45 minute read
JACK THE RIEPE The New and Improved Marlin Rosetti
from June 2021 BMW Owners News
by bmwmoa
The New and Improved Marlin Rosetti
By Jack Riepe #116117
All 160 horses of the K 1300 stampeded through the murk to get through the mountain pass ahead of fast-moving summer thunderstorms. To the rider hunched over the tank, the lightning of a dry Montana thunderstorm was a force majeure from hell. The rider had been on the road a week and was now only 200 miles outside of Great Falls, the site of his first BMW MOA National Rally. He’d been cautious about lightning, always getting out of the storm, but there was nowhere to hide from this one.
Eighteen months earlier
Marlin Rosetti lived by the numbers. An actuary for the One Way Benefit Insurance Company, he was an expert at morphing long columns of numbers into statistics that defined risk, gain, loss and ultimately the value of life. His professional experience revealed that at the end of the day, a brick in the wall carries the same significance as a shooting star. Glancing back at his career, Marlin felt he had the qualities of both. He was a shooting star among actuaries and a brick at parties.
Rosetti exercised moderately, ate wisely, drank little, and didn’t smoke. Still, the actuarial tables barely extended his existence to age 72—ten years into the future. He ran the figures several times, and the result was always the same. He had nine years, seven months, one week, five days, four hours, and 15 minutes to become an Olympic pole vaulter or a concert pianist. Not that these professions held any allure for him, but Olympic pole vaulters lived an average of 78 years, and most concert pianists hit 80. He wanted the extra time.
“To do what?” asked his wife.
Rosetti also ran the figures for his wife, discovering that she would live to 86. He found this result annoyingly unfair. He’d married the only woman he’d ever seen naked and breezed through the next 25 years like an air fern, living on male criticism which his wife converted from oxygen. There were candlelight dinners and wild sex for a while, but Rosetti didn’t hear about these until years afterward when the kid who used to deliver pizza got religion and sought forgiveness at a televised revival.
No mother ever held a newborn baby to her breast and whispered, “One day you will be a faceless entity in a vertical cash scheme,” yet such was Marlin Rosetti’s fate; a fate he never questioned until he attended an industry seminar introducing new procedural evaluations to the actuary profession. A speaker claimed you could use hobbies as lifestyle indicators to limit insurance liability.
“An appreciation for model trains, checkers and scrapbooking indicates a safer, more insurable lifestyle, earning a ‘D’ designation on the policy. The ‘D’ stood for douche,” said the speaker, getting a rare laugh from the audience. He contended that certain other lifestyles seemed to halt the aging process—while increasing risk to the insured and raising liability to the insurance company—the most common of these involved motorcycles.
Marlin Rosetti was mesmerized: motorcycles could halt the aging process. He was filled with questions. How far or how fast did one have to ride a motorcycle to slow the aging process? Were some kinds of motorcycles better than others at keeping one from aging? The idea that a machine as primitive as a motorcycle could turn the actuarial tables appealed to him. Rosetti was so excited that he called his wife right after the presentation. She was glad to hear from him but just had a pizza delivered, and she wanted it hot and steamy.
Tornadoes get measurement numbers. Hurricanes and typhoons get names. It isn’t practical to assign thunderstorms names nor numbers, but if this one had qualified, it would have been named “Lucifer.” Narrow mountain passes concentrated aggravated, cloud-borne electrons driving them downward toward protons cowering in the brush. Trapped in the confines of Wolf Bone Pass, electrons fused with protons in a constant explosion of white light and intense heat. The K 1300 was on a collision path with the storm.
Seventeen months earlier
Thus began Marlin Rosetti’s fascination with two-wheeled vehicles. His research brought him to a Harley-Davidson center of higher learning (topless bar), where he got his ass kicked three times—by the dancers. It was in one of these places that Marlin met a rider named “Goat,” a former English professor from the Ivy League.
Goat was astride a Harley Davidson “Limited Edition Lone Fat Eagle.” The locomotive-sized bike was as black as an attorney’s heart, with purple flames curling back from the tank. Anything not painted was chrome, which accounted for approximately 87 percent of the motorcycle. Goat was no kid but appeared to be a guy in his late fifties, wearing a faded leather jacket, well-worn jeans, and boots that had touched pavement in every state where rye whiskey was served with school lunches. He had an open helmet to accommodate the stub of a cigar in the corner of his mouth.
Yet it was the pillion candy behind the rider that riveted Rosetti’s attention, though she would have had the same effect on any man. He didn’t know she was pillion candy having no idea what “pillion” meant. She wore leather-trimmed jeans that fit like an indictment and a matching denim jacket. In the tanned interval between the jacket and the jeans was a tramp stamp of a bleeding rose above the legend, “Get Plucked.” She appeared to be about 30.
Over a bottle of Jack Daniels, Goat explained that riding a motorcycle did indeed halt the aging process. Goat invited Rosetti to guess his age. “I’m 105 years old,” he said. The Harley rider further astounded Rosetti with his next statement.
“That ain’t nuthin’ compared to BMW riders,” said Goat. “Remember those cave paintings found in France? I met the artist. He rides something called an R bike.”
The smell of ozone was thick in the turns and corners leading up to the pass. Purple clouds assembled like huge bruises, leeching darkness into the shivering pines. The Denali riding lights, famous for toasting a slice of bread a mile up the road, blinked and struggled to burn through the mist. The rider gripped the K 1300’s tank with his knees and twisted the throttle to the stop. The bike surged and whined like a dragon mad with blood lust.
Sixteen months earlier
Rosetti staked out a BMW dealer to question “R” bike riders, but they proved an elusive lot, contented to make “mooing” noises at each other. Yet, they dropped clues attesting to their prolonged ages. One “R” bike rider clearly remembered the Atlantic Ocean before it held water. Another recalled the invention of cheese.
The answers Rosetti sought came in bits and pieces from the most solitary of BMW riders, vapory men and women who rode Teutonic nuclear reactors known as “K” bikes. They were no less elusive and seemed to communicate with each other through raised eyebrows and sardonic smiles, especially when the”mooing” grew loud. Their bikes were massive and howled like prehistoric predators, cloaked in mystery. Parts were marked in outrageous symbols, lending credence to the stories that “K” bikes were designed by aliens from a more advanced universe.
Using a slush fund unknown to his wife, Rosetti purchased a dated K 75 and took the moto safety course. A month into the class, he noted the unmistakable signs of testicle drop, a clear indication that aging was still in progress. He joined a BMW riding club: “The Dead End ‘R’ Bike Riders of Jersey City.” Though colorful, many of these guys—and two of the women—manifested a slow limp to the left, a dead giveaway of testicle drop. They were aging, too, but at an infinitesimally slower rate.
It was on a solitary ride to the exact cultural center of the U.S., a combination lending library and bordello in Sloth County, Missouri, that Rosetti met the Amazing Zoltini, a rider on a BMW K 1600, a six-cylinder nuclear marvel. It was hard to describe Zoltini, as he was shrouded in a shimmering light. He spoke in the usual way but punctuated his thoughts with a raised eyebrow and a sardonic smile. He referred to Rosetti as “Grasshopper” and told him, “Here is the secret of life: three is better than two, and four is twice as better than two. Six is Valhalla. The answers you seek are at the rally of the gods.” Zone then disappeared in a flash of light, with the howl of a wolf fading in the doppler effect.
The rider and the K 1300 entered Wolf Bone Pass just as the thunderstorm was winding up for the pitch. Sinister, black clouds streaked with luminescent purple straddled the road. Brilliant explosions of light illuminated the clouds from within. The rider thumbed the selector switch to find the engine mode best suited to deal with this. There was: a) Dynamic, b) Riding With “R”
Bikes, c) Blood Sport, d) Rain, and e) Take No Prisoners. He chose “e,” activating stabilizers, injecting nitroglycerine into the cylinders, and waking “Thor,” the K 1300’s proprietary computer evolved from the defense industry. Bike and rider disappeared into the clouds.
Six months earlier
Marlin Rosetti made his plans. They included taking an early retirement package from One Way Benefit, breaking his wife’s heart, and acquiring a 2010 K1300. The bike got a massive retrofit, including an exhaust system that sounded like Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyrie at 6,000 pm. New riding lights that could roast a running pig and a seat that told lies to the rider’s butt were installed. The speedo screen flashed the letter “H” after the GPS ran out, indicating that the horizon had been crossed. The last figure on the speedo was “TBD” (To Be Determined).
The bike was painted a soothing jet black to match the holes in space, with a red-black widow spider outlined on the fairing. The spider’s hourglass mark was in black. Each of the black side bags sported white laughing skulls and crossbones. The license plate read “POIZN.”
The insurance company was sorry to see him go. The new guy sitting at his desk was a 27-year-old jerk, content to make half his salary. Rosetti’s wife took his departure better than he anticipated. She then took everything else. Her last words to him were, “You can take what you deserve out of the garage.” He did. This was a small duffle bag containing the $2.5 million he systematically removed from One Way Benefit.
Marlin was taking the long way to his first rally when he ran into the storm.
The storm entered the soul of Marlin Rosetti three minutes after he rode into Wolf Bone Pass on a K 1300 that had initially been designed by space Aliens. A burst of lightning hit a guardrail and arced directly into the bike, fusing the Thor microcomputer to Rosetti’s brain. A slightly glowing K 1300 shot out of Wolf Bone Pass with a 35-year-old rider in the seat. He was no longer Marlin Rosetti but K-Zar the Magnificent. He’d communicate by raising his eyebrows and through a sardonic smile. Suddenly, there was a lot to smile about. His testicles never got higher nor lower, which was amazing, as they had turned to steel.
This column was made possible through the wisdom of the MOA and the generosity of my three sponsors: BestRest Products (CyclePump & EZAir Tire Gauge); Diamond Gusset Jeans™/Defender Jeans™; and The Kermit Chair Company®. These sponsors fund this column, my speaking presentations, and the majority of my FaceBook posts. Buy from these folks with impunity. I have been using their products for years. See you at the next MOA rally in Montana. Feel free to contact Jack by email at jack.riepe@gmail.com regarding the content of this column or anything else.
Sensitivity Training (no, not that kind)
By Mark Barnes, PhD #222400
DON’T WORRY, THIS ISN’T GOING TO BE A
set of contrived and awkward exercises from the MOA’s Human Resources Department. While everyone benefits from greater empathy for the experiences of those unlike us, we’re here to talk about motorcycles! More specifically, how can we take advantage of a neuropsychological principle to ride more safely and competently?
First, the principle: Sensitization refers to the way we become more aware of elements in our perceptual field as a function of practice or heightened emotional relevance. If, for instance, we spend a lot of time working on mechanical projects, we develop the ability to discern the size of a bolt head simply by eyeballing it. As I was becoming adept at this, I might misjudge size by two millimeters in either direction, but now such errors are very rare; I typically reach for the correct socket or wrench on the first try without even thinking about it (at least in the 6-17 mm range with which I have the most practice). Or, as an example of emotional relevance, after purchasing a particular vehicle, I start seeing examples of the same model all over town. Of course, they had always been present, but they’d remained hidden to me until I had some personal investment prompting their “appearance.”
There’s a saying: “Neurons that fire together wire together.” This is an (admittedly oversimplified) effort to articulate one aspect of brain plasticity. As certain circuits are repeatedly activated simultaneously, they seem to establish more numerous and more robust connections with each other, increasing the likelihood they’ll work in an integrated manner going forward. Simply exercising any circuit increases its readiness to fire the next time. (Conversely, connections fallen into disuse tend to get pruned.) Hence, associations develop between such things as perceptual inputs and muscular outputs (think eye-hand coordination) or pleasurable feelings and the experiential patterns preceding those feelings in the past (e.g. traversing the route to our local motorcycle shop feels vaguely exciting, whether or not we’re actually going there for a new bike). Extending this just a bit further, it’s easy to see how an alcoholic could become keenly aware of liquor store signs in what for someone else would be just a jumble of neon on a busy thoroughfare.
You can no doubt imagine a multitude of ways the principle of Sensitization applies to motorcycling. Because we’re much more physically vulnerable than car drivers, it behooves us to constantly scan our environment for potential dangers. The fact that said car drivers may also be unlikely (unsensitized) to notice our presence, gives rise to the maxim, “Ride like you’re invisible.” Not only is it of vital importance for us to be alert to threats, we also need to be proactively looking for possible escape routes should we suddenly need to take evasive action. Considering such adages as “we go where we look” and “go where the other vehicle isn’t,” we learn to direct our attention and gaze to the area behind a car crossing our path, rather than tracking it like a target. This is not our natural reflex, since we’re wired to keep our eyes on what might hurt us, lest we be taken by surprise. What could be a reasonably good strategy during a bear encounter doesn’t work as well in traffic; the motorcyclist’s brain requires some reconfiguration.
Fortunately, we have the ability to rewire ourselves. Sensitization is happening all the time, but we can deliberately cultivate sensitization to serve us while riding, using practice and accentuating emotional relevance to increase our detailed awareness of some things over others. Practice is simple and straightforward: the more regularly we scan for escape routes, for example, the more habitual and automatic such activity becomes, AND—here’s where sensitization comes in—the more attuned we are to escape routes as they crop up in our visual field. We begin to notice paths we’d have
overlooked before and notice even more of them the longer we keep at it. Fine distinctions grow more obvious, like which option promises better traction or requires less extreme braking, and which gaps are expanding instead of contracting. We become escape route connoisseurs! The same mental acuity can be employed in determining the lesser of two evils when there is no real escape: better to head into the bushes than into a wall. If we’ve been systematically training our perceptual apparatus to attend to what is truly most important in our present situation (as opposed to what was expedient earlier in our evolution), we’re much more likely to have the needed awareness in the moment of an emergency, when there’s no time for contemplative study. We need the truly important stuff to pop out without lots of searching.
Where does emotional relevance fit in? Survival is a strong motivator. Short of death, we are also powerfully invested in avoiding excruciating pain, long-term disability, dire financial cost, and other heartbreaking losses. Obviously, all of these are possibilities in a crash, but we typically don’t spend much time or mental effort pondering them while riding. Doing so can paradoxically make these catastrophes more likely, with horrifying imagery distracting us from the operations demanding our full attention. Counterproductive fearfulness in turn makes us overly hesitant and/or reactive. Yet there’s a place for sober reminders of the gravity of life in the saddle. If only as a way of continually prompting us to resume our focus, we really can benefit from fleeting visions of disaster.
As an illustration, recall a bad experience you had while riding, an actual crash or a close call. Whatever you associate with that event has had extra salience for you ever since. One of my scariest memories on two wheels was (foolishly) trying to pass two cars at once on a narrow country road. As I pulled alongside the trailing car, it pulled over to pass the leading car, pushing me off the pavement on the opposite side of the road at speed. Luckily, the ground was smooth enough for me to maintain control, but I was mere inches away from a dense row of trees and certain I was about to hit at least one of them. As you’d guess, that memory— and a bit of the terror accompanying it—leaps back into my awareness any time I get the urge to pass a string of pokey cars. In fact, it can return just from glancing over at a row of trees alongside the shoulder. It’s not disturbing enough to make me shudder or eclipse my attention to current reality, but in one millisecond I am thoroughly convinced of the impulse’s folly; the sense of mortal peril is now vividly baked into the perception of the situation, just like the pleasure of satisfying a terrible craving is inextricably part of the alcoholic’s perception of a liquor store sign. I cannot envision passing the trailing car without also envisioning it pulling over on me; I am sensitized to this risk because of the strong emotional charge linked to it in my history.
If we’ve had to use an escape route in the past, we’re more likely to be on the lookout for such “Plan Bs” on subsequent rides, and they stand out to us as a function of this emotionally driven preoccupation in the back of our mind. What if we have yet to need this contingency? If we must wait until after we’ve experienced life-threatening circumstances to be on the alert for those particular dangers, we might not live to reap the benefits. Visualization can help. By using our imagination to quickly play out scenarios in the continuously unfolding situation before us, we can intensify the emotional charge just enough to bolster the learning process. I approach an intersection, see an oncoming car that could turn left in front of me, picture it doing so, briefly feel the associated twinge of panic, and then chart a potential course around the car’s passenger side. Now I’m ready to take evasive action and ride to the space the car will be vacating if it does indeed turn in front of me.
In addition to having a formulated plan, I’ve strengthened the “mental muscles” for searching among my available options, reducing the time and effort necessary to visualize an escape route next time. Momentarily acknowledging my life is at stake cements the increased sensitivity. All of this happens in a few short seconds. While the process becomes more reflexively automatic with practice, we’re all vulnerable to attentional lapses. We need enough danger sensitivity to stay sharp, but not so much tension our enjoyment and concentration suffer.
The goal is optimal sensitization to a prioritized subset of the myriad sensory inputs bombarding us whenever we’re on two wheels. Some elements deserve keen awareness, while others can be ignored. Before you finished reading this sentence, you probably had no awareness of the sensation of your butt pressing into the furniture you’re resting upon. Having had your attention directed to it, now you feel it clearly. This information was available to you all along, but it wasn’t relevant and your brain efficiently devoted its limited resources to more important sensory inputs. Strategic sensitization is the deliberate training of our senses to notice what is most critical to our safety while riding. Escape routes, traction nuances, weather conditions, cues regarding nearby drivers’ imminent movements, and many other details are worthy of routine highlighting so our neurology will carry the day when conscious deliberation would be too slow to save us. What we don’t know (notice) really can hurt us.
Mark Barnes is a clinical psychologist and motojournalist. To read more of his writings, check out his book Why We Ride: A Psychologist Explains the Motorcyclist’s Mind and the Love Affair Between Rider, Bike and Road, currently available in paperback through Amazon and other retailers.
The Living, The Dead, The Rally
By David Cwi #28490
SHOW TIME WAS ALL
time on those roads without a lot of days over it. off work means we have to shorten the “Dave,” he said, “it’s time spent getting there and then back Raider 20, what are we home. going to do?” That, in turn, has meant that if you were I had no answer as in on a Raider Ride you were expected to be one sense it’s just another able to execute a 1,000-mile day as a year for me. routinely doable concept and not some-
For Show Time, it’s the 20th anniversary thing “special.” I remember years back of thousands of miles of camaraderie, when a newbie on his first Raider Ride rendezvous weekends on great technical asked if he was going to qualify for an Iron roads, long trips with long days of riding Butt certificate, and I asked him what the too quickly get there and home. Then, there are folks behaving to get their Raider names. Raider Karma events that cannot be explained as just plain luck and stories that keep getting retold at dinners and campfires. For sure it is not about anything virtual, but very real.
But then, all clubs have their share of the same, and that’s why we join them. With COVID-19 now in our rearview mirrors, we are back at it again at the MOA National with another Out West ride and this year’s 20th anniversary dinner in Great Falls with most, but The Wabash Cannonball Bridge. not all of the original riders there. That has heck that was. His answer had me me thinking. wondering why someone would pay
By now we have a set of rides that define money to get a certificate since there was and organize our riding year. Even though nothing particular special about sitting on folks on the RST list ride many brands, the the slab all day on a gas-and-go schedule MOA Rally, especially when it is out west, leading to an end of ride beer. I mean it is is one of the anchors of the ride schedule. nothing more than a 16-hour day ride, and The Out West Ride has been of particular all you have to do is sit there and stay importance in bringing folks together and hydrated. creating stories because, first and foremost, All that said, if you are on the Raider list, it has always been about finding great you are probably also an IBA member. To riding roads. The need to spend quality support that club effort, we put on a series of certificate-enabling rides culminating in the infamous Tora Tora Torrey event requiring 1,500 miles in under 24 hours. The ride takes you from the farmland of the Midwest and into the Rockies before dropping you into the twisties of Utah at night to finish the ride. Pops at the age of 70 did that ride, and I’m still amazed.
But rolling around the Great Lakes might still be my favorite. That’s a ride we punctuated with local food favorites including Schwabl’s and their “beef on a weck” (a type of bun). Of all the rides, the annual dash to the Blue Nose Rally and Nova Scotia ranks supreme. That rally will soon be ending forever, but if you have never had scallops in scallop country, you are missing a road food treat. For a long time, we made a point of identifying what was unique among the locals and trying it out. I do confess that pasties, a Michigan Upper Peninsula specialty, did not flip my switch on the day ride around Lake Michigan. That ride started out near Hell, Michigan, just for a photo op, and we did find a most interesting witness to sign our IBA log.
One thing is for certain, not all riders I’ve known are still living, whether Raiders or before that time. I am saddened to realize that I cannot remember all the names of folks who made a difference in my life on motorcycles. I discovered this when I sorted through 20 years of pictures, thinking ahead to the MOA Rally dinner and a possible picture show.
It is driving me nuts that I can’t remember his name. There was chatter among local BMW riders about making the six-hour ride over to the MOA Open House held annually at the old office digs in Missouri. He suggested making a road trip down state, mentioning the Wabash Cannonball Bridge south of Vincennes. Seems it is one lane and historic. Seems it’s also listed on the “World’s Most Dangerous Roads” website, in part, because at more than 1,000 feet it’s among the longest one lane bridges in North America.
While the road surface has spaced cross boards, when you come rolling up on a motorcycle you discover the surface to be topped by two paths created by boards laid next to and in front of one another as three foot wide “lanes” leading you across. Look ahead. Don’t look down. You’ll be fine. I remember we rolled west and camped that night, intending to get to the Open House when it opened, then leave early and get home for dinner.
That ride is memorable because I believe it was the start of Raider Commando Camping. What’s that you ask? Simple. Bring your Eureka Timberline tent but forget your poles. It was set to be a clear night. So, no poles? No problem. All you need is an ‘85 K-bike and a picnic table. Tie one end of the line to the picnic table, run that line through the tent to hold it off the ground tabletop height with one end attached to your luggage rack. Stake it out and climb in––darn near instant set up! Naturally, to commemorate this new concept Brian created a Commando Camper sticker for anyone who wanted one, and mine promptly found a place on my side case.
The National Rally has a special place because it is an event that brings folks together, some of whom you only see once a year and, as years pass, never see again. I carry one of those folks with me. With his wife’s approval, instead of scattering the portion of Douglass’ ashes, he now dwells in a Tupperware container and goes where I go. Turns out he has become sort of a brick. (I once opened it up and looked). He’d get a kick out of that.
And then there is Kermit–not ashes, but product as I still use his bags. They are that good, along with stuff from other vendors now gone but long associated with the rally.
Then there’s Raider Number One, Carl, aka Lady’s Man. He also travels with me via a nice smiling headshot permanently inside my jacket on a card they gave out at his viewing. Lady’s Man, so named not because he was a flirt, but because when we stopped, he was the one curious females would talk to when they had questions. He was the grandfather you wished you had and was also a good mechanic to have along when you broke down on the road. Lady’s Man never complained or got surly no matter what mother nature threw at us and was always laughing. As he aged and the long miles each day got to be less fun, we just stopped telling him how long the ride would be that day. He was a good husband and father and the best of men with his license plate reading “Raider One.” He loved us and we loved him.
Not to be maudlin, but when the National Rally comes, many of us think of his last trip. Though his cancer made it impossible to ride, he would still help by driving his van. So, in 2017, he and BJ visited his daughters in Kansas, then continued driving west to the rally in Salt Lake City. Once there, Ned commandeered a golf cart (Thanks, rally staff!) so he could get around, and we feted him at dinner. Soon after that, he was gone.
There will be a Raider 20th Anniversary dinner of some sort during the Rally this year, and I have resisted mentioning the other folks who cannot be there. But we will salute them.
There is a simple lesson here as we exit COVID-19 and begin to ride again: the road of life pretty much ends in the same place for all of us. Great riding roads are not going anywhere, people are. So, plot a trip to visit someone you’ve not seen in a while. I’ll bet, for some, that’s at the rally.
Who knows, with a little luck, maybe I’ll see you down the road.
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Riding like the Wind Chuck Manley #12106
By Mandy Manley
IF YOU’VE EVER ATTENDED A BMW NATIONAL RALLY,
while wearing suits from their day jobs. The motorist, struck by their chartered club rally, MOA Getaway, or any other BMW event in formal attire said, “How much is this going to cost me?” the past 46 years, you have probably met Chuck Manley. Whether By 1972, Chuck upgraded to a black 1959 Harley Davidson FLH, it was the 1975 Shakamak Rally or the 2019 Falling Leaf Rally, which he traded in June 1973 for a new 1973 Honda CB 500. It was at Chuck was there with his this point that Chuck started wife, Julie. When you met long-distance riding Chuck, he went out of his because his new motorcycle way to make you feel had a fairing and luggage welcome in the circle of rack. He began touring with Kermit chairs around a his now-roommates King campfire and by offering and Bob “Pitt” Pittinger, as you a shot of Tuaca, the well as Gary “Gordy” Ehlers, official beverage of the a friend from high school. Knights of the Roundel. Chuck traded up to a CB
Charles Lee “Chuck” 750 in January of 1974, and Manley was born in 1951 in rode it for four months Bloomington, Illinois, and before trading up again to a grew up in Cooksville. He 1973 BMW R 75/5 blue graduated from Octavia Toaster. After his buddies High School in Colfax in King and Larry “Hawk” 1969, the same year his Hawthorne joined the newly mother, Betty, called the formed BMW Motorcycle Harley-Davidson dealer- Owners of America, Chuck ship to try to stop him from joined the next year. Eventubuying a Harley Hummer. ally, they all traded in their His plans thwarted, he Hondas and Harleys for instead bought a Honda 50, BMWs. “We couldn’t work which he rode for two on Hondas,” Chuck said, weeks before upgrading to “BMWs didn’t have a chain a 1965 Harley Sprint 250. It to lube, and Airheads were was a faded orange and simpler to maintain so they black, but Chuck painted it were the preference.” purple and black to make it In 1975, the riders from his own. During this time, central Illinois attended the he had begun working at Shakamak Rally in Indiana, State Farm in Bloomington, ushering in a new era of desand that’s where he met J.D. tination riding to local ralAldridge, who would lies. They brought along become a friend, father- their girlfriends and rode in figure, and motorcycling mentor. Chuck addresses the crowd at the 2015 BMW MOA National Rally in Billings, Montana. jean jackets (for sewing on patches) and blue jeans. By
In 1971, Chuck started a part-time job at a Phillips 66 filling sta- the spring of 1976, Chuck met the love of his life, Julie, whose dad tion and met his lifelong friend Don “King” Braasch. Together, the owned an Indian, so her family was cool with her riding motorcypair operated a tow truck and once showed up to help a motorist cles. They married on October 8, 1977, at Funk’s Grove, Illinois, and
spent their honeymoon riding an R 75/6 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Foundation Board for multiple terms with his last term ending in stopping at the Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana to meet up with January 2021. He dedicated much effort, time, and energy to keeping their riding friends. the BMW MOA and Foundation around for future generations. In all,
In 1980, they welcomed their son, Ryan and the next year bought he has attended more than 20 National Rallies and volunteered at a black R 60/2 with a sidecar every one of them. for Julie so she and Ryan In addition to serving on the could ride to the National board, Chuck and Julie volunRally at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch teered as chairs of the decoratat Hurricane Mills, Tennes- ing committee and assistants to see. Ryan was one of the the rally chairs at the 2007 West youngest riders to attend the Bend National Rally in WisRally that year and eventually consin. He was a Rally Cogrew up to become a BMW chair at the 40th Anniversary MOA Ambassador like his National Rally in 2012 in Sedadad. In 1983, their daughter, lia, Missouri along with Julie Brandi, was born and the and Bob Aldridge. family was complete. Home Chuck and Julie were honfor Manley’s has always been ored as BMW MOA AmbassaBloomington, Illinois, but dors in 2007 and have also this was really just a place to received the Helping Hand refuel, rest, and repack for Award for assisting riders in their next two-wheeled need. His number was always journey. listed in the BMW Owners
Over the years, Chuck Anonymous book because he helped found two BMW believed in being there for felMOA Chartered Clubs—the low riders and loved to open Dinky Dozen of Central Illi- his home and garage to new nois in 1980, and the Knights friends. Chuck was also honof the Roundel in 2004. ored as the BMW Friend of the Because of his great love of Marque in 2013. the BMW riding community, Among his many awards Chuck served in many char- were the Iron Butt 1,000 and tered clubs leadership roles Saddle Sore 1,500, and many and chaired the Dinks’ Hard high mileage awards. He estito be Humble Rally many mated that he has ridden “just times over. shy of 500,000 miles.” His
The opportunity to serve favorite places to ride were the at the national level came in ghost towns of Montana, 2000 when Chuck and Julie Northwest Territories, and the were asked to be the nomi- redwood forests of northern nating committee chairs for California. His favorite roads the BMW MOA board elec- were the Chief Joseph Hightion in 2001. Chuck also way, the Cherohala Skyway, served on the rally site selec- and Beartooth Pass. Mostly, he tion committee from 2001 Leading a group of riders on the Tail of the Dragon. loved any road where his until 2013. He was also friends were all riding together. appointed to the BMW MOA board in December 2001 and served as Chuck will be remembered for his storytelling, humor, and warm, a Director for multiple terms and board President from 2013-2016. welcoming hospitality. We know that when he gets to his next Rally,
A friend to young riders and concerned about the safety of the his friends will happily widen their circle of chairs for their friend and next generation of motorcyclists, Chuck served on the BMW MOA welcome him home.
The BMW MOA and MOA™ are trademarks of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.
BMW MOA OFFICERS
Wes Fitzer, President 918-773-7178; wes.fitzer@bmwmoa.org Reece Mullins, Vice President 334-470-7770; reece.mullins@bmwmoa.org Stan Herman, Treasurer (719) 250-4358; stan.herman@bmwmoa.org Sue Rihn, Secretary (262) 424-2617; sue.rihn@bmwmoa.org
BMW MOA DIRECTORS
Brian Dutcher (402) 289-7182; brian.dutcher@bmwmoa.org Jon Kurtz (859) 338-9801; jon.kurtz@bmwmoa.org Kelly Moore (859) 536-8638; kelly.moore@bmwmoa.org Doug Peters (478) 747-4718; doug.peters@bmwmoa.org Michiael “Roc” Shannon (812) 322-1378; roc.shannon@bmwmoa.org
BMW MOA STAFF
Ted Moyer, Executive Director tedm@bmwmoa.org Bill Wiegand, Managing Editor bill@bmwmoa.org Karin Halker, Art Director karin@bmwmoa.org Wes Fleming, Digital Media Editor wes@bmwmoa.org Ray Tubbs, Digital Marketing Manager ray@bmwmoa.org Tonya McMeans, Membership Services tonya@bmwmoa.org Tori Ricci, Membership Services tori@bmwmoa.org Lesa Howard, Membership Services lesa@bmwmoa.org
OUR MISSION
Supporting your experience by sharing resources, unique events and the community.
BMW MOA HEADQUARTERS
2350 Hwy. 101 South Greer, SC 29651 864-438-0962 (p)
FOUNDATION
OUR MISSION
The BMW Motorcycle Owners of America Foundation is dedicated to supporting motorcycling and its rich heritage for BMW MOA members and the motorcycling public by funding programs that advance rider safety, education and training.
BMW MOA FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS
2350 Hwy. 101 South Greer, SC 29651 (864) 438-0962
BMW MOA FOUNDATION OFFICERS
Tom Gary, President tgary@bmwmoaf.org Randy Logan, Vice President rlogan@bmwmoaf.org Pam Werstler, Secretary pwerstler@bmwmoaf.org Dan Finazzo, Treasurer dfinazzo@bmwmoaf.org
BMW MOA FOUNDATION DIRECTORS
David Dunn david.dunn@bmwmoaf.org Rick Lewis rick.lewis@bmwmoaf.org Steve Martin steve.martin@bmwmoaf.org Walton Rogers walton.rogers@bmwmoaf.org Mark Barnes
in this issue
CONTRIBUTORS
Cover Susan Dragoo
Table of Contents Wayne Sprague Michael Willianson
Big Picture Matt Mulder #223069
Postcards from the Road Mike LoGalbo #155063 John Rogers #74378 Allen Faber #98879 Keenan B. Casavant #216945 Gary Oberg #27260 Tim Mangini #216488 Bryan Ballard #96056
Member Tested Sean Michael #221663 Ron Davis #111820 Mark Barnes #222400
News Kandi Spangler #220021 Corey Smith #196849 Lee Deyoung #31683 Roger Trendowski #88147
Tech Matthew Parkhouse #13272 Wes Fleming #87301
Features Matt Wank #217542 Mark Hearon #209373 and Katelyn Hearon #216332 Michael Brown #45061
Skills James Carlisle #196730 Bill Shaw #70903
Lifestyle Jack Riepe #116117 Mark Barnes, PhD #222400 David Cwi #28490 Mandy Manley
Kandi Spangler Sean Michael Michael Brown
IBMW MOA KEY VOLUNTEERS
HIGH MILEAGE COORDINATORS
Allison Gifford and Johnathan Gifford allison.gifford@bmwmoa.org johnathan.gifford@bmwmoa.org
MILEAGE CONTEST COORDINATOR
Jim Low (608)347-5910; lowjim09@gmail.com
AMBASSADOR LIAISON
Jason Olson bmwjiggs@gmail.com
CONSUMER LIAISON
John Gamel john.gamel@bmwmoa.org
FORUM LIAISON
Kurt Schrader Forum Administrator - Steve Henson Forum Moderators - Gary Nelson, Lee Fulton, Voni Glaves, Don Eilenberger
2021 BMW MOA RALLY CHAIRS
Corey and Becky Smith rallychairs@bmwmoa.org
Ron Davis
REGIONAL COORDINATORS
Charles L. Buchanan IV - Virginia (920) 574-0170; charles.buchanan@bmwmoa.org Joe Burns - Pennsylvania (814) 229-0896; joe.burns@bmwmoa.org Adam Chandler - New Hampshire (415) 894-0857; adam.chandler@bmwmoa.org Carlos Dao - Florida (561) 927-6730; carlos.dao@bmwmoa.org Joe Dawson - Arizona (480) 721-4412; joe.dawson@bmwmoa.org Ken Decroo - California (909) 961-7762; ken.decroo@bmwmoa.org Brian Dutcher - Arizona (402) 289-7182; brian.dutcher@bmwmoa.org Jean Excell - Colorado (719) 650-6215; jean.excell@bmwmoa.org Frank Florio - New York (518) 369-8339; frank.florio@bmwmoa.org Karolina Francis - British Columbia, Canada (604) 657-7351; karolina.francis@bmwmoa.org Johnathan Gifford - Oklahoma (484) 919-7277; jgifford@bmwmoa.org Don Loudermilk - Georgia (404) 787-2969; don.loudermilk@bmwmoa.org Ben Lower - Georgia (469) 831-1021; ben.lower@bmwmoa.org Bruce McKelvy - Pennsylvania (215) 872-4605; bruce.mckelvy@bmwmoa.org Pete Mikolaitis - Indiana (401) 924-2526; pete.mikolaitis@bmwmoa.org Thomas Moe - Montana (916) 919-6770; tom.moe@bmwmoa.org Gordy Olson - California (916) 642-2221; gordy.olson@bmwmoa.org Mike Secor - Texas (214) 557-4577; mike.secor@bmwmoa.org Gary Shuman - Massachusettes (617) 513-2053; gary.shuman@bmwmoa.org Phil Stalboerger - Minnesota (612) 616-2445; phil.stalboerger@bmwmoa.org Phil Stearns - Ohio (937) 470-1851; phil.stearns@bmwmoa.org Thomas Van Horn - Wisconsin (608) 695-6784; tomvanhorn@bmwmoa.org Bryan Whitehead - Illinois (312) 804-2293; bryan.whitehead@bmwmoa.org
Mark Barnes Mark and Katelyn Hearon
UPCOMING EVENTS
juLY 15-18, 2021
49TH ANNUAL TOP O’ THE ROCKIES RALLY
LOCATION: Paonia Colorado CONTACT: Ronnie Martinez 303-229-8229 ronniealfonzomartinez@ yahoo.com
The BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado and the town of Paonia bring you the 49th annual Top O’The Rockies Rally! Don’t miss out on attending the longest running BMW Motorcycle Rally in the continent. The nominal early registration fee of $50.00 still provides three days of grassy camping in the town park under mature shade trees, endless coffee, tea and lemonade, WiFi, charging stations, vendors, showers on site, ample parking, delicious Saturday night meal with a vegan option, breakfast available Thursday-Sunday, door prizes, beer garden and two nights of live entertainment by national or international recording artists. All this and some of the best pavement and dual sport riding in Colorado, many on Butler G1 and G2 rated roads.
There is also a plethora of activities nearby including four national parks or monuments all within a days ride, the Grand Mesa the largest flat top mountain in the world with it’s lush forests and over three hundred lakes, the Black Canyon Boat Tour, the historic mountain towns of Marble, Aspen, Crested Butte, Lake City and Creede all on scenic curvy roads or dirt shortcuts, wine tours, hiking, even a swimming pool close by. There is quiet camping and RV parking available also. Restaurants, grocery stores, lodging and other small town amenities are walking distance from the rally. No rally offers so much for so little as the Top O’ The Rockies! This is the rally that eclipses all the other small rallies within a thousand miles and the one everyone keeps coming back to! All brand bikes are welcome. Registration after July 5th is $60.00 Check out our website at BMW Motorcycle Club Of Colorado for more details or contact our Rally Master, topotherockies@bmwmcc.org.
juLY 15-18, 2021
CASCADE COUNTRY RENDEZVOUS IS BACK FOR 2021!
LOCATION: Cashmere, WA CONTACT: Dan Muir rallymaster@wsbmwr.org
Yes, Covid restrictions permitting, we’re going to bring back the sorely missed CCR this summer. Set your calendars for the third weekend in July 15-18, at the Chelan County Expo Center and Fairgrounds in beautiful Cashmere, WA 98815.
The historical city of Cashmere is located in the heart of the Cascade Mountains with a plethora of paved and off-pavement riding, local restaurants, shopping, and fabulous places to visit. For more information, visit wsbmwr.org.
june
1 6/4/2021 – 6/6/2021 46TH SQUARE ROUTE RALLY
LOCATION: Sabillasville, MD CONTACT: Ed Pfister 301-366-3866 vp@bmwbmw.org
2 6/5/2021
GERMAN CARS, MOTORCYCLES
AND COFFEE!
LOCATION: Nashville, TN CONTACT: Bavarian Bierhaus
3 6/11/2021 – 6/13/2021 MOTOMO RALLY
LOCATION: Crane, MO CONTACT: Steve Kronberger 801)-597-1678 kronie12@gmail.com
4 6/11/2021 – 6/13/2021
LAND OF OZ RALLY
LOCATION: Atchison, KS CONTACT: David Brown 913-526-7230 beemersc@icloud.com
21 5 6/18/2021 – 6/20/2021
RED ROCK RENDEZVOUS CANCELLED
LOCATION: Panguitch, UT CONTACT: Lloyd Larimore 801-556-3578 lloydfl47@gmail.com
6 6/24/2021 – 6/27/2021
BMW MOA “SADDLE UP & RIDE”
NATIONAL RALLY
LOCATION: Great Falls, MT CONTACT: Becky & Corey Smith rallychairs@bmwmoa.org
juLY
7 7/15/2021 – 7/18/2021
CASCADE COUNTRY RENDEZVOUS
LOCATION: Cashmere, WA CONTACT: Dan Muir rallymaster@wsbmwr.org
8 7/15/2021 – 7/18/2021 49th ANNUAL TOP 0’ THE
ROCKIES RALLY
LOCATION: Paonia, CO CONTACT: Ronnie Martinez 303-229-8229 ronniealfonzomartinez@yahoo.com
7
9 6
15
5 24 8 29 16 12 13
4 36
25
32
14
3 37
40 35 9 7/24/2021
GERMAN CARS, MOTORCYCLES
AND COFFEE!
LOCATION: Nashville, TN CONTACT: Bavarian Bierhaus
10 7/30/2021 – 7/31/2021
PREMIER TRAINING AT
BMW PERFORMANCE CENTER
LOCATION: Greer, SC CONTACT: Ray Tubbs 864-438-0962 ray@bmwmoa.org
11 7/30/2021 – 8/1/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT SKYTOP
LOCATION: Skytop, PA CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
august
12 8/7/2021 21ST ANNUAL 100,000 FOOT RIDE
LOCATION: Centennial CO CONTACT: Phillip Glynn 720-550-2304 bmwk1200rs@live.com
33
2 9 30 17 19
22 18
31 11
1 28 26
34
23 39
10 20 27 38 41
Map courtesy of
September 17-19, 2021
The BMW Motorcycle Club of Minnesota invites you to the 44th Annual
Hiawatha Rally
Money Creek Haven Campground near Houston, MN.
Rally fee includes: 2 nights camping on grassy shaded tent sites. 24-hour coffee, tea, water and lemonade • Vendors on site Demo rides by Leo’s South • Door prizes and awards
Rally pin to first 220 attendees • Ride for Pie Friday afternoon
Friday evening soup and hot dogs until gone • Live music Guided dual-sport ride and field events Saturday
Dinner Saturday evening • Sunday morning worship service
Preregistration: $40 per person until 9/1/2021 ($25 children ages 7-15). Onsite registration: $45 per person, starting at noon Friday. ($25 children ages 7-15). Children 6 and under free.
Register online at www.bmwmocm.com Questions: Email hiawatharally@gmail.com
EXPLORE YOUR NEXT MOA GETAWAY
Visit bmwmoa.org and click on the EVENTS TAB or call 864-438-0962 2021 Motorcycle
Flea Market and and MotoExpo MotoExpo
BMW and All Marques from Europe and Japan! Welcoming:
35th Annual
Blackhawk Reg i o n BMW AssocNEW Date! Saturday, August 14, 2021 Vendor Setup 7:00a - 10:00a Open to Shoppers 10:00a - 6:00p
NEW Location!
Lincoln Arts Center in Rochelle, IL
Home of the Vince Carney Community Theater 108 S Main St, Rochelle, IL 61068 GPS Coordinates: 41.91896, -89.06517
For More Info
Go to: blackhawkbmwclub.org Or contact:Earve Brauer 815-962-8911 rockbmw2000@yahoo.com Steve Frank 815-761-0048 skynut69@yahoo.com
13 8/13/2021 – 08/15/2021 38TH NEBRASKA NIGHTRIDERS
HUSKER RALLY
LOCATION: Franklin, NE CONTACT: Jayney Solo 402-676-1739 jayneysolo@cox.net
14 8/14/2021 2021 MOTORCCLE FLEA MARKET
AND MOTOEXPO
LOCATION: Rochelle, IL CONTACT: Earve Brauer or Steve Frank
15 8/19/2021 – 08/21/2021 23RD ANNUAL BEARTOOTH
BEEMERS RENDEZVOUS
LOCATION: Red Lodge, MT CONTACT: Charlie Greear 208-661-5639 registrar@beartoothbeemers.org
16 8/20/2021 – 8/22/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT COPPER
MOUNTAIN
LOCATION: Copper Mountain, CO CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
17 8/20/2021 – 8/22/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT GUELPH
LOCATION: Guelph, Ontario CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
18 8/20/2021 – 8/22/2021
FOUR WINDS RALLY
LOCATION: New Bethlehem, PA CONTACT: Dennis dmick1959@icloud.com
SEPTEMBER
19 9/3/2021 – 9/6/2021
FINGER LAKES RALLY
POSTPONED UNTIL 2022
LOCATION: Watkins Glen, NY CONTACT: Finger Lakes BMW Club rally@fingerlakesbmw.org
20 9/3/2021 – 9/4/2021
PREMIER TRAINING AT BMW
PERFORMANCE CENTER
LOCATION: Greer, SC CONTACT: Ray Tubbs 864-438-0962 ray@bmwmoa.org
21 9/3/2021 – 9/5/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT SUN PEAKS
LOCATION: Sun Peaks, British Columbia CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
22 9/8/2021 – 9/12/2021 8TH ANNUAL WAILIN WAYNE
WEEKEND
LOCATION: Nelsonville, OH CONTACT: Chad Warner info@wailinwayneweekend.com LOCATION: Pineville, KY CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
24 9/10/2021 – 9/12/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT CEDAR CITY
LOCATION: Cedar City, UT CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
RALLY
LOCATION: Wisconsin Dells, WI CONTACT: Robert Preuss 262-391-0550 dellsrally@gmail.com
26 9/10/2021 – 9/12/2021
GREEN MOUNTAIN RALLY
LOCATION: Goshen, VT CONTACT: Chip LaPointe chiplapointe@gmail.com
27 9/16/2021 – 9/17/2021
PREMIER TRAINING AT BMW
PERFORMANCE CENTER
LOCATION: Greer, SC CONTACT: Ray Tubbs 864-438-0962 ray@bmwmoa.org
28 9/17/2021 – 9/19/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT SUGARBUSH
LOCATION: Warren, VT CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
29 9/17/2021 – 9/19/2021 17TH THUNDER MOUNTAIN
RENDEZVOUS
LOCATION: Hotchkiss, CO CONTACT: Bill Maurer 970-261-0356 aesurvey@aol.com
30 9/18/2021
GERMAN CARS, MOTORCYCLES
AND COFFEE!
LOCATION: Nashville, TN CONTACT: Bavarian Bierhaus
WEEKEND - SPONSORED BY THE
BMW MOA
LOCATION: Somerset, PA CONTACT: Jason Kaplitz gsjay@kaplitz. com
32 9/23/2021 – 9/26/2021 44TH ANNUAL PURE STODGE
IOWA RALLY
LOCATION: Elkader, IA CONTACT: Mark Mumaw pstarally@ gmail.com
RALLY
LOCATION: North Vernon, IN CONTACT: Andy Fountain k12lts@gmail.com
LOCATION: Buena, NJ CONTACT: Peter Lisko Jr. 856-589-7015 pjliskojr@gmail.com
35 9/25/2021
ANNUAL HAMBURGER COOKOUT
LOCATION: Cooper, TX CONTACT: Douglas Davis dpdavis1@verizon.net
OCTOBER
36 10/1/2021 – 10/3/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT TOMAH
LOCATION: Tomah, WI CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
37 10/8/2021 – 10/10/2021
FALLING LEAF RALLY
LOCATION: Steelville, MO CONTACT: rally-coordinator@ gatewayriders.com
38 10/14/2021 – 10/15/2021
PREMIER TRAINING AT
BMW PERFORMANCE CENTER
LOCATION: Greer, SC CONTACT: Ray Tubbs 864-438-0962 ray@bmwmoa.org
LOCATION: Lanexa, VA CONTACT: Carol E Beals 757-287-5594 cebeals@gmail.com
40 10/22/2021 – 10/24/2021
MOA GETAWAY AT KERRVILLE
LOCATION: Kerrville, TX CONTACT: BMW MOA 864-438-0962
NOVEMBER
41 11/12/2021 – 11/13/2021
PREMIER TRAINING AT
BMW PERFORMANCE CENTER
LOCATION: Greer, SC CONTACT: Ray Tubbs (864) 438-0962 ray@bmwmoa.org
BMW OWNERS NEWS STAFF
Bill Wiegand, Managing Editor bill@bmwmoa.org Karin Halker, Art Director karin@bmwmoa.org Wes Fleming, Digital Media Editor wes@bmwmoa.org Ron Davis, Associate Editor ron.davis@bmwmoa.org Jose Abiles, Associate Editor iridertp@gmail.com Chris Hughes, Director of Advertising chris@bmwmoa.org 509-921-2713 (p) 509-921-2713 (f)
Advertising materials, including chartered club rally display advertising, should be sent to our Advertising Office. Please contact Chris Hughes for display rates, sizes and terms.
Submissions should be sent to the BMW MOA office or editor@bmwmoa.org. Submissions accepted only from current members of the BMW MOA and assume granting of first serial publication rights within and on the BMW MOA website and use in any future compendium of articles. No payments will be made and submissions will not be returned. The BMW MOA reserves the right to refuse, edit or modify submissions.
Opinions and positions stated in materials/articles herein are those of the authors and not by the fact of publication necessarily those of BMW MOA; publication of advertising material is not an endorsement by BMW MOA of the advertised product or service. The material is presented as information for the reader. BMW MOA does not perform independent research on submitted articles or advertising.
JOINING AND RENEWING
Membership in the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America is open to all riders, regardless of brand affiliation. Although we are united by the BMW marque, adventure-minded motorcyclists will find a home here.
Join today by visiting bmwmoa.org or call one of our friendly membership associates at 864-438-0962.
Primary Annual memberships are available in one year, two year or monthly options. Additional membership options include Primary Membership with Basic 25/100 Roadside Assistance, Primary Membership with Platinum Roadside Assistance, Digital Membership with Basic 25/100 Roadside Assistance, Digital Membership with Platinum Roadside Assistance. We also offer Roadside Assistance without an MOA Membership.
For a complete listing of membership options, please visit bmwmoa.org or call 864-438-0962.
Change of address notification and membership inquiries should be made by calling the BMW MOA office or via email at: membership@bmwmoa.org. BMW MOA membership is $49/year and includes the BMW Owners News, which is not available separately. Canadian members add $16 for postal surcharge. Admore Lighting...................................30 Adriatic Moto Tours..............................37 Adventure New Zealand Tours ........69 AeroFlow..................................................35 Alaska Leather........................................48 Backcountry Discovery Routes........87 BeadRider.................................................38 Beemer Boneyard .................................80 BeemerShop...........................................90 Best Rest Products/Cycle Pump .........9 Big Snow Resort ....................................77 Bill Mayer Saddles.................................90 Bing Agency............................................48 Black Box Embedded...........................37 Blackhawk BMW Club..........................93 BMW Club of Battle Creek..................93 Bobs BMW.............................................. IBC Bohn Armor.............................................83 Boxer Works Service.............................80 Capital Cycle............................................69 Cardo Systems........................................33 Colorado Tourbike Rentals ................90 Continental Tire ....................................IFC Corbin Pacific..........................................19 Cyclenutz..................................................48 DMC Sidecars.............................................9 Don’t Want a Pickle...............................17 Dunlop Tires............................................29 Edelweiss Bike Travel ...........................71 EPM Hyper Pro ................................17, 83 Euro Moto Electrics ..............................37 Gateway Adventure School ..............43 Geza Gear.................................................17 Giant Loop...............................................30 Helmet Sun Blocker..............................17 HEX ezCAN ..............................................48 Hiawatha Rally........................................93 Ilium Works..............................................19 IMTBike Tours.........................................17 Kermit Chair Company........................38 LD Comfort..............................................73 M4Moto....................................................86 MachineartMoto ...................................86 MedJet ......................................................38 Michelin Tire.....................................38, 41 MOA Platinum Roadside Assist........68 Morton’s BMW........................................80 Moto Bike Jack .......................................80 Moto Bins.................................................73 Motonation .............................................BC Motorcycle Relief Project...................81 Mountain Master Truck Equip...38. 90 Overseas Speedometer ......................73 Parabellum ..............................................71 Peter Lattman Real Estate..................90 Pirelli/Metzeler Tires.............................49 Progressive Insurance ............................1 Redverz.....................................................48 Re-Psycle BMW Parts ...........................43 Rider Magazine.......................................86 Roadrunner Magazine .........................86 Ron Davis - Shiny Side Up..................73 Russel Cycle Products.............................9 S100 Brookstone Imports..................76 Sargent Cycle Products.......................71 Stop ‘n Go.................................................69 Touratech....................................................5 Twisted Throttle........................................9 Wilbers USA......................................48, 73 Windfall Inc..............................................31 Wunderlich..............................................69 Ztechnik....................................................30
BMW ON (ISSN:1080-5729) (USPS: 735-590) (BMW Owners News) is published monthly by BMW Motorcycle Owners of America Inc., 2350 Hwy 101 South, Greer, SC 29651. Periodicals postage paid at Pewaukee, Wisconsin and additional mailing offices. Opinions and positions stated in materials/articles herein are those of the authors and not by the fact of publication necessarily those of BMW MOA; publication of advertising material is not an endorsement by BMW MOA of the advertised product or service. The material is presented as information for the reader. sBMW MOA does not perform independent research on submitted articles or advertising.
POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO BMW ON, 2350 Hwy 101 South, Greer, SC 29651 © 2020 by BMW Motorcycle Owners of America Inc. All information furnished herein is provided by and for the members of BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, Inc. Unless otherwise stated, none of the information (including technical material) printed herein necessarily bears endorsement or approval by BMW MOA, BMW NA, the factory or the editors. The editors and publisher cannot be held liable for its accuracy. Printed in the USA. Volume 51, Number 6
Unexpected Stop
While riding a tricky section of the Charouleau Gap Trail near Tucson, Arizona, Bryan Reese #207925 stalled his ‘09 F 800 GS but luckily was able to get his kickstand down and photograph the situation to forever remember the faux pas!
