Gold Wing Road Riders keeping it fun, safe with hobby they love

Like many other clubs, the Gold Wing Road Riders Association Northeast Region Pa. Chapter R has seen its membership numbers decline as the group continues to age and finds it difficult to attract new, younger members.

However, concerns for the future haven’t stopped the group from having a good time when they get together.

Last Saturday they gathered, as they do every second weekend of each month, to enjoy breakfast, share stories, and find plenty to laugh about at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Athens Township.

“You gotta go with the flow here and you have to have fun,” said Ed Dawejko, as he opened his first gathering as the group’s director.

Sometimes that fun involves other chapters.

After the Punxsutawney chapter took part in one of the group’s Gumball Rallies, member Dennis Smouse recalled seeing their newsletter. Although it described the event as a good time and encouraged more people from the chapter to come, it did so with “even when we went over there and got crappy gumballs.”

“I couldn’t let that slide,” he said. “We started sending him [the chapter director at the time] gumballs. Some people were sending him gumballs that were already chewed. He said his grandkids loved being at the house because he got gumballs about every day in the mail. Then at the district rally, I asked for a little time and we went through the whole scenario. Everyone at the table had a little plastic cup with gumballs in them and at the appropriate time they went over and put them on the table along with a necklace of gumballs that Barb (Smouse’s wife) had made to give to the chapter director. So, we got them back for calling our gumballs crappy.”

Chapter R traces its history back to 1991, when the assistant Pennsylvania state director at the time was in Williamsport and thought there needed to be a chapter in the Valley area. An initial gathering to garner interest attracted 75 people, and 49 of them signed up as charter members, chapter Historian Bob Eiffert remembered. 

“Bob’s Cycle Shop offered to be our sponsor,” Eiffert continued, “And we went right on from there.”

On Memorial Day of that year, they held a kick-off banquet at the Guthrie Inn.

Membership has come from all across the Twin Tiers and has extended into the Central New York region.

According to Dawejko, they are all like family.

“The group, even though they are way older than I am, are very lively, very welcoming, and I felt very included,” said Dawejko, who is 65. “That’s why when I took over, I started using the word ‘family’ because it’s more like a family gathering than a social group. We take care of one another and we can laugh at each other, too.”

“They might not be blood family, but they’re about as close as you might be without being that,” added Smouse, who is also an assistant district director for northeast Pennsylvania.

Eiffert, who will be turning 90 years old in December and can no longer ride, continues being part of the group out of this family dedication – and he isn’t the only one who has had to climb off the seat. It’s the friendships he’s forged over the years, both within the chapter and with those in chapters across the country, that he’s enjoyed most about being with the Gold Wing group since 1986, and Chapter R since its formation.

His second favorite part, he added, “is we’ve made tons of money for charity.”

Although the group is named after the Honda Gold Wing, membership is open to those who ride all makes and models of motorcycles, whether they are on two wheels or three wheels.

Because they are Chapter R, they have a pirate parrot as their mascot that can be mounted on someone’s shoulder. It was passed around to all attendees Saturday so they could say ‘hello’ to it.

Their motto is “Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge.” And even as fun loving as the group is, making sure their riders come back unharmed and their motorcycles undamaged is paramount, as was evident with some of the topics brought up during Saturday’s gathering.

Unlike cars, trucks and SUVs, Dawejko noted that there are no seatbelts or harnesses on motorcycles, and only the newer bikes have airbags.

“To ensure that we go and return without any visits to the hospital or body shop is to preach and live safety,” Dawejko stressed. In situations that sometimes are unavoidable, practices such as keeping the proper staggered spacing with other riders, being current on first aid training, or wearing the proper protective clothing can keep accidents from turning out much worse.

“One of the reasons I really enjoy the group is because of the safety aspect of it,” said Smouse. “Being on a motorcycle on the road, you’re taking higher risks than everyone else out there. Having a group that worries about safety and tells you about safety is something I really appreciate.”

Smouse noted that the group is more about ice cream shops than biker bars, and the national chapter strongly discourages drinking before taking the road.

As part of the group’s focus on safety and education, they recently published a Guest Viewpoint in The Daily Review in recognition of May as Motorcycle Awareness Month.

Because the group is trying to bring in new members, they encourage other motorcyclists to check them out, and even offer a free three months of membership for those who are interested. Additional information is available on their website at gwrrapar.org.

“In today’s system anyone with gray hair is looked on as virtually disposable,” he said. “Everyone here doesn’t feel like they are disposable. They are very vital. And when you come into the group, they make you feel that you are also vital. That bonding is very important. I was a scout leader for 25 years and I had a lot of meetings within the Valley, and this is probably one of the most social, welcoming groups I’ve ever been involved with.”