BTW, I'm sure the new board would love to hear your thoughts on Canon 1.

Here are their email addresses:

bmw_dave@hotmail.com, mojo-airhead@comcast.net, curtisleehenry53@gmail.com, maairhead@gmail.com, duck@vintagemotorsllc.com

If I wanted both, I could join several other clubs that do both. But I'm only interested in Airheads. 

I'd like to keep the ABC Airhead-only because the bulk of people that ride modern bikes simply don't 'get' anything about riding a classic motorcycle. And, all the reasons to do so cannot be summarized into a cohesive "sound bite", so trying to explain is useless.

My best friend and riding buddy is an Oilhead owner. He, like other Oilhead owners I have known, does not “wrench” on his own bike. If it needs attention, he takes it in to his dealership. It’s a great bike that serves him well, but the man-machine relationship is just not the same. 

So, while having more club members to do club rally’s, rendezvous, tech days, etc., sounds nice, I can’t imagine Oilhead owners really wanting to hang out with a bunch of Airhead folks. 

It occurs to me that if the Club wishes to attract more members, then maybe they could do more with their website, which is their premier "ace in the hole". Today's Airhead rider is far more web-based in their approach to maintenance and information sharing. IMHO, the accent within this Club is currently on the newsletter, which, while very nice and handsomely presented, is a relic of the past. In the 70's and 80's my mom and pop eagerly awaited their numerous BMW club newsletters. However, today's rider is fully versed in, and accustomed to, the immediacy of the web. 

I'm an engineer by education. Like my father before me, I just barely made it past Calculus on my way to graduation. When I asked my engineer son in 2010 how he made it through Calculus, he replied, "I simply watched the Calculus lessons on YouTube." It was a earth-shaking statement. The realization that people today no longer depend on the printed word ! This even though at the time I was employed by a Fortune 50 communications company ! A classic case of not seeing the forest because of all the trees ! And that's where I think we are as a Club.

1. In my view the Club should have a YouTube presence on the order of what Chris Harris was doing. These videos should open and close with title pages that point to, support and elicit membership in the ABC. And the beauty of it is that we don't have to invent anything new. The Club can lift all the information from older sources such as Oak, Snowbum, and even Chris Harris !! So basically the Club would simply be re-packaging existing old format material for today's rider. 

2. Then the website should have it's own repository of technical articles which while visible, are only readable by members. Currently a lot of what's there reference Snowbum, and while these are authoritative, are written in a confusing manner.

Someone once said you can't solve existing problems with existing solutions. You've got to move your thinking up a rung or two.

EDIT to add:

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

- Albert Einstein 

Richard, I fear you are correct. 

I've just retired from TV news in the past year, and see how irrelevant it has become. No one wants to wait for a linear presentation. They want the information on their terms, i.e.: now!

Video presentations as you suggest, are the way to proceed.

I have extensive experience in producing, shooting and editing, and would be happy to help.

Posted by: @rider17

I've just retired from TV news in the past year, and see how irrelevant it has become. No one wants to wait for a linear presentation. They want the information on their terms, i.e.: now!

And yet, if you ask the TV execs what their "ace in the hole" is, they'll all say it's their news programs. Again, another case of standing too close. I don't know anyone who's watched TV news in decades. 

For what one man’s opinion is worth I completely agree with Richard. I am 74 and since a child a voracious reader of print. Now virtually any reference I need is internet based. I was reminded of this yesterday. I needed to adjust the pressure setting on my well pump. Despite having the print instructions at hand I moved to YouTube and had my instructions immediately. I know a number of tech luddites who happily use the internet for reference. 

That said, I also appreciate the work and expense in building a new site. It is a huge job and one that takes considerable time, skill and expense. 

Posted by: @humble-bub

That said, I also appreciate the work and expense in building a new site. It is a huge job and one that takes considerable time, skill and expense. 

I did not mean to imply that an entirely new Airhead web site should be built. The Club just went through all that. No, you'd make the videos and start your own "channel" on YouTube, or one of the other numerous video hosting sites. 

Then each of the videos would have a title page or the speaker would include an advertisement for the Club that would point back to this web site. So there would be no changes to this site, we'd simply be adding content on YouTube that pointed back to this web site and highlighted the many advantages of membership. 

Another plus is that YouTube pays the video owner monthly royalties. My son used to get a check every month for his content. Although not huge, it is nice. 

I have both an Airhead and an Oilhead and enjoy them both equally for what the are. But I would not excpect  to be included in the ABC with my Oilhead. As far as the club entering in to different media platforms as Richard Whatley suggests I'm all for it . Even a Podcast now and then wouldn't hurt either . 

Ride Fast.

I am in strong support of leaving cannon 1 as it is. But I value the friendship and camaraderie of people I see at airhead rally's that no longer ride airheads for one reason or another. (Or maybe even have a Italian airhead with the wrong cylinder angle) So as an Airhead, we need to keep Cannon 7 (Airheads do not take themselves... too seriously) in mind in all things including cannon 1.

@wobbly Well stated, agree with you 100%

I strongly believe we should be airhead exclusive.  If I wanted a watered down version, I’d go to “that other, larger org” that more often than not, disappoints.

I like the idea of adding youtube content, but certainly not substituting it for the written word.

Whereas I enjoy youtubes for the visual explanations, due to the work required in creating them, they are less likely to have as much input from various sources….much more dynamic and easier for someone to respond to a question asked in a forum on a specific point than to make a video and hope it covers all bases.  

Just my thoughts.

Steve H

Motorcyclists are getting old, clubs are dying and rally's are going away.  Hang on as long as you can, keep your expenses low, it's a club of old bikes and old men.  The odds ABC will be here much longer are slim.  I wish it were different.

Mike

Ok, my last post was kind of gloomy but real.  The Gold Wing club just shut the doors for heavens sake.  Here's a few suggestions to think about to keep the lights glowing w/o admitting oil heads.

1. Keep expenses low.  Reduce your print to 9 months a year.  Move content online. Have a virtual rally or a virtual bike show or an airhead auction.  Make the website more compelling than the magazine. Partner with other small clubs to share expenses.  The Guzzi club is in a similar situation.  Probably others.

2. Increase income: raise dues - Or keep dues the same with an online publication and charge more for a print membership - find another source of income besides dues.  Roadside assistance? Discounts? Find a corporate sponsor for the mag. (Geico? Law tigers?)  Make the club a 401 3C and acceptable charitable donations.

Food for thought.

Mike