News – Page 3 – AZRATPack

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023

Joshua Tree Tour Recap

GO AZ Motorcycles Peoria

We are rolling west from our sponsor Goaz Motorcycles of Peoria. It’s a nice morning , warming up nicely from a cold start. El Presidente has just given our ride meeting for the 2023 Joshua Tree Tour Ride. Our trip will take us West to the Joshua Tree National park in the Yucca Valley/Twenty Nine Palms area of California. Day one is to get to Yucca Valley, have lunch, look around and have dinner. Rolling west felt good, temperatures were rising and the pace was good. El President was out front keeping up a steady pace. Riding thru Wickenburg our first stop was gas in Parker, a favorite stop at Terrible Herbst Chevron provided a nice break for all. Next will be Yucca Valley but probably not in time to make the lunch stop, but we will stop there anyway and check it. Arriving in Twenty Nine Palms there was lotta activity, looked like a flea market with street vendors. El Presidente, Victor Castaneda had to try the restaurant on the main street called Castanenda’s ( a local chain in the area), Others went on their hotels to check in and other activities..

March 12, 2023March 12, 2023

March Club Breakfast Recap

ShipRock Restaurant – Mesa, AZ

The sun is rising and the temps are coming out of the low 40s. The promise for today is WARMER !! Thank god for that after raining/hailing/snowing in Phoenix/Scottsdale a little warmth would feel good.

February 14, 2023February 14, 2023

February Club Breakfast Recap

The Cove At Bartlett Lake – Rio Verde, AZ

We were contacted by Mel from the Cove at Bartlett lake in January about what a nice ride it is out to their restaurant and with the riding weather warming up we should come see them. This made selecting the February breakfast an easy decision since were invited to a nice ride and restaurant.

February 2, 2023February 2, 2023

The State of the Union, Jack (Part Deux)

In last month’s column, I went through the club’s history as best I remember it but this month, I’d like to review who we are today and the concept.

I personally am not a fan of very organized clubs. When asked why we ride a motorcycle, about 99% of us will mention the word freedom in our explanation somewhere. This is why there is no formal decorum in our breakfast or dinner meetings. If there’s something you’d like to bring up to one of the board members in attendance, just ask away and we’ll do our best to address it. Out on the road, as groups get bigger, for safety’s sake, there has to be a bit more decorum and following etiquette.

The club was founded as a Triumph Owner’s Club (Riders Association of Triumph) but over the years as Triumph owner participation dwindled, the concept had to change in order for the club to continue to exist. The club’s focus has changed over the years from what you ride to the ride itself. I personally love motorcycles of all brands and types and enjoy the variety that we have that participate in our events.

February 2, 2023February 2, 2023

January Club Dinner & Meeting Recap

George & Dragon Pub, Phoenix, AZ

We have a tradition of every January we hold our dinner at the George & Dragon Pub on Central Ave in Phoenix. In the club’s early days George & Dragon used to host our monthly meetings being that we were a Triumph Owner’s Club along with the convenience of being a short trip from our original dealer sponsor, Phoenix International Motorsports located on 7th St.

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023

Mission San Xavier Ride Recap

GO AZ Motorcycles Scottsdale

Today was going to be a beautiful day for a ride through the desert to see the San Xavier Mission in Tucson. As I pushed out of the garage to start the day it was a brisk 40 degrees outside, so I cranked up the seat warmer and grip warmer to MAX in order to stay warm on the way to GO AZ in Scottsdale. Upon arrival I only noticed a few members and thought maybe others decided it was too cold to ride today, fortunately I was incorrect as many others arrived a short time later. We had John & his wife Lorraine from GO AZ joining us on the ride today as well assisting us with paperwork, which is always important..

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023

January Club Breakfast Recap

Nick’s Diner II – Surprise, AZ

The first breakfast of the year was held at Nick’s cafe in Surprise.

We had a nice turn out and got to meet one of our new member, Mark and his wife.

December 30, 2022December 30, 2022

8th Holiday Party & Awards Banquet Recap

Harold’s Corral, Cave Creek, AZ

Harold’s Cave Creek Corral was a new venue for our holiday party which we held in a private room near the bar closest to the entrance. The Fireplace Room as they called it, has a nice, southwestern, rustic vibe that I’ve come to appreciate since moving to Arizona.

We were set to get started at 7:00 PM, many of us started to filter in as the buffet style dinner was being set up. It was great to see and catch up with all of the awards recipients along with others that I hadn’t seen since our last ride in November.

December 30, 2022December 30, 2022

The State of the Union, Jack

The title of my column this month is taken from my yearly summary of the club back when we were a Triumph owners club. Now that I’m completing my 10th year of being president and the AZRATPack going into its 20th of existence, here’s a summary of where we’ve been, where we are, how we got here, where we’re going and some other tidbits.

I first heard of the AZRATPack in 2003 while on a bus transporting me and other Ducati dealer representatives from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama to the local airport. I was sitting with a group at the front of the bus which included Peter Kramer of Phoenix International Motorsports whom I knew as one of my customers from my days at Fast By Ferracci. He was telling the group about the new initiative that Triumph had started similar to that of Harley Owner’s Group and that he had started a local R.A.T. (Riders Association of Triumph) Pack in Phoenix.

December 27, 2022December 27, 2022

December Club Breakfast Recap

Matt’s Big Breakfast – Phoenix, AZ

I had all the intentions of riding to breakfast this morning, just before I was to leave I took the dogs to the back yard for a quick stretch, that was when I noticed the frost on the grass. I knew the streets were safe to ride. I just did not want to start looking for the additional layer and winter gloves needed to make the trek. So off I went on my 4 wheel beast.