braking force is 1,000 pounds, your CG is 20 inches off the ground, and your wheelbase is 63.4 inches long: 

Wt.Transfer = Braking Force times CG ratio

Wt.Transfer = 1000 lbs. * 20/63.4

Wt.Transfer = 1000 lbs. * .3155

Wt.Transfer = 315.5 lbs. 

[We are here discounting entirely the effects caused by tire distortion and suspension compression. Not because these are not important, but because they are of secondary importance to an understanding of these principals.]

Now, just because the bike weighs 1,000 pounds and is sitting on two wheels does not mean that at rest there are 500 pounds on each wheel. Here again we need to know something about the bike’s CG. Only if the CG is exactly in the middle of the bike (between contact patches) will the weight be evenly distributed. If the CG is closer to the front wheel than the rear one, for example, then there will be more weight on the front tire than on the rear when the bike is at rest (not moving). Further, unless there is an upward or downward movement of the bike, the sum of the weight carried by the front and rear tires must equal the total weight of the motorcycle and rider.

Let us assume that at rest the weight is evenly distributed. Then we now know that while braking at 1g, because of weight transfer, there will be 815.5 lbs. (500 + 315.5) on the front tire and only 184.5 lbs. (500 – 315.5) on the rear tire. Because traction is a function of weight carried by a tire it is clear that there is not a lot of traction left on the rear tire at this time.

Let us look very carefully at what this weight transfer example is showing us. You have heard that you have about 70% of your stopping power in the front brake. This example shows that we have applied 1,000 lbs. of braking power to the tires of the bike. If it was ALL the result of using only the front brake, then we have wasted what traction is still available to us from the rear tire and, worse, we have locked our front tire and started a skid! This, because virtually all standard tires lose their ‘sticktion’ (stick/friction) when confronted with more than about 1.1g of braking force. With 815.5 lbs. on the front tire it could with reasonable confidence handle a braking force of 897 lbs. (1.1 * 815.5), yet we applied 1,000 lbs. to it. At least in this case our front brakes could deliver nearly 90% of our stopping power, not just 70% – but not 100%, either.

Now let us look at what would happen if the CG happened to be 30 inches high rather than 20: 

Wt.Transfer = Braking Force times CG ratio

Wt.Transfer = 1000 lbs. * 30/63.4

Wt.Transfer = 1000 lbs. * .4732

Wt.Transfer = 473.2 lbs. 

The front tire would have 973.2 lbs. of weight on it and the rear would have only 26.8 lbs. This is close to doing a ‘stoppie’!!!

What we are beginning to see is that if the CG gets to a height of 1/2 of the length of the wheelbase we can expect to do a ‘stoppie’ if we use 1g of braking force. Further, if we use even the slightest amount of rear brake in such a configuration when we are slowing at the rate of 1g, we can expect to lock the rear wheel.

One more example – we will attempt a 1.1g stop with this ‘higher’ bike: 

Wt.Transfer = Braking Force times CG ratio

Wt.Transfer = 1100 lbs. * 30/63.4

Wt.Transfer = 1100 lbs. * .4732

Wt.Transfer = 520.5 lbs. 

At this point we have transferred MORE than the entire weight which had been on the rear wheel – we have left the rear wheel with NEGATIVE 20.5 lbs. on it. I.e., our rear wheel has been lifted off the ground!!!!

Notice, please, that the CG does NOT remain at a constant height during aggressive braking. If we use exclusively front brake, then the front-end will dive and the rear-end will lift. This could result in the CG remaining at the same height, but more likely it will get higher. We have already seen that a higher CG means more weight transfer. Further, as the front-end dives the result of the compression of the front shocks is a shortening of the wheelbase of the bike. This, like raising the CG, results in a higher CG to wheelbase ratio, and therefore more weight transfer. [As an aside, if your bike has an anti-dive feature (TRAC, for example) then MORE weight transfer occurs to the front wheel than without it. This, because the CG is held higher. In other words, anti-dive INCREASES the odds of sliding your rear tire!]

If only the rear brake is used there will be a weight transfer to the front tire which will tend to compress the shocks. Additionally, however, use of the rear brake tends to LOWER the rear-end of your motorcycle and lengthens its wheelbase, (the swing arm become more level). The net effect is to lower the CG of the bike. This offsets neatly the fact that the compressing front-end shortens the wheelbase at the same time. However, since there is a weight transfer, the rear-end gets lighter while braking which quickly limits how much braking power you can apply before you skid that tire. In other words, you must use the front brake for maximum stopping power.

From the above discussion I think you can now see that the use of your rear brake along with the front brake leads to less weight transfer than if you use only the front brake, and why the use of both at the same time always results in maximum stopping power.

When a rider mounts his motorcycle he both raises the CG and moves it towards the rear. The heavier the rider, the more significant these changes to the CG are. We already know that as the CG rises it causes more weight transfer during speed changes. This raising of the CG is far more significant than is its shift towards the rear. (This, because the height of the CG is small compared to the length of the wheelbase.)

What this adds up to is that the heavier the driver of the motorcycle, the easier it is for braking to cause a breakaway of the rear-end. Is there anything that can be done to mitigate this potentially deadly problem? You bet! In a panic stop the driver should bend from the hip and elbows and lean forward! This will cause the CG to lower and move forward. A lower CG is more significant than its slight movement forward. In summary, there will be less weight transfer with him leaning forward than if he was sitting straight up in the saddle, there will be less compression of the front shocks, and less shortening of the wheelbase. I.e., less likelihood of losing rear-end traction.

Anything else? Yep. Always pack your saddlebags with heavy items towards the bottom. Every pound below the CG lowers it, every pound above it raises it. 

Accelerating Transfers – Straight Line
This article has so far focused only on weight transfer associated with braking. It should be obvious that exactly the same phenomenon happens when you accelerate – the amount of weight transferred is determined by your rate of acceleration and the CG ratio (height of CG divided by length of wheelbase.) Though you may not believe that you have an ‘anti-dive’ component for your rear wheel like you may in the front, you do. The rear wheel does not push the frame forward directly. It pushes its ‘swing arm’ forward. Since the swing arm pivots on the frame aft of your CG, and since that pivot is almost invariably higher than where the swing arm attaches to the rear wheel, any accelerating force applied through the rear wheel tries to lift the frame of the motorcycle. I.e., rather than calling this an ‘anti-dive’, think of it as an ‘anti-squat’. This keeps the CG higher than it would be otherwise and the result is that there is greater weight transfer to the rear tire (and correspondingly higher traction results.)

Accelerating Transfers – In A Curve
Constant Speed
And what about weight transfers when you are in a curve? You have heard the terms ‘over-steer’ and ‘under-steer’ before, I’m sure. Over-steer means that when you are in a curve your rear wheel is more likely than the front one to lose traction (i.e., your sliding bike will end up pointing towards the inside of the curve.) while under-steer is the opposite. Weight transfer to the rear tire from acceleration leads to over-steer (greater slip angle on rear tire) while braking in a curve, because of weight transfer to the front, leads to under-steer (greater slip angle on front tire.) Both are deadly concerns if you push tire loads to their limits!! (On the other hand, if you have a choice you would almost certainly want a little over-steer rather than under-steer because a brief slide of the rear tire is easier to correct than a similarly brief slide of the front tire.)

It would be a deadly mistake to try to use the kind of weight transfer analysis we have discussed so far in an effort to learn how much acceleration to use while in a curve to equalize tire loads! (I now assume that you have read and understand the article entitled ‘Delta V’.) The weight transfer calculations we have been looking at so far deal with consequences of longitudinal acceleration. In a curve you are also subject, even if maintaining constant speed, to centripetal acceleration.

Unlike longitudinal acceleration (changing your speed), which changes your tire loading in a simple proportion to the CG ratio, centripetal acceleration increases tire load in proportion to the SQUARE of your change in speed. The formula to determine these forces is: 

Force = Mass times Velocity squared divided by Radius
F = M*V^2/R
You can assume that most street tires will lose traction when they are subjected to about 1.1 g of force. So how do you tell whether you are close to 1.1 g when in a turn? Simple. If your effective lean angle is 45 degrees, you are experiencing 1 g of centripetal force. And, from the formula above you see that the force is extremely sensitive to velocity. This means that a very minor increase in speed could easily push you past the 1.1 g limit.

What you should understand from this is that using acceleration (speed change) to balance tire loads while in a curve is foolish. (In general, however, you will want some (minor!!!) acceleration in a curve as this tends to increase the slip angle of the rear tire which increases traction, and because you want your rear-end suspension modestly loaded to enhance control.)

Now you know why you want to be sure the load distribution on your bike is set properly BEFORE you hit the road. 

Accelerating Transfers – In A Curve
Exiting The Curve
While a modestly increasing speed makes great sense while you are riding through most of a curve, it is understood that some people find great pleasure in rolling-on their throttle as they exit those curves.

Just a little thought, based on all that we have talked about so far, should now convince you that you must be conservative in this practice while you are leaned over hard, and that you need to be BOTH widening the curve and standing the bike taller as you do it.
In the case of the front tire, acceleration merely reduces loading because of weight transfer. Thus, traction is diminishing in proportion to that acceleration (i.e., traction is a function of the types of material that are being pressed together and the force pressing them together – since the load is diminishing due to weight transfer, so is traction.)

The effect of acceleration on the rear tire is quite different, however. You would correctly assume that weight transfer resulting from acceleration would increase traction on the rear tire. It does, during modest acceleration. But acceleration (increasing speed) is accomplished using the rear tire only. That is, there is no longitudinal acceleration affecting the traction of the front tire, just the rear one. 

Longitudinal acceleration and lateral acceleration are vectored, which means the resulting acceleration force is the square root of the sum of the squares of those forces. (In other words, more than either of them, but not as much as both.) As the rate of acceleration increases it quickly overwhelms the effect of increasing load on the tire (which increases traction) and begins to consume that traction faster than it is being added. 
 If you increase speed or decrease the radius of your turn, your lean angle will get larger. When your lean angle gets to 45 degrees, the lines will start at 1.0 and even a slight acceleration will push the lines over 1.1 – which means you will soon be exploring the joys of road rash.
Sorry my charts would not upload for some reason.
In summary, there are a few obvious reasons to care about weight transfer:

  • Traction is directly proportional to the amount of weight carried by a tire – managing weight transfer is managing traction.
  • Misloading your motorcycle can result in substantial handling problems – particularly in a curve.
  • In order to manage weight transfer intelligently you need to have a good idea of where the center of gravity of your bike is and what happens to it when you add a passenger or luggage.
  • Traction will probably be lost if tire load exceeds about 1.1 g. If you are in a curve and are leaning at 45 degrees, you already have 1.0 g tire loads. Enough is enough.
  • Stopping with your elbows locked guarantees more weight transfer and a higher center of gravity – both undesirable from a control point of view.
  • Rolling-OFF your throttle (or braking) if you are ‘hot’ in a curve is almost certainly more dangerous than simply leaning farther into the curve – because weight transfer will unload the rear-end which reduces rear tire traction.
  • Under-steer and Over-steer both yield slides when load limits are reached – balancing the weight reduces the risk.
  • And who said you would never use math once you graduate from school.
          Michael Theodore
          National Road Captain

 

 

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May Is Motorcycle Awareness Month

May Is Motorcycle Awareness Month

With the beginning of Motorcycle Awareness Month on May 1, the American Motorcyclist Association is issuing a special appeal to motorists to be aware of their driving environment, check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and, especially, to watch for motorcyclists.

“The warmer weather in May brings out the riders who have been unable to ride all winter, so it presents an excellent opportunity for us to educate the non-riding public about the safety issues that affect motorcyclists every time we roll out of our driveways or onto a trail,” said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. “The AMA is monitoring more than 1,124 state and federal bills that would affect motorcycling safety or motorcyclists’ rights, including many that deal with rider safety.”

Among the top awareness issues in 2015 are distracted driving and the need for motorcyclist and driver training.

Sean Hutson, AMA government affairs manager for on-highway issues, said state legislatures are considering more than 150 bills that deal with distracted driving. Those bills range from prohibitions on minors using personal electronic devices to bans on the use of electronic devices by any driver.

Rather than solely seeking bans on specific forms of behavior, though, the AMA advocates legislation that includes enhanced penalty options to be determined by the courts in cases where distracted driving results in a crash.

In addition, the AMA supports training programs for motorcyclists — including advanced skills courses – and more thorough education for motorists. A new law in Michigan, for example, requires motorcycle- and bicycle-awareness and safety instruction in all of the state’s courses for new drivers.

Drivers can avoid crashes with motorcyclists by taking extra care and looking twice to spot motorcycles in traffic — especially at intersections — respecting the motorcyclists’ space on the road and by not following too closely.

Motorcycle Awareness Month, launched by the AMA in the early 1980s and adopted by many state motorcycle-rights organizations, government entities and AMA-sanctioned clubs, is observed each May.  Ride Safe and be aware of everything around you while you ride.

Michael Theodore

National Road Captain

 

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Update: Expense Reimbursements for Azusa StreetRiders Board Members

(The following comes from Brother Fred Beall, Brother Paul McGhghy, and Brother Doug Joseph, in committee serving ASR on this matter.)  

This is a reminder that we as members of ASR can contribute to the Expense Reimbursement Fund. 

The fund was approved at the last annual meeting to help offset some of the expenses of the board members as they support our local chapters in outreach.  The details of the fund were posted in the October 2016 edition of  Rumblings. You can access the posting here. Donations can be made at the ASR store. Here is the direct link:

https://www.azusastreetriders.com/store/travel-expense-fund-donations/

Thank you in advance for your contributions as we continue to grow this ministry. 

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Are You Riding Slower Than Traffic

Are you riding at a much slower pace than other road users, what’s is the best thing to do when faster traffic builds up behind you.
Speed is differential, whether you are riding faster or slower than the traffic flow, even if you are within the speed limit, this can be a hazardous situation. It can inhibit smooth traffic flow, it can make merging and changing lanes more difficult for all motorists and increase the chance of road rage.
If you consistently ride more slowly than other road users, you should first consider your routes carefully. You should avoid major highways and though fares if less traveled or lower speed routes are available.
If you must share the road with much faster traffic, Use the right lane when on the highways and check your mirrors more frequently.
However do not let the traffic behind you distract you from important factors ahead of you. If there is only one lane in your direction, periodically pull off to the side of the road (when it is safe and legal) or into a parking area to allow the vehicles clustered behind you to pass.
If you are traveling a lot slower than others, Encourage vehicles to pass you while you are riding with in marked passing zones by moving over to the far right side of your lane and give the vehicles behind you a clearly communicated hand signal. This should defuse the chance of any road rage.
Keep it in between the lines.
Michael Theodore
National Road Captain

 

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2017 Year of Focus

The Azusa StreetRiders focus is soul winning..
That’s what we are about, going out witnessing to people,getting them to churches. We as a ministry must keep our focus!
you might ask,how do we do that?
I’ve got something to share with you. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but refreshing our minds is always good..
This type of ministry requires organizing apostolic teams (chapters) Forming apostolic teams (chapters) is one part of the new apostolic church revolution. Let’s learn how the Apostle Paul built an apostolic team.

PAUL’S APOSTOLIC TEAM
The Apostle Paul showed us how he built an apostolic team by finding disciples, laying hands on them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, spiritual impartation, modeling boldness, forbidding prejudice and showcasing deliverance ministry. We can find his example in the following scripture.
“And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus and finding certain disciples said to them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said to them, To what then were ye baptized? And they said, To John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:1-5).

GATHER DISCIPLES
Apostles don’t work alone. Jesus didn’t send them out alone and neither should we. He sent them out two and two (Mark 6:7). They have an anointing to gather disciples and put them to work as a team. Paul’s first step, when he entered the city of Ephesus, was gathering disciples. He didn’t have many to begin with, only twelve are mentioned. From these twelve he formed an apostolic revolutionary team that built one of the greatest churches in history, the Ephesus church.
Gathering disciples was putting “first things first.” A true disciple (Greek mathetes) of Christ is not simply a born again believer. A true disciple is a person that lives according to the Word of God to the best of their ability. Jesus described a disciple as one who “abides in His Word” (John 8:31). Disciples love the Word, are lifelong students, doers of the Word, and are spiritually hungry and remain teachable (2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:22). They know the Word of God and the ways of God. There are many believers, but few disciples. Notice Paul asked these disciples if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed in Christ. Their response was revealing. They said they had never heard of a baptism of the Holy Ghost.

At this point in Paul’s life, he is a seasoned apostle. Many years passed since being sent out of Antioch. Because of the warfare against his life and ministry he knew that these disciples had to be filled with the Holy Ghost. When Jesus formed His revolutionary team right before His ascension into heaven, he directed them to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. “But you will receive power after the Holy Ghost comes on you and you will be witnesses to me” (Acts 1:8). Notice Jesus said you would receive power after and not before. Apostles never ignore the spiritual condition of their team members. Team members need the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues and prophecy. “And when Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).

BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST
Second, Paul laid his hands on these disciples and prayed that they might be baptized with the Holy Ghost. This is the New Testament biblical pattern for building apostolic teams. Apostolic team members should be filled with the Holy Ghost to be effective in ministry. Remember, we are rediscovering the Apostle Paul’s apostolic model. This is it. There is no way to handle the extreme pressure and opposition to the Gospel without Jesus’ dunamis power to witness, the Holy Spirit himself. Not only does the Holy Spirit give you power, but He is also your spiritual teacher.
There are many references to the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. After Jesus’ resurrection, he commanded his disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father. Jesus had spoken of this same promise when he said, “If you love me keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter that he may remain with you forever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him: but you know him for he dwelleth with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). Jesus declared, “For John truly baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days from now.” Jesus also assured them that they would “receive power after the Holy Ghost came on them and that they would be witnesses to him” (Acts 1:4-8). John the Baptist also prophesied of this great baptism. “I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Matthew 3:11).

Then that precious day came. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). The Apostle Peter was also in the Upper Room that day and was filled with Holy Ghost power and spoke with other tongues. After he had left the building people asked him the same question that is being asked today, “What meaneth this?” Responding, he preached his first Holy Ghost empowered sermon. His message pierced the hearts of the hearers, and they asked, “What must we do?” Peter, who just days before denied the Lord Jesus, answered with great boldness. “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to you and your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God should call” (Acts 2:37-39).
This same baptism of the Holy Spirit is available for you right now. Let’s pray together. Jesus. You are my Lord and my Savior. Lord, I want everything that you have to give me. I want this same precious gift of the Holy Spirit that you poured out on your servants in that upper room. By faith and according to your word, baptize me and fill me right now with your Holy Spirit. I accept your promise by faith. Thank you, Lord.
LAYING ON OF HANDS AND SPIRITUAL IMPARTATION
Paul modeled his apostolic ministry through the laying on of hands for impartation on those twelve disciples. “And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6). Paul taught his new team the doctrine of the laying on of hands and the power of apostolic impartation. This doctrine originated with Christ (Hebrews 6:2). After he had prayed, there was a release of the Holy Spirit on these believers, and they began to speak in other tongues and prophesy.
Apostolic ministry is a ministry of impartation. Paul said in Romans, “I want to come to you that I might pass on some spiritual gift to the end you may be established” (Romans 1:11). There are many examples of the ministry of the laying on of hands throughout Scripture.

BOLDNESS IN SPIRIT
The next step the Apostle Paul did was to show a bold ability to preach and teach the Gospel to a not so receptive group of religious people for three months.
“And all the men were about twelve. And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus” (Acts 19:7-9).
Grace for spiritual boldness is an apostolic trait. The Apostle Paul trained by example. Here the team gets a chance to hear Paul speaking boldly in the synagogue challenging and swaying the listeners. Apostolic boldness expresses itself during a conflict. Notice too that Paul taught about the Kingdom of God. Indeed, Paul spoke of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and the atoning blood of Jesus. This Scripture, however, says he spoke boldly about the Kingdom of God. The message of the Kingdom of God is reestablishing the Kingdom of God on earth through Christ’ disciples.

The Holy Ghost loves boldness. To be bold shows a readiness to take risks and face danger. Not boldness worked up by man’s soul but evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Apostolic grace is visible.

TRAIN IN DELIVERANCE MINISTRY
The step to forming an apostolic team is training in deliverance ministry.
“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons and the diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:11-12).
Paul was given the opportunity to display the miracle working power of God and teach the newly formed team about deliverance ministry. Apostles don’t ignore the devil. You cannot build a new apostolic church and ignore enemies in the unseen spirit world.
In the past, some untrained and overzealous people abused the merits of deliverance ministry but that doesn’t mean we should stop helping people. Some try to replace holy living and obedience with excuses for sinful behavior that can often be linked to generational curses, soul ties, and witchcraft. Our apostolic teams, therefore, must train in spiritual warfare and deliverance ministry. Jesus said that “deliverance is the children’s bread” (Matthew 15:22, 26). Paul trained the members of his church to put on the armor of God and engage spiritual enemies. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Before Jesus sent out his apostolic teams he gave them power against spirits. “He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). Again, Jesus never taught his apostles to ignore the devil. Jesus didn’t leave them alone and neither should we. Demonic powers are still saying, “Let us alone; what have we to do with you, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know you who you are; the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Hold thy peace and come out of him” (Luke 4:34-35). A disease is often, not always, directly related to demonic activity as seen in the following Scriptures.
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).
“There came also a multitude out of the cities round about to Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one” (Acts 5:16).
Understanding your authority as a disciple in spiritual warfare and deliverance ministry is important to the apostolic team. Spiritual warfare is simply binding and loosing in prayer and attacking on purpose spiritual strongholds of opposition and resistance to the advancement of the Gospel in a territory (Matthew 18:18-20). It is a taking up, in prayer, the authority of the believer that Jesus gave his disciples (Luke 10:17-20). This is all with the understanding that we are not wrestling with people, but with principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).
Deliverance ministry and the casting out of demons is the first sign that should follow the believer. “And these signs will follow them that believe; In my name will they cast out devils” (Mark 16:17). An apostolic governing church never substitutes deliverance with counseling. They don’t try to talk out what can only be cast out. This is not to say that they don’t offer to counsel; they do. Apostolic ministry, however, flows in the anointing that sets captives free. There are many different types of prayer in the Word of God, all given for Spirit-life living and the advancement of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:18).

Apostolic teams must prepare to meet strong opposition from Satan and occult influences in society (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Christians cannot continue to avoid spiritual conflict while hiding behind a comfortable and often backslidden condition. To do this ignores the needs of those around them. Opposition, abuse, and resistance are all part of the package. Paul declared, “For a great door and effectual is opened to me and there are many enemies” (1 Corinthians 16:9). The effective advancement of the Gospel always causes a reaction; some are negative.

A SERVANT’S HEART
Apostles train those with servant’s hearts. forming apostolic teams is the servant’s heart.
“After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus; but he stayed in Asia for a season” (Acts 19:21-22).

Paul completes the apostolic pattern gathering, teaching, training and sending. He chooses Timothy and Erastus, two of his spiritual sons that ministered to him and sent them on apostolic assignment. Erastus was not only a servant he was a city manager (Romans 16:23). Until you have learned to serve someone else, you can never be a sent one. Minister, from the Greek minus or minor, means one who acts as an inferior agent in obedience or subservience to another and one who serves or officiates in contrast to the master (magnus). The most familiar English word describing a servant is the deacon. Someone once asked, “How do I know if I am a servant?” The answer is, “You find out when you are being treated like one.”

The Holy Spirit is teaching us the importance of apostolic teams. Once we thought of the apostle’s Paul or Peter working alone, but now we know they never worked alone, they formed many teams.

He is your teacher who will “lead you and guide you in all truth.” Next, do everything you can to renew your mind with the Word of God. Spiritual maturity is a must and only comes through learning and applying God’s truth to your life. If you don’t think right then, you can’t believe right. As you continue to grow in the Word, learn the ways of the Holy Spirit. Watch what the Holy Spirit likes and dislikes. Then start using the spiritual authority Christ gave you by submitting yourself to God and resisting the devil.

I know that you want to do something great for God with your life. Follow the Apostle Paul’s example and get baptized in in the Holy Spirit. He is your teacher who will “lead you and guide you in all truth.” Next, do everything you can to renew your mind with the Word of God. Spiritual maturity is a must and only comes through learning and applying God’s truth to your life. If you don’t think right then, you can’t believe right. As you continue to grow in the Word, learn the ways of the Holy Spirit. Watch what the Holy Spirit likes and dislikes. Then start using the spiritual authority Christ gave you by submitting yourself to God and resisting the devil

Rev. Anthony Storey

Azusa StreetRiders

International President