Day trip or multi-day trip,
it’s more fun when there’s a bit of a rumble
to the ride.
That’s the assessment of the Deadhorse Motorcycle Club’s
new president, Terry Flynn, a young but retired schoolteacher who just
happens to ride a Harley Davidson, and has ridden a motorcycle of one
kind or another since he was 14 years old.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of motorcycle you ride,” Terry
says. “We have all kinds. It makes it really easy to be a part of the group.”
Riding through wind, heat, rain; up and down winding roads and across
great expanses of earth and sky makes this motorcycle rider feel like
he’s done something. Even if only to go to the Needles Outpost
for a burger.
The
Deadhorse Motorcycle Club has about 35 members, a dozen
or so who meet monthly to plan frequent rides and bi-annual
fundraisers. Annually the group helps support Toys for
Tots with the Elks Club, inviting members to participate
in a nice ride with a new toy or cash donation as admission.
A second fundraiser is held each year to raise money
for the club’s Christmas party, typically one of
only two events that draws the largest percentage of
members.
“That’s when we have the biggest turnout,” Terry said. “It’s
when we see people we may only see a couple of times the rest of the year.”
The goal is to sponsor a one-day club ride every month, and two multi-day
rides per year. The next multi-day ride is planned for June 3, 4 and
5 when the Deadhorse Motorcycle Club treks to Santa Fe.
“We try to plan day rides to Telluride for lunch, or Grand Junction, or
to the Bedrock Store for a candy bar,” he said. “We just like to
get out and see the country.”
The club is kept fairly simple so “we don’t get too busy
and to try to keep it fun,” Terry said.
“I could say I like the freedom, the wind blowing in my hair – and
I do. But that’s what everybody says they like about motorcycles,” Terry
said. “It really is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. At times it can
be a little tough to go long distances with the weather, and when you’re
done, you feel like you’ve done something.”
Terry
taught school in Indiana before moving to Moab three
years ago. A friend of his from Indiana, Fred Radcliffe,
lived in Moab, and Terry said he’s been coming
here regularly since 1976. His friend has since passed
away, but Fred’s son, Bernie Radcliffe, teaches
at Grand County High School.
“I got a scooter at 14, and started riding motorcycles at 16,” Terry
said. “During the summer, when I wasn’t teaching, I worked in a motorcycle
shop. I guess I’ve been riding for 43 years.”
His favorite ride with the Deadhorse was to Las Vegas via Hanksville,
Bryce and Zion National Parks. There was a rally being held in Vegas
and local members set out at different times and met at the rally.
“There was a destination involved and then we had Las Vegas,” Terry
said. “It was a three or four-day trip.”
Other club rides have included three-day trips to Flagstaff and Durango,
and day trips on the Loop Road or River Road, stopping at one of the
resorts for lunch. Last year Terry rode to Sturgis, South Dakota, an
annual ride and gathering that draws motorcycle aficionados from across
the country.
Terry said his wife rides with him. “We spent part of our honeymoon
traveling on a 350 Honda,” he said.
“It’s really fun to ride in a group,” he said. “You go
back and forth with your buddies, then you stop and have a meal with eight or
ten people.”
His favorite solo ride was atop the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains on
the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“That road is hundreds of miles through Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina,” he
said. “The speed limit is 45 miles per hour, trucks aren’t allowed
and you have to get off the parkway to find a gas station. There are no stop
signs and no towns. It’s just beautiful and quite a destination.”
Other club officers include vice president Scott Mallon, and director
of activities Wendy Flanders.
“She sets up our hotel stays and helps us plan our fundraisers,” Terry
said.
In
an effort to make it easier for Deadhorse Motorcycle Club members to
ride together, and to encourage new members to join, Terry said he hopes
to set up a regular meeting spot on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. where
anyone who is available for a ride can just show up. In the meantime,
Terry has put out an invitation to anyone interested in the group to
attend one of their monthly meetings on the third Friday of the month
at the Elks Club, 7 p.m.
“Come and give us a look,” Terry said.
Or give him a call, at 259-3878.
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