BMW OWNERS NEWS – A PUBLICATION OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF AMERICA
JUNE 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS www.bmwmoa.org
JUNE 2017
www.firstgear-usa.com/mens-gear/jackets.html
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The BMW MOA and MOATM are trademarks of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.
Inside features
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the essential guide to camping By Ken Decroo #178241 Camping by motorcycle may be more sophisticated than it used to be, but it doesn't have to be all high tech materials and whiz-bang devices to be a comforting, relaxing experience.
importing a Canadian montauk into the usa By Larry Barasch #130636 You might think that bringing a bike from Canada to the USA would be an easy thing to do, but before you try it you might want to see what one Montauk lover went through to do just that.
riding the mountains of Tenerife By Brian Rathjen #92108 The Canary Islands may not be on your bucket list now, but give Brian Rathjen a chance to open your mind to the chain's largest island, Tenerife.
ON THE COVER: A view from the pillion seat while riding through the Canary Islands. Photo by Shira Kamil #112108.
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the club 4 Owners News Contributors 8 Headlight Story Material, by Bill Wiegand 10 President's Column It's Rally Time!, by Wes Fitzer 12 Shiny Side Up Happy Camper, by Ron Davis 14 Postcards from the Road 16 Rider to Rider Letters from our Members Member tested/ product news 20 scala rider Freecom 4 Duo, Continental RoadAttack 3, The Whole
Story: Two Epic Motorcycle Trips to South America 50 Years Apart, a book review
32 m-Unit Blue from Motogadget, Touratech’s Destino Riding Boots, Redverz Hawk II tent, Giant Loop Great Basin Saddlebag, Wheels of Wonderment motorcycle campground, Liqui Moly keeps motorcycles alive, A new bride and a new RT
tech 44 Keep ‘em Flying Carb Tuning and Riding a new BMW,
skills 96 Ask a Pro Riding and its Influence on Youth, by Lee Parks
98 Street Strategies Motorcyclists and Speed Limits, by Roger Wiles
100 Foundation News Dare to Dream Big, by Ted Moyer lifestyle 104 Jack the Riepe Interpreting the Omens, by Jack Riepe 108 Mileage Slaves Just Chillin' Out, by Dave Cwi 2017 BMW MOA International Rally 112 Rally FAQ 116 Rally Entertainment 118 The 2017 Charity Club Challenge 120 Riding Opportunities Abound in Utah 122 Rally Seminars offer Topics of Interest for All 123 2017 BMW MOA Rally map
by Matthew Parkhouse
48 Nicht Uber Max Questions and Answers, by George Mangicaro
discovery 52 Simon and Lisa Head in the Shed, by Simon Thomas
events 126 When and Where Places to Ride and Things to See 135 Advertiser Index 136 Talelight
June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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CONTRIBUTORS 1. A longtime member of the MOA, Brian Rathjen has manned the helm of the northeast regional motorcycle tour magazine Backroads for the last 22 years from his home at northwestern edge of New Jersey. A motorcyclist for more than 40 years, Rathjen has ridden in more than 35 countries around the planet—mostly on various BMWs—and says he occasionally scribbles down his thoughts and comments with mixed results. When he grows up he wants to be just like Jack Riepe. You can find Backroads at www.backroadsusa.com. 2. George Mangicaro (#136221) was born with a wrench in one hand and a Pepsi in the other, and his mother still hasn't forgiven him. Despite trying to cut off one thumb with a table saw, George was a Master Certified Technician for nearly 20 years and collects Beemer parts like it's his job...because it actually IS his job! He runs Beemers Uber Alles, an independent BMW and Ural repair shop in Manassas, Virginia. 3. Darrell Hoemann was 15 when he bought his first motorcycle and his first Nikon camera. What followed was a variety of bikes and Nikons as well as a photojournalism career that included stops at four newspapers. Darrell retired as photo editor of the Champaign (IL) News-Gazette in 2013 and is currently the photo editor of the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and the owner of Darrell Hoemann Photography. He rides a 2004 R 1150 RT. 4. Kenneth L. Decroo truly believes you must live a life worth writing about. Before he became an educator and consultant
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for universities and school districts, he worked in the world of research and wild animal training in the motion picture industry for many years as a stuntman and wild animal trainer. He holds advanced degrees in anthropology, instructional technology and education and lives and writes in the San Bernardino mountains with his wife, Tammy. When not writing and lecturing, he loves to ride his BMW adventure motorcycles down the Baja peninsula to beaches and bays without names. More about his adventures can be found on his blog, http:// bajamotoquest.com. His latest novel, Almost Human is available from Amazon, Kindle and Barnes and Noble. 5. A brief attempt at earning a living by racing motorcycles led Ray Tubbs to realize that any real money made racing was made in hospital operating rooms. How this translated to a career in law enforcement is forever lost in the annals of time. Since the age of five, motorcycles were the one constant that bound all the loose pages of his life together. Rising to the position of Deputy Chief during his 30-year career in law enforcement certainly proved interesting enough but the opportunity to ride, often and far, helped balance the stress of a public safety career. His eventual retirement lasted a good six months before boredom set in and the MOA called. 6. M arcia McGuire learned to ride a few years ago, and since then her mode of adventure has become the two wheels of her BMW G650GS. She loves how motorcycles expand engagement with the world, and her GS often accompianies her in her projects investigating and documenting social and environmental issues.
www.tourmaster.com
Vintage Days
Riding R 75/5s, Daniel May (93) leads Craig Chawla (710) though turn turn six during an AHRMA race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Photo by Darrell Hoemann #74518
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headlight Magazine of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America MANAGING EDITOR
Bill Wiegand bill@bmwmoa.org
Story material By Bill Wiegand #180584
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Ron Davis • Wes Fleming • Joe Tatulli ART DIRECTOR
Karin Halker karin@bmwmoa.org CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
David Cwi • Marven Ewen • Deb Gasque Lee Parks • Matthew Parkhouse Jack Riepe • Shawn Thomas ADVERTISING
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. Chris Hughes chris@bmwmoa.org 11030 North Forker Road, Spokane, WA 99217 509-921-2713 (p) 509-921-2713 (f ) BMW MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF AMERICA
640 S. Main Street, Ste. 201 Greenville, SC 29601 864-438-0962 (p) 864-250-0038 (f )
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. Change of address notification and membership inquiries should be made to the BMW MOA office or membership@bmwmoa.org. BMW MOA membership is $40/yr. and includes the BMW Owners News, which is not available separately. Each additional family member is $10 without a subscription. Canadian members add $12 for postal surcharge. The BMW MOA and MOA™ are trademarks of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.
OUR MISSION To foster communication and a sense of family among BMW motorcycle enthusiasts
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I ALWAYS ENJOY GETTING TO KNOW AND TALK TO FELLOW MOA
members. It doesn’t matter if it’s while gathered around a campfire, by phone or by email, sharing stories of rides and adventures is one of the best parts of my job. The recent MOA Getaway at Fontana Dam offered the perfect example. Friday evening, I had the opportunity to sit down for dinner with Charlie and Jan Brown of Old Hickory, Tennessee, and their daughter Olivia. Charlie and Jan rode in on their RT while Olivia joined them on her new Triumph Bonneville. Also at our table were Maryland members George Criswell on his RT and Chris Rogers on his XR. I’ve always believed riders share a unique fellowship which makes for easy conversation no matter the situation. After the usual introductions, conversations flowed easily and, among other things, I learned of George’s involvement in the auto industry and Chris’ issues with his XR’s instrument cluster. George and Chris also shared stories of the magical properties of Plasti Dip, a spray on rubber-like paint. Apparently Plasti Dip’s applications go far beyond simply being a coating for rusty pliers handles; it can also be used to paint cars and motorcycles. I look forward to seeing George’s freshly painted RT redone in a lime green pearl gloss that BMW Motorrad would never do. I also learned how lucky Olivia is to have Charlie and Jan as parents. Charlie even said so! Charlie believes, as does Peter Egan, that a rider needs at least five bikes in the garage. I told Olivia a new R nineT Scrambler would be the perfect next bike for her. I think she agreed, but I later saw her eyeballing an R 1200 RS. It was a great evening and despite all of us going our separate ways that night, I feel richer for getting to know all of them. That’s why I love the beginning of each new riding season. After months with our bikes sitting idle in garages, those of us living in the upper half of North America have finally been released from the bondage of winter and are able to get out and ride, to reacquaint ourselves with the roads, visit unexplored destinations and get together with old friends while meeting new ones. Our When and Where pages prove that it’s Rally season, with a cornucopia of great events. On top of that, we’re less than two months away from the BMW MOA International Rally in Salt Lake City. For months BMW Owners News has been describing why you should make this Utah rally a summer destination. The area is surrounded with fantastic roads and there will be so much to do there that you’re sure to leave with a post-Rally hangover. I look forward to all of that, but I’ve also got to see the Jetsons-like glass-domed spaceship in downtown Salt Lake City piloted by a pair of shirt-and-tie wearing Mormon missionaries – supposedly one of them has blue skin and antennae! Then there’s Gravity Hill where, according to urban legend, you can drive into a canyon and stop, pull in your clutch and your bike will mysteriously begin to coast uphill. Need more reasons get out the maps? How about visiting a monument dedicated to Philo Farnsworth, the man responsible for television? Then, cross the street and check out the twoheaded lamb! Before I head out of town on Sunday, I’ve got to see the place where many years ago, Brigham Young declared, “This is THE place.” Even if these things don’t live up to their billing, they’ll at least make for some good stories to share. I look forward to crossing paths next month.
PRESIDENTSCOLUMN
It's Rally time! BMW MOA OFFICERS
Wes Fitzer, President 918-441-2114; jwfitzer@yahoo.com Jackie Hughes, Vice President 509-928-3261; jhughes@bmwmoa.org Reece Mullins, Secretary 334-470-7770; rangerreece@mac.com Jean Excell, Treasurer 719-650-6215; jeanexcell@bmwmoa.org BMW MOA DIRECTORS
Sam Garst 414-704-7767: guanocave@gmail.com Stan Herman 719-250-4358; hermanhaus1@msn.com Lisa Malachowsky 925-759-4360; lisa.malachowsky@gmail.com Marc Souliere 613-828-1798; beemer1@sympatico.ca Chad Warner 614-735-8558; chad.warner@bmwmoa.org BMW MOA VOLUNTEER STAFF
Steve Brunner, Mileage Contest Coordinator 910-822-4369; steveb@bmwmoa.org Jim Heberling, High Mileage Coordinator 309-530-1951; jheberling@bmwmoa.org David Swider, Ambassador Liaison 415-479-8075; teamkbasa@comcast.net Lee Woodring, Consumer Liaison 770-331-2419; lee.woodring@bmwmoa.org Joe Leung, Consumer Liaison 403-689-9939; joe.leung@bmwmoa.org Greg Feeler, Pat Carol and Brian Burdette 2017 BMW MOA Rally Chairs 2017rallychair@bmwmoa.org BMW MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF AMERICA
640 640 S. Main Street, Ste. 201 Greenville, SC 29601
Robert C. Aldridge, Executive Director bob@bmwmoa.org Ted Moyer, Director of Membership & Marketing tedm@bmwmoa.org Bill Wiegand, BMW Owners News Managing Editor bill@bmwmoa.org Karin Halker, Art Director karin@bmwmoa.org Ray Tubbs, Digital Marketing Manager ray@bmwmoa.org Wes Fleming, Associate Editor Digital wfleming@bmwmoa.org Lesa Howard, Membership Services lesa@bmwmoa.org Noelle Boiano, Membership Services noelle@bmwmoa.org
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By Wes Fitzer #170126 IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN, THE TIME WHEN THOUSANDS OF
our BMW-riding brothers and sisters gather in Salt Lake City, Utah, to reconnect with old friends, make some new friends and swap lies. This year’s rally promises to be exceptional, with the riding to and around Salt Lake City some of the best we've ever had. For me, as I plan my route to Salt Lake City, I keep discovering more places I want to ride to than my time will allow, which is a good problem to have, but still a problem. Riding from eastern Oklahoma, I can easily find a dozen national parks and forests that I'd like to revisit. Places like Carson National Forest, Chaco Canyon and Monument Valley in New Mexico, Canyon De Chelly and the Painted Desert in Arizona, Mesa Verde, and Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado—that’s before I even hit the Utah state line. Once I cross that metaphorical line in the sand at the Four Corners where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet, places like Grand Staircase Escalante, Bryce Canyon, Glen Canyon, Canyons of the Ancients, and Arches National Park will have to vie for a slot in my travel itinerary. Over the years, I've ridden through all of these areas but always take the opportunity to revisit as many of them as possible when I'm in the area. Because I was born in the high desert I guess it's in my blood and always find the barren rock and mountainous landscapes calling me back. The draw is strong enough that I even find myself dreaming about the beauty of the landscape as I get ready for this ride. I find myself watching classic spaghetti westerns not for the fine acting, but to see the landscape I love. Though the movies aren't that bad, my wife just doesn't understand the attraction. Once at the rally, riders will find the grounds as wonderful as any other site our annual event has visited. Pulling into the Utah State Fairpark, riders will find lush green grass and bountiful shade for camping. Salt Lake City’s light rail system runs right by and is able to take you from the rally grounds to the downtown area and to and from local breweries, restaurants and shopping areas without having to get on your bike. Air conditioned buildings for our vendors will keep you cool as you shop for the latest gear for yourself and farkles for your bike. In addition to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new people, another of my favorite things to do at the rally is to walk around the vendor area and see the gear, products and farkles I believe I need. I'm much more likely to buy something when I can see, feel and try it in person, and I prefer to support the vendors who have been so good to the MOA over the years, advertising and selling their wares at our annual rally. My favorite thing to do at the rally is meeting our new members attending their first International Rally. Visiting with first-time rally-goers and getting their perspective on the club, the rally and how they've been treated gives me ideas from a fresh perspective. Seeing the rally from a newbie’s eyes as well as visiting with our seasoned rally-goers gives me ideas of things we may need to work on as a Board. If you've never attended our annual BMW MOA International Rally, I strongly encourage you to join us in Salt Lake City this July. If you’re still not sure whether to attend, send me an email. When you’re there, look for me walking around the grounds. I'd love to hear your story!
Wes
Fitzer
www.dunlopmotorcycletires.com
the club
shinysideup
Happy camper By Ron Davis #111820 AS IF RIDING A
motorcycle wasn’t challenging enough, some of us have chosen to camp from one. In that I have an extremely illustrious history of both motorcycling and camping (in other words, I have, so far, survived) I’d like to offer some sage suggestions on the subject of “moto-camping” which, in all seriousness, I’m pretty sure you could live without:
1. Take everything.
I mean everything. Feel free to load every single pound of what may seem like superfluous, self-indulgent luxuries. Battery-operated coffee grinder? Sure! Golf clubs? Why not? Boom box? Weed-wacker? Chain saw? It really doesn’t matter, since it’s been my experience that by piling on every kind of accessory you can think of, you’ll promptly throw your back out the first time you try lifting the laden bike up onto its centerstand and will have to cancel the trip anyway.
2. It’s not camping without a campfire. Campfires are in
our DNA. There’s nothing like satisfying that primitive urge to make fire by foraging for a bundle of firewood ($5 for three pretty pieces of birch at the campground store), building an intricate teepee of tinder (road map, toilet paper, spare tent poles), and settling back to stare dreamily into the embers as your buddy trips over your tent ropes (breaking one of your tent poles) and steps into the fire. Though watching that same buddy (who’s now made snarky remarks
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about your pitching your tent so close to the fire) burn his fingers on his travel mug left on the fire ring or get sprayed by an exploding can of beans can be pretty rewarding, too. Since building a campfire always produces a sudden cloudburst, it’s also wise (if not fairly hilarious) to pitch your tent upwind of the fire ring, so your buddy’s tent is the one that fills with smoke.
3. Showing the flag. When I was a
rally virgin I arrived early and set up camp in a field sparsely populated with other tents and bikes. I had to chuckle as I watched my fellow members erect little flags from their tents or bike mirrors, thinking this was some quaint rally tradition. I then spent my first MOA rally day going to workshops, wandering through the vendor area, and gawking at all the bikes, only to be eventually corralled into the beer garden where I spent hours discovering the new-found camaraderie of my rider brethren and the pithy eloquence produced by dark beer. Wobbling back to my tent in the dark and surveying the endless sea of nearly identical tents that had sprung up while I was gone, it dawned on me that there’s a lot to be said for quaint traditions.
4. You will need a shovel. My dad
liked to take me camping when I was kid, and he was obsessed with always digging a trench around the edges of our enormous, moldy canvas tent wherever we were. The idea was to ditch the perimeter of the tent to keep the rain (it always rained) from seeping under the tent. However, since we never seemed to dig a trench leading away from the tent, we usually awoke surrounded by a mudfilled moat that eventually overflowed and made puddles in the tent floor deep enough to double as a minnow bucket. Digging the trench (often my job) was
done with a green, WWII-issue folding shovel. I remember my father taking a thoughtful drag from a Lucky Strike straight and informing me that during the war shovels like ours were carefully sharpened by our troops to produce a darling weapon of last resort capable of dismembering any enemy within striking distance. Quite the lovely image to pass on just before bedtime to an imaginative eight-year-old who could now have nightmares of armless, headless Nazis roaming the campground. I don’t carry one of these now; however, as I have an exceptional talent for selecting campsites next to groups who party until 3 a.m., screaming along with endless renditions of Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever,” I have often wished I did.
5. Eat. Eating is important; in fact, many
will say it’s their third or fourth favorite pastime. And yes, you can choose to pack freeze-dried coq au vin, pruneinfused trail mix, powdered beer and other foods you would never consume anywhere else under any other conditions. But you can also choose to drive the five miles into town and search out Clyde’s Coffee Cup (or Katie’s Quick Lunch, the Crystal Café, etc.). The cook there, a guy affectionately known as “Chain,” will have a ponytail and a Harley parked out back. He will come out to ask about your bike and tell you about a charming little stretch of twisties just outside town. And, oh yeah, a waitress named “Dottie” will call you “Hon.” Again, your choice.
Don’t get me wrong. I like to camp from a motorcycle. In fact, I’m fairly certain, even with my highly questionable memory, I can recall just about every spot I’ve ever pitched a tent, whether it turned out to be a delight or a disaster. Motel rooms, not so much.
www.progressive.com
Postcardsfromtheroad
1. Visiting a Civil War graveyard near Virginia’s Smith Mountain Lake Dam. Matt Smith #206843 Morrisville, North Carolina 2. Stopped in Fort Worth, Texas. Francisco Gonzalez #210851 Lewisville, Texas 3. M y 2016 R 1200 GS which I use as my daily Fire Marshal vehicle at West County EMS and Fire Protection District. Dan Bruno #203379 St. Louis, Missouri
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4. F rom an observation point in the Bighorn National Forest. John E. Sinclair #115367 Lincoln, Nebraska 5. A warm sunrise is reflected on my tank while parked in the Blue Ridge Parkway near Fancy Gap, Virginia. Brian Turner #150895 Mont Clare, Pennsylvania 6. S hot at the Manzanar/Inyo County Airport near Death Valley. Michael Milner #209152 St. Simons Island, GA 7. P arked along Alaska’s Denali Highway during a 13,868 mile ride. Don Chembars #173584 Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania For September, send us your Best Postcard from the Road. One photo may be submitted per member with the best selected for publication in BMW Owners News. Send your high resolution image, contact information and member number to editor@bmwmoa.org.
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RIDERTORIDER Send your letters and comments to: editor@bmwmoa.org
Suggestions for Dave
I enjoyed Dave Cwi’s article in the March 2017 issue of Owners News, but was not sure what parts of it were inside humor about the author's propensity to over pack and what parts were genuine suggestions. My only real suggestion is about bag liners for the standard plastic hard bags. I find them very helpful and efficient. The BMW branded bags from my 1991 K 100 RS were beefier and held their shape better than the current aftermarket liners I got with my 2002 R 1150 RT, but both are very helpful to me. I pack clothes (and my favorite brown liquor) in one side and camping gear in the other. At my campsite or motel, it is easy to grab them and get into my tent or room. I can easily pop open the hard bag and drop stuff on top since the liners are not rigid. I always pack the heaviest stuff in the bottom to keep the weight down lower. I like the hard trunk for its ease of lockable storage for my gloves, chaps, rain gear, camera and miscellaneous stuff I may need at stops. It does pop off easily for my daily use or when traveling, if I want to make a lighter run during the day. Mine is an aftermarket Givi and weighs much less than his rejected box. I do agree with David about the bungee web and flat adjustable straps being very handy. I have a bright yellow roll top dry bag that holds my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and tent, but not the tent poles. That stays put with the web, and I can push the poles under the web, too. The web can act as an excellent “dryer” for wet swimsuits, towels and even rain gear once the weather changes. I hope that helps! Gary Cassill #149910 Lake Tapps, Washington
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See everyone next year
I was planning to register for the 2017 rally, but something kept holding me back. At first I thought it might be the distance from my home here in Iowa. In 2015, I rode 2,000 miles to and from Billings, and in 2016, I rode even further to and from Hamburg. Such distant rallies require several additional days traveling time and considerably more expense. I had hoped that by 2017, the rally schedule would have returned the event nearer the Heartland, say Arkansas, with its excellent motorcycle roads. Then I read Brian Reeder's letter in the May issue. Like Brian, I cannot in good conscience reward a state that behaves toward its natural resources as Utah has been doing. I agree that the ways we use our money does indeed make a political statement. For that reason, I will donate the rally fee, plus a little extra, to the Sierra Club. I think I'll wear my Arc'teryx jacket when I take it to the mailbox. Hopefully, I will see everyone in July of 2018. Cleveland Eugene Bryant #181849 Des Moines, Iowa
Don't put others at risk
There's a time for a refreshing beer, a glass of wine, a sip of aged Scotch. Despite a few of my best misguided efforts in my early 20’s, with the help of some good buddies, I've never been drunk. I recall one time when I returned after a rather industriously good time over a 6-pack or two with some friends and my sober roommate later commented that he had no idea that I had been drinking. No driving involved. Lesson learned. Too easy to drink too much. Ever since I was 18, by choice I've usually been the designated driver. I enjoy a romping good time with friends and don't need alcohol to do it. But I'm a firm
believer that before piloting any sort of machinery, one needs to be stone cold sober and rested. I've been out on a road trip with some of my moto friends, and over a "beer at lunch," listened to tales of tired, drunk motorcyclists who managed heroically to "make it home." Lessons learned? Maybe not. If you want to share risky behavior with others, try shooting the Salmon River in January with like-minded individuals, or try your hand at motorcycle racing, where at least you know that everyone else on the track should be alert to the risks. Save the alcohol for the end of the day, when you can enjoy the glow without putting others at risk. Rich Messeder #62033 Lee, New Hampshire
Love the baby GS
Thank you Ron Davis for your “Shiny Side Up” article on the F 700 GS in the April 2017 issue of BMW Owners News. As you stated, this bike is truly the poor sister, or "the baby GS" in the BMW lineup. But that's okay. We know something others don't. In late 2015 I decided that I would part with my 2008 Kawasaki Versys and purchase a 2016 Versys. This bike had been a sweetheart to me over the years, but I was ready to buy a new bike. A moto-buddy suggested I test ride the F 700 GS before pulling the trigger on the Versys. I complied with his wishes. Within less than a mile from the dealership, I knew it and said to myself, "Oh crap, now I'm going to be spending more money than I had budgeted for a new ride." A few days later I rode the beautiful white with red trellis frame bike off the dealer’s lot. The looks and general refinement of the F 700 were just too
seductive for me to walk away from. The F700 GS is perfect for me and does everything I ask it to do with grace. Plus, it's sexy as hell. Dan Casey #209732 Tacoma, Washington
Enjoyed the May issue
I don't know if it's just me, but I think the April 2017 was one of the best issues yet. I loved the articles by Jack Riepe and the other K-Bike travel articles. Not that they were about K-Bikes, but that they were about travel. I always prefer travel articles over tech stuff. Jack's writing is always entertaining, so I'd love to see Brittany's saga continue. Can't wait to see the May issue. Thanks for all the improvements, keep up the good work. Oh yeah, one more thing: How about a section specifically for safety? It wouldn't have to be long, just a monthly safety tip. David Greenlees #119929 Boerne, Texas
Too much Jack
I’ve been a member for 21 years and look forward each month to receiving Owners News and giving it a good cover-to-cover read. The April release, as usual, was filled with some great articles, but what the heck was the purpose of Jack having three submissions in one month? Better, or worse still, two off-the-wall fantasies on Brittany Berlinga and a K 75 rider who rode the lightning. While I fancy myself as having a good, even out there, sense of humor, I’m having a hard time trying to understand how either of these two articles were put to print. Are we that hard up for more editorial that rubbish like this is making it into such a great magazine? I’ve read Jack’s submissions for years and have enjoyed most of them, but he should stick to the type of writing that made him popular in the first place. Terry Smith #73999 Brighton, Ontario
FROM THE BMW MOA FORUM In the Campfire category under The Lighter Side section there is an evergrowing thread titled Bench Racing & The Morning Reads. Mika began this thread in 2009 and he highlights interesting news from BMW Motorrad, including spy shots of BMW’s next-generation middleweight GS – the F 900. The bike, due to hit the dirt as the topof-the-range middleweight Adventure machine, shows familiar but sharper styling. European magazines suggest an EIMCA release for the new GS. The 900cc engine is not just a bore and stroke job. Rather, it is rumored to be a more compact vertical twin generating between 90 and 110 horsepower. The changes in dimensions called for a new frame. All of this is shod with a new suspension. In the Motorrad category within The Garage section is a thread by bobs_one titled Supporting My Local BMW Dealers, where he writes: “I try to support the dealer where I bought my bike, but sometimes I think I'm being taken advantage of, at least to some degree. A specific example I can discuss is with tire replacement. I had two Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT's put on the bike last spring and was charged (with taxes) $800 by my dealer. Looking at the invoice, it seemed to me that the dealer had marked up the two tires by a total of around $150 over what I would pay for the tires if I bought them elsewhere. “I need tires again now, so I contacted all of the BMW dealers in the area (I'm lucky enough to have access to 5!) to get quotes and they all came in in the same ball park (+/- $75). But, I've now found a non-BMW service shop with a great reputation, who have a BMW certified master mechanic, and they are doing them for me for $600. I spoke to the guy at the non BMW shop and he knows his stuff. Am I expected to pay a $200 surcharge to
support my dealer? “I have a similar issue with some of the basic service visits (oil changes with a few other simple tasks) seem to run $300 or more. I'm still going to the dealer for those because the bike is still under warranty, but I'm strongly leaning to going with non-dealer servicing once the warranty is up - at least for the things I would consider simple. What do you guys think?” In the Motorrad category within The Garage section, 129654 posed the question BMW vs American V-Twin Touring and asks: “Looking for wisdom from those here who have ownership experience with BMW's RT and either Indian or HD touring offerings. I have owned both the R1200GS and GSA but I am now looking for a more road biased touring alternative with better long range comfort and am leaning towards a new water boxer RT. I don't however wish to eliminate American V-twin alternatives (electra glide or chieftain) without doing my homework first. I have done the HD dealer test rides but find them pretty useless to determine what it would be like to spend multi-day 8-12 hour rides on - maybe the next step is a rental. Regardless I'm looking for opinions on what the more feet forward design of the U.S. bikes does to one's back and hips after extended seat time compared to the RT seating position. I realize that the BMW's are in a different league altogether when it comes to technology and performance. Cheers.” OnYerBike was the first to reply with: “I've not ridden an Indian, but have about 45K miles on Harley Electra Glides. They are all-day comfortable, after you get the seat and windshield aerodynamics sorted. One advantage to the feetforward positioning is the ability to move your feet/legs around on the footboards. Adding highway pegs adds even more options for foot placement."
www.edelweissbike.com
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BMW OWNERS NEWS  June 2017
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scala rider Freecom 4 Duo By Wes Fleming #87301 A FEW YEARS AGO, I NEVER
would have considered using a comm system in my helmet. Riding time was my time, and being interrupted by a phone call was unimaginable. After my brother loaned me his wife’s comm unit for a road trip we took together, I became aware of the benefit of being able to communicate with a riding partner. It made his first long road trip better by being able to tell me when he needed gas or just a break. I also found that being able to link the comm system to my smartphone, and listening to music during long hours on the highway was a bright discovery as well. I figure that if I had my own unit on my last cross-country sojourn in 2010 (and the one before than in 2001), I might have seemed less crazy to bystanders after singing songs from Little Shop of Horrors to myself all the way across the Midwest. With both my wife and my daughter lodging complaints about having to use hand signals to communicate with me on trips in our sidecar rig (see the April 2017 issue), I decided it was time to pick up a comm system for us to use. I went with the scala rider Freecom 4 Duo, which puts two paired-at-the-factory units into one box. Installation in my Arai Defiant ProCruise helmet took about 45 minutes, and that included time I spent looking at a YouTube video on the Defiant PC that showed how to install speakers in the cheek pads. The Freecom 4’s head
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
unit can be installed with either a strong plastic clip or an adhesive pad, though the instructions warn that the adhesive is difficult to remove. Since I have more than one helmet and my wife and daughter each have their own, I opted for the clip method. The clips are strong and hold the unit securely in place. It only took about 30 minutes to install the second unit on my daughter’s helmet, largely because I didn’t have to figure out what went where and what function it had. The kit comes with a choice of microphones, one on a wire for tradition full-face helmets and one on a boom for any other
kind of helmet. There are convenient replacement foam covers for both styles of microphone included in the box, along with a number of Velcro and foam pads and covers for all the other components. It really is a comprehensive installation kit, and everything is easily stored in the high-quality clamshell box. Once installed, it took a few minutes to tuck the wires away to make sure nothing got tangled in my ears or beard, and one of the things I really like about the Freecom 4 is the small size of the head unit. The piece on the outside of the helmet is glossy black and nearly disappears against the
The Freecom 4 is one of the smaller comm units on the market, but it is large enough to use with gloved fingers.
slightly-less-glossy black of my helmet. The comm system my brother loaned me several years ago was bulky, with a large, halfglobe-shaped selection wheel, and it was heavy enough to notice as well. The Freecom 4 is light and unobtrusive, adding no noticeable weight to the helmet. Audio quality from the speakers is decent; you’re never going to get deep, rich bass from a speaker with such a tiny driver, but the sound is not tinny or weak. Voice quality during intercom communication is good, and the volume is sufficient to be heard through earplugs. Pairing the two units in the Duo box is unnecessary; they worked together immediately as promised by the packaging. Pairing individual units to other devices was simple, aided by following the instructions on the Quick Start Guide included along with the installation instructions. I connected mine to my Garmin zumo 595 GPS unit, and my daughter connected hers to her iPhone SE with no trouble. It took us a little fiddling around to figure out how to make it so she could listen to her show tunes and not be forced to listen to my heavy metal, but we got it sorted. The Freecom 4 Duo is an easy-to-install solution for rider-to-passenger communications, and with a package street price under $300, an economical one as well. For more information as well as a full list of features, refer to scala rider’s website at cardosystems.com/portfolio-item/scalarider-freecom-4-duo/; you can also view a video of me unboxing and installing the Freecom 4 unit on my helmet on the MOA’s YouTube channel (youtube.com, search “bmw moa channel”). PROS: easy installation, easy pairing, decent sound quality, IP67 certified waterproof CONS: one exposed wire, “knobs” on head unit could be a little bigger, difficult to charge head unit unless it’s removed from its mount (it’s easy to remove, however, and it snaps right back into place)
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June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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member teste
RoadAttack 3 launch
By Ray Tubbs #58606
June 2017  BMW OWNERS NEWS
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INTERNATIONAL
TRAVEL
IS
always daunting to me, even though I’ve never had a major issue outside of the German Bundespolizei shaking me down every time I’ve been in Frankfurt. When Continental invited us to Mallorca to test the new Conti RoadAttack 3, my first thought drifted to those experiences. My second thought was when do we leave? After about 20 hours of travel and a one-man-on-a-bus trip to the tarmac to catch the last flight, I was in Mallorca. Continental is a known commodity to many in the BMW community through their TKC series of tires preferred by many GS pilots. However, I found out that Continental is much
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
more than a tire manufacturer and is, in fact, a leader in many segments of vehicle electronics design. They are a key partner with most vehicle brands and design vehicle electronics for both two and four-wheel manufacturers. Spyridon Spyridonu, the Head of Sales and Marketing in the 2-Wheel Business Unit, was himself on site to explain the serious role Continental has in fostering driving safety through technology with their partners. Spyro (as he prefers to be called), succinctly explained that the entirety of the company’s five divisions is summed up in one program titled Vision Zero: zero traffic fatalities, zero injuries and zero accidents. Vision Zero builds on the combination of both physical control of the contact patch through tires, education through
their Conti RidingSchool, and sophisticated electronics to control motorcycle systems as well as those of cars while we operate on the roadway together. Spyro finished with one message that he asked we take back to fellow riders: tread depth. Tread depth guidelines vary significantly from country to country, but Continental stresses that a tread depth of two millimeters is mandatory for minimum rider control. The design parameters of the specific Conti RoadAttack 3 we were in Mallorca to review were just as impressive. A tire company since 1871, Continental has significant experience to base their development on and it shows. The only company to utilize a single, homogenous rubber compound per tire, Conti calls the process MultiGrip and
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uses temperature to cure and control the hardness rate over the tire profile. This allows the center patch of the tire to be harder and more wear resistant, while the outer edges can be softer, providing more grip. Engineers also believe this helps prevent delamination from occurring, as when multiple rubber compounds are used. They are also the only company to not use a releasing agent to aid in removing the finished tire from the mold. TractionSkin, as it is known, uses a new mold-coating technology which ensures that there is an extremely short burn-in time, eliminating that slick sheen on new tires we’ve all been warned of in the past. Malte Bigge, Chief Test Rider/Outdoor Test Engineer and former German Superbike racer, covered the entirety of the development cycle from hand-cut prototypes and test design enhancements to temperature evaluation of rubber compounds and lap-time comparisons, wrapping up with vehicle approval tests in Germany. The appropriate compromise in rubber compounds between too soft a carcass, with soft, imprecise handling, and one that is too hard with poor riding but greater handling, was the goal and what gives the RoadAttack 3 their linear handling when turning or riding sharp corners. It’s an exhaustive development cycle, but Conti believes these designed-in technology enhancements allowed them to provide a 15 percent improvement in the wet, 10 percent increase in mileage and a five percent advance in warm-up and handling. The road test saw the morning open with amazing sunshine and almost no breeze— ideal conditions on the island. While we were there for the sport-touring RoadAttack 3, Continental offers a traditional line of heavy touring tires for Harley-Davidson and other similarly-styled motorcycles with this program. With quite a mix of bikes and riders for this event, I gravitated towards the BMW R 1200 RS. Having owned a few late ‘70s R 100 RSs and still the proud owner of a 1995 R 1100 RS, I have a soft spot for the RS series. The group ride started simply, winding
through small towns and on to open vistas. I appreciated the way the compliant but also stable tire rolled over stone patterns and pavement edges without wallowing or upsetting the suspension. As we moved into mountain passes ranging from open sweepers to tight, low speed turns, the tire carcass provided good stiffness and feedback from the front end without feeling twitchy or unruly. I prefer the moderate turn-in of a sport-touring tire, and here the RoadAttacks didn't disappoint. Unlike the quick drop into a turn of most hyper-sport tires, the Contis felt planted and stable; even less than perfect handlebar inputs didn't faze the tire in the least. The conditions didn't allow for rain, but we did experience a wide variety of pavement conditions and traffic (with at least one sheep and a wandering goat). Straightening from one tight, high-speed turn, I had the chance to apply the brakes quickly to the point of ABS actuation. The front tire was extremely stable even with the modulation of the brake occurring. It lacked the slight flex one might get from a less stable tire. The bike shed speed impressively, and the goat and I parted ways amicably. I had the opportunity to swap bikes during the day to both an R 1200 RT and an R nineT, and I am pleased to report no differences in tire performance. Turning and braking characteristics vary, as one would expect, but the RoadAttack 3 tires proved stable with excellent grip in all conditions. I especially appreciated the steering characteristics of the front tire, with straight line and braking stability impressive on all three bikes. The rear tire gripped impressively over every condition we faced that day, and I experienced no slip or squirm at any lean angle. While this was not a track day session by any means, no appreciable or unusual wear was evident, and I have no doubt Continental has provided a sporttouring tire we should consider for our next purchase. Just don't forget what Spyro said: Two millimeters minimum tread depth, please!
June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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The Whole Story: An epic tale of two motorcycle trips 50 years apart A Book Review by Marcia McGuire #206424 I HAD FIRST HEARD A WISP OF
Keith Thye’s story from one of the service guys at my local shop, South Sound Motorcycles, of which Keith is president and his wife Ann is the owner. “Make sure someone important knows where you are. Have you heard Keith Thye’s story? He and his friend went down to South America before adventure motorcycling really took off. They checked in at the embassies. That saved them—they got thrown into jail because the police thought they were drug smugglers…” I was intrigued. So when someone suggested I check out Keith’s story through his books and his presentation, I did. That friend who joined Keith was Dave Yaden. They had gone to high school together, and though other friends were interested in Keith’s wild idea to ride down to South America, Dave was the only friend who was willing to commit. They both put a pause on college to work and plan for a year before launching south from where they grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in January of 1963. They rode a pair of BMW R-50s, and with $1200 each, they had the destination of their hometown’s new sister city: Pucón, Chile. Moto Raid (“Motorcycle Ride”) recounts the tales of that journey, and
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
Ride On: Moto Raid II tells the story of their retracing of their original journey fifty years later and contrasts the two experiences. Adventure weaves through both journeys but is especially raw in the first. They wanted panniers but had to design their
own and get them made. They had to write to different agencies to collect maps and information on weather and customs. The only live feed on the status of the world was
what they gathered right in front of them, in towns, or in the letters from family and friends that they collected from the embassies along the way. Going as minimalist and cheap as possible yielded perhaps tales they at times would have rather not collected, but also an array of interpersonal and cultural interactions that provided a different perspective of the world. Throughout the second book is a nostalgia, but also a fresh awe. Keith reflects on the changes, especially technological, that facilitated the greater ease and comfort of the second trip: BMW GSs, GPS units to dictate directions, credit cards, and wifi that allowed faceto-face conversations with loved ones back home. Memories of the past trip make Keith and Dave pause. They revisit a rural town they passed through at the beginning of the fateful day that led to their being thrown in jail, and a man tells them his elderly mother through the years had told the story of two motorcyclists who had ridden through the village when she was a child. The man, realizing Keith and Dave were those two riders from fifty years earlier, brings his mother over, and she, Dave and Keith all take a photo together. The Whole Story contains both books, Moto Raid, 224 pages, and Ride On: Moto Raid II, 160 pages, from Classic Day Publishing. Available from www.keithsrides. com, the set is $24.95, or $14.95 for each. If you want to hear Keith’s story in person, his upcoming presentations around the USA are listed at www.keithsrides.com/events
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BMW OWNERS NEWS  June 2017
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m-Unit Blue from Motogadget
The Motogadget m-Unit Blue is a Bluetooth-enabled, digital fusebox that replaces the fuses and multi-pin connectors of the past. Acting as the heart of the entire on-board electrical system, the m-Unit Blue is the digital control unit for your bike. Operated by push buttons or conventional handlebar switches, it controls all necessary components on the vehicle and is a complete replacement for all OEM fuses. The new m-Unit Blue is an improved version of the current m-Unit V.2. Using the m-Unit App, riders can manage the entire menu setup and alarm system via smart phone. Fault diagnostics can be performed during operation, and with the secure and encrypted “Keyless Go” function, a bike’s electrical system can be activated when approaching the bike with a smart phone. Other operations include alarm setup and sensitivity, turn signal characteristics and more. The m-Unit Blue can be used with or without the Bluetooth function and will be available in June with an MSRP of $359. For more information, visit www.spieglerusa.com.
Touratech Destino Riding Boot: Lock Them Down While You Walk Around
Long-distance motorcycle adventures present a lot of changes in terrain, weather and circumstance. Whatever the situation, the rider wants to be as prepared as possible. Touratech developed the Destino Adventure boot to do that. The Destino is a riding boot designed to excel on pavement and through dirt, mud and water. It also features a waterproof inner shoe designed to be worn separately which allows a rider wearing Destino boots to walk into a camp or restaurant without wearing big, heavy boots. The Destino outer-boot is built using full-grain leather incorporating water-resistant Outdry™ technology, making it water resistant and quick drying. Other features include an impact-resistant polyurethane toe, ankle and shin protection, an oil-resistant sole and a retractable cable for locking the boots down when you’re walking around. Touratech’s Destino is available in three colors and includes men’s and women’s sizes. MSRP for the boot is $450, and for more information, visit touratech-usa.com.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
Wheels of Wonderment Motorcycle Campground
Giant Loop updates Great Basin Saddlebag
Giant Loop, the Bend, Oregon, based builder of adventure packing systems, introduced their original Great Basin Saddlebag in 2009 and pioneered the concept of biomorphic motorcycle soft luggage that rides on the pillion seat of any motorcycle. Giant Loop has updated the original design of the bag and now features a new rolling closure to seal out water and dust while expanding the packable volume benefits of its zippered predecessor. The gear requires no rack or mounts and positions gear tightly to the center of the bike. It will work with sport and sport touring bikes, scramblers, standards, adventure tourers and dual sport motorcycles. Other enhancements include Giant Loop-branded, molded rubber grab handles that double as side compression straps, a set of three RF-welded waterproof inner liner Saddlebag Dry Pods with air purge valves and many other new features. A Hot Springs Exhaust Heat Shield with stainless steel clamp is included, and the bags are available in five colors. Giant Loop's Great Basin Saddlebag Roll Top retails for $450. For more information, visit www.giantloopmoto.com.
Riders routing their trip to Salt Lake City and the BMW MOA Crossroads of the West Rally this July have another camping option when riding through Yellowstone National Park by way of Cody, Wyoming. Wheels of Wonderment motorcycle campground is located in Wapiti, Wyoming, 40 miles east of the east gate into Yellowstone National Park, a half mile from Buffalo Bill State Park and 40 miles south of Beartooth pass. A new campground, Wheels of Wonderment offers high speed Wi-Fi, massage chairs with big screen TVs, areas to socialize and an opportunity to relax with basketball or horseshoes A large, shaded area along a babbling brook provides spacious room for campsites, and ten cabins are available for those who prefer a bed. RV sites are also available. Gather on the second floor deck to enjoy the view with a cold beer and appetizers or a Wyoming-raised steak. Wheels of Wonderment believes in camping, cabins and camaraderie. Visit www.wowmccg.com for more information.
Redverz adds Hawk II tent to lineup
The Redverz Atacama and Solo tents have long been popular with motorcycle travelers. Their abundant size and garages able to accommodate not only riders and heaps of gear, but fully-loaded adventure bikes have made them a popular choice for travelers. Redverz recently expanded their line to include the Hawk II mountaineering tent, a two-person freestanding tent designed for year-round use by backpackers and riders alike. The Hawk II features an inner sleeping bay clipped to the outer fly to speed setup and protect the inner tent from the elements. Two vestibules and entry points offer access to the tent and stored gear, and each vestibule has two panels which can be rolled back. Hawk II construction includes DAC poles and pegs and YKK zippers, along with four interior pockets and an overhead gear loft. MSRP for the Redverz Hawk II is $649, and for more information, visit redverz.com. June 2017  BMW OWNERS NEWS
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news
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Liqui Moly: keeping motorcycles alive By Kurtis Minder #141660 GASOLINE
IS
FOOD
FOR THE
motorcycle. Gas provides the fuel to create the energy that propels the machine. If this is true, then oil is a motorcycle’s blood. We often take this component for granted, but it is fundamental to the function and performance of our motorcycles. Engine oil is not a simple science. Those who study Tribology, the science of interacting services in relative motion, recognize how complex and important the make-up of engine oil is and how it applies to different engine types and performance scenarios. It is no surIn the lab at Liqui Moly.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS  June 2017
prise that engine oil producers strive to perfect and differentiate in the market in order to make the best oils for their purpose and application. Located in Ulm, Germany, and founded in 1957, Liqui Moly is the fastest-growing engine oil and additive producer in the EU, as well as an innovator in science and business culture. The company was focused on additives, leading with their patented compound based on liquefied molybdenum disulfide. Molybdenum disulfide, an inorganic compound similar to graphite, is unique in its ability to provide lubrication at high temperatures and extreme operating
environments. In 1970, when Liqui Moly added oil to their product portfolio, this material became the key additive to some of their engine oil products. Liqui Moly's unique additive combinations serve as a key differentiator and an underlying philosophical grounding point for the company. Additives are common in motor oils. These chemicals typically make up 20 to 30 percent of the oil solution that we pour into our engines to keep them running smoothly. The additives provide stability for the oil chemical make-up, preventing chemical separation and breakdown. They also impact and stabilize the viscosity. Additives
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also act as dispersants, preventing contaminants from coagulating or “gumming up” the fluid. Perhaps most importantly, engine oil additives improve lubrication. If additives are the differentiator in the product, Ernst Prost is the differentiator in the Liqui Moly business growth and culture. Prost was born into a family of refugees, the son of a factory worker and a bricklayer in Altötting, Bavaria. Always an industrious professional, after training as an auto mechanic he quickly moved from mechanics into sales and marketing. When he moved to Liqui Moly in 1990 he was the head of Sales and Marketing, but he soon began buying up shares of the company. In 1998, he bought the remaining controlling shares and became Liqui Moly’s Managing Director. His influence on the company culture has defined the brand and impacted the incredible growth of the company. The Liqui Moly facility in Ulm is tucked away in an industrial park. Somewhat unassuming, the lobby highlights many of the company’s sponsorships, missions and accolades. Producing over 4,000 different products, Liqui Moly has a robust marketing apparatus and a focused go-to-market strategy focused on small independent and boutique shops. Their diverse product line allows them to provide a turn-key solution to small shops, providing their customers with a full line of lubrication and fuel additive products. Liqui Moly has grown to
compete with the largest providers of motor oils and additives in the world, and its products are all made in Germany. The Liqui Moly headquarters has a focus on product quality, too. Thirty-plus engineers in lab coats work 24 hours a day in shifts in a Quality Assurance laboratory with cutting edge equipment. Using high tech machines like a plasma spectrometer and specialized x-ray, tests perfect and test the viscosity and additive balance. They test the finished mixture against acid build up and for real-world scenarios like an engine’s cold start. When a test sample is complete, the engineers record the data and store the sample in a cellar for later analysis and forensic purposes. While the initial focus of Liqui Moly was on cars, they have re-invigorated their motorcycle focus in recent years. Prost is an avid motorcyclist and wanted to provide the quality materials that Liqui Moly produces for autos for motorbikes. As part of this effort, they expanded their product line to include many non-motor-related lubrication and oil products, including brake, fork and final drive oils. Their specialization in motorbike products provides real value to the consumer. For instance, their testing has indicated that using a Liqui Moly 75W140 oil in the final drive, a deviation from BMW’s recommendation, showed extended component life and reduced whine by 80 percent. Liqui Moly
June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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offers two fuel-focused additives, one for cleaning and caring for the internals of the tank and fuel systems, and another they claim improves combustion—which increases speed. The speed additive is offered in a traditional large-bottle format or even a “shooter” format for easy travel use. In order to better control quality and consolidate operations, Liqui Moly acquired Meguin in 2006. Meguin, an industrial oils and base ingredients producer, has over 350 products and has been supplying heavy industries with solutions for the better part of a century. The company was originally established by Gustav Meguin in 1847 to produce greases for wagons. At the turn of the 20th century, Meguin began focusing on oil refinement based on crude supplied from France and Germany. The factory was decimated during World War II and completely rebuilt following the war. The factory is now supported by more than 260 employees and stateof-the-art production facilities. The Liqui Moly-owned Meguin factory practices just-intime supply based on demand, typically producing 300 to 400 tons of oilbased products a day. Shifts in the oil business around 2000, primarily driven by environmental concerns, required producers like Meguin to test, certify, and specialize their oil output. Initially, the Japanese Oil Specifications Association
drove many of these requirements, followed by other industry- and manufacturerdriven specs including API, ILSAC, ACEA and ASTM. These requirements, which are often different based on country and region, make oil product production very specialized and precise. Often manufacturers require very specific motor fluid composition, and attaining this level of specificity and running an environmentally friendly operation is a testament to Meguin’s achievements in the last century. Liqui Moly started as a customer of Meguin in the early 1970s, when they began marketing motor oil products combined with their patented additives. The acquisition of Meguin in 2006 allowed Liqui Moly to blossom into a turn-key operation, tightening quality control and directing oil production innovation toward the Liqui Moly market vision. The additive business has always been riddled with controversy, with scientific claims around efficacy on both ends of the spectrum. It is hard to dispute, however, that the market has faith that these compounds are making a difference. As motor and function oils shift from 10 to 20 to
Several of the Liqui Moly products available for motorcycles.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
35-plus-percent additive, the oil itself is relegated to a vehicle for additive delivery. In addition to those base oil additives, Liqui Moly continues to market and lead with speed additives that improve fuel mixture and combustion, gasoline stabilizers that reducing oxidation, radiator additives, cleaners, sealers, and engine flush additives that claim to remove deposits, clean, and improve oil consumption, lower emissions, increase compression and more. Ernst Prost has done something right: 2016 was a great year for Liqui Moly, with sales of more than $500 million. The company has more than doubled revenues since 2009 and continues to shine as an example of a well-run German company with a bright future. Oil products and additives are a complicated market, but Liqui Moly sticks to their humble culture, fostered by Herr Prost. Liqui Moly’s Head of Media relations, Peter Szarafinski, stated “…it is not a miracle, but simple chemistry…[These products] cannot do miracles but are really helpful chemical tools.” Liqui Moly products are available at Wunderlich America.
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A new bride and a new RT By Drew Griesel #210540 LAST OCTOBER, KATHRYN AND I
were married on the beach in the beautiful house in Santa Barbara, California. I couldn’t believe that amazing day could get any better. As the sun set that day and just when I thought we were going to sit down for dinner, Kathryn grabbed me by the hand, insisting we head out front for some sunset pictures. I thought her request was a little odd since the sun was setting behind the house, but who was I to question my new wife?
Kathryn led me down the steps in front of the house to the driveway below. I knew a couple of my friends had ridden up from Orange County, so I wasn't surprised to see a motorcycles sitting in the driveway - but something wasn’t right. My friend Jason's yellow CBR was there, but instead of Mike’s sleek Yamaha R1, a huge, shiny sport touring bike sat in its place. About this time Kathryn declared that during the months leading up to our wedding when I had been jokingly asking for her to buy me an “engagement” motorcycle, she believed that a motorcycle represented
a greater level of commitment. Instead, she bought me a “wedding” motorcycle. When I saw the brand new BMW R 1200 RT in the driveway, I was dumbstruck and couldn’t speak. I believe she understood my love and appreciation, based on the drool all over my shirt. The photograph was taken at the photographer’s request during a quick, inaugural ride up the street. With guests waiting inside, I had to wait until the next day before I was able to gear up and take a real ride.
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YO Ranch Hotel Paul Mulhern ROOM RATE: $105 EVENT FEE: $89 WHERE:
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For complete event details and to register, visit bmwmoa.org and click on the EVENTS tab or call 864-438-0962 and a membership associate will be happy to assist you. Contact host hotel directly for room accommodations.
June 2017  BMW OWNERS NEWS
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TECH
keepemflying
Carb tuning and riding a new BMW By Matthew Parkhouse #13272 started. The idle jet controls the fuel entering the carb from start-up to around 25 perning of April, it’s cent of throttle opening. Next in is the still winter at 6,000 needle jet circuit. It comes into play at feet in Colorado around 15 percent of throttle use (the sysSprings. We got a tems overlap each other considerably) and blast of heavy, wet runs up to 80 percent of the engine’s power snow the beginning band. Obviously, this circuit is the most of this week which important one when cruising down the took down an incredible number of road. The last circuit, the main jet, is branches all over town. I’m finishing brought into play when the throttle is wide up a solid week of cutting up fallen open, the last 40 percent of the throttle branches for the remainder of this opening. The overlap between systems winter and now have next winter covallows for smooth transiered as well. I got well tion as the bike over a cord of fireaccelerates. wood within a oneIn the April 2017 issue block radius. Good of Owners News I exercise, even if I did described getting our have to spend a couple two airheads ready for a of days in bed recoverwinter ride around the ing from seriously Southwest. The Mexico over-doing it. Bike would not start Weather permitting, after a few months of I am hoping for a idleness. I quickly traced quick ride to Dallas a the problem to a blocked couple of days from idle jet on one side. With now. A fellow from the slide all the way there invited and flew down (it is raised by the me down there last vacuum of a running year (at his expense!) engine), the only fuel to spend a weekend working on an R 75/5 The various jets and parts of the CV carb. The first row includes (from the top) the mixing pathway is the idle jet. tube, the needle jet the main jet carrier a splash washer and the main jet. The middle item is Pulling it out and checkthat he had recently the idle jet. The final row is the idle-air screw and a tensioning spring. ing it quickly revealed acquired. It is a fine the problem. After a fast cleanout with a jet carbs. They all essentially employ three cirexample of the 40-plus-year-old run file, the bike started right up. cuits or systems, depending on the demand of that model, and I flew back home There are several O-rings in the carbureof the engine. Along with the three pathfeeling that I had a new friend in Eric. tor, and one is on the idle jet. Checking the ways for mixing air and fuel, there is also an Now, he and the Texas Air Marshall O-rings should be an annual service task. enriching system (usually referred to as a are organizing a North Texas Tech The other area that can affect starting with choke) to aid in cold starting. All of these Day at Eric’s home in McKinney, the carb is the “choke,” or enriching system. systems can develop problems that affect Texas. If the weather is doable, I’ll The choke device is bolted to the inside of the bike’s ability to run well. ride down on the Mexico Bike, as I’m the carb body with four screws. It too The three circuits are the idle circuit, the STILL waiting on Strider’s frame should be looked at every year or so. It uses needle jet circuit and the main jet circuit. from the straightening place. If the an O-ring, along with a gasket that can Each one runs the show at different weather is not too good, I’ll drive deform and leak air. Both the idle jet and amounts of throttle opening. Things start down in the Volvo. In addition to the enriching circuit require that the slide out at the idle circuit when the bike is being available to help with attendees’ AT
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BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
BEGIN-
bikes, I’m planning on doing a presentation on airhead carburetors and what goes into servicing them. As long as I’m preparing for that event, I will go through the BMW constant velocity (CV) carb in this column as well. With a few exceptions (500 and 600cc bikes), all airheads ran this style of carb. Compared to the slide carbs used on the exceptions I mentioned, the CV units were quite efficient in the mixing of fuel and air. Most airheads run the 32mm size; some of the 1000cc bikes are equipped with 40mm
be in its all-the-way-down position. If the slide is hung up, the two pathways will not have the vacuum needed to make them work. Later BMW CV carbs were provided with a big and rather fine spring that helped push the slide all the way down. If you have an earlier (Slash 5, 6 or 7) airhead, you can retrofit this spring on top of the slide. I ended up learning all about this in my struggles with cold starting the Mexico Bike, a 1972 Slash 5. After a couple of years, I finally noticed that a slide was hanging up in the carb body. Even with polishing of the slide and body with fine sandpaper, the problem continued. Adding the push-down springs solved the hard-starting problem. The needle jet system is sort of the heart of the carburetor, as it is where the air-fuel mixing occurs with the middle of the throttle range. Water and dirt tend to collect here. Once enough crud builds up here, it starts to restrict the fuel that can be mixed with the air flow. If the bike shows signs of poor running, that is one of the first places to look. You unscrew the main jet with an 8mm wrench; sometimes the main jet carrier will unscrew with the jet—that’s okay, too. Otherwise, you unscrew the main jet carrier with a 10mm wrench. After a few turns, slow down and get your face down there by the carb’s underside. As the main jet carrier separates from the carb body, you’ll often observe some black fluid break surface tension and run down the sides of the carrier. That’s water; gasoline won’t do that. After you have the carrier out of the way, the needle jet should fall out of the carb body, and the mixing tube will sometimes fall out as well. Check all these parts for dirt and spray them clean with carb cleaner. Give a good shot of carb cleaner up the hole they came out of as well. I’ve seen these parts come out packed with dirt from years of neglect. When replacing these parts, you want to be sure to thread them over the slide needle; you should see this hanging down if you look from underneath. If a problem suddenly shows up, that is often where it is found. You want to eyeball the main jet, as it can get blocked with a grain of paint or dirt. Those are some of the common carb problems involving those four systems.
The carburetor float. The the left, you can see the bottom of the float needle. This float is positioned right at the point where it will start to allow fuel to enter the carb bowl. The seam of the float and the lower edge of the carb body are parallel at this time.
The upper parts of the CV carb. The carb top is top-most. Then the slide with a diaphragm attached. I’ve added the “push down” spring to this carb. The slide needle is sticking out of the lower side of the slide. This needle meters the fuel from 15% to 80% of throttle – which essentially is almost all of our riding time. A graphic, taken from the “Bing Book”. It details which of the three CV carb systems is called into play at various throttle positions. If you are wanting a good education on BMW airhead carbs, $11.50 is money well spent. They carry ALL the various bits you could need for any Bing carb found on BMWs. They advertise in the BMW ON and usually show up at the National Rally as a vender.
June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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the best setting to test out a touring bike, leakage. Old fuel lines can weep and seep, A fair sudden weakness on one side but I did get a good impression. Just like mimicking a leaky carb. The old braided can be traced to a torn or holed diamy Slash 5, the 2017 twin had a real sweet fuel lines look right but become porous phragm (I find that all the needed spot around 4,000 rpm. The brakes, of after a year or two. Last summer, I went parts for the Bing CV carb, including course, were much better than the state-ofthrough all three of our family airheads a pair of diaphragms, fits nicely into a the-art 1972 front and rear drum brakes. and replaced the slide needles and needle shoe polish tin to carry on the highThe 1200 had the new bike tightness I jets. After 50,000 miles or so, they showed way). Be careful with sharp cable ends would expect. Would I end up with a new signs of erosion just from operating in the as you undo the choke and throttle 1200 BMW if I really was starting over hurricane-like Venturi effect air flow. It ran wires to allow the top to be lifted. A again? I’d say knowing what I do know about $20 a bike to do this. I’ll cover the tear or hole is pretty obvious, and the now, I’d either go after a used cop bike (R tuning of the CV and slide carbs next new rubber piece fits into little 1200 RTP) or, more likely a well-preserved month. notches on both the outside edge and airhead. Even after a careful the inside edge. The look-over, the workings of diaphragms can become the current BMW twin are stretched and soft (like a partly magic to me. After 45 party balloon looks the years, I guess I’m a bit set in next morning). If you my ways! are working with a carb I’ve done very little BMW with a flat top, you can work for other folks these get a new diaphragm last couple of months, fillinto play using an unauing my time with other thorized method. You mechanical adventures. I are supposed to purrealized one long-time goal chase a slide and diaby dashing to Anniston, phragm as one assembly Alabama, and spending (currently $78). The three days with the Civilian diaphragm itself runs Marksmanship Program, around $28. The slide building an M-1 Garand comes out and is put rifle from individual parts under hot water. After a under their supervision. minute or so, the plastic collar will be soft Aboard the 2017 R 1200 GS figuring out how to start it, among other things. I managed Both Susanna’s and my father carried one of these enough to allow gentle to take off with the group for a pleasant 30 minute test ride. back in World War II. As I prying off with a small, left, I stopped at the brand-new CMP range BMW of Denver held an open house a sharp screwdriver. Those top screws in Talladega, a few miles down the road, couple of weeks ago. BMW NA had their should always have a tiny spot of antiand zeroed my brand new relic in. demo fleet there, so just for grins, I signed seize applied to them. You or the next I also played plumber at the rental house up for a ride. I approached it as, “I’m 21 guy to work on the carbs will thank we own, as I had to pull a toilet to extract a again, just left the service and want a bike you! rubber ducky toy that one of the kids had to see the country for an open-ended tour.” The carbs can leak. Fortunately, flushed. Managed to TOTALLY plug up the That’s how I got into BMWs back in 1972. I there are a few fixes for drippy carbs. commode. Not a fun job, but I saved a coufigured I’d probably choose either an R Floats get heavier over the decades. ple hundred dollars over having a profes1200 RT or a 1200 GS. I ended up on a GS. New Bing floats weigh 11.9 or 12 sional come out and do it. Back when I was Definitely a change, coming off the ’72 grams. I’ve weighed old ones at 16 starting out, I had no idea that hands on Slash 5! Much higher, but manageable for grams. The float needles can wear too, mechanical work would be a constant in me. I wasn’t really oriented to what all the especially the older, all steel ones (up my life. switches were for, or even the keyless ignito 1980 or so). When properly set up, After I send in this column, it’s back to tion (it works with the key in your pocket). you should see gas begin to flow as the the wood pile to finish up the firewood cutThe heated grips were a real improvement seam on the float and the line of the ting. I’m hoping the focus shifts back to for the chilly day. I figured it out just in carb body are close to or at parallel. riding and wrenching as the warm weather time to leave with the group. Suburban The cork bowl gasket will eventually eventually arrives. Denver on a Saturday afternoon was not get squashed paper-thin and allow
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
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TEC
nichtubermax
Brake problems and low performance By George Mangicaro #136221
Q:
Hi George, I’m hoping you can help me with a problem I’m having with my 2013 K 1600 GTL. I have noticed a drop-off in how well the rear brake works in the last few weeks. I put new pads in the rear caliper, but that didn’t help at all. –Robert M. via email
A:
There are a number of things that could be causing this problem. I will assume, since you changed the rear pads, you would have noticed any debris blocking the function of the caliper or if there was brake fluid leaking from the caliper itself. It’s a good idea to flush your brake fluid and make sure there’s no air in the line. This will also ensure you
have fresh fluid in the system, instead of old fluid that has possibly begun to crystallize. Finally, make sure the rear pads slide freely on the pins— they bind up sometimes. With reasonable hand pressure, you should be able to retract the pistons by pushing on the caliper. If not, then the pins are probably corroded and the caliper will need to be removed, the pins cleaned and the bores inspected. If everything is still serviceable, then clean and grease the pins and reassemble everything. If neither of these things clear up your problem, you may need a new caliper.
Q:
I’ve had my 2004 R 1150 R since new, and it has run well the whole time until recently. Now, I notice a problem every time I’m out riding. It seems like whenever I accelerate, my bike feels like it hits the rev limiter, but when I look at the tachometer, I’m only at about 3500 rpm. What’s going on with my bike? –George S. via email
A:
As usual, there are a number of things that it could be, and something else that it is most likely going to be. You could have a bad fuel pump or clogged fuel filter. Your air intake could be clogged, or your muffler could be packed full of dog food (this happened to a customer, no kidding). A vacuum line could be off, pinched or cracked so badly it’s letting air into the sys-
tem where it’s not supposed to be. Those things aside, it is most likely one of your pencil coils. Some BMW motorcycles have traditional central coils—you run wires to the spark plugs. Others—like your bike—have individual coils on each spark plug called pencil or stick coils. What you’re experiencing is a classic sign of what happens when one of those coils goes bad. Remove the covers for the primary spark plugs (the ones in the ends of the cylinders, not the ones on the bottom) and check to make sure that the leads to the coils are connected. Disconnect one of them and ride the bike. If there’s no change in performance, then the coil you disconnected is bad. If there is a change, plug that coil back in and unplug the other coil. Once you’ve narrowed it down to the cylinder on one side, you need to determine if it’s the coil and not some other associated part. Swap the coils and see if the problem follows the suspected bad coil. A new pencil coil will run you about $170. The secondary spark plugs are run by a traditional coil, but not only does that coil rarely fail, if it did fail, you wouldn’t be likely to notice a performance change, as that spark plug’s job is mostly to control emissions by burning off any remaining combustibles in the cylinder. By the way, make sure you disconnect the wire to the coil before pulling it off the spark plug. The coil is easy to replace, but the wire is not.
Have questions for Nicht Uber Max? Send them to TechQuestions@bmwmoa.org.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
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BMW OWNERS NEWS  June 2017
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June 2017  BMW OWNERS NEWS
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simonandlisa
HEAD IN THE SHED BUILDING A SPECIAL R 1200 GSA
By Simon Thomas #138988
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June 2017  BMW OWNERS NEWS
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I
When we finally got our hands on the new into what we created on paper. My fairy ’d describe our recent bikebikes, a 2015 BMW F 800 GS for Lisa and a godmother waived her wand again, and building orgy as “exciting and BMW 2015 R 1200 GSA for me, the pressure BMW Motorcycles of Riverside, one of the bloody surreal.” was on. USA’s premium GS dealerships, offered to To anyone living in the real We planned on reaching Deadhorse, sponsor the entire build. I spent the next world, the idea of being Alaska, this year, but with winter fast few months with my mouth wide open with handed new bikes and being approaching and our U.S. visas running surprise and delight. lavished with upgrades and accessoout, we were left with just 10 weeks to strip Fast forward ten weeks and what we’ve ries is the stuff of fairy tales. It just and rebuild both bikes. After 14 years on ended up with are two motorcycles beyond doesn’t happen in real life, but a the road, we’ve picked up a few industry belief. Think I’m being over the top? Norchance social meeting with the CEO friends. It’s lucky really, because if we were mally with any project there’s a degree of of LXV OUTDOOR would change to have any chance of creating bikes that compromise underpinned by budget, or our lives. were as capable as our old steeds, we were lack thereof. Not here! “We’ll buy you two new bikes, any going to need their support. Let’s look at how we transformed my R brand, any style and any model. What 1200 GSA, an already impressive machine, you two have done is incredible, but turning it into something unique that could you need to finish this journey.” After The Concept take on the world. The concept was simple: coughing out whatever I was eating, I The idea of what we wanted to create was Take a heavy, computer-controlled, highlooked at Lisa; she stared at me, and I clear: We wanted to take all that was best tech motorcycle and make it field repaireloquently sputtered, “Uh, what?” and exciting about our original bikes and able. Take an already tall bike and make it It was true, our 1999 R 1100 GS and transpose those modifications onto taller. Then make it more off2001 F 650 GS were tired, road capable and able to carry but then you would be too THE CONCEPT WAS SIMPLE. TAKE A HEAVY, me through another 49 after 400,000-plus miles. countries. Our bikes had done us COMPUTER CONTROLLED HIGH-TECH proud, but for the last five MOTORCYCLE AND MAKE IT FIELD to six years, we’d been the Wheels riding personification of this build started, I sat REPAIRABLE. TAKE AN ALREADY TALL BIKE Before the phrase “the definition down with Woody’s Wheel AND MAKE IT TALLER. THEN MAKE IT MORE Works in Colorado and made of permanent is a temporary fix that’s holding.” wish list of components: the OFF-ROAD CAPABLE AND ABLE TO CARRY ME aExcel Over the course of our Takasago A60 had been THROUGH ANOTHER 49 COUNTRIES. 14-year global journey, we at the top of my rim/hoop list, made hundreds of roadwith the outstanding Takasago side repairs. In the end all that was Excel Signature Series rims running a very machines that were four generations holding our precious babies together close second. The A60 only comes as younger. We wanted to make two heavy was cheap electrical wire and an 1.6"x21" and that’s pretty narrow. After some machines lighter, taller, more off-road assortment of hastily found nuts and deliberation, we decided a wider rim would capable and able to carry us through bolts collected in countless backoffer a better compromise between dirt and another 49 countries. I said the idea was street bazaars from around the world. road, while handling the weight of the bike clear, not simple! Haemorrhaging oil from engine cases and luggage a little better. We’re planning We gathered the essentials: two bottles of had become our normal. Still, the idea on continuing to use Continentals TKC80 our favorite Guatemalan rum, ice, a noteof finishing our ride on anything tires and need to fit 90/90-21 front rubber pad, a set of coloured pencils and a quiet other than these two bikes was as and 155/70-17 on the rear. The Takasago room borrowed from a friend. We sat and alien as it was unlikely. There’s no Excel Signature Series rims are some of the scribbled, listing every modification and point denying it, we became (and are finest available and have proven to be a upgrade we made to our bikes over the last still) incredibly sentimental about our great choice. decade and scored their value. We needed original bikes. Looking to create a lighter and stronger to recognize what was bling and what had After weeks of deliberating and wheel set, the next decision was which hub been essential, and to decide what was tons of soul searching, we excitedly to use. Sure, we could have re-used the good, great or silly and what had genuinely accepted the offer. Following another OEM BMW hubs, but like I just said, we added to the riding experience. It was long four weeks of frantic two-wheeled were looking for lighter and stronger. At the friggin’ list! research, we came full circle and end of the day, there was only one real We also needed expert BMW techs and chose to stick with a familiar brand. choice. Made from 6061 billet aluminium mechanical wizards to build the new bikes
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
Rear Hub
and weighing three pounds less than the stock front hub, Woody’s Custom Superlite hubs were chosen for the front and rear wheels. Woody’s laced the rims to the hubs with American high grade 175 x 6-7 gauge spokes and Woody’s own Superlace pattern to form the strongest and lightest wheels available.
Suspension
My R 1200 GSA picked up new suspension courtesy of Touratech’s Extreme shocks front and back. Unlike the stock suspension, the Touratech units are rebuildable, serviceable and adjustable. With the addition of the 21” rim, the nose of the new R 1200 has been lifted. Being keen to keep BMW’s stock geometry, I needed a way to raise the rear by a proportionate amount. The Touratech Extreme rear suspension offers adjustable shock length, with up to 8 millimetres of adjustment. By increasing the static length of the rear suspension, I’ve increased the ground clearance and ride height, and regained close to the bike’s
original geometry. Every traveller I know overloads his or her bike. The Extreme unit also has 50 percent more pre-load adjustment than any shock on the market. I was also able to do away with BMW Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA), as I ride 99 percent of the time with my bike fully loaded. It’s one less electronic gizmo to go wrong.
Handlebars
BMW stock bars have always given me wrist issues, and the 19-degree sweep of the new R 1200 GSA bars offered more of the same. Instead of conventional bars we’ve fitted Flexx Bars. These are tuneable handlebars designed to absorb high frequency vibration and soak up the abuse dished out by big hits, aggressive braking, bumps, jumps, rocks, roots and rider error. Using a mix of elastomers and hinges to control bar compression and rebound, these bars absorb the abuse of a day’s ride instead of transferring it through to my hands, wrist, elbows and shoulders. This is Rear Suspension
June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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discover
ACSchnitzer exhaust.
a clever kit that really works. My bars have a 12-degree sweep, which creates a more aggressive riding position and pulls me closer to the tank.
Seat
The stock seat also got switched for Touratech’s new Dri-ride seat. I’ve always preferred single-piece sports seats to BMW’s two-piece options. When off-road and standing, the single-piece seat is less obtrusive, and Touratech’s new seat is also waterproof and breathable. No more morning wet arse after a night of heavy rain.
Brakes
While dealing with the wheels, we also ditched BMW’s stock discs and pads in favour of Galfer equipment. I’d happily used their wave disc for eight years on the R 1100 GS; they’d lasted longer, were lighter than stock, and I felt gave more feedback in conjunction with Galfer’s high-end ceramic pads. Both discs and pads are also cheaper than BMW’s OEM parts, too.
Exhaust System
I’ll confess to being a compulsive bike fiddler and yes, I definitely went overboard on the exhaust system. In many parts of the world unleaded fuel isn’t available, and
although leaded fuel will work in conjunction with a catalytic converter, it will, if used long term, end up killing the cat. The stock silencer was changed in favour of AC Schnitzer’s sexy carbon fibre unit, which is substantially lighter. It also allows the bike to sound like a bike, as opposed to an electric toothbrush on speed. We removed the electronic exhaust flap and installed Remus’ 2mm oversized header pipes. The increase in power is totally unnecessary and very noticeable.
Light system
Auxiliary lights are like an insurance policy that you hope to never use Every year there seem to be more and more LED manufacturers who will happily turn your beloved bike into a rolling Christmas tree, but remember, less is more. The Clearwater lights are the best I’ve used and so were an obvious choice for the new bike build. I’ve installed a hybrid system of two Ericas. Both lights are mounted high and on the inside of my upper tank protection system. The light optics are different on both lights, one producing a more traditional wide fog light pattern, and the other a piercing pencil beam. As both lights produce a retina-scarring 6,000 lumens, I can turn night into day at the flick of a switch and both lights are fully dimmable. The draw from the battery is also one of the lowest on the market.
Protection
In Tajikistan, I lost track of the amount of roots and rocks that we slid across. When it came to choosing an engine skid plate, I Touratech's Dri-ride seat.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
Headlight guard.
Clearwater auxhilary LEDs.
wanted something substantial and went with Touratech’s Long Expedition Skid Plate, which protects the entire engine length all the way back past the center stand. It’s made with both a 4mm stainless steel reinforcement plate and 4mm aluminium skid plate to take the big hits. I’m not a fan of metal tanks on adventure bikes, and since starting our journey in 2003 I’d used Touratech’s polyamide largecapacity fuel tank on my R 1100 GS. The extra fuel capacity was nice, but the tank’s main advantage was its ultra-resilient polyamide nylon construction. No one is making polyamide tanks for the new water-cooled boxer, so I’ve conceded to using Touratech’s bolt-on tank protectors. The upper bars protect the vulnerable stock tank and make the bike look more like Optimus Prime, but I’d rather that than a ruptured fuel tank. To protect the cylinders, I’ve kept the BMW stock cylinder protectors and added Touratech aluminium cylinder head guards. I wanted to install Touratech’s BMW reinforcement bar, which adds a brace to the stock protector, but the reinforcement bar will not install in tandem with the upper tank protector. A simple quick-release stainless steel headlight guard from Touratech protects the headlight from flying debris kicked up by Lisa, or any other rider up front. I also installed several small plastic frame protectors to minimize damage to the frame. They are small, relatively inexpensive and install with a few cable ties. Touratech crash protection. June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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BMW OWNERS NEWS  June 2017
Mirrors
Some of the best additions can be the simplest and least expensive. While working on the Flexx handlebars, we pulled off the stock mirrors and installed the Adventure Mirrors by Doubletake. They are mounted using the adjustable arms by RAM Mounts. They provide better visibility than the stock mirrors, and when we’re heading off-road I can fold them inwards and out of harm’s way.
Luggage System
There was no exhaustive research when it came time to choose luggage. We’ve used the Zega system from Touratech since 2002 and have used the Zega Pro version since it was released. The Zega Pros were a simple choice for the new 1200. With four panniers between us, we can easily carry everything we need to live on while on the road and lock it away once we’ve arrived at our
destination. Contrary to popular belief, neither Lisa nor I have ever trapped our foot under a pannier while riding. The Zegas aren’t the strongest panniers on the market—and that’s their advantage. When your bike goes over, it hits with a lot of energy that has to go somewhere. Trust me, it’s easier and cheaper to repair a simple aluminium box than your bike’s expensive frame. Note: if you’re buying Touratech locks to go with your panniers (or other locks for your GPS mount or oil cap), remember to get locks that are keyed alike. This way one key will work on all your locks.
Custom Bike Wrap
Overkill is fun. When it came to finishing off the bike, we were stumped on design. A fancy paint job was going to be pricey and ruined in no time. We researched the possibility of a custom total wrap, but after a
June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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few hours online, we couldn’t find anyone who had attempted it. How hard could it be? It turns out it damn hard, and you need the patience of the saints when it comes to wrapping the R 1200’s hard-to-reach surfaces and acute angles. I handed over a selection of digital artwork that I’d knocked up over the years to a good friend and talented digital artist who came up with a design for both bikes. The results are stunning and unique.
Frame
After some careful scrutinising, we chose to leave the stock frame untouched. The R 1200 GSA frame is simple, strong and flexible, unlike my original R 1100 GS, which underwent multiple frame-ectomies and sports a dozen gussets and welds that strengthen and reinforce it.
www.bmwusrideracademy.com
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BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
Tires
Our tire of choice has been—and remains— Continental’s awesome TKC80. They are not the cheapest, but they’re worth every penny. They’ve carried us around the world and through 27 deserts, countless mountain ranges and a few jungles in between. If your tires don’t instill confidence, then by default they take it away.
Farkles and Extras
I’ve kept gadgets to a minimum. It’s all too easy to end up with an unmanageable bird’s nest of wires and cables. There’s nothing attached to my handlebars other than my mirrors. I’m using foam Uni-Filters instead of BMW’s paper filter, which makes maintenance easy. I’ve also added some simple high voltage cables to the right-side frame, which gives me easy access to the battery if I need to jump start the big girl. I’ve added PivotPegz to take care of my feet, and after using them for eight years on
the 1100, I love them. I’m using ROX risers to bring the bars up a little higher and to pull them six degrees backwards. I also swapped out the BMW steering damper for the Touratech version, which offers more adjustability. The BMW indicators were replaced with smaller, shorter OEM units designed for the R 1000 S. Touratech radiator guards help keep stone damage to a minimum.
All Done and Ready to Ride
The build is finished and I’ve spent the last 12 months wearing a grin that will need to be surgically removed. There’s no doubt that the end result is over the top, but the results make for a stunning ride. The final build is better than I could have imagined and the bike is ridiculously fast. I didn’t believe in fairy tale endings or magic last year, but looking at the bikes we now ride, I know that anything is possible. I’m off for a ride. See you on the road!
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THE ESSENTIAL
GUIDE TO CAMPING
By Ken Decroo #178241
I
t was always the same. Every time I started packing for an adventure, I’d get so wrapped up in packing that I’d be exhausted by the time I threw my leg over the motorcycle and twisted the throttle. I invariably packed too much, which was half the reason I was tired in the first place. Over the years I’ve learned it is not so much the effort of packing, but packing too much that weighs on the mind, not to mention the motorcycle. I have learned from my thousands of miles of adventure riding that, except for emergency gear, if you haven’t used an item in the first three days, you probably don't need it. Learning to lighten my load has made for better traveling, and campside packing and unpacking is faster and less cumbersome with less gear. As an added bonus, the motorcycle handles the way it was designed to handle when not weighed down with excessive gear. My life on the road has now become less cluttered and complicated, and it’s easier for me to get ready for an adventure because I pack less. I have become a minimalist, and this philosophy has carried over into my life off the road as well. After several months
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riding, I return home wanting less, and more importantly, needing less. As the saying goes, “We do not own things, things own us.” I’ve discovered a way to head out on the road in search of the empty spots on the map without carrying the kitchen sink. Now, any gear I consider packing when heading out on a camping trip must share four characteristics: 1. It should be relatively light; 2. It should be small and compact; 3. It should, whenever possible, serve multipurposes; and 4. It should be easy to use and be rugged. Fortunately, the backpacking industry has evolved over the last decade and brought space-age improvements over the old WWII surplus items we’ve all used in the past. It’s now possible to go out for months at a time, riding down dusty trails in search of nameless bays and beaches without burying our bikes under a pile of gear. With this philosophy in mind, what follows are the items I carry, along with some things to consider as you begin to gather your gear. These are the items my wife and I take on our trips. I am fortunate to have a
wife who not only rides her own bike, but loves to camp. While all the items I mention pack very well on one bike (I go out solo very often), trips are even better when the gear is distributed between two bikes.
Camping Gear
Choose your sleeping bag carefully. It should be light and compact, but most importantly be appropriate for the season and temperature range you expect to encounter. I use a Marmot 15 degree bag. Don’t forget a pillow and pad or cot to make sleeping on the ground comfortable. I use a pillow and inflatable pad from Therm-ARest. Both are compact and pack small. Some people prefer cots over inflatable pads, and both offer a much better night’s sleep then lying on the cold ground. Your choice of tent is significant and similar to a Mac vs. PC argument. I have used many over the years but feel all of my choices have had several characteristics in common. The tent you choose should be relatively light and pack well in your bags. It should also be durable and easy to setup, large enough to store your gear and able to
protect you from the elements in the season you are camping. It should keep you warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. My first choice whether traveling alone or with someone is the Redverz Atacama. I like this tent because it has enough room to allow me to stand up. It also has a large vestibule for storing gear and gives me a place to wait out of foul weather or to avoid prying eyes. Over the years, I have found the more comfortable a tent is, the longer I will stay on the road, especially in third world countries. I’ve also grown tired of changing clothes while lying on my back. I use AltRider Hemisphere soft panniers on my F 800 GSA, which come with builtin dry bags to keep gear dry and dust free. My tent, sleeping bag and pad are some of the items packed in the dry bags. While I have used both hard and soft panniers, soft panniers work well for me when off-road, but that is a personal decision you’ll need to make after weighing the advantages and disadvantages of both. Carrying water can be critical on the road, and at the campsite, faucets may not
With a good sleeping pad or cot and a warm sleeping bag, any campsite will be comfortable.
be close by. I use a stainless steel water bottle and a collapsible dromedary bag. Other items I carry when camping include a folding handsaw for cutting wood, a hatchet for cutting and driving tent stakes, a shovel and extra tent stakes.
Riding Gear
My riding gear includes boots made for the conditions I’ll be riding in, as well as the obvious items, including several pair of gloves, a protective jacket and pants, earplugs, good helmet, rain gear, socks, balaclava, cooling vest and hydration pack.
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Clothing
When deciding how to dress, think layers. Do this well and you’ll be comfortable in any weather. Look for clothing items that wash and dry quickly and pack small. I typically carry cargo pants, a couple short sleeve t-shirts, a swimsuit just in case, sandals, a riding jersey, and a fleece jacket for warmth. I also carry a couple pair of underwear that can be washed as needed, a stocking cap, ball cap, extra socks, gloves and a scarf.
Cooking
I keep my camp-cooking pretty simple. Breakfast is instant oatmeal with fresh fruit I pick up before getting to camp the night before. Lunch is usually something pulled together at a rest stop and usually consists of items such as energy bars, sardines, Vienna sausages, Tuna, cheese wiz, crackers, and dried or fresh fruit. Dinner is picked up at the last stop before making camp. Toward the end of the day, I’ll usually stop somewhere to get gas and water and start looking for a place to camp, oftentimes
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asking the locals for referrals. As a backup, I carry a couple of backpacking dehydrated meals—soup, chili, macaroni and cheese— just in case we aren’t able to find what’s needed at the last fuel stop of the day. I hate having our adventure defined by an itinerary and don’t usually reserve campsites ahead of time. While some may fear being stranded, I have never been stuck without a place to stay. Even better is that we often stumble on awesome places the locals have told us about. Overall, I prefer county parks, BLM land and snow parks in the summer, which are often vacant and very cheap. Wherever you camp, remember a water filter so you can be sure of the water you’re drinking. Eating utensils, a spatula and pocket knife will make your campsite dinner much more enjoyable. I carry a JetBoil stove because of its efficiency and compactness. It’ll work in nearly any weather or altitude, and it is easy to light and brings liquid to boil quickly. The boiling pot is integrated in and allows all parts, including a fuel bottle to be stored neatly inside it. Also, it has adaptors to allow you to cook with other pans and, my
favorite, a coffee press. Other cooking items to pack include JetBoil fuel, a lighter or waterproof matches, cooking pan, can opener, coffee cup, spices and condiments, headlamp and a camp chair and table. Many items offer multiple uses, and the more versatile your gear, the lighter your load. Two “luxuries” I allow myself are my Kermit camp chair and Kermit table. The chair is a bit heavy but breaks down to a packable size, and the table allows me to prepare and cook my food off the ground when I’m at a campsite with no tables.
Gadgets
One of the electronics I carry is my Kindle, on which I’ve got hundreds of books as well as pdfs of owners manuals and copies of personal documents including my driver’s license, insurance information, Med-Evac information and Spot Connect data. I also carry a cell phone which I charge
while riding, a solar charger, camera, Spot Connect and a notebook. My cell phone can double as my GPS, and I usually use a GoPro for photography. I always wear my Spot Connect on my jacket, as it does little good if it is on your bike and you are separated in a fall. Be sure to program it before you go with necessary messages telling your friends and family of your status.
Personal items
The personal items I carry include soap, toothpaste, floss, towel, razor, toilet paper, sunscreen, bug spray, pain reliever, medications, wet wipes and sunglasses.
Travel Documents
The travel documents I pack include my passport and/or Passport Card (if going into Canada or Mexico), motorcycle registration, insurance cards, Med-Evac (GEOS), Spot Connect information and Roadside Service card. If you’ll be traveling outside of the U.S., make sure your insurance includes coverage for where you are going and you have any necessary forms you’ll need. I keep everything in a locked Pelican box where the documents are easy to retrieve
and keep copies on my Kindle. I also carry a credit card with a low credit line and some cash hidden on the bike, along with a spare key, just in case.
Tools and Gear
Motorcycle repair items I carry include a tool roll for roadside repairs, Leatherman, tire levers, tire patch kit, air pump and tire gauge. I’ll also carry a Swiss Army knife with the typical camping blades, along with a spoon and fork, a first aid kit, zip ties, duct tape, LocTite, JB Weld and WD-40. A tow strap, engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, master link, spare bulbs, fuses, chain lube and spare tubes round out my maintenance supplies.
Maps and Communication
In addition to my GPS, I’ll carry paper maps because when all else fails, paper maps still work! I carry Butler maps for the areas I’ll be riding in my tank bag, which also holds a compass as well as a COMM unit. If you have not camped for a while or perhaps never camped, my advice is to go out on a trial run for an overnight stay at a nearby campground with an experienced
camper before heading out for an extended trip. Motorcycle camping is different than backpacking or car camping. As you accumulate gear, get to know what you carry and how each is used. Set up your tent at home before heading out and practice using your stove before you have to use it in the wind or rain. You’ll be glad you did. Then, pack and unpack your gear several times before loading everything on your motorcycle. Once you have loaded your bike, adjust your suspension and feel how the added weight of your gear affects its handling. Once you’re finally on the road, pay close attention to what you use and the things you don’t. After a couple days, pack up any unused or unneeded gear and send it home. After a couple trips you’ll find you won’t be sending much, if anything, back and will be getting by just fine. Oh, and your bike will thank you as well. For me, camping from a motorcycle enhances the freedom of riding and adventuring. Camping is a continuation of being outside in the open and free in the world. With the right equipment, I have found I get a better night sleep in more pleasing surroundings, and with the price of hotel rooms, it doesn’t take long to recover the cost of the equipment. I look forward to seeing you out there!
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Touratech Waterproof Folding Bowls A new indispensable item
Motorcyclists who camp probably make two lists: “Indispensable” and “Optional.” Though the Tourtatech Waterproof Folding Bowl may at first seem like an attractive “Optional,” after the first time you take it along, it will probably never be left home again. Constructed of the same heavy-duty polyurethane fabric with 3D welded seams that is used in many Touratech/Ortlieb partnership products such as their ubiquitous yellow drybags and saddle bags, the collapsible bowls should stand up to all kinds of touring and moto-camping abuse. Both sizes of the bowls have two handles and reinforced rims hiding rods that give them their rigid shape. The clever, self-standing design of the two sizes offered by Touratech is also responsive to the space and weight limitations of moto-camping. The 10 liter folding bowl packs down to a 11 x 4 x 1.5 inch package, but pops up into a sturdy 11 x11 x 5 inch container and is best suited for camping from a bike. The gargantuan, 50 liter bowl packs down to a 24 x 1.5x 5 inch roll, and unfolds into a 24 x 16 x 8 inch minibathtub. The larger size also includes stiffening sleeves which slide over the rims of the bowl and a strap and buckle for tidy stowage. Both weigh less than a pound. What can you do with a Touratech Waterproof Folding Bowl? Use either size to organize and keep cooking utensils and food clean while preparing a meal and then to wash dishes afterward. Carry water to your campsite from the stream or pump (carrying the 50 oz. size might require two sets of hands). Either size is a great reservoir for purifying drinking water and of course provides a nifty sink for washing up and shaving in the morning. At the end of a day of moto-trekking, fill one with a bag of ice to cool your favorite beverages. Berry picking? Stocking up at the local farmer’s market? Toting toiletries to the showers? Watering the dog, gathering kindling? The more you use it, the more you’ll be praising yourself for bringing it along. The 10-liter Folding Bowl retails at Touratech for $29.95, the 50-liter at $79.95, and both carry a five-year warranty from manufacturer defects. More information about these “Indispensables” is available at touratech-usa.com, where they also offer a realtime chat feature to get quick answers to any questions you might have.
Redverz Hawk II tent I’ll admit it, I like space. That’s one of the reasons I love my Redverz Atacama. In the voice of the president, “It’s Yuuuuuuge!” But sometimes a smaller tent is a better choice, and that’s why I bought a Hawk II, Redverz’s new, four-season tent the company describes as a two-person, free-standing mountaineering tent ideal for winter camping, backpacking, alpine conditions and in my case, motorcycle camping. Lately, when I’ve wanted to go light, I’ve carried my MSR Hubba Hubba NX or Nemo Dagger. Those are great tents, and they’ve served me well, but I’ve been looking for something between those and the Atacama. That’s where the Hawk II fits. If you‘re familiar with the quality of Redverz tents, you already know a lot about the Hawk II. Like their other tents, the Hawk II comes with the sleeping bay clipped to the outer fly. DAC poles and pegs offer strong and lightweight support, and YKK zippers are standard. Vestibules at both ends offer entry points, and each includes screen and privacy panels that can be rolled back individually or left open. Roof vents at both ends offer additional venting options, and I was happy to find four pockets lining the tent’s interior and an overhead gear loft to help keep small things organized. With the Hawk II's ceiling of nearly four feet, I don't have the claustrophobic feeling I do in my other two-man tents, and the vestibules offer significant storage space. To set up the Hawk II, begin by laying it out and then sliding two red poles through their color-coded tabs running across the width of the tent until they’re seated in the webbing at the other side. Then secure the free end of the pole into the red webbing tube. Repeat this process by inserting the longer grey pole into the grey color-coded pole tab until seated, then insert the free end into the grey webbing tube. Finally, straighten and stake the tent, and cinch the included guy lines as needed. Because the Hawk II’s inner tent is shielded from the elements by the outer fly as the two are set up, you have instant shelter. The downside is that the Hawk II doesn’t offer a removable rain fly, so stargazing isn't going to happen. Taking the tent down is just as easy. Pull up your stakes, pull out the poles and fold it up. Once packed, the Hawk II will take 16” x 6” of space in your pannier or rack and weighs in at about six and a half pounds. The Redverz Hawk II tent carries an MSRP of $649, and for more information, visit www.redverz.com June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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Therm-a-Rest UltraLite Cot When I was younger (and of course pretty much invulnerable), I could sleep anywhere, under practically any conditions. No motels with vacancies on an endless stretch through Wyoming? Pull off onto a dirt road, throw a sleeping bag into the sage and sack out (nary a thought of snakes then!). Nodding off on the Pacific Coast Highway? Curl up in a blanket on a stretch of sand and sleep to the sound of the surf. As I got older, the appeal (and lack of comfort) of sleeping on the ground lost its charm, and so the search for a better sleep system began. Foam and self-inflating pads were a little better than bare ground, and actual air mattresses were absolutely luxurious (until, of course,
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they inevitably began to leak), but all of these were way too bulky to justify toting them around on my bike. Then I read about Therm-a-Rest’s UltraLite Cot™. No bigger than a loaf of bread while promising complete freedom from the fist-sized rocks and the dinosaur-claw tree roots that always materialize wherever I pitch my tent—this could be the ticket! New and improved for 2017, Therm-aRest’s UltraLite Cot™ seems to be designed for strapping on a bike. Packed up, the cot’s carrying pouch is a cylinder just 16 inches long and 5 inches wide and weighs in at just over two and a half pounds off the shelf. The pouch even has loops at each end, enabling quick mounting on a pannier lid or across a pillion
seat. Inside the pouch are two shockcorded poles that line the edges of the cot, 16 aluminum male and female poles that mate to form the sprung “bows” and stretch the cot’s ripstop polyester laminate cover, and 12 molded nylon feet. Assembled, the regular size cot measures 24 by 72 inches. Once I read the instructions sewn into the cot’s pouch and watched the brief online video, setup of the UltraLite was pretty easy, but it is something a user should become familiar with before he or she hits the road. After I had done the setup and “set-down” a few times, assembling the cot became routine, and I found I picked up little tricks that made each operation a five minute task (Use your
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knees to brace each edge when clipping in the bows!). The two-part bows are doubled and twisted at the middle two sections which makes it little tougher to bend and clip them to the edge poles, but any adult should be able to handle it with a bit of practice. The proof in the pudding for an outfit like this of course comes after dark. When it comes to road trips, the bulging disk in my back can be problematic, but I’ve learned that with my Back-A-Line®, frequent breaks and stretching exercises, I can cope pretty well. However, I still need a good night’s sleep on a firm but forgiving mattress to reset for another day in the saddle. I tried the UltraLite topped by my ancient, but trusty mummy bag with no padding in between. The drum head tautness of the cot’s cover is actually quite comfortable with no sag in the middle. The combination of my bag and cot was quiet when I rolled around, and the stressed framework kept my 180 pounds about an inch off the floor of the tent with no contact with the cot’s bows. One of the usual raps on cots is that they’re cold, but with temps in the low 50s, I was more than cozy since one of the improvements on the 2017 version of the is cot is a “ThermaCapture” reflective coating on the bottom of the cot’s fabric which traps body heat (think “Space Blanket”). All the parts in my cot kit fit together
The Therm-a-Rest UltraLite Cot™ packs into a 15” x 5” carrying case containing poles, bows, feet, and a new for 2017 “ThermaCapture” cover.
well and seemed pretty durable. There have been a few customer complaints in the past over broken feet and poles on older versions of the cot; however, the updated 2017 design is warrantied for the life of the owner under normal use. I could see that those who use one of those backpacking tents made of gossamer-light fabric might be concerned over the cot’s narrow feet, since on uneven ground they might damage a tent’s floor. This didn’t seem to be an issue with my tent; however, Therm-a-Rest does offer “Cot Coasters” as an accessory ($14.95 for
six) that Velcro onto the cot feet and provide a safer, larger footprint. Selecting gear for moto-camping will always be a compromise between comfort and carrying capacity, but clever, space-saving designs for equipment like the Therm-a-Rest UltraLite Cot™ can make the experience so much more enjoyable. The made-in-the-USA 2017 UltraLite can be purchased directly for $219.95 (regular) or $239.95 (large) plus shipping from the Therm-a-Rest website (thermarest.com) where you can also find more information, videos, and customer reviews. PROS: Probably the lightest and smallest cot kit on the market, comfortable CONS: Small footprint of feet could be a problem
Therm-a-Rest’s regular size UltraLite Cot™ measures 24” x 72” after assembly but packs down to the size of a loaf of bread.
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Aerostich "Stealth Shelter:" A Multipurpose Marvel Every bit of gear packed for moto-camping obviously has to justify its own weight and the space it gobbles up on the bike with real-world utility. Even better if an item can serve more than one function. The folks at Aerostich had this in mind when they designed their “Stealth Shelter.” In fact, the number of this Aerostich exclusive’s crossover uses at a campsite may be only limited by a rider’s imagination. The waterproof version of this little wonder is essentially an 88” by 72” tarp made of three-layer ripstop nylon fabric that has four reinforced webbing loops at the corners with another loop and a double-reinforced area in the middle. Suspended with parachute cord or over a center pole, the weatherproof sheet can serve as a shade, wind or rain fly, ground
cloth, picnic blanket, tablecloth, bike cover or even a warm weather blanket. But the weather resistant zippers on the Stealth Shelter’s edges also convert it into a waterproof, breathable bivy sack large enough to hold a sleeping bag and pad, or function as a warm weather bag by itself. The Stealth Shelter also has an 8 x 15 inch zippered pocket on the inside. Deployed on rough ground, the Stealth is tough enough to walk on, and used as a fly, the web loops hold through a stiff wind. The shelter compresses down to a 9” by 5” bundle—or even less with a bit more effort. The Stealth Shelter is also offered in an Ultralight version which is the same size but is constructed of lighter weight, highly weather-resistant siliconized ripstop nylon fabric that packs into an even smaller roll.
The Waterproof Stealth Shelter retails for $197 and the Ultralight Stealth for $139, with an extra bundle of parachute cord for another $10. Visit aerostich.com for more photos and information or call the friendly customer service reps there at 800.222.1994. Quick Note: For one of the most comprehensive guides to camping from a motorcycle, add Lightweight Unsupported Motorcycle Travel for Terminal Cases to any Aerostich order. This little $5 book from Aerostich is packed with roadtested, moto-camping wisdom, plus some great lists of road guides, restaurants, camp grounds, lodging, and so much more.
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Gregg’s A-List for camping comfort and convenience No one loves roughing it more than motorcyclists who camp. After a long day in the saddle, these gluttons for adversity are content to stretch out under the stars (or pouring rain) in their Roadcrafters on beds of softball-sized rocks and gnarled tree roots with nothing for a pillow but a road-kill porcupine. If mosquitos swarm in, they just flip their faceshields down. Breakfast means foraging for earthworms and dung beetles, slurped down with some slimy stump water. In short, real moto-campers eschew packing any item promising home-like comfort or convenience (probably leaving the word “eschew” home as well). Really? No, not really. Whether camping means a grassy field at an international rally or a clearing on a Backcountry Discovery Route, seasoned moto-campers welcome any comfort/convenience gear they can stow on their bikes. Two such items are the Helinox Table One and the Exped Mega Pillow, both sold by Gregg’s A-List, a familiar vendor at BMW rallies and loyal supporter of the MOA. The Helinox Table One was selected from over 70,000 entries from 70 countries in 2014 for the coveted Red Dot Design Award, an international prize given for “outstanding innovation, design and functionality.” Called “the table in one hand,” the Table One stows in a protective 16 x 4 x 4 inch pouch with strapping loops and unfolds to create a 16 inch high, 16 x 24 inch serving platform. With the alloy table legs shock-corded to their nylon joint pieces, the table takes less than a minute to erect, and once assembled, the tabletop is stretched drumhead tight. Two drink wells are
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built into the mesh tabletop, leaving enough room for a few plates of food or a spread of hors d’oeuvres. Though the table from Gregg’s A-List weighs in at only 21 ounces, the clever, X-shape design is sturdy and stable and should provide years of service. A nifty accessory also from Gregg’s is the matching nylon mesh Storage Net, which clips to the table edges and hangs under the table when it’s set up. It also serves as a nifty drying rack for dishes, pots and pans after a meal. The table retails for $119.95 from Gregg’s A-List, the accessory net for $19.95.
www.bluerimtours.com
Another popular item from Gregg’s and seemingly as common as a roundel at BMW rallies is the Exped Mega Pillow. The extra-large, air-core pillow is constructed of soft 50-denier tricot nylon laminated with a TPU polyester for resistance to puncture. Adjustable in height for side-, back- or belly-sleepers, the ergonomically-designed Exped pillow inflates with about ten hearty breaths through a check valve and deflates quickly through a nifty valve release. The Mega Pillow’s fleece cover can be removed for washing, and has eyelets that enable it to be fastened to a bag or mat. The pillow inflates to 21 x 12.5 x 4.7 inches but packs down into a stuff sack about the size of a pound of hamburger at and weighs just six ounces. A new offering from Gregg’s A-List, the Mega Pillow retails for $55. In addition to the Table One and Mega Pillow, Gregg’s A-list product lineup includes a wide range of products for motorcyclists who camp, including tents, sleeping bags and mats, cookware, chairs, and more. For more information, visit greggsalist.com.
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www.haynes.com
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Be prepared with camping gear from BestRest Products BestRest Products first became popular with BMW riders in 2000 with the introduction of their backrest for the R 1100 GS, and later, for their CyclePump; however, under their company motto, “Hard Parts 4 Hard Rides” the company now offers an extensive, ever-expanding inventory of quality, innovative products exclusively for motorcyclists, including maintenance aids, luggage, electrical gear, and more. For moto-camping riders, a number of items exclusively developed and sold by BestRest Products have become indispensable.
Gotcha Straps
Need to strap a bedroll to the top of your topbox? Pannier hanging by a thread? The uses of BestRest’s Gotcha straps are only limited by riders’ imaginations (and possibly situations they haven’t encountered yet!). The non-stretching nylon straps are two inches wide and have hook and loop material on the face and backside. The straps have a nylon buckle at one end, so to strap something down, the end of a Gotcha is passed through the buckle, cinched down, and stuck back on itself. Quick, non-marring, and waterproof, Gotcha Straps have held loads
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weighing 250 lbs. Straps are offered in lengths from 20 to 72 inches and of course can be joined together for greater length. ($3-7)
Nuke-Tape
We all know duct tape can often be the solution to many unexpected touring/ camping problems, but a roll of the famous grey stuff is bulky, and winding some up into a smaller roll for your tank bag can turn it into a useless wad before you finally need it. Nuke-Tape, called “duct tape on steroids,” comes in two by six inch strips, each strip with a peel-off paper backing tab. One pack takes up practically no space in a tank bag, and this cure for a tarp tear, a binged signal stalk, or whatever problem arises will be ready when you need it most. Believe it or not, the “Nuke” name comes from this extra-heavy duty tape’s use in nuclear power plants! ($5 for 20 strips)
Stuff Boxxes
Panniers hold a pile of important items, but how do you keep them organized and separated? BestRest’s Stuff Boxxes are black plastic boxes with rounded corners, a “lifetime hinge”and a snap-close lid. A
neat, space-saving way to keep tools, cooking utensils, and sensitive camera gear organized, separated and secure, a Stuff Boxx measures 4.5” deep, 6.5” wide, and 8.5” high and has a label on top to mark its contents. Sets of four fit nicely in a medium-sized pannier. ($8 each)
Storage Tubes
Another storage solution that should appeal to moto-campers is the BestRest Storage Tube. These PVC tubes have an ingenious expandable design; just twist the two halves together to lock to the desired height. They will not come apart unless twisted, and both the large size (4” wide, 8”-14” high) and the small (2.6” wide, 5”-8” high) have an octagonal base to keep them from rolling around. The large size neatly nests a JetBoil kit and spare fuel canister, while the small is perfect for tool sets, tire patch kits, etc., but as with many BestRest products, “multipurpose” is their middle name. (Small-$8, Large-$18 each) To see the full range of BestRest Products gear for riders, plus educational and travel materials, visit bestrestproducts. com.
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Eric Hougan's packing check list Trip_______________________________________ Length____________________________________ Travel Days________________________________ Weather Conditions ________ Temp Range_____
Thrive First Aid Kit Cheap insurance for camping mishaps
You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, and as many know, you can’t camp without suffering scrapes, cuts, bruises and bug bites. But rather than depend on duct tape and toilet paper for a cut, a mud poultice for a burn, or pliers and a pocket knife for an embedded tick, why not pack a first aid kit? You could just fill a plastic bag with anything you can scavenge from the bathroom vanity, but better yet, consider purchasing the Thrive® First Aid Kit (Amazon, $15.95). No kit is going to handle all contingencies, but the 126 items in the Thrive kit will take care of many minor injuries. The red, clam shell case holds seven types of bandages, burn gel packets, sterile cleansing wipes, assorted gauze pads, tape, and cotton swabs; all the components in the Thrive kit are hospital grade. Also included are safety pins, scissors, tweezers, a survival whistle, a space blanket and a 20-page booklet that gives basic information on topics such as CPR, controlling bleeding, allergic reactions, burns, temperature extremes and more. In each section, the booklet offers guidance on when it’s time to call 911. No medications are included in the kit other than burn gel, but the hard-shell case has room for a little bottle of eye drops, lip balm, extra ear plugs and small containers of over-the-counter saviors like ibuprofen, naproxen, ranitidine and omeprazole, which could be welcome additions (remember to keep any prescription drugs in their original bottles). These add-ins won’t get crushed in the hard, 7.5” x 5.5” x 2.5 double-zippered case while it lies forgotten at the bottom of your side case, but you’ll be glad it’s there when it keeps a minor injury from being a major annoyance.
Rider Clothes
On The Bike
q q q q q q q q
q q q q q
Helmet Goggles Jacket Pants Boots Gloves Rain Suit Underwear/Bike Tights Long Underwear
Off Bike Clothes q q q q q q q q q q q q q
Shirts Sunglasses Sweater/Fleece Hat-Cold Pants Shorts Swimsuit Underwear Socks Shoes Jacket Bandana/Buff Toiletries
Personal Items
qW allet, ID, Insurance Cards, Passport q Money, Credit Cards q Camera q Extra Batteries/ Charger q Cell Phone/Charger
Tools/Tubes Etc. First Aid Kit Tank Bag Saddle Bags Duffle Bag
Camping Supplies
q Tent q Ground Sheet/ Footprint q Tarp q Sleeping Bag q Pillow q Pad q Stove & Fuel q Lighter/Matches q Cup/Bowl/Spoon q Knife q Coffee Maker q Spice Kit q Utensils q Head Lamp/Flashlight q Book q Pen & Paper/Journal q Food q Other
Right, As the owner of Wolfman Luggage, Eric Hougan knows a thing or two about packing. A backpack, a set of soft panniers and a dry bag was all he needed to carry his gear while spending a week riding the Nevada BDR.
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Bringing a
Canadian Montauk across the border
The Quest for the Holy Grail By Larry Barasch #130636
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I
don’t know if the impetus for pursuing this bike started by the sheer desire to own one of the rarest modern-day BMW motorcycles or from the words of many who said it couldn’t be done. I’d like to think it was the former, but it ended up a combination of both. What began casually, resulted in a ton of work, education, stress, disappointments, obsession and ultimately success. A true labor of love. Sunday, August 14, 2016, began like any other day, until I received a Google notification for a 2005 BMW Montauk listed for sale near Toronto. I presently own three BMWs: a 2002 R 1200 C, a 2004 Montauk and a 2009 R 1200 RT. As a moderator of Chromeheads.org, I eat, sleep and drink cruisers. BMW built about about 44,000 cruisers from 1998-2004, though not much data is available showing exactly how many of each model. However, I knew that to memorialize the end of cruiser production, BMW manufactured 350 limited edition commemorative Piedmont Red and Silver Montauks, with extra chrome bits. Of the 350 produced, only six made it to North America, all ending up in Canada. I contacted the owner to confirm the bike’s authenticity through the VIN, which confirmed an October 19, 2004 build date, the original color, and it being a Europeanspec bike imported to Canada. The 75-yearold original owner had ridden only 30,000 km (18,000 miles), mostly accrued over three trips to British Columbia. Some
The new speedometer reading miles per hour was ordered from Germany.
friends living near Toronto agreed to inspect it for me, as I’m not one to make a purchase sight unseen. Detailed photos of the pristine bike were sent, and they said it ran like new. Later that day, a deal was struck, and I thought I was on my way. Not so fast, though. I learned much during this adventure. First was that an individual cannot just pick up a bike from Canada and bring it home. It required me hiring a registered ICC vehicle importer from Hamburg, New York, to handle all the
paperwork. The first hurdle was an US EPA emissions certification. BMW US and BMW Canada refused to supply me or the importer with emissions documentation stating this BMW met US EPA emissions standards. My other BMWs have an EPA sticker on the transmission housing indicating this, but this bike didn’t, likely because it was an imported European-spec bike. I thought that was the end, until a Google search found a July 9, 2004, California Air Resources Board Executive Order (M-006-0114) certifying that a 2005 Montauk met US standards for engine exhaust. I also had been incorrectly advised by a Canadian BMW dealer that I would have to install a charcoal canister and change out the CAT code plug to meet US emissions. The next hurdle was a US Department of Transportation safety inspection, guessing they would require verification of brakes, horn, lights, etc., but it was not that easy. The DOT does not approve of US riders cruising on bikes with speedometers in KPH, rather than MPH, as we might get confused by seeing the number 100 or 55, causing crashes by not knowing our true speed. Since the ’05’s speedometer was in KPH, I special-ordered a brand-new MPH speedometer from Germany via Max BMW. I also needed to secure insurance to clear
The previous owner's service records. June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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hurdle number three. My broker said, “There’s no such thing as a 2005 Montauk,” plus with a Canadian title, they had no access to the VIN number to write the policy. I thought I was defeated, but later exceptions were made, and I received the insurance cards. Hurdle four was how to fetch this bike. I don’t own a trailer and wasn’t comfortable riding an unfamiliar bike from Toronto to Long Island. A generous friend with a truck and Kendon trailer gave up an entire weekend offering his services. We needed to complete this over one weekend due to US/Canada border complications and had to get back across the US border on a weekday. The importer required a bill of sale before I could pick up the bike. How could I get that from a technologically challenged guy I never met and before money changed hands? I also learned of the required “Vehicle Recall Letter” certifying there were no
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open recalls or campaigns. A call to BMW NA was fruitless; they claimed they couldn’t access the Canadian database of VINs. A call to BMW Canada resulted in customer service confirming no open recalls on the computer screen, but the inability to print, fax or email it to me. I was ready to give up, but I found Andrew Charters, BMW Toronto ‘s Motorrad Service Manager, who had the paperwork waiting for me when I arrived. George and I hit the road, crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada and arrived at BMW Toronto quickly, considering traffic in and around the city. Andrew showed us around his fine establishment, and we proceeded to the seller’s home. After a brief road test, the transaction was complete, bike was loaded on the trailer, and we headed back to Hamburg. At the US border, the patrol guard asked why we were in the commercial lane. We told him those were our importer’s
instructions. He didn’t look happy. My worst fear was he would let us pass, but not let my new bike over the border due to some missing paperwork. After a few minutes, he returned from his station, and asked, “Do you want me to believe that you drove all this way just to pick up a BMW?” I thought we were toast. We explained our story and the bike’s rarity. He responded, “I could see if it was a Harley, but a BMW?” Thank goodness we found a border patrol guy with a sense of humor and a fellow biker! We crossed the border without further incident and returned quickly to Hamburg. Back at the importer, I quickly swapped speedometers. Fortunately, I had practiced on my ’04 Montauk, so I had the tools and knowledge needed for the transformation. Once installed, the importer photographed the new speedometer, affixed required stickers and finalized paperwork. Thanking them for all their help, we said our
good-byes and headed home. Now I had this beautiful, rare motorcycle in my garage, and I was eager to register and title it, and get riding. That brings us to my last hurdle. Apparently the DOT has more rules, including (1) the speedometer should have been changed by the registered importer, not me and (2) they weren’t supposed to release the bike to me until DOT and NHTSA approved the application paperwork. Since distance and time were an issue, I suppose the importer did me a favor, but the DOT officials thought otherwise. The last document I needed was an NHTSA bond release letter, as issued to the registered importer. The DOT couldn’t issue that letter until they received vehicle conformity data from the registered importer. It took another couple of months of red tape and phone calls before I finally received my paperwork. The difficulty importing a Canadian vehicle into the US stems from the devaluation of the Canadian vs. US dollar. Since the US dollar can buy more in Canada, there would be a substantial cost savings crossing the border and bringing a vehicle back into the states. Many US vehicle dealers lobbied the US government to make that process difficult or nearly impossible to keep their customer base from shopping elsewhere. Their plan almost worked, with one exception—me! Importing a Canadian vehicle into the USA can be done, but it is a giant political and paperwork pain in the butt. For me, all the hassle was worth it. As of March 2017, my new bike is insured, registered and titled. The VIN was transferred to the BMW US database for future recording. It now proudly wears New York plates, has a MPH speedometer showing 91 miles, and we’re prepared for a lifetime of adventures in the lower 48. I am on a quest to locate the other 349 Limited Edition Montauks worldwide. Social media helped me find four others, but I have a ways to go. Maybe Ancestry.com could help since they are all related.
Larry Barasch lives in Long Island, New York, has been riding since 1982 and thinks MBD (Multiple Bike Disorder) is a good thing.
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The Mountains of
TENERIFE Words and Images by Brian Rathjen #92108
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“Off the coast of Africa, bound for South America, a world away from here is a ship that sails the sea, is a man who's just like me and I wish that I was there.” “Lighthouse” - James Taylor he roads can be very narrow and feature many incredibly tight, blind corners. Some are carved into the sheer rock and can induce vertigo. Oncoming vehicles, especially big ones like buses, are a hazard and can easily end your trip in a split-second. You need to be focused constantly! Welcome to motorcycle heaven!” Thus were the words of the Edelweiss guidebook for our weeklong romp around Tenerife and the Canary Islands. Although the first fifty deserved serious consideration, the last four made the paragraph perfect. The Canary Islands, though politically belonging to Spain, are every much African and unlike any destination we had been to before. The name Islas Canarias is derived from the Latin name Canariae Insulae, meaning "Islands of the Dogs" as packs of wild and dangerous animals were found on the island when discovered. Today it is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. We arrived in Santiago just after sunset and were beat from the long trip. Despite the town in Saturday night party mode, were asleep as we hit the pillows. I was up as the sun began to paint the Atlantic to the west, and sliding open a large paned door offered a view of the black volcanic rocks that so dominate the shoreline of Tenerife. It would be a few hours before the sun rose above the massive Teide volcano that gave birth to this island eons ago. We weren’t scheduled to officially begin our tour until an early afternoon meeting with our tour guide Peter, so we spent the day strolling the town’s waterfront, shops and sights before ending up at the hotel’s pool which offered us a grand view of the Los Gigantes cliffs north of the town. As is custom with Edelweiss there was a meeting to go over the planned highlights of the tour along with some common sense discussion on navigation and safety while
“T
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riding the three islands we would explore on this week-long journey: La Gomera, Grand Canarias and Tenerife itself. That evening, we took possession of the BMW R 1200 GS that my wife Shira and I would be riding. Joining us for the ride were a few other BMWs, a couple of Ducatis and a new Honda Africa Twin. After breakfast the next morning, we followed our guide Peter out of town and immediately began a twisty, snake-like ascent up the side of the Teide National Park, named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 2007. The road wound through rough black rock, all left over from Teide’s last eruption more than 100 years ago. This massive park of more than 47,000 acres rules the center of Tenerife. Teide, the volcano the park surrounds stands 12,198 feet tall and is the largest peak in Spain, as well as the highest mountain on an island in the Atlantic. Only the two Hawaiian volcanoes are larger. As we rode higher the temperatures dropped nearly 30 degrees from Puerto Santiago to Teide. Shadows on the roadway were ringed with frost that quickly disappeared at the kiss of the chilly sun at this altitude. The topography of Tenerife is quite fickle and the early part of the morning was dominated by black volcanic terrain that looked like it had its birth in hell. To the north the road wound down and into some dark clouds that began an annoying, misty rain. After a few miles of rain and through a pine forest that created a canopy above us, before long we were in bright sunshine once again. The road was sweepy and fun, and it seemed that everyone in our group was an experienced rider, courteous and professional in manner. What a treat. Near the coast we rode through a town called Güímar, and once through, we broke free from the group to be on our own for the rest of the day. The Pyramids of Güímar are six rectangular, pyramid-shaped structures built from lava stone without the use of mortar. They have a mixed history, as some say they were built for agricultural reasons in the 1800s, while others say they
are far, far older. In the 1990s, Thor Heyerdahl proposed that these Canarian Pyramids showed a link between ancient Egypt and PreColombian Meso-America, as all three have similar structures built, and that the islands were a stopping point for sailors traveling between the continents thousands of years ago. This is not a place for the meek or mild weekend rider. It is a serious ride and should be approached in this manner. Tight and twisty, with the occasional truck or bus appearing as if by magic in the middle of some turns, left, right, left, right was the constant dance with a demanding partner. We made good time around the island and rejoined our group as they were returning to the hotel amid a setting sun. It was a successful and dynamic first day riding the mountains of Tenerife. We had an early start the next day, leaving just before dawn and riding to the city of Cristianos where we’d board the ferry, curiously named Fred Olsen and make the early crossing to the island of La Gomera. Where the previous days romp around Tenerife was a grand mix with a lot of volcanic tundra, Gomera is its warmer and wetter sister. La Gomero is relatively small and more or less a large circle of volcanic rock that sits just west of Tenerife. But, where Tenerife has recently seen eruptions, what gave birth to La Gomera has been extinct for thousands of years. The ancient mountains here are lush with vegetation, banana trees and rain forest and the entire island is sprinkled with ravines and gorges called barrancos. Not a mile from the port and we were slowed by the traffic and a local National Policeman who signaled us to stop and then to pull over. He asked where we were from, where we were going and why. Perhaps it was the Spanish to English translation here…but he seemed to ask us if we had alcohol. No. But then I spotted the television camera and he held up a plastic tube and asked if I would take a blood alcohol test. I
The twisty roads of Tenerife delight riders.
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am pretty sure “no” was not an acceptable answer in the middle of the town with cameras rolling. I blew a zero on the booze-o-meter, and the officer and the camera people seemed very happy with that. Smiles all around and he gave me the blow tube as a memento and they moved on to the next test subject. We gathered it was all part of a local “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign, and we’d probably make it into the next La Gomero Public Service announcement. Happy to help. We had gone ahead of our friends to do a little photography of them riding up the mountains, but our mission got sidetracked by the police. We caught up to them at a pullout further up in the mountains with a Godly view of the road winding through the valley and peaks. La Gomera was simply stunning! We followed along at a swift and talented pace on roads that were, for the most part, a bit more open than Tenerife’s. We rode down though the Barranco de Gran Rey gorge to the sea and the tiny town of Valle Gran Rey. We parked at a tiny corner restaurant, across from the mighty statue of Hautacuperche, a native Guanache who led a rebellion against the Spanish in 1488. Like many places, it is a story of a princess and her lover, but this is a true tale and ended very, very badly for the local native peoples. Hautacuperche would not let his love for the Guanache Princess Iballa go unanswered, and he killed a local Spanish leader who also wanted the girl. In response, the Spanish ordered that all men above the age of 15 must be killed. Women and children were also enslaved. Strange as it seems, and even with the tragic ending, Hautacuperche is celebrated as a hero, thus the giant statue of him facing towards the island and away from the sea and Spain. The story was sad to hear, but this day the best fish was spectacular, and the playa was peaceful and is a haven for the modern-day bohemian and leftover hippie. I spoke to some of the locals about another local attraction that is unlike anything else. On the island of La Gomera you will find something very special; so distinct, so different that you cannot find it anywhere else on the planet. The whistle language called Silbo. Found only here, this unique form of communication has been used for
thousands of years by the indigenous people and was most likely created out of necessity. La Gomera is made up of deep and cavernous volcanic ravines. Spoken and written communication might take a very long time to get from one place to another…but a whistle seems to travel for a long, long way. As La Gomera entered into modern times with communication, internet and cellphone the wonderful Silbo was in danger of being lost in time. So the local government stepped in and now requires that all school children learn this wonderful talk so that it would it would not be something
some of the elders once, eventually to disappear. And we thought we were the first to tweet? This day’s ride was spectacular, fun and a place like this could be habit forming. They should rename the island La Go Gomera! We rode down the massive Barranco Juan de Vera ravine, stopping for coffee, before heading back to the ferry and a sunset sail back to Tenerife. The sun dropping down below the Atlantic’s horizon was as good as it gets, and there was a “Green Flash,” the first time I have seen one in 58 years. We rode back to Santiago in the dark, another awesome days ride in our books.
A Local hero after all these centuries.
Left, The mountains, cliffs and twisties of Gran Canaria. June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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Our third island of the Canaries would be Gran Canarias, another ferry ride this time to the east. We started our day off by another run up to Tiede, this time from a completely different direction, but soon had snaked our way up through the pine forests and then onto the volcanic plain that runs around the mountain. We stopped for coffee at the same place we had lunch a few days back, only to discover that it was the Tenerife version of the Rock Store and had a great deal of local riders parked there as well.
The Canary Island’s famous Dragon Tree.
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We followed Peter, with our long, but well-spaced line of a dozen machines and headed into a forested region of Tenerife with a road that followed along the crest of the cliffs that ring this part of the island. Each island so far had been different and the same would be found on this island as well. Joni Mitchel has a song called “Twisted”—I could not get it out of my head. By far Gran Canarias was the most technical of the riding we had done so far. Heading up and over Pico de las Nieves was as crafty as any mountain goat trail—we
were sure it was at one time. The large gorges dominated the regions between the peaks, and our customary stop was made near Tejeda. We parked the bikes in a town square in front of the castle-like Parador and left the bikes with an old man and his burrow under the watchful eye of an odd looking Christ on a cross. The remainder of the day was much the same with a good amount of tight-forested roads that headed down towards the sea. We arrived at a small hotel, right along a giant caldera that had exploded a few million years back. The place was built right on the edge of the cliffs, and I was surprised to see it also had a well-groomed golf course on the grounds as well. The Caldera de Bandama is massive, some 3,000 feet long and nearly 700 feet deep. It was most impressive in the setting sun’s light. Dinner was found a short walk towards town and once again, we found that best meals come from small and tiny restaurants full of locals wondering who the heck we were and what were we doing in “their” place. After dinner, a few of us went on our own and followed along (more or less) the Edelweiss’ route to an archeological site that would give us a long look back into the history of these islands. Along a steep barranco, called Guayadeque, the many caves were found to have been shelter for people for hundreds of years in the past. Today the caves are limited in visitations, but the museum has some wonderful artifacts that were found in them, along with the mummified remains of a man that was buried high along the cliffside caverns, a true and rare find and certainly one of the most important for the Canarian people. We toured the museum and rode up along Guayadeque to the town at the end, also built around a cave system—complete with hotel and restaurant—and then doubled back, got lost, and made multiple U-turns and inquires before we turned to Plan B, C and D, finally setting our course up and over the peaks heading towards the town of Tejede, which sits right on the threshold of the caldera de Tejeda. Once again the volcanic past of the island shows itself, as it seems to do everywhere you go on the Canary Islands. The ride into this center part of the Gran Canarias was even more technical than
previous romps, and finally getting to the town and the superbly delicious lunch of black pork knuckles was worth each of mountainous, twisty and snake-like miles. At lunch the entire group was reunited, and from there we rode back to the port, bordered the ferry back to Tenerife and then looped around the island with the sun setting to our left and blasting its light across the many barrancos that run down from the mountains and to the sea. Any one of these would be a major natural wonder in the USA, and you’d have to pay to enjoy it. Here in Tenerife they are just there and part of the landscape. Magnificent. We had one more day of riding with Edelweiss Bike Travel, and this day would be to explore the northwest part of the island and seek out some of the culture and natural beauty that we had already found in abundance. We headed above the Los Gigantes cliffs and along the Corona Forest that lies like a necklace around the peaks. Even with the
abundance of pine needle forests, there was another tree we would search for this day. Here on Tenerife they have a tree that is called “The Dragon.” Its name comes from the fact that its limbs grow in a twisted dragon-like manner and its sap is red, like the blood of a Dragon. The huge Dragon Tree in the town center of Icod is thought to be thousands of years old. It is a cultural icon and landmark, and it was very impressive. A light lunch was had at a small restaurant that could barely hold us all but served a great meal of paella, soups and salads and had friendly staff that made up for its lack of size. For our last jaunt before finishing the tour and handing the GS back to Edelweiss, Peter the Guide (we called him that so as not to confuse him with Peter of the Poconos) told us the next stretch would be like a “Go Cart Track,” passing up into the mountains that make up Los Gigantes. He said, “The roads can be very narrow and feature many incredibly tight, blind
corners. Some are carved into the sheer rock and can induce vertigo. Oncoming vehicles, especially big ones like buses, are a hazard and can easily end your trip in a split-second. You need to be focused constantly! Welcome to motorcycle heaven!” Where had I heard this before? He was more than right, and the Road to Masca could have been right up there with Romania’s Trans Alpina as the most technical road I have ever ridden. Throw into this mix the incredible views, the cliffs and gorges, the incoming mist and rain clouds parted by bolts of bright sunlight, the occasional tour bus, and the more occasional clueless tourist in a rental car, and we had one hell of a final ride on our journey through the mountains of Tenerife! The Canary Islands—Tenerife, La Gomera and Gran Canarias—were never on our bucket list of places we needed to ride while on the planet. We can fervently tell you to consider adding them to your own must-ride list!
A colorful finish to a superb week.
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skills
askapro
Riding and its influence on youth By Lee Parks #162125
Q: My 11-year-old
son has always been fascinated by my motorcycle (duh!). He keeps asking my wife and I for a dirt bike, and while I’m sold, my wife is not so sure. Any good ideas that I can add to the discourse, or am I wrong in thinking 11 is an okay age for this?
A:
Your question jogged my memory as I recalled addressing this very issue back in an editorial column I wrote in 1996. After rereading it, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the prose seemed just as relevant today as it was over a score ago. So, if you’ll indulge me, here is the 2.0 release of what was once titled “Motorcycles… the answer to the war on drugs?” I AM a firm believer that motorcycles (when handled properly) are one of the best ways to keep kids out of trouble. I was ironically reminded of this while watching a bad TV show the other night. It was ironic because the image, as is so common in Hollywood these days, was of a “bad guy” on a motorcycle. He was riding recklessly, wasn’t wearing any protective gear and was part of a ruthless gang. When I tried to associate biking with drugs, I couldn’t do it. All I could think about were my friends in junior high and high school (none of whom were motorcyclists) who turned to drugs for entertainment or escape. In that moment, I realized that motorcycling was the primary thing that kept me away from drugs, gangs and violence as a teenager. After thinking about it for a while, each aspect of motorcycling seemed to support this assumption.
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Although my father purchased my first dirt bike for me when I was 12, it didn’t take long before I needed to chip in to start paying for parts, protective gear and accessories that I wanted. By the time I was 15, I was also purchasing my own bikes. This meant that I had to get a job to pay for all that stuff. A job is a big responsibility for a 15-yearold, and I’m glad my motorcycling helped me get that experience, as I’ve been a dedicated worker ever since. Of course, working as a young adult quickly forces you to learn how to manage money as you struggle with the unlimited-wants/limited resources dilemma we all face. Come to think of it, I think I was better at it as a creditless teen than I am today. The physical requirements of riding— especially motocross racing—provide their own unique lessons on staying out of trouble. The first thing any athlete learns, regardless of the sport, is the importance of being in shape, and the physically demanding nature of dirt riding just accentuates this point. Therefore, some sort of an exercise program and at least a basic understanding of good nutrition are necessary for peak performance. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize the health and appearance benefits that exercise and good nutrition offer, and it’s nice to know your kids are taking responsibility for their own well-being. Alcohol and drugs are noticeable only by their absence in competitive motorcycle events. Because they hinder performance, drugs are inconsistent with a rider’s goals and thereby not really an option. While there are always exceptions to every rule, virtually all competitive riders just say no to drugs. As they say, competition improves the breed. Riding is also great practice for improving balance, hand/eye coordination and concentration—all useful skills for anyone. It also helps riders overcome fear by putting
them in control of the vehicle so they can progress at their own rate. Furthermore, it teaches respect for motorized equipment— a critical lesson best learned before someone is sent off on the roads in a 3,500 pound automobile. All these things add up to improved self-esteem and confidence that help young riders even when they’re not on their two-wheeled fun machines. There are many physical studies showing the importance of these characteristics to a young person’s ability to function normally in society. Perhaps the most beneficial element of motorcycling to young folks is the mechanical side. Few activities teach responsibility like working on your bike. Mechanical ills turn into more lessons, troubleshooting teaches creative problem solving and difficult problems can help foster patience. Preventative maintenance teaches forethought. As Robert Pirsig so perceptively states in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, “The real cycle you’re working on is a cycle called yourself.” In other words, to care for and take pride in a motorcycle is to learn to do the same for yourself and others. Interacting with fellow riders represents one of my favorite parts of motorcycling. Here is where a young rider can learn the value of friendliness and compassion. Young (and old) people also want to feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. That’s why kids join gangs in the first place; they feel that they don’t belong anywhere else. Motorcycling offers an international brotherhood. It’s the reason we wave to one another on the road, even when both riders are total strangers. From the parent’s point of view, motorcycling offers one of the best family activities around. Some of my fondest memories are of my father and I riding together at the local motocross track. And I never forget all the times my mother drove my friends and I to a riding area and read her books while
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www.boxerworks-service.com BOXERWORKS-SERVICE.COM we buzzed around for hours, getting her all dusty. I know there were other places she would have rather been, but she knew how much I loved riding, and she always supported my choice of recreation. You’d better believe that those experiences are very much responsible for the value I place on family today.Unfortunately, many parents out there will never know the joys that motorcycling can bring to their families, or the self-control and responsibility it can teach to their kids. Real and imagined motorcycle horror stories continue to be a serious deterrent to worried parents. It’s widely understood that motorcycles have an element of danger inherent to them. But that danger is severely worsened when a young person gets in motorcycling without parental supervision. This is often what happens when parents tell their kids, “No way are you going to ride one of those dangerous things!” The kid simply does it anyway, behind the parents’ backs, and usually without proper training…and that can be fatal. What’s not widely understood are motorcycling’s numerous benefits that I’ve described here and that the risks of riding are seriously reduced when the family gets involved. Is motorcycling really the answer to the wars on drugs? It’s certainly not the only one, but it’s definitely kept me on the right track.
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Lee Parks #162125 has been riding and racing motorcycles for well over 33 years. He has been the editor of both consumer and trade motorcycle magazines, manufacturers his own line of motorcycle gloves and is a WERA national endurance champion. His riding skills book Total Control has sold over 100,000 copies in five languages around the world. Lee’s Total Control Training company manages—and is the curriculum vendor for—the California Motorcyclist Safety Program as well as several large military contracts. If you have a question you’d like to him to answer in this column, send him an email at lee@totalcontroltraining.net.
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Motorcyclists and speed limits By Roger Wiles #32797 MOTORCYCLISTS AND SPEED LIM-
its seem to get along like cats and dogs. Motorcycles appear to be made for speed, lots of speed, while those ubiquitous black-on-white, rectangular signs glare down at us accusingly everywhere we ride. Speed kills, right? Well, usually it’s the sudden stop that does damage regardless of the prior speed. Is speed then NOT a factor in lower-risk riding? Sorry, yes it is; speed consumes time. Our riding lives are ruled, or so the authorities wish it so, by speed limit signs, police cruisers, radar guns and speed traps. Better it is that we motorcyclists rule ourselves than leave it to the authorities to dictate our riding behavior. We have skin in the game, and authorities do not. Rebellion and revolt with the right wrist? Actually, it’s just the opposite: competent execution while aboard a motorcycle, including choice of velocity, equals skillful, independent self-determination. How, then, to determine the proper speed? By proper, please accept the premise that it simply means avoiding unnecessary riding risk. Unnecessary is a key word there. Here are some principles about speed that may help:
Sight Distance vs. Total Stopping Distance: honoring your sight lines
Accept the premise that you are traveling at highway speeds. Thus, you are covering roughly 100 feet each second. The first of the three-step motorcycle-stopping process is called “Perception Distance,” the number of feet the moto and you travel while you, your brain and eyes get around to noticing the need for a stop, be it hard, soft or squishy. Recognizing a
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risk as soon as it becomes visible reduces the amount of forward distance wasted before recognizing disaster somewhere near; wool-gathering while aboard your motorcycle wastes the precious empty pavement in your time-and-space safety bubble.
the motorcycle to a full stop. This value is often shown in magazine road tests and normally is performed by a skilled rider who is prepared to begin stopping as hard as possible at a predetermined spot on the tarmac, not under the conditions often encountered by motorcyclists. A stopping distance of 120 feet from 60 MPH equates to 1.0 G, a gold standard for braking. Most experienced motorcyclists will not achieve this high G-force, although purposeful practice can get many of us pretty close. The mantra “honor your sight lines” helps us remember to estimate our Total Braking Distance at our present speed and compare it to current sight distances, whether ahead, oblique or to the sides, looking for the shortest one and adjusting speed to thus be able, if needed, to affect a smooth, precise, albeit forceful stop. Motorcyclists look for blind spots and truncated sight lines in both congested and open areas, places that can hide anything big enough, if it begins moving, to hurt you; that’s just about anything bigger than a chipmunk. Imagine the worst and predict roaring disaster everywhere. You will mostly be wrong, but happy occasionally. Learn to estimate YOUR stopping distances from highway speeds, city speeds and neighborhood speeds.
Flow of Traffic Forward travel continues during step two, “Reaction Distance,” which is the pavement traversed while the hands and feet get moving, pull the slack out of the braking systems, and feel the braking resistance in the controls. Young folks can do this in as little as half a second, or 50 feet at highway speeds. Older riders take three to four times that in both time and distance. Step three is “Braking Distance,” the distance moved forward while brakes bring
Traffic engineers discovered long ago that traffic conflicts were minimized when highway users were all traveling in the same direction at pretty much the same speed. Motorcyclists often do not survive traffic conflicts, while auto and truck users not only survive but are very frequently unhurt. Since your personal life and health, as well as your property, are more important to you than slavishly obeying speed limits, riding with the flow of traffic regardless of the posted speed limit might be a wise principle. A motorcyclist may be
called upon to explain the rationale to a law enforcement officer who may or may not accept it, but either way, the motorcyclist dealt away unnecessary riding risk at the time. Standing on principle may cost us, but it’s cheaper than skin, bones and blood.
Time-and-Space Safety Bubble
Motorcyclists who mitigate and eliminate unnecessary riding risk usually maintain a zone of nothing around the motorcycle, both while riding and at rest in traffic. How large that safety bubble should be is a function of each rider’s judgment, experience and motivation to reduce risk. Motorcyclists both move the motorcycle sideways while riding, moving within the travel lane or changing into another lane after signaling, as well as changing speeds, down and up, to maintain that precious bubble. In a conflict between a speed needed to maintain or improve a safety bubble and the actual speed limit, motorcyclists have to make a choice. Choose wisely.
Time at Risk
Risk has two components: degree of risk and time at risk. A particular risk might appear to have a low likelihood of springing the collision trap, relatively speaking, but the longer time passes while the motorcyclist remains in the conflict zone, the greater the likelihood that the collision trap will spring. For example, staying in the blind spot of an auto or truck for an unnecessary period of time increases the risk that a driver will, sooner or later, make a sudden swerve. More speed may be needed to solve the problem, reduce the time at risk and move to your best place on the roadway at that moment. As we see next, moving forward often is better than moving back. Traffic conditions and principles above may keep the motorcyclist traveling at higher speeds than the law allows.
Outrun Risks
By traveling about two to five percent faster than the flow of traffic in an appropriate travel lane, more traffic events and traffic conflicts are kept ahead of the motorcyclists in a clear, wide view, while conflicts occurring in the after arc, where it’s so miserably hard for us to see, evaporate. Again, this principle may be at odds with the posted limit. Use good judgment.
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Escape Routes
Part of maintaining safety bubble space is keeping a running tally, a changing inventory if you will, of safer places to go on those infrequent but satisfying occasions when your predicted awful disaster does actually show up. You can be prepared and have a nice place to go hide, either on the pavement or somewhere else. Your throttle and speed may be needed to get there. As a principle begets a strategy, which then produces tactics, so do skilled and experienced muscles softly and accurately control the motorcycle as unnecessary risk disappears in your past. The motorcyclist is alone at the controls and bears the burden of enjoying a low-risk ride. These principles, offered by the BMW MOA Foundation for your consideration, may help you continually mitigate and eliminate unnecessary riding risk. Have fun, ride safe, ride often—and think!
Roger Wiles #32797 is a retired MSF RiderCoach and former BMW MOA Rider Education Coordinator. Wiles continues to maintain certification for the SMARTrainer, a motorcycle-based traffic simulation device. He has ridden for many years and miles and lives with his wife in north Georgia.
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Dare to dream big By Ted Moyer #100360 SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE FOUNDA-
tion got into the raffle business because someone dared to dream a little dream. It was a fateful question a Board member posed during the launch of the BMW S 1000 RR. “If we wanted to give away a new S 1000 RR, do you think our members would buy enough tickets to pay for the bike and maybe raise a little money along the way?” We had no idea BMW MOA members would purchase 8,000 tickets for that bike and instantly create a new business model for our fundraising. Since 2010, we have conducted eleven fundraising raffles and given away 49 new BMW motorcycles. Right now, we are in the middle of our biggest promotion to date, the 2017 Superstakes. This year, we will give away at least 17 motorcycles, and that number of prizes could easily grow to 20 before June 30 when ticket sales end. Twenty motorcycles! Who does that? I have quipped before about the benefit of winning versus fundraising and why people purchase tickets. I have no doubt that you buy tickets to
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
win. If I were eligible, I am certain I would buy tickets with the hope of winning a new motorcycle, with little to no regard for the charitable nature of a ticket purchase. But dive a little deeper into the business of raffles, and there is something here that should make all of us proud. In the last seven years, our raffle efforts have raised more than $424,000 in net revenue. During that same time, the Foundation has put forth $164,000 toward safety and training initiatives, including $96,000 for training initiatives at rallies and events including the International Rally, $27,000 for GEARS training of our youngest members, and a whopping $40,900 for Paul B. Scholarship awards to individual members. On top of all of that, the Foundation has also managed to set aside $200,000 in cash reserves for ongoing training initiatives for future motorcycle riders. When this initiative really started to gain traction, I’m not sure anyone imagined the impact that we might have 10 or 15 years from now. I think we all dream about making an impact or leaving a legacy, but the act of saving money is not what gets our juices flowing. Like most, we want the impact to be immediate and have something tangible for our efforts. Yet, saving for the future
might be the single most important thing we could do to leave a legacy for future riders. Imagine another 10 years from today and consider what the Foundation might achieve. Is a cash reserve of one million dollars or more a reality? With the current efforts being put forth, I would say it is possible. Then what? What impact and programs could the Foundation support with that kind of asset base? Is free training for everyone a possibility? How about a nationwide Drivers Education program for any teen rider? Could anyone have imagined this was possible when we started with a simple dream of selling 1,000 tickets for $10 each? Superstakes tickets are on sale through June 30, and our theme for the 2017 Superstakes is “Dream Big.” The grand prizewinner will have their choice of any new BMW motorcycle in the lineup. I am certain we all dream of owning a new BMW motorcycle. When you consider buying a ticket, dream big for a moment and consider the opportunity we have in front of us to leave a legacy. I have a picture of a new S 1000 XR on my wall, my current dream motorcycle. It hangs next to a picture of my son at his MSF training class. Dream big!
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Interpreting the omens By Jack Riepe #116117 MY LIFE IS RULED
by omens. My first French kiss was delivered by a brunette in high school. I regarded this as a good omen. I have pretty much stuck to brunettes since then, and I chose to study French in high school and college. I found a quarter on the street one day, and decided to marry the first woman that came along. I did. Now, I cross the street if I see change on the sidewalk. This was my first experience with bad omens. There would be other omens that involved motorcycles. It was a summer day in July, 2007. Dick Bregstein and I were riding back from an event in Asheville, North Carolina, and all of the omens were bad. It started with breakfast. I ordered two eggs sunny side up. One yolk was broken. I didn’t realize the significance of this at the time, but the implication was that one of two riders would end up scrambled. We loaded the motorcycles for the return trip, and I couldn’t get one of the side bags to reattach to the bike. This was because the bike was on the side stand and I was too lazy to kick it up onto the center stand, which I eventually had to do anyway. The unattached side bag meant one rider would be detached from this ride. Finally, there was the exit from Asheville. Asheville is laid out like an Escher painting. Every road and street goes uphill to a red traffic light. At crucial points, a fine sprinkling of gravel provides comedy relief for riders with arthritis in their knees. I nearly dropped the bike three times getting to the gas station. The
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temperature that day was 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The paint was blistering on the K75’s gas tank. I left a grease spot on the saddle when I got off to gas up. This signified the atmosphere in hell. At the gas station, a crow landed on my windscreen, then jumped to my helmet dangling from the mirror and took a dump in it. The crow had just eaten a taco, apparently. It was hard to tell if the crow was an omen or a literary critic. I said a word that rhymes with “truck” 400 times. “Do you have Tourette’s Syndrome?” asked Bregstein. Dick was facing trauma of his own. He nearly wet his pants laughing when the crow dumped in my helmet. I was rattled. Less than ten minutes into the run home, I was drenched with sweat and thoroughly aggravated. Some crow had dropped the milkshake from hell in my helmet and my knees were already screaming from having to hold the K75 at steep, gravel-dusted intersections. Bregstein was genuinely concerned about me when he said, “Listen, we can go back to the hotel and do this tomorrow. I don’t like your color.” “Am I pale?” I asked. “Purple,” said Bregstein. The truth is, I did want to go back to the hotel. I wanted to get back into bed in my air conditioned room, click my riding boots at the heels, and suddenly find myself and the bike on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. But you know I couldn’t. There are days when I do feel antsy about getting on a bike. But I refused to run from any of them. And Bregstein knew that we were going. He just wanted to give me an out. The omens evaporated on I-77 with its incredible sweeping curves and changes in elevation. There was no traffic. Dick and I ran full tilt. We were like the bad kids run amok in the playground. The needle on my
speedo was to the right of 90 mph more often than it was to the left. And this was just prelude of what was to come. I was wearing Draggin’ Jeans (with Kevlar inserts), a Joe Rocket armored mesh jacket, cheap leather riding gloves, and steel-toed work boots. The 90 mph wind was like the exhaust from a jet engine, but it blew right through the jacket and felt better than the humidity, which clung to everything like original sin. We turned north into Virginia on I-81. This is the interstate where millions of trucks go every day to mate. The female trucks plod along in the right lane, inviting look-overs by male 18 wheelers who sometimes go as fast as 67 miles per hour in the left lane, bellowing as they crest inclines that stretch for miles. And suddenly, where there were two trucks, there will be 15 as they spawn. Bregstein and I were like two-wheeled dickie birds among stampeding hippos. We buzzed in, around, and past these guys, routinely pulling the ton. My bike was the 1986 K 75 with the rare Sprint fairing and known as “Blueballs.” Though it was getting on in years, I rode it like it was new. And it pretty much performed that way. Dick was riding a hot new F 800, which he’d had for about a month. The bike and he were still getting to know each other. On one stretch where I might have hit a speed that commands the electric chair in certain states, I discovered there was no Bregstein in my mirrors. “There could only be two reasons for this,” I thought. “One, Bregstein was a vampire and didn’t show up in mirrors, or two, Bregstein had switched on his GPS.” Dick bought this GPS for $12 at a yard sale. It was in a case that said “Amelia Earhart” on it. I was not using the traditional BMW lollipop mirrors, which would have looked peculiar on this rig, but Napoleon Bar End Mirrors. These channel mystical powers
and additional coolness to the rider. I danced around a little and Bregstein came into focus. He was tight on my back wheel. Behind him was a state trooper. I signaled right, and cut power. Dick followed and the cop shot past us. At the next rest area, I said, “Didn’t you see that cop prowling behind you?” “I can’t see anything in these damn mirrors, except my elbows,” said Bregstein. “I’m riding your tail and turning with you.” There were no more omens that I could see that applied to me. It rained frogs for a while. I switched on the bike’s frog lights and this was no problem. I got passed by a sports car driven by the figure of death, who extended a middle finger as he went by. I thought he must have meant Dick. Most cagers with this opinion often do. At the next gas stop, I noticed it had gotten cloudy. “Only over you,” said Dick. It was getting late in day, and we headed to a 100-yearold hotel with a great restaurant and bar. This put us on US-11 and brought us down to the 50 mph realm, with occasional stoplights and crossroads traffic. We passed a flower garden in which all the plants were dead and a woman dressed in tattered white lace quietly sobbed. And then we reached the traffic light portal for “the town.” There was absolutely no traffic, though the streets were jammed with people. There were cop cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance parked in a line. There was also a marching band. Now Bregstein and I don’t usually get this kind of reception. Most people hide their daughters from me while Bregstein is interrogated by the authorities. There was only one other vehicle moving in my direction—a passenger-style minivan with the engine in front. The minivan and I would arrive in the intersection at the same time. I was moving at a steady 25 mph, as was Bregstein, about 50 feet behind me.
The minivan turned left — without a signal. I had 15 feet in which to act. I pulled in the clutch, jammed down on the shifter, squeezed the front brake, and stood on the brake pedal. The forks compressed and there was a boom as the bike slammed into the minivan, just off dead center on the grill. I was ejected from the seat. Then I crashed down on the minivan’s hood, slid over the bumper, and ended up looking at the vehicle’s oil pan. The minivan was still running. My thought was, “I am going to get crushed to death.” The minivan didn’t move. The K 75
was on the ground right next to me, acting like a huge wedge. My heart was pumping pure adrenalin. After a second, there was a searing pain in my chest, and I figured my ribcage was crushed. I stayed still, assuming something was broken. It hurt to take a breath. I didn’t seem to be bleeding. There were fireman and EMS people there within seconds. They had been gathering in the town center for a parade. I don’t remember being moved from under the minivan. The pain in my chest was so bad that I ended up clutching it. A fireman advised against that. Broken ribs puncture lungs. I always ride with a Rosary in my pocket.
I fumbled for it, found it and pulled it out. If I was going to die (and the possibility certainly seemed on the table) then I wanted to clear up a few things. So I said the Apostle’s Creed, and the EMS team said it with me. There were no blood bubbles in my mouth. My lungs seemed to be okay. I was still somewhat lucid. The EMS team methodically and professionally went about assessing my condition. I had no bones sticking through the skin. The immediate concern seemed to be with my chest. An expert trained in the art of helmet removal removed mine. If I was going to die, it didn’t seem like it was going to happen in that instant. I was on the ground a good twenty minutes while these folks evaluated my neck, back, pelvis and head. An immobilization collar went around my neck. I was strapped to a body board and in that process realized I could move both legs and had feeling in each. While I was concerned about my legs, I had a deeper interest in something else, but that seemed totally unaffected. While this was going on, a gentleman in a suit and bearing a walkie talkie kept popping up and looking down at me. About the fourth time this happened, I asked, “Who are you? If you are the undertaker then get lost. I’ll call you when I’m ready.” The EMS crew burst out laughing. This guy was the mayor, trying to start the parade. The parade did start, but without the ambulance crew. They were taking me to a hospital. If you have to have a motorcycle accident, I recommend you do it in a town about to have a parade. The ambulance was so close that I might have landed inside it if the doors were open. It took eight firemen to pick me up and load me into the ambulance. Bregstein swore he never heard eight big guys start to cry at the same time before. Once inside, the EMS team hooked me up to machines to send data to the hospital. It was crowded in
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the meat wagon, and my arms kept getting in the way. Finally, one of the technicians said, “Give me your hands. I am going to hold them between my knees. You can tell all your friends you rode to the hospital with your hands between a brunette’s legs.” I replied, “You wouldn’t think that was such a good idea if I wasn’t strapped to this board.” I kept passing in and out of consciousness, and the same brunette voice said, “Stay with me, Jack.” Those are four words I will always treasure when a woman says them to me. (I haven’t heard it lately.) I never knew what that brunette looked like. I never opened my eyes on the way to the hospital. A doctor and two technicians cut the gear off me in the emergency room. I was so relieved
to be alive at that point that I said, “I’ll be a lot thinner and have a better tan the next time you see me.” I had no concussion… No broken bones… And no bleeding. According to the radiologist, I had bruised ribs. When I asked what was the difference between broken ribs and bruised ribs, he replied, “Not much.” It hurt like hell for two months. The emergency room doctor examined my helmet carefully. It was scuffed but not cracked. He said, “This is some helmet.” “It’s a Nolan,” I replied. I told the doctor that it was very soothing to be treated by someone who had an authentic southern accent. He replied, “I’m British. I think we’ll keep you for the night.” Dick Bregstein was with me throughout all of this. Of the accident, he said, “It was like a bad magic trick. First you were in
front of me, and then you were gone.” A good friend will help you move. A friend like Bregstein will help you move a body.
I would like to thank all of you who are patiently waiting to buy my books, Conversations With A Motorcycle (Revised), and the sequel, Motorcycles speak louder than words. I have new publishing partners, and they want to release both of these works at the BMW MOA Rally in Salt Lake City. My first published work, Politically Correct Cigar Smoking For Social Terrorists, will be released as Cigar smoking In Polite Society this fall. The title has been softened so I can occasionally fly. The content has not. Not going to the rally? Reserve your book now by emailing your name, address, and phone number to jack.riepe@gmail.com. Mark the subject line, “Book order.”
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mileageslaves
Just chillin’ out By David Cwi #28490 “BUT
DAVE,
that’s what you do.” Ya, right. Get on a motorcycle with the temperature at 19 degrees, maybe black ice who knows where, and head to Florida for Bike Week. I’m in the process of grumbling to “Smoke” Brase about this upcoming ride that maybe this year is not going to happen, and that’s his response. I’m not sure exactly what he means. Is he saying, “Dave, you’re the rider stupid enough to do that” or “Dave, whaddaya mean you’re not going to Bike Week? You ALWAYS go!” I’ve always lived north of I-70. Bike Week in March is the launch of my season. The pattern is the same: down in two days and back in one. Of late, Bike Week has meant Jacksonville and the IBA event rather than Daytona, so you are talking maybe 900 miles. I’ve done it on airheads, K bikes, and now oilheads. I’ve done it before the widespread use of heated clothing—and wonder now how I survived that—and this year I did it joyfully with heated grips and seat, plus every bit of strategy and electric warmth I could muster. Met up with Papa Smurf near Cincinnati, and we never saw a temperature above freezing ‘til the next day, way south of Atlanta. And this year’s trip got me thinking about one particular adventure when the ride back probably almost killed me. By that year I was living in Indianapolis and riding an early K bike. I remember both legs of that trip very well. Coming out of Indy I stopped for the night north of Nashville. Was it
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
Raider Karma? Don’t know, but for some reason I woke up to look out the motel window just as the snow was starting to fall and the wind was howling. I got out well before first light and beat it over Eagle Mountain as the snow fell wet and the wind blew it hard enough to paint the I-25 exit signs white. But the roads were wet, not snow covered and frozen. By daylight I was south enough to be out of that weather and drinking hot chocolate at some Exxon near Chattanooga. But the forecast for the trip back was not good. Not 19 degrees like this year, but below or near freezing once I got to Nashville. Coming back is always the same story. Somewhere north of Knoxville and I-40 the temperature starts to drop. If I roll instead through Chattanooga and go that way over Eagle and then the rise out of Nashville, it is the same story, and it can get cold fast. Back in the day, I relied on a Pichler fairing that knifed the air but stripped me of heat. Mind you, I did not exactly help matters by how I attacked the ride. Bike Week back then was a camping event. We would get up early, knock down the tents, pack the bikes, and try to maximize daylight. There was no assurance that I in fact ate much for breakfast or even that I’d had a good night’s sleep. The goal was get home fast, so that meant making few stops, and I had an eight gallon tank on the bike. Slowly, ever so slowly, the temperature was dropping, and I laid out on a tank bag behind that very sporty fairing, losing heat faster than I was making it. I was totally unaware of what was happening to my sad carcass—at least until I stopped for gas somewhere north of Nashville. I’m thinking it was somewhere like Smiths Crove, Kentucky, because I ended up that night limping into Cave City. It was simple. The body’s muscle memory must have a skill set apparently all its
own unrelated to the mind. I KNOW I was cold. but the carcass appeared to be functioning, and until I stopped, I don’t think I was shivering. Fuel light came on. Time to find gas. I pulled in, stopped at the pump and decided to walk into the station for a cup of coffee and to warm up. That went okay. But what came out of my mouth as I tried to talk to the attendant was to my ear a shaking gibberish, and the coffee was sloshing out of the cup and all over the floor. It was as if I was disconnected from this shaking mass eyeballing the guy across the counter. I managed to stammer out a question about motels, as I was now aware that I better not try to ride home to Indy. No cell phones back in the day—pay phone and charge cards and punching in a bunch of numbers. That night I slept in a motel room under every cover available, fully clothed in all my riding gear and boots and still shaking and shivering. I vowed never to let the cold get the best of me again. Now, this year, I was staring at the coldest, longest ride I’ve ever attempted. What to do? Papa Smurf was not backing out. If he says he’ll meet me at the Flying J near Cincinnati, he will be at the Flying J. I hate peer pressure, but I was looking forward to seeing Papa for what has now become an annual adventure—two days down and one day back. I’m ALWAYS prepared for cold weather and have made a point of paying attention to the temperature while riding. My oilhead makes that easy. Cycle through those info screens, and one of them tells you the temperature in your digital display. How cool is that!!?? It even shows me a little snowflake when the temps get down into the 30’s. For me, heated grips are so effective that I can ride comfortably into the mid 40’s without even thinking about adding a
heated liner. Heated glove liners are very neat and thin. Adding and heating up that glove liner takes me easily into the 30s. If I know I am going to be in temps colder than that, I pull out an old pair of Gerbing heated gauntlets which are so warm I have used them unheated with heated grips at temps near freezing. Heated up, they were fabulous while riding at 19 degrees. I have layering down to an art form and routinely eyeball whatever is out there in service to pedal bikers, runners, skiers and others. So I start with a layer that takes away sweat, and for me that’s a set of pants and a top sold to LD riders. It is stretchy and not too tight. If the temps are going to be all day in the 30’s and 40’s I will likely put a layer on top of that, and for me the very best next layer is OMNI-WOOL. You can find it online, and I get it at Sam’s Club, where it is a seasonal item. Because I wear a textile jacket the challenge is to keep the wind and air from stripping heat. Sometimes all I need to do is put on my rain suit jacket to block the wind while also relying on the heated grips. If I need one more layer, it is always on the bike, and that layer will be an electric jacket. Likely I am also wearing two layers of socks—a very thin sock, and on top of that (if it is really cold) socks sold to skiers OR Gerbing electric socks. Generally that is enough, and I don’t need to plug anything in. However, if fully layered, I am starting to feel bulked up like the Michelin Man or Pillsbury Dough Boy. One other trick: I bought a set of gaiters intended to seal pants to boots and use those to close off my riding pants at the boot, as they tend to rise up when I sit on the bike and create a heat loss. The most critical takeaway here is that you need to buy your riding jacket to accommodate whatever it is you are layering with under that jacket; that means bringing along your electric gear and putting those on first before trying on that new jacket at the shop. However, the core of my attack against the cold is any one of my three electric jacket liners. That’s the kind of paranoid rider I am. I’ve come to hate the new style
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electric jackets with their fancy wiring that emits a gentle heat and is intended to warm with little between you and the jacket. I have one with a wireless controller. First off, I worry that the battery operated controller is not in fact working. More to the point: When I want heat, by golly, I want HEAT. The old school Gerbing gear with their heavy duty wires made you feel like you were stepping into an old school bread toaster. You would image the wires glowing and could wonder why you were not getting burns. The modern jacket liner, NOT Gerbing, made for a good liner, so might as well pack it. For this trip I opted for old school and NO controller—just plug and play or pray, whichever came first. Last year for the Black Friday run after Thanksgiving—all day in the 40s—I’d experimented with two liner items, as I wanted to avoid ever again putting on the rain suit jacket to block the wind. I had been given a top made of a thin, stretchy layer runners use that I surmised would “breathe” but hold in some warmth atop my OMNI WOOL. Next up, the electric jacket liner and the piece de resistance….a breathable jacket made of recycled pop bottles purchased at a State Park store. I hoped that this layer would be a sufficient wind block. So, enough thin layers between me and the toaster, a thin wind block and a textile jacket on top. Maybe I’m not going to feel like the Dough Boy. It worked. What REALLY worked for this trip where temperatures were clearly going to be Antarctic cold given the wind chill was a set of electric pants
liners I’d not used in 25 years. In fact, the last time I used them they caused a second degree burn where I guess some wire connection was in fact glowing, and that point of contact was, shall we say, upper hip. That brings us to our final piece of advice. How are you going to connect all this stuff and plug into your bike? Which takes us to another question: Are all your plug-ins switched or not switched? I’m a not switched kind of a guy just so I can plug in an air pump or whatever with the bike off. Let’s get back to the tale of all that gear and connecting it all.
your seat to where it is in easy reach. I’ve done that and plugged in the pants. Since the pants are SAE, I dredged up a bag of SAE to COAX adapter wires I carry. Folks, I have to admit that when socks, pants liner, jacket, and gloves, heated seat and heated grips are all lit up I bet a heatseeking satellite could track me just fine. I wondered if that old problem with the pants would emerge again. It did. Another burn this time, but not as bad as I had some layers twixt me and the fire. Yes, I do have a high pain threshold, and Yes, it will be another 25 years before I use those pants liners, and NO I’m not running around at 19 degrees again. But back to our ride. The folks at the gas pump asked, “Aren’t you guys cold?” Guess it’s time to practice a new line or two. “Nope. It’s a great day to be on a motorcycle. Crisp and bright. We’ve got our electric gear on and it’s just great.” When you gear up right, it is - and it was! As we rolled south and finally into Florida, we saw temps in the 40s, so we unplugged and un-layered. By the time we got to 50, to us it was 70. I mean, we even turned off the heated grips. Florida native riders were just a hoot. Bulky jackets, gauntlet gloves, balaclavas—you would have thought it was, well, 19 degrees. Hot weather is coming. One of the guys at the IBA event showed up with some contraption that pushes cool water through tubes all around him. That’s one off-thewall concept. Coming to the National? We’re doing a run through the plains, but then down to the Four Corners via great mountain roads ending in a Raider Rendezvous in Vegas. After that, a group ride on Utah’s scenic twisties, ending in Salt Lake. It is going to be HOT. I already know how I’ll deal with it. Let’s compare notes when I next see you down the road.
THE OLD SCHOOL GERBING GEAR WITH THEIR HEAVY DUTY WIRES MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE STEPPING INTO AN OLD SCHOOL BREAD TOASTER.
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The wiring to my electric socks connects to the accessory plug coming out of the jacket and the gloves can plug into the wires at the end of the sleeves. If I have the jacket on, all those elements are on, too, so they don’t need separate wiring. I did NOT want to add the pants via a splitter to the jacket accessory plug-in and then plug all of that into ONE accessory plug. Seemed like a whole lot of unknown wattage to me, so why not split the load with another fused plug-in? Well, I have one just for this occasion and make sure it is part of every bike I set up. Your jacket probably comes with an ”extension” wire intended to be connected up to your battery as a fused lead so that you could run this wire out from under
hit the links sporting MOA gear
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Order online at bmwmoa.org www.bmwmoa.org www.bmwmoa.org
RALL
2017 BMW MOA INTERNATIONAL Rally
A quick FAQ to help you Find Your Crossroads in Salt Lake City Everything you need to know about Salt Lake City and the 2017 BMW MOA International Rally. Rally Chairs
Greg Feeler, Rally Chair Brian Burdette, Rally Co-chair Pat Carol, Rally Co-chair Email the Rally Chairs at 2017rallychairs@bmwmoa.org
Dates
July 13 – 16, 2017
When does the rally begin and end?
The Rally opens Thursday, July 13, at 8 a.m., and ends Sunday, July 16, at noon. Note: Sunday is primarily a clean-up day. Vendors will not be open and no activities are planned.
Rally location
Utah State Fairpark 155 N 1000 W Salt Lake City, UT 84116 utahstatefairpark.com
What do I get for my rally fee?
Are day passes available?
What forms of payment are accepted for gate fees?
How do I volunteer to help?
For full-fee registration (excluding children and day passes), you receive admission to the rally for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, individual first-come-first-served tent camping, entry into numerous door prize drawings, eligibility for our Grand Prize (vendor) drawings and for the BMW MOA prize bikes, which this year will be two new R nineT models!
Personal checks, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, and cash are accepted.
What is the earliest I can arrive and set up camp?
Degrees Latitude Long 40.7739100°, -111.9212200° Degrees Minutes 40°46.43460’, -111°55.27320’ Degrees Minutes Seconds 40°46’26.0760”, -111°55’16.3920” Garmin: N40°46.4346’, W111°55.2732’
Anyone arriving prior to Thursday, July 13, should be an identified volunteer with a rally committee and will be expected to volunteer for set-up duties. Rally set-up is a big effort, and the set-up volunteers need an opportunity to get their work done in a timely fashion. Please give us a chance to “get the party ready” before you arrive. Rally set-up volunteers will begin arriving on Monday, July 10. Regular rally services such as food vendors, restrooms, showers, etc. will be very limited until the rally officially opens.
What is the cost to attend?
When does registration open?
GPS coordinates
MOA Members: $55 before July 14, $65 at the gate Non-Members: Guests $75 before July 14, $85 at the gate. Children ages 6-15: $10 before July 14; $15 at the gate Children ages 5 & under: No charge Saturday-only Day Passes: $35
Online registration opened on February 1, 2017, on the MOA website, bmwmoa.org, and closes July 13. Hardcopy registration forms have been available in the BMW Owners News starting in March. Take advantage of this opportunity to get your early registration discount.
Yes, there will Day Passes for Saturday only. Here are the rules: 1. Day passes will be available at Rally Registration on Saturday only. 2. Walk-in access only: Bikes or cars must remain outside the gate. 3. A day pass will allow access to the event, but will not include door prize tickets, pin, patch, or rally program. 4. Cost will be $35 per adult or child. Send a message to rallyvolunteers@bmwmoa.org to contact our Volunteers Chair Paul Ruffell. You may also contact individual committee chairs from the list posted on the rally section of bmwmoa.org. Or, when you get to the Rally, the Volunteer Booth will be in the MOA Building (Zion Building) with the MOA functions (Door Prizes, MOA Gear Store, etc.), and they can sign you up to work shifts of your choice. If you arrive on site early, you will be expected to volunteer for the event. Stop anyone in a cart upon arriving at the Rally and they will help you find a place to help, or direct you to the volunteer sign-up area. The Rally can’t go on without the many volunteers who make it possible.
Can I ship packages to the Rally?
Packages should be shipped to arrive no earlier than Monday, July 10. Label all packages as follows: YOUR NAME (i.e. John Doe ) Utah State Fairpark, BMW MOA 155 N 1000 W Salt Lake City UT 84116
Where do I pick up items shipped to the Rally?
MOA Receiving will be located in the south end of the Discovery Building. Your packages will be available for pick up during these hours: Monday, July 10 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 11 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 12 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, July 13 through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Can I ship packages home from the Rally?
Yes, there will be a shipping service available on the site which will be open through Sunday morning.
What if there is an emergency at home and I need to be reached or I need assistance on the way to the Rally?
At the Rally, we recommend that you have a “Rally Buddy” whose phone number you can leave at home. If the caller from home can’t reach your cell, they should try the number of your “Rally Buddy.” If on the road, besides your “Rally Buddy,” we recommend the use of the BMW MOA Anonymous Book.
How many people are expected to attend the Rally?
We are expecting more than 5,000 to attend the Crossroads of the West Rally.
Do I have to be a BMW MOA member to attend?
The BMW MOA rally is a private event open to our members and guests (nonmembers). Rally attendance is contingent on abiding by the rules and policies of the BMW MOA, and at the discretion of the Rally Chairs. We reserve the sole right to deny admission and/or remove persons from the rally grounds based on our discretion. Members receive a $20 registration discount. Non-members may join the MOA during registration, either online, or at the rally gate registration and receive the member discount. One year individual
membership is $40 for a U.S. resident. Please see the BMW MOA web page for the list of extensive member benefits which easily off-set the annual membership fee.
DoI have to ride a BMW motorcycle to attend?
Although the BMW MOA International Rally is focused on BMW motorcycles, we welcome all riders and their guests. All bikes must meet local noise abatement regulations. Rally attendance is contingent on abiding by the rules and policies of the BMW MOA, and at the discretion of the Rally Chairs.
Do I have to ride a motorcycle to attend? Not at all.
Can I bring a guest?
As noted above, you can bring a guest and they will be made to feel welcome.
When will the Rally site map be available?
The site map will be made available on the MOA website and will appear in the June issue of BMW Owners News. If you elect to receive email rally updates when you register, we will email you a copy of the rally site map along with other rally news.
Where will the seminars be located?
There will be Seminar Rooms in several different locations this year. Please reference the Seminar Schedule in the July issue of BMW Owners News, the MOA website, and consult your Rally program upon arriving.
Where will commercial vendors be located?
Commercial vendors will be located inside the Promontory, Grand, and Deseret buildings and Barn #8. Outside Vendors will be located along the east and south sides of the eastern camping area across from the Grand Building.
Will WiFi be available at the Rally site?
Wireless services for attendees are provided on a best effort basis. Some sites are very limited in what can be offered, so if Internet access is important for you while attending the rally, please consider an individual solution such as a smart phone data plan.
Are campfires allowed on the Rally Site? No. Fires are not allowed on site.
Can I reserve a camping site?
Individual camping is on a first come basis. There are plenty of grassy areas for tent camping in the designated camping area. Please do not attempt to block space for late arrivals. Chartered Clubs can reserve space by contacting 2017rallychairs@bmwmoa. org
Should I worry about leaving my gear unattended? As always, there will be limited public access during the Rally. Although there will be security, normal precautions and common sense should prevail regarding your belongings.
Will there be a designated quiet camping area?
No. The grounds are large enough that no designated area will be identified. First timers should remember that ear plugs will make your night restful. We ask all of our Rally Goers to practice common courtesy throughout the Rally grounds.
Will there be showers and toilets near the camping area?
Showers and port-a-potties will be placed near the camping areas. Other rest room facilities (flush toilets) are available throughout many of the buildings open during the rally. Please understand that port-a-potties must be located where they can be easily serviced throughout the rally.
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If I drive a car to the Rally will I be able to camp?
Yes. Early setup volunteers upon arriving at the rally, may drive to their selected camping area and set up camp. Once your car is unloaded, it must be relocated to the designated parking lot north of the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles building. ALL CARS MUST BE OUT OF THE RALLY WRIST BAND AREA BY NOON WEDNESDAY, JULY 12th!
Will there be a Special Medical Needs camping area with electricity?
by StreetMasters and Street Skills with offroad training offered by the BMW Performance Center. Please check the BMW MOA web site for more details.
Will BMW motorcycle demo rides be available?
Yes. BMW Motorrad is planning to offer demo rides during the Rally.
Will “Friends Of Bill W” hold meetings on-site?
Yes. Please refer to your rally program for times and the location.
Yes. The areas near the light poles which border the main grass camping areas will be marked for SMN camping only. Since these spots are for SMN campers only, using them may prevent you from camping adjacent to friends.
Will there be an RV area?
Yes. There are a limited number of electric-only hook-up sites available. RV registration opened at the same time as rally registration on February 1, 2017.
Will rider training be available at the Rally?
Yes. Street riding skills will be taught
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Can I buy tires at the Rally?
Yes. There will be vendors selling and mounting tires at the rally site. Additionally, BMW Motorcycles of Utah will be accommodating rally attendees with extended service departments hours and giving rally attendees priority. BMW Motorcycles of Utah is located 15 minutes south of the BMW MOA Rally at 339 West 9000 South, just West of the 90th South Exit on I-15. Their hours will be 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. with extra staff and BMW certified technicians. For more information, please call (801) 618-2700 or email Andy@HarrisonEurosports.com.
Motorcycle helmets are required by law in the state of Utah by any rider or passenger under 17 years of age. Maximum speed limit on Interstates is 75 MPH.
No. The use of generators is prohibited in the tent camping areas.
No. The MOA Board of Directors Rally policy states that cordoning off camping space for future arrivals is strictly prohibited. Group camping for MOA clubs is available. Contact the Chartered Club Group Camping Chair for information.
Yes. A ‘Do-It-Yourself ’ area will be provided.
Is there a helmet law in Utah and what are other laws I should be aware of?
Can generators be used in the tent camping areas?
Can I reserve camping space for my friends or group?
Can I change my oil and wash my bike at the Rally?
What is the Rally firearms policy? Are pets allowed at the Rally?
Pets are allowed, but we strongly urge you to use common sense when it comes to your pets. You are responsible for noise (barking) and cleaning up after your pet. Pets should not be left unattended and must be on a leash at all times for the pet’s own safety. Owners of problem pets will be asked to leave. Only Service Animals will be permitted in the buildings and must be identified as such.
Will GEARS Training be available for young riders?
Yes. GEARS Training will be held on Wednesday, July 12, and Thursday, July 13, and is open to young riders between 14 and 18. Visit bmwmoa.org/GEARS for more information.
The BMW MOA follows the federal, state, county, and city firearms regulations governing the rally site.
Are ATMs available at the Rally?
Several ATMs will be available at the fairgrounds. Check your rally program for locations.
Does Utah have a sales tax? Yes, the sales tax is currently 4.7%.
Is there a nearby BMW Motorrad dealerships near the Rally? BMW Motorcycles of Utah 339 W 900 S Sandy, UT 84070 801-618-2700 harrisoneurosports.com
35 YEARS OF GREAT FOOD AND FUN
DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN ! Purchase your Superstakes tickets online at
bmwmoaf.org
35th ANNUAL
NEBRASKA BMW NIGHTRIDERS HUSKERALLY Omaha August 11th – 13th 2017 Lincoln Location: Franklin County Fairgrounds Franklin, Nebraska
Kearney I-80 Exit 272 South
or by calling
Contact: Jayney Solo 3608 S 87th Ave Omaha NE 68124 402-393-1297, 402-676-1739 • bmwnightriders@cox.net
Good luck and thanks for supporting the BMW MOA Foundation.
CAMPING, LOTS OF GOOD SHADE, HOT SHOWERS, FRIDAY STEW POTS, SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST, SATURDAY NIGHT SUPPER, MUSIC FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT, CHILDREN’S FIELD EVENTS. AIR CONDITIONED ENCLOSED DINING AND MEETING AREAS!!! RALLY PINS TO THE FIRST 200 IN ATTENDANCE.
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June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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tveld James In
Lee Harrelson #145612 2017 International Rally Entertainment Chair
W
ell, July is getting closer every day, and now is the time to make your plans to attend the 2017 Crossroads of the West BMW MOA International Rally in Salt Lake City, Utah. As always, the rally will be packed with fun activities every day, but when the sun sets over the mountains, be sure to make your way to center stage, as beginning each evening at 7 p.m. we’ll have a stage full of talented musicians ready to make you dance and groove until after 10 p.m. This year’s Rally Chairs have gone out of their way to choose entertaining artists that promise to keep you looking for a dance partner!
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Wednesday, July 12 Daniel Market Daniel Market is a talented musician who has been touring for nearly twenty years. Playing original music, he’s performed at festivals and venues from Boston to Boulder, playing music from his extensive songbook ranging from blues to folk, acoustic rock to humorous. The common thread in all of Market’s music is the complex lyricism. In the late 80’s, Market moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and regularly plays the Bluebird Café, Douglas Corner Café and others along with other songwriter venues. While living in Nashville, he also earned a Master’s Degree in Microbiology
from Vanderbilt University. He recorded three independently-released CDs during that time, and two were chosen as the “Top Independent Release” by The Performing Songwriter magazine. Other artists receiving honors from that magazine include Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, James Taylor and more. Of Market’s music, a reviewer stated, “There are unforgettable lines leaping out of each and every song on Wonderland Avenue.” Another reviewer described Market as “an artist with a voice and vision like no one else’s.” Daniel recently moved to the Muscle Shoals, Alabama, area and has recently released a fifth solo CD of new music, titled Almost Alive from Sunset Beach.
NT
Thursday, July 13 The Moonshine Gang The Moonshine Gang is a true gem in Utah. They play fun bluegrass music that is infectious and sure to make you want to grab your partner and take him or her out on the dance floor. Check them out here: youtube.com/ watch?v=9RYqIdLVLpo.
lower 48 states, then hopping across the pond to Europe and beyond. They bring with them a brand of American music that has earned them an induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, several national television appearances, guest spots on The Grand Ole Opry and a slew of adoring fans. “I truly love being out on the road, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to sing my songs all over the world,” said Sandy. “But when I’m away from the U.S. for too long, it’s like I need a recharge... like I need a solid dose of everything Americana. Give me a Chuck Berry song while rolling down the interstate or a truck stop conversation with a waitress who once danced with Lefty Frizzell, and I’m good for another three thousand miles.
Saturday, July 15 The Utah Swing Orchestra The Swillers
Friday, July 14 The Utah County Swillers Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys The Utah County Swillers have been able to draw heavily on the history and culture of Utah to create a truly unique sound. With songs dealing with such diverse topics as booze, pills, polygamy, more booze, more polygamy and more pills, the Swillers have truly captured the twisted zeitgeist that is...Utah County. Then, hold your place as we quickly swap over to Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys.
Big Sandy and his Fly Rite boys
Over the last three decades, Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys have kept up a constant cycle of traveling back and forth across the
James Intveld Saturday it is on full blast! Go to seminars, visit the rally vendors, have your bike serviced, ride the fantastic roads and tour Salt Lake City, but just make sure you’re back at the Crossroads Music Stage by 7 p.m. and settle in for an evening of great music, beginning with The Utah Swing Orchestra. The Utah Swing Orchestra combines six of the finest jazz musicians around, playing the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glen Miller, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and many others. Whatever your excuse to jump, jive and wail, this jazz band will keep you dancing and your feet tapping all night long. Patterned after music of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s, the Utah Swing Orchestra specializes in Dixieland jazz, swing, and the American Songbook. Most of the musicians have music performance degrees, are some of the first-call jazz musicians in the state, and have been entertaining crowds since 2008. Then get ready for a show you’ll remember as the highlight of your 2017 Rally experience!
Daniel Market
With a singular combination of soul-deep dedication, striking good looks and a remarkably expressive vocal style, country singer-songwriter James Intveld is a formidable talent. A performer with virtually a lifelong resume, Intveld’s been playing music since early childhood, with a passion that’s carried him from a start as a talent-show winning teenager to headlining international tours and sharing stages with some of country music’s biggest stars. Recognized as one of Los Angeles’ most reliable and gifted players, Intveld has an impressive track record as sideman with Harry Dean Stanton’s honky-tonk renegades The Repomen, as a lead guitarist for acclaimed roots-rock spearheads The Blasters, and on his own, as a solid attraction who routinely draws standing room only crowds. As an actor, Intveld has made numerous film and television appearances and has worked both sides of the camera; notably, he provided vocals for Johnny Depp’s title character in John Water’s cult classic CryBaby, and his film career even extended to the director’s chair where he personally helmed the 2005 the western Miracle at Sage Creek starring David Carradine. The 2017 Crossroads of the West Rally promises a fantastic experience for all. See you in Salt Lake City!
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The 2017 Charity Club Challenge By Karol Patzer #27994 2017 Rally Charity Chair AS THEY DO EACH YEAR, THE
Port Washington BMW Club challenges your club to meet or exceed its long-standing challenge for each BMW MOA Chartered Clubs to donate $100 for our National Charity. This summer in Salt Lake City, the charity funds collected will be shared by two worthy charities: The Christmas Box House and the Motorcycle Relief Project. The Christmas Box House provides assistance to help prevent child abuse and offers services to improve the quality of life for children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Their motto is simple: “Every child deserves a childhood.” Knowing how therapeutic riding our motorcycles is, The Motorcycle Relief Project provides this therapy to veterans suffering PTSD and other injuries. The MRP takes veterans on motorcycle adventure trips as a way to help them decompress, learn tools for
managing stress, and connect with other veterans with whom they may have something in common. During the rally, be on the lookout for roving 50/50 ticket sales people, as Miranda and her team of volunteers will be on-site at the Utah State Fairpark selling tickets. You’ll have an opportunity to win some beer money while helping a child or veteran in need. Additional donation sites include the Cyber-café, sewing booth, charging station, and coffee stand, and several other volunteer areas will provide an opportunity to contribute to these worthy causes. Challenge your club members to save some change between now and the rally and consider contributing at least $100. Even $1 per member would help and could make a difference. If you or your club would like to donate money in advance, send a check payable to the BMW MOA, indicating National Charity in the memo section, to: Karol Patzer, BMW MOA Charity, P.O. Box 21187, Eagan, MN 55121.
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The Christmas Box International
The check representing the total collected will be presented to each charity’s representatives at the closing ceremony on Saturday. Let’s see what we can do to help some children and veterans find their Crossroads! Thanks for your help…and we’ll see you at Salt Lake City!
The
Benefits of
Membership Lenovo Lenovo offers instant savings on its suite of notebooks, tablets, laptops, and accessories. Save up to 25% on the latest in computing technology. BMW MOA members also receive free shipping on web orders, direct access to Lenovo’s skilled and trained Sales specialists and 24/7/365 technical support.
We have lined up some of the best discounts in the industry worth way more than $40 per year. Whether you need product discounts, travel discounts or specialized services, your MOA membership can save you thousands of dollars with our partners.
MOA Partner Discounts Medjet Assist
Reduced annual Medjet membership rates for members.
Product Discounts Lee Parks Total Control Riding School Get a FREE Total Control book when you participate in a class.
Leisure & Lifestyle Discounts National Motorcycle Museum
Member receive $1 off entry to the National Motorcycle Museum
Travel Discounts Motel 6
10% discount at any of the 1,100+ pet-friendly Motel 6 locations in the U.S. and Canada
Service Providers Northamerican Van Lines Offering savings on your next move.
For the complete listing of all member discounts, visit us online www.bmwmoa.org/discounts atwww.bmwmoa.org/discounts bmwmoa.org/discounts
RALLY
2017BMW MOA INTERNATIONAL RALLY
Riding opportunities abound in Utah By MOA Staff Writers THOUSANDS
OF
MOTORCYCLE
riders live in Utah, but there are many more who don’t. With the MOA’s rally in Salt Lake City coming up this July, many riders who don’t live there will have an excuse to come early, stay late and enjoy all of Utah’s spectacular onand off-road riding opportunities. In the May 2017 issue of Owners News, we ran Wes Fleming’s review of Dave Magdiel’s book, Ride Utah! One of his criticisms was that the book didn’t have detailed maps. One easy way to overcome that problem is to invest in a pair of maps by Butler Maps. As part of the Backcountry Discovery Routes series, Butler’s Utah BDR map is detailed and thorough, allowing riders who prefer gravel and dirt roads to follow a meticulously scouted and precisely mapped route through Utah from Arizona to Idaho. It’s no coincidence that the BDR series
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includes Arizona and Idaho, so if you have the time and inclination, you could start down by Mexico and ride all the way to Canada, hopping off the BDR trail near Kamas, Utah, for about a 50-mile jaunt over to Salt Lake City at rally time. The Utah BDR map is $14.95 and available directly from Butler, as well as from other sources. (butlermaps.com) If you’re interested in seeing where the map took a group of riders from Touratech, Butler and Klim, you can also pick up the Utah BDR documentary DVD from Butler or Touratech USA, both of which stock the materials from the entire series. You can learn all about this series of maps and DVDs on the BDR website, ridebdr.com. Be sure to check out the interactive maps and downloadable GPS routes. If you like Butler’s maps—after all, they are waterproof, markable (use grease pencils), tear-resistant and fold down to a size that’s easy to stash in a tank bag or jacket pocket—but you aren’t into off-road riding, don’t fear. Butler’s Utah G1 map is in its fifth edition and ranks Utah’s roads on a G1-G2-G3 scale. G1 roads are highlighted in bright yellow, making them easy to spot on the map, and Butler says they feature “steep climbs, tight switchbacks, deep canyons and million-dollar views.” All of Butler’s maps feature a statewide map on one side and blown-up, detailed sections on the reverse. The G1 map is also $14.95, so for just under $30 you can get both maps and spend the better part of July exploring Utah. The internet is probably the place where most of us go first to find information, so be sure to point your web browser to Utah’s tourism website, visitutah.com. There you’ll find a wealth of information about Utah’s five national parks, the weather (yes, it will be hot in July), and more. You can get free travel guides and
highway maps through the website in exchange for your street and email addresses. The website is mobile-friendly, so it is easy to access from your smartphone or tablet while on the road this summer. Speaking of mobile devices, take the time to check out the National Parks app from National Geographic. The app is free and contains some general information, but you’ll have to shell out $1.99 for each individual park guide you want. You can also pay $13.99 to get the entire set of all available parks. The app is easy to use and navigate, and each park’s guide is packed full of info and suggestions specific to that park. You can buy guides for Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Zion National Parks in the app, but there is a decent amount of park info available in the base app if you don’t wish to purchase the full guide for any park. About 15 miles from the rally grounds at Fairpark is BMW Motorcycles of Utah (339 W 9000 S, Sandy, Utah). You can find them on the web (bmwmotorcyclesofutah.com) or on the other end of a phone call to (801)
562-0100. As part of Harrison Eurosports (they also carry Ducati and Triumph) the staff at BMWMC Utah is ready for the onslaught of rally-goers. “We’ve been talking and planning for months,” said Ryan Stanley, General Manager of BMWMC Utah. “One of the things we’re doing to make the rally fun and exciting for the participants is giving away special-edition, BMW Utah T-shirts to the first 1,000 visitors we get during the rally.” Stanley also mentioned Rally Chair Greg Feeler, Advertising Director Chris Hughes and Owners News Managing Editor Bill Wiegand. “I’m impressed with how organized the rally is,” he said. “We’re looking forward to meeting everybody coming to town for the rally.” Service Manager Andy Grover added, “We’ve blocked off that entire week to handle the rally, asking our locals to please come in the week before or the week after. We’re open extended hours as well, from 7:30 in the morning until 7 at night. All 15 of my service staff will be on hand, and if we don’t have a part in stock, we’ll be offering free overnight shipping to get what people need in so they can get back on the road.” He clearly has a lot of faith in his technicians and their ability to perform under the stress of having thousands of out-of-town riders coming through. “I want people going home and saying, ‘Those guys in Utah are top notch!’” he said. BMWMC Utah is planning a “carnivallike” atmosphere, said Marketing Director Taylor Brody. “We’re bringing in vendors for parts, gear and tires and running sales specials on a lot of items as well. With the extended hours, the vendors on-site, and all the special deals, we’re confident it will be a great rally!” This just barely scratches the surface of the resources you can use to make the most of your trip to the Crossroads of the West rally this summer. Please join us online and share your favorite Utah resources by visiting our Twitter feed (@bmwmoa) or our Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/ bmwmoa).
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2017BMW MOA INTERNATIONAL RALLY
Rally seminars offer topics of interest for all riders By Sue Rihn #43753 2017 Rally Seminar Chair RALLY SEMINARS OFFER SOME-
thing for Interested rally-goers at this summer’s BMW MOA International Rally in Salt Lake City will be able to choose from nearly 100 seminars. You’ve read the accounts of members who have traveled to faraway places. Would you like to learn more about how to prepare for a trip like that? Interested in the tour companies that offer amazing opportunities? Would you like to learn more about these places and the tour guides who will ensure your trip is exactly what you want? What about new gear, farkles, gadgets and gizmos? Will they work on your bike, and what happens to the
electronic system when you add these things? Come and listen to industry experts and leaders, and let them answer your questions and tell you everything you want to know about motor oil, seats, ear protection, helmets and tires, to name but a few subjects. Want to learn more about the MOA? Listen to Ted Moyer reveal how to capitalize on the benefits of being an MOA member by using your smartphone. Interested in submitting a story to Owners News and the MOA website? Our editorial staff will explain what it takes to become a contributor, and the Board of Directors will once again welcome questions and comments at the annual rally Town Hall meeting. You definitely don’t want to miss the stories and presentations from other members
willing to share the wisdom gained from personal experiences. Laugh along with Jack Riepe or learn about the magic that keeps a vintage airhead flying from Matt Parkhouse. Long-time rally rat and BMW dealer Bob Henig will regale us with his stories and what it takes to be a dealer in the 21st century. Learn about riding with a sidecar, including Adventure Riding with a hack by Randy “PolarBear” Owens, and don’t miss the Dropped-Bike/Pick-Up session presented by the Women of the BMW MOA. These are just a few of the many highlights you won’t want to miss. For more information on all of these seminars and more, visit bmwmoa.org and click on the RALLY ’17 link.
info@motorelief.org
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2. Bonneville Bldg. - Seminars 3. Promontory Hall - Vendors 4. Grand Bldg. - Vendors 5. Heritage Bldg. - Seminars 7. Deseret Bldg. - Vendors 8. Cattle/Goats Barn - Vendors 9. Cattle/Dairy Barn - Bike Show 16. Show Ring - Seminars 17. South Plaza - Beer Garden/Entertainment Stage 18. Agriculture Barn -Seminars 20. South Paza Food Court - Morning Coffee 23. Pioneer Bldg. - Seminars 25. Restroom 31. Wasatch Building - Seminars 32. Discovery Bldg. - Registration & Receiving 33. DMV/Guest Services Bldg. - First Aid 34. Zion Bldg. - MOA Building 36. Grandstands - GS Giant 38. Cafeteria/Food Court - Food Vendors 42. Restroom 45. Arena - Closing Ceremonies Gate 6 - Pedestrian TRAX Gate Gate B - Main Wristband Gate Gate 1 - Main Site Entrance/Exit
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BMW OWNERS NEWS  June 2017
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You rode through a construction site on a brand new set of tires! This could definitely ruin your ride. But not if you have the MOA’s new Platinum Roadside Assistance and Tire Protection membership. With 24/7 Roadside Assistance, you could be towed to a repair facility and have your tire replaced for free! All for only $79 a year, including your MOA membership. Join online at www.bmwmoa.org bmwmoa.org or convert your current BMW MOA membership by calling 864-438-0962. BMW MOA Platinum Roadside and Tire Protection. Another great benefit of your BMW MOA membership. June 2017  BMW OWNERS NEWS
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June 6/2/2017 – 6/4/2017
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41st Annual Hiawatha Rally
Location: Houston, Minnesota Contact: Greg Anderson 2017hiawatharally@gmail.com Rally pin to the first 330 attendees, two nights of camping along with coffee, tea, water and lemonade, Ride for Pie Friday afternoon as well as Friday evening soup and roast your own hot dogs until gone.
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Mountains and within sight of Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs offers a delightful mix of western charm, sunny skies, crisp mountain air and wonderful roads. An $89 event fee includes a Friday night welcome party and dinner with cash bar, Saturday night dinner and awards with cash bar, $500 worth of door prizes, event t-shirt, special MOA gift and a silent auction to benefit the Motorcycle Relief Project. Event Fee does not include lodging. Visit bmwmoa.org/getaway to register for the event and contact Hotel Elegante at 719-576-5900 for room reservations.
6/2/2017 – 6/4/2017
MOA Getaway
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6/2/2017 – 6/4/2017
2017 Land of Oz Rally
bmwscooter@gmail.com Treat yourself to a weekend the whole family can enjoy at beautiful Warnock Lake, Atchison, Kansas! In the heart of the “best kept secret” of the midwest, you can enjoy scenic touring roads, ADV riding with the GS Giants, Championship KC BBQ (with special kids meals), Field Events, an Old School Bike Show, Live Music, Door Prizes, Awards, 24 hour gourmet coffee or explore historic sites in the most haunted city in the state.
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6/2/2017 – 6/4/2017
43rd Annual Square Route Rally
Location: Sabillasville, Maryland Contact: Bruce Dimon president@bmwbmw.org Join us at Camp West Mar in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland. There are a lot of
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Contact: bmwmoa.org/getaway Sitting at the eastern foot of the Rocky
Location: Atchinson, Kansas Contact: Don Hamblin 256-479-5606
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Detailed information for all events is available online at: bmwmoa.org
BMW OWNERS NEWS June 2017
twisty roads in the surrounding hills, field events, seminars, self-guided & guided guides (adventurous and paved), and an optional (extra cost) professionally guided tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield.
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Rally
6/8/2017 – 6/11/2017
41st Annual Pure Stodge Iowa
Location: Middle Amana, Iowa Contact: purestodge.org, Steve Carson 319-330-2844, psta.rally@gmail.com Wwe offer the best bands (both Friday and Saturday night), the highest quality rally food included Friday and Saturday evenings, shaded camping as well as nearby hotels, Amana shops, hospitality and restaurants to be enjoyed. Excellent door prizes and riding in the scenic Iowa countryside top off this not-to-be-missed rally experience.
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6/9/2017 – 6/11/2017
15th Annual Laurel Highlands BMW Riders Campout Location: Somerset, Pennsylvania Contact: George Blackham IV or Jason Kaplitz (gsjay@kaplitz.com) gjbiv1stsgtusmc@yahoo.com (814) 615 9138 We return to Pioneer Park Campground located in south central Pennsylvania. Pioneer Park is a terrific full-service camping resort with excellent showers and facilities.
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6/9/2017 – 6/11/2017
The Dragon Roars 2017
Location: Tazewell, Virginia Contact: Larry Davidson (276) 988-5726 info@backofthedragon.com This will be the biggest, most action packed Back of the Dragon Event EVER! New This Year! We are opening with the Dragon Derby! A top notch demolition derby like you’ve never seen before featuring the Monster Freestyle FX Stunt Team, 5 time World Champion Stunt Rider Bill Dixon, Country Sensation Kaitlyn Baker (To Pieces, Coal Train, Burn) and the rising stars Outshyne (Moonlight Crush, Night With Your Name On It).
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6/9/2017 – 6/11/2017
Pemi River Rally
Location: Thornton, New Hampshire Contact: Ken Springhetti kz1000@hotmail.com www.yankeebeemers.org Located in New Hampshire’s beautiful White Mountains. A blazing campfire, Friday night burgers and dogs, a pig roast on Saturday night, all-day coffee; Great way to make the most of Laconia Bike week far from the noise and traffic of Wiers Beach.
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6/9/2017 – 6/11/2017
Roadrunner Un-Rally - Devil’s Highway Edition Location: Alpine, Arizona Contact: Brian Boles 480-861-2816 president@azbeemers.org Ride America’s best motorcycle road, The Devil’s Highway, US-191 (a.k.a. US-666). This is a no registration, NO FEE un-rally. Hannagan Meadow lodge has rooms, cabins and camping areas available. On and off road rides in the rugged beauty of the White Mountains will fill the days and relaxing on the porch will cap the nights.
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6/9/2017 – 6/11/2017
25th Gathering of the Clans
Location: Ferguson, North Carolina Contact: Charlie Smith 276-628-3251 bmwcharlie@embarqmail.com Airheads and other members of the motorcycling community are cordially invited to join us for this weekend of celebration at High Country Motorcycle Camp. Roads for any style of riding, plenty of shaded creekside camping, clean hot showers, tech sessions, Friday and Saturday evening meals.
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Rally
6/15/2017 – 6/17/2017
17th Annual Red Rock Rendezvous
Location: Panguitch, Utah Contact: beehivebeemers@hotmail.com The Rally site is the gateway to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Grand Canyon National Parks; plus there are 10 additional state parks within one hour riding! Make plans to attend the best little rally in the west.
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6/18/2017 – 6/23/2017
Appalachian Mountains and Music Motorcycle Tour Location: Front Royal, Virginia Contact: Tamela Rich tamela@tamelarich.com Luxury tour includes accommodations, meals, and two private bluegrass concerts! In addition to these iconic roads, the tour itinerary celebrates Appalachia’s rich history, its fusion of musical genres and dances, its distinctive cuisine, and its oral storytelling heritage. Begins at Front Royal, VA on June 18 and ends in Little Switzerland, NC on June 23.
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6/23/2017 – 6/25/2017
The BMW Riders of Oregon Chief Joseph Rally Location: John Day, Oregon Contact: Doug Tewksbury 541-543-7320 bmwro.rallymaster@gmail.com The fairgrounds has it all - green grass camping, hot showers, clean restroom facilities, a large pavilion building for meals, improved Wi-Fi connections and an RV park.
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6/23/2017 – 6/25/2017
Camp-N-Ride
Location: Merritt, British Columbia, Canada Contact: Gary Smith 250-766-3192 judosmith@telus.net This is a non host event. Come and join fellow riders in a great area of the Nicola Valley in B.C. Canada. Please check our website for updates and further details Valley Bmw Riders.
July 15
7/9/2017 – 7/12/2017
The GS Giant: Snake River Ramble
Location: Ririe, Idaho Contact: Tracy Novacich 302-723-2354 Spend three days in the shadow of the Tetons riding the best of eastern Idaho and Wyoming, both on and off road. Your rally fee includes a daily catered breakfast and dinner, bike games, door prizes, great old and new friends and awesome adventures, plus the obligatory tee-shirt and swag bag.
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7/12/2017 – 7/13/2017
7/20/2017 – 7/23/2017
GEARS Training Salt Lake City 2017
46th Annual Top O’ The Rockies Rally
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Contact: Peter Perrin peterpldma@4000e.com The BMW MOA Foundation will offer free riding instruction for 24 students at the Utah Sate Fairpark. This summer there will be two programs offered the GEARS basic MSF-dirt bike training and an advanced skills program called GEARS ABC.
Location: Paonia, Colorado Contact: Matt Baroody matthewbaroody@msn.com The Paonia area boasts some of Colorado’s best riding, both on and off road. Your rally fee includes three nights shaded camping, Saturday meal and two nights live entertainment. Great place to stop after the MOA rally!
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7/13/2017 – 7/16/2017
BMW MOA International Rally
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Contact: Greg Feeler 2017rallychair@bmwmoa.org Utah is a rider’s wonderland with 21 national parks and monuments, 40 state parks, and seven national forests. Easy day rides from the Fairpark will take you into the mountains to Park City, the Utah Olympic Park, and the year-round resorts of Alta, Solitude, and Snowbird.
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7/15/2017 – 7/16/2017
Vintage Motorbike Show at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Contact: Ted Sohier 412-561-0993 ted.sohier@verizon.net Please join us for the 6th year of the growing Vintage Motorbike Show at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. All makes and models of historic, vintage, and antique vehicles are welcome at the largest spectator event in the city each summer.
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7/20/2017 – 7/23/2017
45th Annual Cascade Country Rendezvous Location: Republic, Washington Contact: wsbmwr.org Join us for the 45th annual Cascade Country Rendezvous in beautiful Republic Washington. Camp at the Ferry County Fairgrounds or stay in a local motels.
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7/27/2017 – 7/30/2017
39th USCA Sidecar Rally
Location: Corning, New York Contact: Jan Daub uscarallymaster@gmail.com The United Sidecar Association, an affiliate charter MOA club, welcomes all brands and makes of sidecars to its annual rally. Group and solo rides, sidecar skills refresher sessions and tech sessions along with games, food and refreshments for attendees.
August 22
8/3/2017 – 8/6/2017
22nd Damn Yankees Rally
Location: Heath, Massachusetts Contact: Rich Roy f650gs@cox.net www.yankeebeemers.org Rustic camping at one of New England’s oldest operating fairgrounds, The Heath Fairground. Outdoor showers. Saturday activities include a guided Dual Sport Ride, a visit to a legendary ISDT Spanish Motorcycle museum, A Magical Mystery Tour, a “MotoGymKhana” and Live Band. All brand riders and their guests Welcome!
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8/5/2017
18th Annual 100,000 Ft. Ride
Location: Lakewood, Colorado Contact: Carl Thomte 303-753-662 rcarloski@msn.com Ride enough mountain passes in a day to equal 100,000 ft.! This ride can go from 300500 miles depending on the final route.
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8/10/2017 – 8/13/2017
Camp-N-Ride
Location: Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada Contact: Gary Smith 250-766-3192 judosmith@telus.net This is a no host event. Come and join in on the camaraderie of fellow riders and visit some of the best riding in British Columbia. Please check our website for further details Valley Bmw Riders.
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8/11/2017 - 8/13/2017
35th Annual Husker Rally
Location: Franklin, Nebraska Contact: Jayney Solo 402-676-1739 jayneysolo@cox.net Join us for our 35th annual rally at the fairgrounds in Franklin, nestled in the beautiful Republican Valley of south central Nebraska. The Nightriders offer a weekend of great food and fun. Meet others who share your love of the open road, good company, shaded camping, hot showers and the best rally food. 8/11/2017 - 8/13/2017
26 40th Annual Daniel Boone Rally Location: Boone, North Carolina Contact: rally@carolinasbmwmoa.org Join us for the 40th Annual Dan’l Boone Rally at the KOA Campground in Boone, North Carolina. Some of the best motorcycle roads east of the Mississippi River with three states in easy distance. Ride the Blue Ridge Parkway, High Country of North Carolina and much more.
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8/17/2017 - 8/20/2017
Nakusp Hotsprings Rally
Location: Nakusp, British Columbia, Canada Contact: Grant Fengstad nakupsrally@beeceebeemers.com The areas around Nakusp, BC boasts some
of the best riding roads in all of British Columbia. Whether you come for the workshops, talks, camaraderie, riding or to relax in this picturesque location you will not regret your visit. 8/17/2017 - 8/20/2017
28 19th Beartooth Rendezvous Location: Red Lodge, Montana Contact: Charlie Greear/Carla Tooth registrar@beartoothbeemers.org (208) 661-5639/(406) 696-2114 You can’t ask for a better view! Join us at the Lions Camp located 10 miles south of Red Lodge, Montana. Ample camping space is available in and around the camp and there’s even a mountain stream nearby.
www.epmperf.com
www.twowheelsofsuches.com
8/18/2017 - 8/20/2017
29 MOA Getaway
Location: Eureka Springs, Arkansas Contact: bmwmoa.org/getaway Nestled in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas and surrounded by rivers and lakes, Eureka Springs is known for its healing waters and ribbons of highway curling around majestic bluffs and over hills revealing the area’s breathtaking scenery. An $89 event fee includes a Friday night welcome party and dinner with cash bar, Saturday night dinner and awards with cash bar, $500 worth of door prizes, event t-shirt, special MOA gift and a silent auction to benefit the Motorcycle Relief Project. Event Fee does not include lodging. Visit bmwmoa.org/getaway to register for the event and contact Inn of the Ozarks at 800-8148307 for room reservations. 8/18/2017 - 8/20/2017
30 Four Winds BMW Riders Rally Location: Fairmount City, Pennsylvania Contact: John Humphrey 412-897-1903 john.4windsbmw@gmail.com Please join us for the longest continuous running BMW rally in America. Beautiful riding in scenic western Pennsylvania, just south of the Allegheny National Forest. Great group and individual riding for road and GS riders. Local lodging is available, as well as RV and camping sites in Red Bank Park.
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www.bohnriderprotection.com
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8/25/2017 - 8/27/2017
Galena Campout
Location: Galena, Illinois Contact: Douglas E. Rost (847) 217-9194 douglasrost@gmail.com Set amongst the beautiful rolling hills of Northern Illinois, just minutes from the mighty Mississippi River is the family friendly Palace Campgrounds. There you will find plenty of shaded camping, mini cottages, RV hook-ups, hot showers, and even a pool and sun deck.
September 32
Rally
9/1/2017 - 9/4/2017
43rd Annual Finger Lakes
Location: Watkins Glen, New York Contact: rally@fingerlakesbmw.org Located 3 miles west of Watkins Glen, NY just off Route 329 in Watkins Glen State Park, it is the perfect base to come and experience the many touring opportunities in one of the most scenic areas of New York State.
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9/8/2017 - 9/10/2017
MOA Getaway
Location: Pineville, Kentucky Contact: bmwmoa.org/getaway Set in the Kentucky Ridge State Forest and surrounded by mountains, this secluded resort offers peace and tranquility and is the perfect place for fun and great riding. A $89 event fee includes a Friday night welcome party and dinner with cash bar, Saturday night dinner and awards with cash bar, $500 worth of door prizes, event t-shirt, special MOA gift and a silent auction to benefit the Motorcycle Relief Project. Event Fee does not include lodging. Visit bmwmoa.org/getaway to register for the event and contact Pine Mountain State Resort Park at 606-337-3066 for room reservations.
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9/8/2017 - 9/10/2017
34 Camp-N-Ride
Location: Midway, British Columbia, Canada Contact: Gary Smith 250-766-3192 judosmith@telus.net This is a no host event. A great time to relax along the Kettle River, or go for a variety of rides in the area. Please check our website for further details Valley BMW Riders. 9/8/2017 - 9/10/2017
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Wisconsin Dells Rally
Location: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Contact: Brian Manke & Heidi Goehring dellsrally@gmail.com Lots of shade & scenic paths await you. There’s more room to camp this year plus live music both nights and a pig roast Saturday. Check out our website for more details Wisconsin BMW Motorrad Club.
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9/8/2017 - 9/10/2017
MOA Premier Getaway
Location: Sedona, Arizona Contact: bmwmoa.org/getaway Surrounded by red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and lush pine forests, the Sedona area offers some of the most scenic rides in the southwest through postcard perfect rock formations and beautiful landscapes. A $129 event fee includes a Friday welcome party and dinner, Saturday dinner and awards, $500 in door prizes, polo shirt, special MOA gift and silent auction benefitting the Motorcycle Relief Project. Visit bmwmoa.org/getaway to register for the event and contact Poco Diablo Resort at 928-282-7333 for room reservations.
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9/8/2017 - 9/10/2017
33rd Annual Bavarian Mountain Weekend Location: Vadito, New Mexico Contact: Richard Larson 505-504-4143 rslarson@gmail.com Friday night green chile stew snack and Saturday night dinner. Live music Friday and Saturday (new band!) evenings. Great door prizes. Tech sessions. Located just 25 miles SE of Taos, NM on state highway 518 there is wonderful mountain area riding,
with nearby Santa Fe, Taos, Las Vegas and points beyond. 9/8/2017 - 9/10/2017
38 35th Green Mountain Rally Location: Goshen, Vermont Contact: Dan Walton rally@vtbmwmov.org In the midst of the Green Mountains, once again enjoy the best home cooking, great Vermont self-guided tours, Gap and GS Rides, live bluegrass music Friday night, door prizes and awards ceremony Saturday night, coffee/tea/soft drinks/popcorn, hot showers, camping, bonfires, and again this year, an hour of New England storytelling. 9/14/2017 - 9/17/2017
39 Ride the Blue Ridge Location: Morganton, North Carolina Contact: Gene Smith 828-439-9754 rallymaster@knobbies.org Ride the Blue Ridge with the Knobbies. Join us once again at Catawba Meadows Park in Morganton, North Carolina, for some of the best riding in the South. Our Knobbies guide GS rides, sport rides and more. 9/15/2017 - 9/17/2017
40 Annual Oktoberfest in September Location: Round Top, New York Contact: Don Eilenberger deilenberger@verizon.net Once again, we’re honoring the actual date of when Oktoberfest begins in Germany (September 16th in Munich) - and planning on excellent September riding weather! We are again gathering at the Crystal Brook German Resort in Round Top NY. The weekend can be had as an all inclusive, ALL meals included with lodging, or as a B&B weekend with breakfast included.
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9/15/2017 - 9/17/2017
Whacky Hat
Location: Jamaica, Vermont Contact: Bill Cusack bcusack@comcast.net www.yankeebeemers.org This is the finest time of year to ride Vermont! This campout has moved around over the years, and we like to keep it fresh. This year we go back to Jamaica for some
www.illinoisbmwriders.com twisty roads, fall foliage, real maple syrup, and all that is the essence of riding Vermont in the fall. Saturday morning “Breakfast in Canada” is a favorite, so bring your passports! 9/15/2017 - 9/17/2017
42 32nd Annual Autumn Beemer Bash Location: Quincy, California Contact: bashinfo@comcast.net 1-925-443-2070 Come check out the famous CCBR coffee, our Beer Garden, 2 nights of camping w/ early camping available, a Saturday night BBQ, two Continental breakfasts, a GS ride, a poker run, vendors and speakers. RVs and leashed pets are welcome and there’s great camping on the grass along with hot showers. The wonderful mountain rides in the Sierras are a short jaunt away!
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9/15/2017 - 9/17/2017
8th Annual Twin Valley Rally
Location: Meadows of Dan, Virginia Contact: Seth Pagani seth@twinvalleyrally.org Imagine the perfect motorcycle rally. You put it in an area renowned for amazing roads and sublime scenery. You host it in a clean, intimate campground with proper amenities. You make it small enough to get to know practically everybody there, but large enough to broaden your friendships. You have music, door prizes, and possible test rides of fine new machines, amazing food, vendors and fun events. That’s what Twin Valley Riders, the sport-touring and adventure-riding club of Southwest Virginia has done with the Twin Valley Rally.
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www.wiscbmwclub.com
9/22/2017 - 9/24/2017
35th Last Chance Rally
Location: Buena, New Jersey Contact: Pete Lisco 856-589-7015 Enjoy shaded camp sites, cabins and local hotels to accommodate your travel preference. Enjoy a relaxing weekend of field events, riding destinations, awards, camaraderie and a fabulous roast pig banquet.
www.bmwmcmag.com
Join the BMW MOA FACEBOOK page today! Get the MOA Newsfeed via Twitter for more BMW and motorcycle news – www.twitter.com/bmwmoa
June 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS
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Rally
9/22/2017 - 9/24/2017
31st Annual Hoosier Beemers
Location: North Vernon, Indiana Contact: www.facebook.com/ hoosier.beemers Join us for great riding in scenic southern Indiana. Rally fee of $30 includes two nights camping, Friday night gourmet hot dog roast with all the fixins’ and live bluegrass band, Saturday night dinner, door prizes and awards. 9/22/2017 - 9/24/2017
46 14th Thunder Mountain
Rendezvous
Location: Hotchkiss, Colorado Contact: Gary Campbell 970-2102604, gcampbell44@yahoo.com Come join the 14th Thunder Mountain Rendezvous hosted by the BMW Riders of Western Colorado! We will be at the Delta County Fairgrounds in downtown Hotchkiss on Color Weekend on the sestern Slope of Colorado and once again offering great camaraderie, a beautiful venue, and the greatest riding in Colorado. 9/22/2017 - 9/24/2017
47 MOA Getaway
Location: Jay, Vermont Contact: bmwmoa.org/getaway Located in the northeast corner of Vermont, Jay is in an area of the state known as the “Northeast Kingdom” and is one of the last undeveloped towns where you still find peace and serenity while enjoying the world-class recreational opportunities. An $89 event fee includes a Friday night welcome party and dinner with cash bar, Saturday dinner and awards with cash bar, $500 in door prizes, t-shirt, special MOA gift and silent auction to benefit the Motorcycle Relief Project. Visit bmwmoa.org/getaway to register for the event and contact the Jay Peak Resort at 800-451-4449 for room reservations. Use group code 61085 BMW MOA.
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9/28/2017 - 10/1/2017
Last Chance Camp-N-Ride
Location: Oroville, Washington Contact: Gary Smith 250-766-3192 judosmith@telus.net A great camp out with great bunch of people from both sides of the boarder as well as some excellent rides in the area. Please check our website for further details Valley Bmw Riders.
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9/29/2017 - 9/30/2017
Oklahoma BMW Rally
Location: Talihina, Oklahoma Contact: Mike Truel, mtruel1@cox.net Come join the Central Oklahoma BMW Road Riders for this multi-club camp out in southeast Oklahoma! The Talimena State Park marks the Oklahoma entrance to the Talimena National Scenic Drive, a winding road through the Winding Stair Mountains that is known for spectacular foliage.
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9/29/2017 - 9/30/2017
Gathering of the Clams
Location: Wakefield, Rhode Island Contact: Carl A Saccoccio 401-447-7114 carlsaccoccio@verizon.net Join us at Camp Fuller YMCA on beautiful Great Salt Pond in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Enjoy three days and two nights of oceanside camping or sleep in a shared cabin at no extra charge.
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9/29/2017 - 10/1/2017
MOA Getaway
Location: Tomah, Wisconsin Contact: bmwmoa.org/getaway Experience a unique combination of quiet Midwest charm in an area untouched by glaciers. The Driftless Area is characterized by its beautifully sculpted topography, forested hillsides with valleys cut into limestone bedrock by cold-water trout streams. An $89 event fee includes a Friday welcome party and dinner, Saturday dinner and awards, $500 in door prizes, t-shirt, special MOA gift and silent auction benefitting the Motorcycle Relief Project. Visit bmwmoa.org/getaway to register for the event and contact the Cranberry Country Lodge at 608-374-2801 for room reservations.
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9/29/2017 - 10/1/2017
2017 Rams Rally
Location: Parker Crossroads, Tennesee Contact: Spencer Bennett 901-626-2831 spencer14554@gmail.com Friday and Saturday nights tent camping, pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, Saturday evening dinner, endless Coffee, Lemonade and Ice Water at Rally Central, live music, and Legendary RAMS Door Prizes.
October 53
10/6/2017 - 10/8/2017
Colonial Virginia Rally
Location: Lenexa, Virginia Contact: www.bmwmchr.com/rally Come join the fun and help the BMW Motorcycle Club of Hampton Roads celebrate our 40th annual rally. We’ll be at Rockahock Campground. The campground is just north of Williamsburg and outside of the Historical Triangle of Virginia. There are many wonderful historical sites (Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown) close by with lots of great riding roads. 10/13/2017 - 10/15/2017
54 42nd Annual Falling Leaf Rally Location: Potosi, Missouri Contact: Rich Race rally@gatewayriders.com The St. Louis Gateway Riders, MOA charter club #22, welcome you to the foothills of the Ozarks, offering exciting riding for road and dual sports, and beautiful Fall colors. 10/19/2017 - 10/22/2017
55 2017 Adventure Ribfest Location: Centerville, Tennessee Contact: Lee Waggoner ribfest@bmwmcon.org Enjoy great paved roads or dirt roads and trails with many creek crossings for a true adventure. The GS Giants will be hosting the Trials Course as well as an off-road skills class. There will be plenty of primitive camping, lots of campfire conversations, entertainment, and some of the best ribs you’ll ever eat.
www.motoskiveez.com
www.rtwmototours.com
Beemerboneyard.com www.beemerboneyard.com
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November 56
11/3/2017 - 11/4/2017
47th South Central BMW Owners Reunion www.machineartmoto.com Your Premiere Motorcycle Touring Source Bead Pro Bead Breaker & Tire Irons Combo Set Lightweight aluminum. 2 tools 1 compact kit. Easily breaks beads even on large tubeless tires.
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Premium Highway Pegs w/ Secret StorageProvide comfort & stretch for long rides. R1200GS/A Stainless Steel Engine Guards Hidden storage. Look great Protect your cylinders where they are most on large adv bikes like the vulnerable. Engineered for maximum R1200GS/A, F800GS, protection for your engine. Match BMW F650GS, R1150GS etc. Black stock bars & include stainless steel mount or Silver. Made in USA. clamps & hardware. Made in USA. Ultra Bright LED Turn Signals - Increase safety & visibility with these ultra bright blinkers. Easy 10 minute install.
Complete BMW Tool Kits Model specific tool kits that are comprehensive & compact. Industry leading USA Made Tools with Lifetime Warranty. You will always have the peace of mind of being prepared for emergency roadside repairs & routine maintenance. Includes hard to find and expensive BMW specific tools for your bike & heavy duty Tool Roll. BMW R1200GS/GSA/RT/S/R, F800/650GS Twin, R1150GS/A, F650GS Single, KTM’s, V-Strom, Super Tenere, Tiger 800, Explorer & many others. Many More Products www.advdesigns.com On Our Website
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Location: Fayettville, Texas Contact: Gene Ronchetto vp@bmwclubofhouston.com Enjoy tent and RV camping, guided road rides or GS rides, social events, Texas cooking, awards, and great fellowship on the shore of Lake Fayette. All in a pleasant wooded lakeside park, with hiking and fishing opportunities as well.
57
11/10/2017 - 11/12/2017
16th Swamp Scooter Gumbo Rally
Location: Carencro, Louisiana Contact: James Carpenter president@swampscooters.net Everyone is welcome at our Annual Gumbo Rally so come pass a good time and laisser les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll) at Bayou Wilderness Rv Resort near Lafayette. 11/10/2017 - 11/12/2017
58 MOA Getaway
Location: Texas Hill Country, Texas Contact: bmwmoa.org/getaway Join us this November in the rumpled terrain of Texas’s famed Hill Country, an area laced with endless miles of appealing twolane blacktop running through wooded canyons cut by spring-fed rivers. A $89 event fee includes a Friday night welcome party and dinner with cash bar, Saturday night dinner and awards with cash bar, $500 worth of door prizes, event t-shirt, special MOA gift and a silent auction to benefit the Motorcycle Relief Project. Event Fee does not include lodging. Visit bmwmoa.org/getaway to register.
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advertiserindex Abus Security.............................................115 Action Stations/Bohn Armor........27, 129 Admore Lighting........................................ 47 Adriatic Moto Tours................................... 50 ADV Depot.................................................... 47 Adventure Designs..................................134 Adventure New Zealand Tours............. 25 AeroFlow....................................................... 21 Aerostich-RiderWearHouse.................... 61 Alaska Leather............................................. 47 Alaska Motorcycle Adventures............. 30 Ayres Adventures....................................... 83 Backcountry Discovery Routes...........103 BeadRider...................................................... 30 Beemer Boneyard....................................133 Beemer Shop, The....................................109 Best Rest Products...................................124 Bike Log......................................................... 25 Bing Agency................................................. 83 Blue Rim Tours............................................. 75 BMW of Southeast Michigan................. 43 BMW MOA Foundation......................92-95 BMW Motorcycle Magazine.................131 BMW Performance Center...................... 60 Bob’s BMW.................................................... 37 Boxer Works Service.................................. 97 British Motorcycle Gear........................... 42 BullRack......................................................... 61 Capital Cycle................................................ 50 Cardo Systems...........................................106 Cee Baileys Aircraft Plastic.............26, 124 CIMA International.................................... 19 Colorado Tourbike Rentals..................... 97 Corbin Pacific............................................... 51 CruzTools....................................................... 27 Cyclenutz.....................................................124 Daniel Boone Rally..................................107 DMC Sidecars.............................................102 Don’t Want a Pickle..................................102 Dubbeju Motorcycle Rentals...............124 Dunlop Tires................................................. 11
Dyna Beads................................................... 42 Edelweiss Bike Travel................................ 18 EPM Hyper Pro...................................29, 129 Euro Moto Electrics.................................101 European Toys...........................................102 First Gear......................................................IBC Geza Gear....................................................124 GS-911 Diagnostic Tool............................ 61 Global Rescue............................................107 GSM Motorent............................................. 43 Haynes NA/Clymer Manuals.................. 75 Heidenau Tires..........................................121 Helmet Sun Blocker.................................102 HEX-ezCAN................................................... 42 Husker Rally................................................115 Ilium Works................................................... 50 Illinois BMW Club Campout.................131 IMTBIKE TOURS................................... 29, 43 Jesse Luggage Systems........................... 35 Kermit Chair Company...........................102 LD Comfort.................................................102 Legal Speeding Enterprises................... 29 M4Motorcycles..................................50, 133 MachineartMoto......................................134 Magura USA................................................. 18 MOA Gear Shop........................................111 MOA Member Benefits..........................119 MOA Platinum Roadside Assistance.125 Morton’s BMW Motorcycles................... 30 Moto-Bins...................................................... 43 Moto Skiveez.............................................133 Motonation..................................................BC Motorcycle Releif Project - psa...........122 Motorcycle Travel Network.................... 97 Motorex USA................................................ 42 Motorrad Elektrik....................................... 27 Mountain Master Truck Equipment...... 29 MTA Distributing/Olympia Moto Sports..IFC MTA Distributing/Olympia Moto Sports... 39 No-Mar Enterprises................................... 30 Overseas Speedometer........................... 30
Palo Alto Speedometer............................ 61 Parabellum................................................... 61 Peru Motors.................................................. 61 PIAA USA....................................................... 97 Progressive Insurance.............................. 13 Pure Stodge Iowa Rally..........................107 Ray Atwood Cycles..................................124 Redverz........................................................109 Re-Psycle BMW Parts................................99 Rich Phillips Leather.................................. 25 Rider Magazine..........................................129 RKA Luggage............................................... 29 Rocky Creek Designs..............................118 RTW Moto Tours.......................................133 Russel Cycle Products............................... 61 S100 Cycle Care Products....................... 51 Saddlemen................................................... 31 Sargent Cycle Products..........................101 SBS Brakes..................................................... 47 Scenic Wheels Motorcycle Tours.......... 43 Side Kicker.................................................... 99 Spiegler........................................................102 Stop ‘n Go...................................................... 27 Suburban Machinery................................ 30 TecMate......................................................... 43 Touratech.........................................................1 Touring Sport BMW................................... 29 Tourmaster......................................................5 Twisted Throttle.............................................9 Two Wheels of Suches............................129 Westco Battery..........................................134 Wilbers USA........................................... 35, 97 Wisconsin Dells Rally..............................131 Wolfman Luggage..................................... 35 Ztechnik......................................................... 49
BMW ON (ISSN:1080-5729) (USPS: 735-590) (BMW Owners News) is published monthly by BMW Motorcycle Owners of America Inc., 640 S. Main Street, Suite 201, Greenville, SC 29601. 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. BMW MOA does not perform independent research on submitted articles or advertising. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO BMW ON, 640 S. Main Street, Suite 201, Greenville, SC 29601 © 2017 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 47, Number 6.
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talelight
Chick Magnet
W. Scott Waak has found a new fowl friend with his R 1200 RS . Photo by W. Scott Waak #103482 136
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