BMW Owners News October 2016 by bmwmoa

BMW OWNERS NEWS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A PUBLICATION OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF AMERICA

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OCTOBER 2016

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OCTOBER 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS www.bmwmoa.org

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Table of Contents features

58 80 88

Das Rally! Recap Looking back at our annual BMW MOA get together.

point arena By Bill Reeve #194988 Northern California's coastal Highway 1 is a classic motorcycle road with breathtaking scenery, little traffic and nearly perfect weather. It should be on every motorcyclist's bucket ride list.

a matter of choice: one man's passion for Motorcycles leads him to bmw A Member Profile of Ed Vaillancourt by Tom Stewart #14651

ON THE COVER: A young rally-goer reaches to touch a motorcycle parked at the BMW MOA Rally in Hamburg New York. Photo by Darrell Hoemann #74518

the club 4 Owners News Contributors 8 Headlight Saying Goodbye, by Bill Wiegand 10 President's Column What's This Rally Thing? by Wes Fitzer 12 Shiny Side Up The Deer Dilemma, by Ron Davis 14 Picture This Far Away Places 16 Rider to Rider Letters from our members 18 2016 MOA Getaway planner Member tested/ product news 20 Touratech Zega Pro panniers, ZTechnik VStream windshield for BMW S 1000 XR, Bugslide bike detailer, Suburban Machinery bar risers, VnM baselayers, 360fly video camera.

36 BMW

of Denver moving, Touratech’s motorcycle cover fights the elements, Klim Krios Adventure helmet, REV’IT Williamsburg and Metropolitan jackets, LED mounts and engine guard from Machineartmoto, Giant Loop Tracker Packer holster, Helmut Dåhne takes victory lap at Isle of Man 40 years later.

tech 40 Keep ‘em Flying Das Rally! was Great,

discovery 50 Adventure Log Leading Team BMW, by Shawn Thomas 54 Long Distance Style What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been, by Deb Gasque

skills 94 Ask a Pro Stock Seats: Why such a Pain, by Lee Parks lifestyle 98 Jack the Riepe Are You the Guy? by Jack Riepe 100 High Mileage High Mileage Honor Roll, by Jim Heberling

102 Final Journey Remembering George Rahn, by Ron Hurlburt

events 106 From the Board BMW MOA Open Session Board Minutes from July 15, 2016

114 When and Where Places to go and things to see 119 Advertiser Index 120 Talelight

by Matthew Parkhouse

44 Nicht Uber Max How to Correctly Bleed Brakes, by George Mangicaro

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

the club

CONTRIBUTORS 1 . S hawn Thomas has worked for many years in the motorcycle industry and is currently a rider coach and guide for RawHyde Adventures as well as a trainer for BMW Motorrad. While Thomas lives in California with his wife, daughter and son, his work takes him across the globe and stories he brings back with him are priceless. 2. Matt Parkhouse acquired his first BMW in 1972, upon his return from Vietnam. He hired on at Doc's BMW of Colorado Springs in 1977. Since then, his life has been a mixture of travel (U.S., Mexico, Europe and North Africa), owning/working in various shops, working as a nurse, and being very involved in his local community. He has owned around fifteen airhead BMWs over the years, but his first bike, a 1972 R75/5, is parked by the front door with 423,000 miles on the odometer. 3. Lee Parks has been riding motorcycles since the age of 12 and finds his greatest joy in sharing the motorcycling experience with family and friends. This passion eventually led him to work in the motorcycle industry. Parks has an extensive racing background, has worked as the editorial director of Motorcycle Consumers News and founded Lee Parks Design in 2001 to create innovative products and services to help riders achieve “better living through motorcycling” and help companies better serve their customers.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

4. Jim Heberling hails from the Land of Lincoln which is where he started riding his dirt bike in the old gravel pits in the 60’s while riding various brand cycles for 25 years. He spent the next 25 years fishing enjoying quiet early mornings on the lake with coffee and a couple of Fig Newtons. When Jim retired a couple years ago he purchased his first BMW, a 2013 R 1200 GSA and now enjoys traveling to rallies and volunteering wherever he can. As High Mileage Coordinator he has the opportunity to speak with members across the country sharing their riding experiences while helping to navigate MOA members to the High Mileage Application on the BMW MOA web site. 5. A writer of limited ability, Jack Riepe is confined by the absolute truth. Hobbled by arthritis, he types his stories by pounding a shot glass on a keyboard—with his foot, and rumors that he is in the Brazilian Witness Protection Program are only partially true. If you like his column, you’ll love his book, “Conversations With A Motorcycle,” an autobiographical account of his early years on a motorcycle, when women unleashed their passion—on everyone but him. Email jack.riepe@gmail.com for more information. 6. Deb Gasque, also known as “The Fashionista,” has been a licensed motorcyclist for 6 years and has embraced every aspect of the long distance motorcycling lifestyle, including earning a membership into the Iron Butt Association. Deb recently joined the ranks of motojournalism and enjoys sharing her passion for two-wheeled adventures through published articles and her blog page at www.TheFashionistaHasAnIronButt.com.

ROCKMOR

Boom Box leads a group of riders down a dusty Colorado trail during the Rocky Mountain Oyster Rally near Buena Vista, Colorado, in August. Photo by Bill Wiegand #180584

BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

October 2016â&#x20AC;&#x192; BMW OWNERS NEWS

headlight Magazine of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America MANAGING EDITOR

Bill Wiegand bill@bmwmoa.org

Saying goodbye 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

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

I’LL ADMIT IT.

I’m a packrat who has a hard time throwing things away. Though it’s driven my wife crazy for many of the years we’ve been married, she does seem to have eased up a bit in her struggle to reform me. Maybe I’ll never again wear my high school letterman’s jacket and half the clothes on my ever-shrinking side of the closet would make better shop rags, but some things I just can’t bring myself to part with. If I ever find another 1973 Harley-Davidson X-90 in my garage, I’ve got a spark plug and a taillight lens for it. I also know the yellow pair of Oakley grips I bought for a YZ250 back when the letterman’s jacket fit could someday find a new home and if that skid plate for an oil-cooled GS never protects a boxer motor again, it’s got recycle value. The collection of parts chronicling my motorcycling history is growing ever so slowly and much like the gelatinous alien in the movie The Blob, threatens to consume everything in its path. About 18 months ago, I bought a 2009 BMW G 450 X. This particular motorcycle had somewhat of an MOA foster bike history attached as I got it from an MOA member who bought it from another MOA member. When I brought the bike home I immediately proceeded to make it mine and for much of that first year, it was disassembled and then cleaned and lovingly put back together and adorned with new tires and tubes, chain and sprockets, battery, fluids, filters and fasteners. Metal and plastic was polished and when finally reassembled, it begged to be ridden. Not a bike you ride to the trails, I even bought a pickup to haul it in. I was really beginning to love that bike. The problem is, I live in central Illinois and good trails around here were plowed and planted many years ago. The 450 X stared at me every time I walked through the garage looking like an anxious dog waiting to go for a walk. There it sat with only the occasional ride up and down the street being the futile attempt to make it happy. It needed real trails. Though it took a while, the planets finally aligned and schedules fell into place. The ROCKMOR rally in Buena Vista, Colorado, the first rally hosted by the GSGirls, offered the perfect chance to finally explore real trails and get those new Pirellis dirty. Four colors of ink were needed to highlight the rally dates on my calendar. My anticipation of the ride ahead grew every time I checked the rear view mirror and saw the 450 X looking back at me. I’m happy to report that Bex and Lee Becker, along with Dimitrios Tournas put together a great rally. Camaraderie was fantastic and the trails and roads mapped were awesome. Not only was I was able to meet some great people, but I was finally able to ride the 450 X where it was meant to be ridden. It was home. Just as all good things must end, on the last day of the rally as I was packed and parked in front of the campground’s office getting ready to head home, a couple approached and a conversation began. Though Mark is relatively new to our MOA family, he’s been riding for some time. Mark was also a rider looking to buy a BMW G 450 X. Initially, I was taken aback by his offer to buy the bike. I didn’t know if I was ready to let it go. Once Mark promised to give the bike a good home, I reluctantly realized the trails and mountains surrounding Pueblo, Colorado, were where the 450 X was meant to be. While there’s a little more space in my garage now, I’ve got a rear sprocket hanging on my wall to remind me of the time I was the foster owner of a 2009 BMW G 450 X. Ride safe.

BMW Motorrad USA

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BMW Service stands for quality and precision in every detail, with specially trained technicians who use only Original BMW Parts and approved equipment. From oil changes to annual checkups and more, an authorized BMW Motorrad dealer will bring you peace of mind – so you can concentrate on enjoying the ride ahead. Find an authorized BMW Motorrad dealer at bmwmotorcycles.com.

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PRESIDENTSCOLUMN

BMW MOA OFFICERS

Wes Fitzer, President 918-441-2114; jwfitzer@yahoo.com Jackie Hughes, Vice President 509-928-3261; jhughes@bmwmoa.org

What is this International Rally thing? By Wes Fitzer # 170126

Reece Mullins, Secretary 334-470-7770; rangerreece@mac.com

IN THIS ISSUE OF THE BMW OWNERS NEWS YOU’LL READ A LOT

about the BMW MOA’s International Rally held in Hamburg, New York, last July. While about 6,100 members and guests passed through the gates of the Hamburg fairgrounds, about 28,000 members didn’t. While there are numerous reasons many of our members didn’t go, there are two that I’m often asked that seem to be keeping some our members away.

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 Bill Hooykaas 705-329-2683; hooykaas@bmwmoa.org Lisa Malachowsky 925-759-4360; lisa.malachowsky@gmail.com Marc Souliere 613-297-7546; beemer1@sympatico.ca BMW MOA VOLUNTEER STAFF

Steve Brunner, Mileage Contest Coordinator 910-822-4368; steveb@bmwmoa.org Jim Heberling, High Mileage Coordinator 309-530-1951; jheberling@bmwmoa.org Deb Lower, Ambassador Liaison 719-510-9452; ldeborah@comcast.net Lee Woodring, Consumer Liaison 770-331-2419; lwoodring@hotmail.com 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 Ken Engelman, Director of Business Development ken@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

What do you do at a rally anyway?

Good question. There are so many things going on during our rally that there really is something for everyone. Like many of you, I enjoy researching, buying and ultimately installing farkles on my bike. Now, imagine an event where nearly every farkle available for your bike is there to see and touch. Now imagine many of those vendors offering discounts and even installation. If your motorcycling soul is feeling really adventurous, tour companies are there with information on tours to every corner of the globe. Beyond the vendor area, daily seminars offer information on everything from cornering technique to riding around the world, from how to change your oil to rebuilding a transmission and from what to do if you find yourself lost in the Andes to finding your way by using a GPS. In addition to those reasons, the sites themselves are chosen not only for the great rally grounds, but for the interesting off-site attractions. This year, Niagara Falls was 30 minutes from the fairgrounds and the city of Hamburg was holding its annual hamburger festival. The Anchor Bar, known as the home of the buffalo wing, was nearby, along with more breweries than you could ever hope to visit.

I don’t know anyone, and I don’t camp!

Meeting and striking up a conversation with someone is much easier when you share the common bond of riding BMW motorcycles. Where else but an MOA Rally can you find 6,100 people with whom you instantly have a connection? You say you don’t camp. Well, then why not stay at one of the host rally hotels or rent an RV? Your fears of not knowing anyone are only a temporary condition and your fear of camping is easily remedied as well. If you’re still intimidated by the thought of attending a rally, here are a couple of things you should know. The first is that whenever I walk around the grounds and visit with first-time rally goers, without exception they all say they’re having a great time, and most are even making plans to attend the next year’s rally. Finally, if I’ve still not taken away your Rally fears, I suggest getting your Rally feet wet by attending one of our smaller, hotel-based Getaways held throughout the country. Visit bmwmoa.org and select the Events button for a list of upcoming events. So, what’s keeping you from joining the party? I look forward to seeing all of you in Salt Lake City next summer! Ride Safe!

Wes Fitzer

Lesa Howard, Membership Services lesa@bmwmoa.org Amanda Faraj, Membership Services amanda@bmwmoa.org

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

www.michelinmotorcycle.com

the club 12

shinysideup

The Deer Dilemma By Ron Davis #111820 DEER. CAN’T LIVE

into the headlights of my Toyota. The other two ran into the sides of my vehicles, leaving the image of a buck’s wide-eyed expression in my passenger window forever etched in my memory. Living in Wisconsin, I’ve heard lots of questionable tips on dealing with deer. When I was just learning to drive, a buddy’s father insisted the best thing to do when

where there is the least traffic (Search YouTube: “Please move the deer crossing signs”). You’d think at the very least, riders and drivers here would have developed some kind of universal signal to warn oncoming vehicles of deer in the ditch, but as far as I know, there is none. I do see cars and bikes festooned with deer whistles, and who am I to question

with ‘em, can’t hunt down every single one, wrestle it to the ground, and cut out its still beating heart. Okay, that may be a bit harsh. (Where’s my “Some-readers-may-find-the-following-text-troubling” sticker?) Actually my feelings about the furry four-legged menace are, to use the parlance of the day, conflicted. I live in the boonies, battling daily to keep thick woods from swallowing my house on three sides while the fourth faces 80 acres of delectable corn. And I live in a county that leads the state in deer kill numbers every year, a state that is always in the top ten when it comes to deer strikes. Deer are constantly around, and I must admit I enjoy seeing them. They’re lovely creatures with fascinating habits and abilities, but after a summer of dodging them on the highways, many evenings during this month and the next will find me shivering in a tree, trying to harvest one for The maker of the “Deer Screamer” claims it discourages deer from bolting in front of vehicles. the table. I’ve been responsible for the their effectiveness? I’ve heard lots of people you see a deer by the roadside is to conuntimely demise of something like 60 claim they’ve never hit a deer after installtinue on at the same speed, convinced deer, though you could say with four ing them; of course they haven’t hit any slowing down, speeding up, and keeping a of them it was more by their doing unicorns, aliens or zombies either. If nothsteady pace all carried the same odds for an than mine. Of course under today’s ing else, they can’t do any harm and may accident. A one-time girlfriend told me if legal leanings, I was probably at least provide peace of mind; however, in my you can see a deer’s eyes reflected in the 10 percent guilty by just being on the experience, though the bugle-shaped, dark, that means it sees you and will not highway when those four decided to “silent” variety are great bug catchers, I cross your path (I hope she still doesn’t commit suicide by car. In one case, a can’t say I’ve seen much evidence of their believe that.) Then there’s that woman who group burst from a cornfield that boreffect on deer. This summer I was given a suggested the answer to deer-car collisions dered the road, in another a doe handful of “Deer Screamers” was to place deer crossing signs on roads made a beeline out of the woods and

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

(deerscreamer.com), a new approach in that these whistles make a tone audible to humans and deer alike once a bike hits about 50 mph. They also have an innovative, double-barreled design that doesn’t trap insects. The MOA members I distributed them to said they couldn’t see any definitive results; however, owner Bill Pereca claims the sound generated by Deer Screamers seems to “freeze” deer, making it less likely they will bolt across the road. There does seem to be some video and anecdotal evidence of this, and Deer Screamers have been distributed to State Troopers in at least two states to try create a meaningful data sample, but obviously it is pretty tough to really tell what deer are or are not reacting to, and I have to wonder if any solution can ever really be proven to work. Though there have been some close calls, no deer strikes on the bike for me yet. Given the deer numbers around here, I can attribute that to using the kinds of strategies that Robert Vanderhoof described in the August Owners News and, well, sheer luck. Sure, I’m fairly good at predicting what kinds of roadsides on my usual routes are most likely to sprout a rogue animal, and but let’s face it, if a deer is determined to leap into my path, there’s not much else I can do about it. As I’ve said, I’m conflicted. Deer are a dangerous hazard, but I’d miss them if they weren’t around, and collisions are not the deer’s fault. They were here first, after all, at least by three million years longer than we’ve been upright and riding motorcycles. In my view, there is no silver bullet when it comes to finding a solution to deer strikes, (though certainly lead bullets lessen the odds each fall), but there is a silver lining: staying alert for deer is just one more dimension that adds to the exhilaration of the singular, in-the-moment motorcycle experience.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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Picturethis We asked our online readers to submit their photos showing

2 1. S witzerland’s Furka Pass, photographed while on a tour with Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures. Richard Stearns #90896 Byron, New York

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

2. A photograph of Yoho National Park taken near Field, British Columbia, while on my way to Billings, Montana. Dale Beauchamp #199954 Okotoks, Alberta

3. R iding through a vicious hailstorm while on Highway 40 in Alberta, Ontario, last summer. Brian Rawlings #189744 Rochester, Washington

4. A photograph taken just outside the city of Nasca while riding in Peru. Rodney Sherwood #146122 Bainbridge Island, Washington 5. P hoto is at the entrance to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Douglas Bower #66819 Grand Rapids, Michigan

6. A n F 700 GS photographed with other modes of travel in Morocco. Robin Kierstead #182600 City, State

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7. A n awesome ride through the Avenue of the Giants on Highway 101 in northern California. Brad Schulz #193664 Fayetteville, Arkansas

8. R iding over Transfagarasan Pass in Romania to cross the Carpathian Mountains into Transylvania. Nick Petrescu #153225 Kanata, Ontario For January, our Picture This theme is Memorable Ride. One photo may be submitted per member and the best selected for publication in the BMW Owners News. Send your high resolution image, image description and member number to editor@bmwmoa.org. October 2016â&#x20AC;&#x192; BMW OWNERS NEWS

RIDERTORIDER Send your letters and comments to: editor@bmwmoa.org

60 years of owning BMWs

Some riders may be older than me (81 years) and some have ridden longer (67 years), but has anyone else owned BMW motorcycles continuously for as long or longer than 60 years? I bought my first BMW, an R 69, in August, 1956, and have always had at least one BMW since then. My current ride is an F 800 GT. Bob Lardinais #15772 Lexington, Ohio

BMWs no more

I read with interest the August 2016 article by Steve Hall about BMW’s RT. Having owned four RTs myself, I was very interested in another owner’s experience with the bike. As with Mr. Hall, I too very much enjoyed my R 1100 RT until a driver pulled out in front of me on a mountain road in Colorado and totaled it, but not me. Riding in full gear always, I was uninjured save a concussion from hitting the driver, helmet first, through an open window and causing a gash over the gentleman’s left eye. Small victory. I then purchased a 2000 1100 and then a 2002 1150, followed by a 2004 1150. This is where Mr. Hall’s and my story differ. There was no mention in his article about the “final drive” failures, which BMW just cannot acknowledge exist. Believe me, they exist. I will not go into detail, but I had four failures on two different RTs. Three were on the 2004 and one was on a 2009. I had to pay for three of the repairs, and BMW did pick up the tab on one that they had fixed at a local dealer. My next RT was the 2009 1200. This was by far my favorite. It was black and had factory low suspension and seat. When you are height challenged with a 28” inseam, what a find. I could now be flatfooted at a stop sign for the first time in fifteen years. Wahooo!! Well, this feeling

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

was short lived, and at less than 30,000 miles, it happened again, a grinding sound at the final drive. That was it for BMW and me. Since it was out of warranty on the calendar, of course BMW would not help me. After the repair was completed I sold the bike and bought a Honda ST1300. Therefore, with some trepidation, this is my last year as a member of BMW MOA. I am now very happy with my ST1300 and hope to ride it many miles. Thanks BMW MOA; you have a good organization with many benefits and a great magazine. Thomas H. Shader #89368 Emmett, Idaho

K-bike reality

I read Steve Swanson’s letter to the editor (“Ignoring the K,” August 2016) with interest. Steve’s assertion that his various Flying Brick K-bikes and his Wedge K-bike being a breed is a stretch. Other than BMW reusing the K moniker, the two permutations of K-bikes have nothing in common technically—it would be like linking a Wethead and an Airhead because they are both R-bikes or claiming that F-thumpers are a breed with the F-twins. It would be more accurate to call the Wedge K (1200s and 1300s) the precursor to the K 1600 rather than calling it a precursor to the S 1000, which is a totally different design and built to very different requirements. The reality that classic K-bike owners (and Oilhead and Airhead owners for that matter) have to accept is that there are fewer and fewer of these bikes on the road, and with BMW selling 137,000 Wetheads, S 1000s and K 1600s each year (along with a few scooters), the percentage of these bikes in the BMW MOA population is small and getting smaller. The MOA must cater to the demo-

graphic that represents the membership. Ian Nicholson #134178 Calgary, Alberta

Living on two wheels

I just want to say “Hi” and welcome a whole bunch of great people into my new life on two wheels! I really had a hard time realizing why two wheels are so great and wonder what took me so long. But I'm here now and ready to learn! The main reason for buying a motorcycle is due to the brand. I still own my 1987 BMW 325es and recently at a red light, I rolled the window down and asked the rider who rolled up beside me, "What is that!" His response was, "It’s a BMW scooter," and the light went green and he was gone! Really? Does BMW need to do that now? Apparently yes, and I, being over 50, have no bearings on their decisions anyway! I have always loved the brand and now have another reason. Would love to see more "C" class bikes mentioned. R. McKenzie #206270 Calgary, Alberta

Surprise content

I have been riding motorcycles for over 50 years but have only owned a BMW since 2012. I love my RT, and it has taken me to many places far and wide in comfort and style. But I have been very disappointed in the Owners News as it seems it is dedicated solely to the ADV riders. The August issue came as quite a surprise, with two articles about RTs and Jack Riepe's hilarious column about RT owners. I know it is very difficult to please all the readers all the time, but please continue to include subject matter and

advertisements pertinent to the RT and, to keep Jack happy, some words on K bikes as well. Maybe some how-to maintenance articles on the newer generation RTs? The MOA seems to be striving to recruit and retain membership by being more inclusive; I think you are on the right path. Don Meek #181512 St Petersburg, Florida

But what about Flo?

Concerning the cover photo on your May 2016 issue featuring the spandex-clad and high-heel-wearing model astride the Wunderlich R 100 RT, I am not at all surprised at the reaction, given the current state of our easily-offended society, but I am greatly disappointed that it's to be found in our motorcycling community. Come on! Grow up! It's art, fer cryin' out loud. It's a sexy bike, it's a sexy woman. So what? Why can't we just speak both truths? And talk about hypocrisy! Where was the hue and cry regarding the full-page Progressive Insurance ad on page 11 of the subsequent June 2016 issue? It was only three pages after Bill Wiegand's editorial regarding the outcry about the May cover. What? You don't remember the ad? It featured Flo, standing up, helmet-less, glove-less, arms straight out, while riding on the back of a Triumph Daytona behind a fully-leather-clad driver going fast. The reaction to that ad and its numerous flagrant safety violations from an insurance company no less? Crickets. Which is as it should be. It's an ad, people. It's art, just like the cover. It's not an instruction manual. Lighten up. Mark Guenin #169747 Landisville, PA

Sudden detour

My wife Sue and I were en route to Das Rally! from South Carolina and anticipating the usual fine time. Our plans changed in Rochester on Route 20 when I stopped for a yellow light and was hit from behind. My next memory was of a hospital room at Strong Memorial in Rochester,

New York, with no memory of the accident or aftermath which included a compound fracture of my right leg, a concussion, a small brain bleed and the insertion of a titanium rod in my leg. Strong Memorial is a Level 1 Trauma Center, and my care was excellent, though my quality helmet, jacket and gloves saved the day. After the accident, Sue had AAA take our bikes to Country Rode Motowerks in Fairport, New York, where Art and Lyn Eiting went way beyond any expectation to help. They stored our bikes for three days while Sue flew back to South Carolina and drove our trailer back to Rochester, and they loaded them for us. This kind of service reminds me why I ride a BMW, and we cannot thank them enough. The leg is healing well, and I can't wait to get back on two wheels! Lessons learned: 1. Buy good protective gear and wear it! 2. Maintain adequate spacing. 3. Don't make assumptions about what other drivers will do. Ralph Baker #71354 Sumter, South Carolina

Try this, not that

In “Lessons Learned” in the August 2016 Owners News, Jim Bodnar #9557 comments on using OTC allergy meds, specifically Sudafed. I am a Doctor of Homeotherapeutics (DHt) medicine with a bachelor’s degree in Wellness and Nutrition and have been a guest lecturer at numerous events over the years, including the Land of Enchantment Sipapu rally in New Mexico. I have discovered during my 50 years of riding that many motorcycle riders are unaware of the natural solutions that can be highly effective in maintaining the most important component part of their riding experience…their own, incredibly valuable human body. Often I have known riders spending a great deal of time and money (as most of us do) shopping for that next shiny object without much regard to the tuning of their own bodies. While many of our rider groups know about the use of caffeine or alcohol and their obvious positive or negative effects, it is also useful to know a few available tools for getting out to ride

without negative side effects such as drowsiness, not only for shorter rides but also on those high mile days. There are a number of natural first aid tools which I carry on virtually every ride: • One bottle of Arnica 30C, which is excellent for bruising after a fall. • A five or 15 ml bottle of Young Living Lavender oil, which is excellent for burns, skin discomforts, enhancing sleep and senses and inhibiting allergic reactions, • 24 YL Sulfurzyme capsules, a non-drowsy natural immune booster and antiinflammatory which also inhibits the inflammatory response associated with allergies. • A five or 15 ml bottle of YL Thieves Oil and Peppermint Oil, which is a stimulant and also useful for stomach and digestive issues. • Several packets of YL NingXia Red and Nitro for stamina and cognitive focus. While some of you may find my first aid kit curious, I have found these totally natural tools a simple way to stay healthy and to add stamina and comfort to almost any riding experience. Carl Janicek #189559 Golden, Colorado

The Wisdon of Riepe

When my June issue of Owners News arrived I did as I always do: go immediately to the Jack Riepe column. I do this first as part of my life-long quest to confirm that the meaning of life is, in fact, 42 (something that Jack consistently refuses to either confirm or deny). But while my need for a higher purpose was again unsatisfied, this particular column did have an unexpected bonus: Jack’s admission that the average BMW rider owns 62 pairs of gloves yet wears only one gave me a few precious minutes when I could believe that I’m not weird. For that I thank him and the editors. (The feeling has now passed though). Steve Metz #142544 Carlisle, Pennsylvania

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

2016 MOA Getaways

everal years ago, the MOA Getaway idea was introduced to provide a smaller event where members and friends could gather at great locations all over North America. The events are designed to be smaller than

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BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

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Zega Pro-Next Generation panniers: Made for Adventure (Part Two) By Jim Walenski #192386 AS I WROTE IN PART ONE OF THIS

two-part review, after years of spying the Touratech logo on panniers used in videos and photo stories about two-wheeled world travelers, I couldn’t wait to try a set of Touratech Zega Pro panniers myself. Now that my bike has been wearing them all summer, I have to say the durability, functionality, good looks, and versatility of these next-generation Zega Pros make them everything I expected and more. Let’s talk latches, shall we? My last set of cases had a plastic latching

system that was a headache to use. The stainless, dual function latches that clamp down the lids on the Zega Pros are heavy duty, large enough to operate easily while wearing glove, and lock with a reassuring “clunk.” The lid portion of the latch is flush riveted and the lower latch is bolted to the case. To open them, you have to push up a tab under the latch lever to release it, so no worries, these covers won’t be opening accidentally. The latches are called “dual function” because if you open one latch, its opposite serves as a hinge. I did opt for the key inserts from Touratech ($24.95 for a pair); all four were matched, with each tak-

ing all of two or three minutes to install. When you open the Zega Pros from the front or rear, the lids are held open by a clever cable restraint that can easily be removed when you want to separate the lids from the cases. One feature I liked was that when I was parked, at a stop sign or stalled in traffic, I could reach down to either pannier, unlatch the front, tip up the cover (and it stays up), and grab a bottle of water or something without dismounting. Dismounting and mounting the panniers themselves is quick and easy. Two polycarbonate “pucks” on the bottoms of the Zega Pros grab the lower rail of the rack, and

Though not exactly aerodynamic, Touratech’s Next Gen Zega Pro panniers look good, have many rider-savvy features and can stand up to rugged use.

The Touratech panniers passed the very unscientific dunk test with only a drop or two sneaking through the mounting bolt holes.

The sturdy, weldless construction makes Zega Pro panniers capable of holding up under all kinds of abuse.

then two plated steel dogs swivel up and clamp onto the upper rail. They are tightened from the inside of the pannier with hand nuts, which are then secured with a locking nut, (all tool-less functions). Simple, quick and rock solid. If you like to remove your panniers for a night at a motel or campsite, you may want to consider purchasing the optional Zeg Pro Bolt On Handles ($19.95 each) or the Zega Pro Carrying Handle With Lashing Strap ($36.95 each); however, I found using standard-sized totes like those you get at a trade show worked just fine for transferring my gear in and out

The mounting system for Touratech’s Next Gen Zega Pros is simple, quick and secure, using polycarbonate “pucks” on the bottom and plated steel dogs on the top to clamp onto the rack. A removable cable restraint holds the lids open for loading/unloading.

of the Zega Pros, so I could leave the panniers on the bike. I did find, however, that once removed, the panniers make great campstools and wash buckets; the lids have an embossed recess for handles, and the strap brackets are set outboard on the lids, so the tops of the panniers are flat. The lids saw service also as trays for tools and appetizers, and yes, with a bag of ice or some chilly stream water, a pannier can be used as a makeshift cooler for beverages. Speaking of streams, I didn’t ford any streams with the Zegas in place, but just for kicks, I did hold one underwater for a few minutes. A drop or two will seep in slightly where the bolts for the mounting clamps pass through the case walls, though that was never an issue when the boxes were mounted, and, let’s face it, if your cases are ever totally submerged, you’ve got bigger problems. Dust also is a none-issue with these side cases. The design for where the lid and case mate, updated for 2016, uses a wider, all metal track with a silicone, not plastic, gasket on the lid. The beveled edge on the case rim sheds any debris that might interfere with a tight seal. It’s true the design of the Zega Pros is not aerodynamic like many cases, but I can’t report any appreciable change in my gas mileage. The steel Touratech rack for the Zega Pros is beefy, just like crash bars for the rear of the bike. Touratech uses 18mm diameter, 2mm wall thickness steel tubing, either with a stainless or black epoxy finish. I have not seen any wear on the rack, despite mounting and unmounting the cases frequently. The all-metal construction of the Zega Pros

makes them pretty tough, and though I didn’t knock them around too much, a nice feature of the cases is the plastic, bolt-on corner protectors on the tops and bottoms which are designed to take most of the bumps and scratches and can easily be replaced. I chose the silver anodized finish for my Zega Pro cases (also available in black and bare aluminum), and I found there was no residue or oxidation rubbing off on my gear inside. The boxy design of the Zegas does harvest a lot of bugs and mud, but following advice from Touratech, clean up was simple with just dishwashing fluid. Touratech also offers a host of accessories for their Zega Pro and Mundo cases, such as exterior fuel and water containers, dry bags to lash on the lids, and cargo nets that nest inside the lids. I did add reflectors and, of course, the obligatory MOA stickers. Have I been gushing? I suppose I have, but it’s not because I’m a pawn of some kind of world-wide, adventure gear cartel. I am convinced this Touratech stuff is about as good as it gets, which explains the hefty price ($1499 for rack and panniers), and though my bike and I might not be up to a Long Way Round trek, it’s pretty comforting knowing these Zega Pros are. For more information and video, visit Touratech-usa.com. PROS: Elite-class construction, timetested, rider-savvy design and features CONS: Expensive, not exactly aerodynamic

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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Ztechnik's VStream for S 1000 XR By Bill Wiegand #180584 IF ALEX TREBEK ASKED, “THEY’RE

the two most frequently changed components on a BMW motorcycle.” The answer would obviously be: What are windshields and seats? As a new model introduced in June of 2015, it’s taken awhile for the aftermarket community to begin offering upgrades and replacement bits for the S 1000 XR and like many other BMW riders, I’ve been chomping at the bit to personalize the bike to my taste. A couple of things at the top of my wish list were a more comfortable seat and a better performing windscreen. While I bit the bullet on BMW’s tall HP seat option last winter, it took a bit longer to find a windshield upgrade. Then, a web surfing session brought me to National Cycle’s site where I found ZTechnik was manufacturing not one, but three of their VStream options for the XR. Available in Sport, Sport/Tour and Touring versions, the VStreams are all manufactured using the same 4.5 mm Lexan polycarbonate material claimed to be three times more abrasion resistant compared with acrylic materials while offering 20 times greater crack and impact resistance. The windscreens also all share the same basic “V” shape incorporating contours at the bottom corners which, according the website, “push the wind vortex out and away from the rider’s helmet

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

resulting in a peaceful, quiet environment.” The differences are with the height of each model which progressively get taller. Additionally, the Sport version is slightly narrower than the other two. All three sizes are larger than the stock windscreen. I wear earplugs when I ride and the “quiet” part of the marketing promise wasn’t what I was necessarily looking for. What I

wanted was reduced buffeting and a more comfortable ride. When deciding which model to purchase, I relied on Goldilocks reasoning and chose the middle, Sport/Tour option and hoped it would be just right. Then I pulled out my credit card and a couple of days later, there it was. Upon initial inspection, I was happy. Clarity was very good and the enclosed mounting hardware well executed. My only disappointment was that the tint of the Sport/Tour model was lighter than I hoped. Removal of the stock S 1000 XR

windscreen is a piece of cake with only four Torx bolts holding it in place. Mounting the VStream is only slightly more complicated with a bracket first mounted to the bike with the new windscreen attached to that. Though I wasn’t able to find any substantiating data, my guess is that the bracket, which pushes the VStream about threequarters of an inch forward of the stock windscreen position, allows additional airflow beneath the windscreen to reduce buffeting and help deliver the promised “peaceful and quiet environment.” Once mounted, the VStream maintains the two position height options of the stock unit. Overall I’m pleased and find the VStream does offer a more comfortable ride at highway speeds. In the low position and the top of the windscreen at chin level, buffeting is significantly reduced and the added height pushing many of the bugs that used to splatter on my faceshield passing over my helmet. After about 3,000 miles the windscreen still looks new. Protection comes at a price, though, as on hot days I find a decreased flow of cooling air into my helmet making it uncomfortable when stopped. Additionally, fuel mileage has gone down a bit. Perhaps the answer is buying the shorter, Sport version or using the stock unit for summer riding. Maybe, I simply need to adapt to a new normal. ZTechnik’s VStream Sport/Tour windscreen for BMW S 1000 XR carries an MSRP of $196.95. For more information or to buy, visit nationalcycle.com.

Left, A view of the ZTechnik VStream windscreen mounted on a BMW S 1000 XR. Above, With the stock S 1000 XR windscreen placed over ZTechnik's Sport/Tour model, the size difference is easily seen.

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Keep it clean with Bugslide bike detailer By Ron Davis #111820 EARLY THIS PAST SUMMER, I WAS

in one my favorite hamburger joint/ rider hangouts, and on a shelf in back of the bar was a display for something called “Bugslide.” Curious, I asked to take a look at the packaging, and while I was reading, another rider approached, tapped the box and said, “Good stuff!” A word of mouth recommendation, coupled with the fact that Bugslide is manufactured in my home state of Wisconsin, was good enough for me, and I decided to give the cleaning product a try. According to Bugslide, the cleaning solution is “a complete, waterless detailer that cleans, shines and degreases while removing bugs and other surface contaminants with ease.” In addition to cleaning, Bugslide says its product leaves a layer of UV coating that helps protect nonporous surfaces like fiberglass, chrome, acrylic, aluminum, Plexiglas, Lexan, vinyl and leather, and it contains no wax, petroleum, silicone, ammonia or Teflon. I waited until I had about 500 miles of July bugs and road grime on my bike before breaking out the Bugslide. My usual process for cleaning up my windshield is to drape a wet towel over it for 30 minutes to soften up the petrified bug guts, but for this trial I just sprayed Bugslide liberally on my acrylic shield and let it sit for a while. Using the supplied towel, Bugslide released the grime and bugs off the shield, and switching sides of the towel, buffing restored the shield to a like-new, streak- and fog-free shine. I have a thick, Lexan headlight guard with a flat surface that naturally becomes a mat of bug glop, and

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Member tested bugslide.jpg: Bugslide is an American-made, waterless detailer that releases bugs and road grime, while restoring the shine and adding protection to non-porous, motorcycle surfaces.

Bugslide also cleaned that up nicely. I got similar results on body panels and those great bug-catchers, my fork downtubes. My boxy, matte finish panniers are aluminum, and their leading surfaces really are my bike’s biggest bug and grime magnets. After saturating them with Bugslide and letting it soak for a half hour, I found some baked-on bug splatters and specks of what could be tarmac were still stubbornly holding fast. Some good old-fashioned soap and water and elbow grease, followed by more Bugslide finally got them showroom clean again. As I continued to clean up the bike, I became convinced Bugslide works best on glossy surfaces like face shields, fiberglass panels, light lenses, chrome, and windscreens. However, after some detailing on duller surfaces like chain guards, mattefinish aluminum and powder-coated racks with soap and water, I think finishing with a coating of Bugslide made those surfaces a little more “slippery,” and clean-up was

definitely a bit easier after another couple hundred miles. My wife became a big fan of Bugslide for cleaning the inside of her car’s windshield which seems to get foggy from off-gassing plastic. Bugslide is packaged in a handy fourounce “Travel Pack” ($10), a 16-ounce “Shop Kit” ($20), and a “Bugslide Saver Pack” ($55) which includes a Travel Pack, a Shop Kit, and a 32-ounce refill bottle of the cleaning solution. I did try the product on my GPS screen, usually a hotbed for grease and fingerprints, and on my laptop screen with great results. Bugslide recommends trying the detailer also on cell phone screens, TVs, boats and even countertops. Bugslide can be found wherever vehicle cleaning products are sold, particularly in the eastern half of the U.S and on the West Coast. It’s also available on the Bugslide website (Bugslide.com), where more information and testimonials are posted.

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October 2016â&#x20AC;&#x192; BMW OWNERS NEWS

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Old age, aches and riding aids: Suburban Machinery bar risers By Tom Murphy on the covered seat. That way when you manufacturers building bar risers. Some SOME OF US IN THE BMW RIDING pull the last bolt securing the bar, everyrequire that the front brake line be replaced world are, how do you say, “advancing thing you need will be close rather than way and the system bled. Some are strictly boltin years.” With this advance comes the over there on the bench. Yes, I learned that ons. One company that has been in the onset of pains in places that we didn’t the hard way. BMW aftermarket parts business for years know we had which can and does Use a Torx 45 wrench to remove the and produces bar risers is Suburban interfere with riding pleasure. These stock bolts, and a 6mm hex Allen to install Machinery. I found them through the pains can even cause us to cut back on the new bolts. When you remove the hanBMW Luxury Touring Forum when I went our riding. dle bar, lift it straight up slowly because looking for a kit to lower the pegs on my RT. Fortunately, we have a number of there’s an O-ring on top of the fork tube that In the conversations that followed, I learned products available to aid us in our keeps dirt out of the fork. It’s just sitting about their version of handlebar risers. quest for comfort. Aftermarket seats there and can pull rate high on the off. list of changes Hold the bar verthat many have tical and slip the made and lowspacer underneath. ered foot pegs are An extra set of hands quite useful. Addcomes in right ing a windshield, handy (pun or installing a intended). Look taller one to down the bolt holes replace the stock and line up the unit found on the spacer. Hand-thread R 1200 RT is also common. Here’s Suburban Machinery’s RT bar riser kit. The two spacers and eight bolts are in proper left/right the bolts in and just snug them down. One area often position. Later use a torque neglected is rider wrench set to 19 Nm (14 ft-lbs) to finish the With specs at.894 inches lift and .447 inches upper body positioning. I’m at the job. There is a black tie wrap holding two back, everything clears at maximum right retirement age (actually, a bit past) wiring cables to the left bar. Remove it and and left bar lock, and the brake line doesn’t and leaning over to hold the bars replace it after installation. Do the left side rub or chafe. causes back pains sooner in my ride first to get used to the installation. The right Installation was pretty simple and took than it used to. However, there is a bar will have the brake line to contend with. less than 30 minutes. First, I suggest coverway to raise the bars and reduce the This is where the extra hands help. Lift ing the seat and tank with a sheet or towel bend in your spine: bar risers. For a slowly until the spacer just glides above the for two reasons. If you drop a tool on the motorcycle with tube handlebars, bar triple clamp; the O-ring won’t get touched. tank, you won’t nick the paint. If you drop a risers are pretty much a new set of Swing the bars from lock to lock. At full bolt, it probably will end up on the towel clamps with an adjustable setback and right lock the brake hose could contact the instead of buried down where all that rise. For those motorcycles we love ignition key housing, but mine didn’t. A strange, hot machinery hides. and own, replete with left and right short wrap of mylar tape will stop any rubSecond, spread out the parts and identify stylized bars and lots of bolts holding bing. Be sure to replace the tie wrap and which spacer goes where. The photo above them to the steering head, i.e. the RT, you’re done. Now go ride and feel the shows the proper layout. There are instrucGT and a few others, some sort of difference. tions included in the kit which explain this spacer is necessary to lift and pivot You can find more information at www. in more detail. the grips. suburban-machinery.com. Next, you need to lay out tools and parts There are a number of

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

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VnM sport baselayers By Deb Gasque #182082 THE RECORD-BREAKING EXTREME

heat during the summer of 2016 was intense, to put it mildly, and may have put the brakes on many planned motorcycling trips. Riding is a struggle when our bodies are put to the extremes due to weather. For cold weather riding, there are several gear options on the market to keep us comfortable, but for scorching temperatures, I haven't had much luck finding gear that accommodates the body from neck to ankles and works well…until now. Aliki Karayan of VnM (pronounced “venom”) Sport started her mission in

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

2009 to produce high-performance, cooling compression baselayers for herself and others in her field of superbike racing. Having no experience in garment manufacturing or design, she took her strong passion to produce hard-working, quality gear and started making phone calls and meeting with people. Aliki persevered through trial and error and finally found a high-performance fabric from Italy and a manufacturing company in North America to make her dream come true. Today, she custom designs her cooling compression baselayers for racing teams and has been very successful creating products that are superior in performance. In speaking with Aliki about the possibility of her gear working for riders in the longdistance riding world, she didn’t hesitate at all and sent me a set to try out. Upon receipt of the package, I immediately tried the two-piece baselayers on and was thrilled with the comfort and fit. The top loosely fits up around your neck to keep it cool and protect it from chafing from your riding suit. Around the bottom of the baselayer top, there is a strip of a rubber-like material on the underside that lies against the skin on your abdomen to keep the gear in place so it doesn't ride up over time. The long sleeves

keep your arms cool, as well as block the sun on your wrists for those who, like me, get “racing stripes” where my gloves and riding gear sleeves don’t meet. Additionally, there is compression built into specific areas such as the arms to help with body fatigue. Aliki also added mesh panels in certain areas to heighten the cooling function. The baselayer bottom, which fits to the ankle, was equally as comfortable in all areas, including the knees and the crotch where discomfort can really make a good ride bad. I put the VnM Sport cooling compression baselayers to the test during a twoweek ride in extreme temperatures in July. Prior to putting on the baselayers while preparing for each day’s ride, I wet them in the sink. The high-performance fabric held the moisture and wicked it slowly as I rode, which maximized the cooling effect. On days that the temperatures were horribly extreme, I used the restroom sink on my fuel stops and breaks to rewet the fabric when it dried out. On days when the temperatures were in the 70s and 80s, I found the gear worked well without wetting it. I did notice that when the temperature dipped below 70 in the early mornings and evenings, I needed to put on a layer between the baselayers and my summer riding suit, as the cooling effect was a little too chilly for me. As far as maintaining the undergarments while on the road, I washed them in the shower with me and hung them out to dry overnight. The fabric is sturdy and high-quality, and it feels as if it will hold up very well over a long period of time. The basic baselayers come standard in black, but Aliki also designs super-fashionable custom gear with color panels and graphics. I highly recommend the VnM Sport cooling compression baselayers to our legion of riders, as they really do their job, are extremely comfortable, and are high-quality products for a reasonable price (they retail at $97.99 for each piece and can be purchased at vnmsportgear.com).

www.imtbike.com

www.motoskiveez.com

www.euromotoelectrics.com October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

www.kinektdesign.com

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360fly – a “Freaking Cool” experience By Matt Dewald #174635 FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION

of high-definition action cameras by GoPro in 2009, we have seen an explosion of high-quality, personal action videos throughout social media and video-sharing applications. And the sky is the limit for the possibilities of action videos with faster network speeds and increasing video quality. During a recent visit to the BMW Motorrad dealership, I stumbled upon a device that caught my eye and had me uncontrollably handing over my credit card without hesitation. The product? 360fly, a first-generation action camera that records videos in 360 degrees and a horizon level spanning 240 degrees. My salesman showed me a video of the 360fly that was loaded onto YouTube. From the video, I watched in amazement as swiping the screen or moving the displaying iPhone changed the angle of the video. Never before had I seen a video recorded in 360 dgree view, where the viewer (not the recorder) can decide what he or she wants to see in the video. (For an sample video, see my YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=JbH_Lphv-8Q.)

Overall look and feel

Measuring approximately 60 millimeters in circumference and hosting a single operating button, the 360fly

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

looks like the eyeball of a fly. With its many angles, video camera on top, and mounting inputs on the bottom, the unit is solid in its construction and simple with its design. The 360fly is also water resistant when the audio mic is covered with the included rubber plug. Other items included with the package are a magnetic charging base, USB connector for charging and transferring files to a computer, and various mounting

and allows clear visibility of the state of the camera (i.e., recording, off, standby). However, the windshield can add small amounts of glare to the video…a small compromise, I believe. Some other mounting options are on top of one’s helmet or on a separate mounting bar. However, these options likely will limit access to the device and might create too much movement to obtain a clear picture.

Memory and Video

units for the nearly limitless possibilities for this device.

Other pertinent “ingredients”

To fully take advantage of the 360fly for motorcycle use, I attached the 360fly to my 2013 R 1200 R with a Ram Mount, Ram Mount hardware, and a 360fly-included mounting plate. Although not critical, I like mounting my 360fly behind my windshield in order to protect it from bugs, stray debris, and other road hazards. Positioning the camera in this location makes controlling the device easy

The unit’s memory and fully charged battery permits about two hours of recording, and it has 32 gigabytes of internal memory—very good, considering the amount of video being recorded and the size of the unit! I noted that the battery can drain when not in use, so it’s best to fully charge the device the night before using it. Video clips are stored in 10-minute-increment files, which helps with transferring files from the unit to a computer. I found that reviewing 10 minutes or even two hours of video to be excessive, so as I perfected my use of the device, I learned to turn it on and off for the good parts of the ride. The 360fly does not have the external memory space (such as micro SD cards), which would be helpful for faster file transfers if it is addressed in future generations. The video on the first-generation unit comes in 1080p high definition (and customizable to lower levels of quality, if desired). Because I always recorded with the sound plug in place, a low drone of the motorcycle and road noise were apparent in the video. However, considering that

sounds are not a critical element of moto videos, I found mute to be the ideal playback volume.

Uploading video

The 360fly offers a number of ways to export videos from the device to your phone or computer. From there, a user can upload videos to social media or other file-sharing sites with relative ease. First, the fastest and easiest method for file transfer is via a direct USB link from the device’s magnetic charging base to a computer. To edit and view files on your computer, 360fly requires the user to download an app (available for Windows and Mac users). In this test, I used a PC running Windows 10. For a relatively new product, I found the PC app’s interfaces to be reasonably simple to use. After uploading and editing videos on a PC/ Mac, videos added to the 360fly computerbased app are automatically added to the phone-based app. Second, a slower transfer mechanism is available via a private Wi-Fi connection. Frankly, I never saw a device use this type of connection before, and I am not a big fan. In essence, the 360fly device can create its own Wi-Fi network, to which a user then connects with his or her smart phone. I experienced a three-minute upload time for each minute of video (e.g., a 10-minute video transfers to the phone in about 30 minutes). This results in a lot of battery drain for both the 360fly and smart phone, as well as a lot of wasted time. Replaying videos from the camera to a phone via Wi-Fi is choppy.

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Sharing on social media

YouTube and Facebook have already created 360-degree functionality, allowing easy sharing with your family and friends who don’t have the 360fly software. When I loaded sample 360 videos on Facebook, I received feedback like “sweet,” “so cool,” and “freaking cool.” Comically, my mother was confused by the post and noted that it “looks like a side view.” I think she struggled with understanding that she can control the angle of view, but hey, you www.ayresadventures.com October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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YOUR TRIP BEGINS HERE

Ozark National Forest near Cass

Gear up and get to Arkansas, where you’ll find tons of on- and off-road routes to give you a thrill. We’ve also got cool little outof-the-way stops on your ride that you won’t find anywhere else and locals who love bikers. Come see us. ORDER YOUR FREE ARKANSAS MOTORCYCLING GUIDE www.arkansas.com/motorcycling.com AT ARKANSAS.COM/MOTORCYCLING OR CALL 1-866-566-5727.

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Other references

The 360fly website also has a user community that is available to troubleshoot problems, provide open tech support, and share videos. An enthusiastic user can find other users’ shared videos. Some of my favorites include surfing videos and views taken from the bottom of fighter jets.

Pricing and next generation

The high-definition 360fly retails for $399 (recently on sale for $299). A newly released 4K version sells for $499.

Concluding thoughts

The proverbial question for motorcyclists is simple to ask and difficult to answer: what can I do with hours of video of me

performing my favorite sport? The answers I have heard are varied: “Let’s capture those special views so others can experience my rides,” “Cagers can be dangerous and video can help prove it,” or “I was following the law and here’s proof.” Whatever your answer is, the 360fly provides an excellent alternative to other video devices, captures high-quality images, and fits perfectly within my collection of hightech farkles. At $299 for the HD version, this device is worthy of consideration for those in the market for a video camera.

COME SEE US.

PROS: great design for motorcycle use, high-quality images, and easy editing and file sharing on social media CONS: slow Wi-Fi uploads from camera to

phone.

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PRoductnews BMW of Denver has a new address

After 17 years, the sun is setting on the current location of BMW of Denver and rising on a beautiful new facility located at 10350 East Easter Avenue in Centennial, Colorado. The new, state-of-the-art facility is the result of years of steady sales growth for the Denver dealership and is scheduled to open October 4. BMW of Denver’s new home features a 5,000 square foot showroom able to highlight all that BMW Motorrad has to offer, allowing riders to find everything from the economical C 650 scooter to the luxurious K 1600 GTL tourer. Bill McConnell, BMW of Denver’s General Manager, says the new facility will allow customers to shop for their next motorcycles indoors and will also be home to five certified BMW technicians with room for more as business increases. A new, customer lounge includes a computer station, charging ports and even a shower facility for weary road travelers. “You will not find a warmer, more welcoming place to be than BMW of Denver,” said McConnell. The last day at the current Aurora, Colorado location will be Saturday, October 1, and the new facility on Easter Avenue will open Tuesday, October 4. Visit the BMW of Denver website at bmwofdenver.com or their Facebook page for the latest information.

Klim Krios Adventure helmet

Touratech's outdoor motorcycle cover fights the elements

With autumn in the air some motorcycles might just find themselves parked until next spring. Take care of your bike during its winter slumber with a heavy-duty motorcycle cover generously cut to accommodate luggage and even a top case. Constructed from waterproof and breathable Tyvek, this Touratech cover will keep the rain out while allowing the bike to breath and moisture to escape. Inside, a soft layer of polyester viscose flock protects the finish of the motorcycle as well as provides a cushion for protecting the bike from mishaps in the garage. Because the cover is made using temperature resistant materials, it can withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to put the cover on when the bike is still hot. The cover is secured with a drawstring around the base and a reinforced pass-through hole accommodates a cable lock for security. The Touratech heavy-duty outdoor-grade cover is an ideal choice for protecting motorcycles with luggage. The cover retails for $169.95 and for more information, visit touratech-usa.com.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Klim's new Krios helmet offers a new standard for adventure helmets, revitalizing benchmarks in strength, performance and functionality. Using a carbon-fiber shell construction with four ride-mode configurations for versatility and built with aerodynamics, acoustics and comfort in mind, the Klim Krios is the lightest adventure helmet available. Features of the Klim Krios include an optically correct face shield covering a large field of vision and a liner created using “smart foam” technology and anti-microbial/bacterial, fastwicking textiles. The hand-laid carbon weave produces a shell of consistent thickness, and the Krios utilizes an aerodynamic visor and spoiler for stabilization at speed. Additional features include a quick-release shield and visor system and an anti-scratch, Pinlock-ready face shield. The Klim Krios meets or exceeds ECE and DOT standards and is available in sizes from small to XXX-Large. MSRP for the Kilm Krios is $549.99, and for more information, visit klim.com.

Giant Loop Tracker Packer Ruggedized Holster REV’IT! Williamsburg and Metropolitan jackets

New from the REV’IT! 2016 Fall/Winter collection are the REV’IT! Williamsburg men’s jacket and Metropolitan ladies’ jacket. Both jackets are constructed using a chic, polycotton 2L outer shell and reinforced with a breathable, waterproof Hydratex® membrane for waterproof protection. Additional features include CE-rated SEESMART™ armor at the shoulders and elbows with the option to upgrade to a CE-level 2 SEESOFT™ back protector. The jackets also feature a detachable thermal liner and hood and adjustment options to ensure an optimal fit. For more information, visit revitsport.com.

New LED mounts from Machineartmoto

For BMW R 1200 R/RS riders who use Machineartmoto’s AvantGuard engine protection guard and are unable to install BMW's one-piece light bracket, MaMo Light Bars now allow those riders the ability to install additional conspicuity lighting. MaMo Light Bars are individual left and right side light mounts finished in satin black powder-coated steel which mount in the same location as BMW's light bar. MaMo AvantGuard is a front end stone and splash guard that protects the painted engine and exhaust headers of the liquid-cooled R 1200 R/RS. AvantGuard is constructed of injection molded nylon, the same impact resistant material used by BMW for its fenders and side skirts. MaMo Light Bars carry a list price is $79, while the MaMo AvantGuard is available for $129. For more information, visit machineartmoto.com.

Giant Loop now offers the Tracker Packer ruggedized holster for the DeLorme inReach satellite communicator and emergency beacon, in addition to its Tracker Packer for the SPOT Gen3 GPS-enabled location tracker and emergency beacon. The Tracker Packer enables backcountry adventurers who travel beyond cell phone range to stay safer during all of their outdoor adventures through the use of the DeLorme or SPOT devices. The Tracker Packer attaches either device to the user's backpack shoulder strap, outerwear, or upper arm, reducing the risk of the device separating from the user. It can also be used to attach the device to a vehicle or other location, and by using redundant closures, multiple connections, and tether points, the Tracker Packer is designed to remain secure, even in the roughest, most extreme conditions. Made in the USA with militaryspecification components and materials, the Tracker Packer is backed by Giant Loop's limited lifetime warranty. USA MSRP is $45, and Giant Loop donates a portion of all Tracker Packer sales to the Kurt Caselli Foundation, which focuses on the safety of riders and racers in the off-road motorcycling industry. For more information, visit giantloopmoto. com.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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Helmut Dähne takes victory lap at Isle of Man IN 1976, HELMUT DÄHNE AND

Hans Otto Butenuth won the Isle of Man's 1000cc class of the Production TT on a BMW R 90 S, and in doing so, joined an exclusive list of riders who put their names on the winner's list of the oldest, most demanding and most hazardous motorcycle road race in the world.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Forty years after his victory, Dähne, now 71 years old, returned to the scene of his great triumph. On August 29, 2016, he rode his original BMW racer around the Isle of Man on a lap of honor. He didn't achieve the speeds of his last go-round, but his lap met with the applause of thrilled spectators once again. The anniversary ride was the highlight of

the BMW Group Classic's appearance at the Tourist Trophy paddock next to the grandstand in the island capital of Douglas and at the festival on the airfield in Jurby. In a large display area, motor racing fans saw not just the winning boxer motorcycle from 1976, but also numerous other BMW racing bikes from TT history. The selection ranged from an R 5 SS from 1937 and a 1939 R 51 to the

Ride Brilliantly Every Day! Play your Beemer like a fiddle BMW RS 54, which was designed as a racing machine in 1954 and reached top speeds of over 125 mph. The R nineT Scrambler and G 310 R represented BMW's current lineup. Helmut Dähne started his career by training as a motor mechanic with BMW. In the company’s motorcycle racing department he was then involved in the maintenance and repair of the legendary vertical shaft engines for customer racing. In addition, he specialized in reliability testing, and at the beginning of the 1970s developed racing machines based on the BMW R 75/5. In 1972 Dähne rode this type of motorcycle in the 200-mile race in Imola, Italy. The talented mechanic was also quick to get hold of the BMW R 90 S launched in 1973 – the brand's first superbike. With full trim, stub handlebars, turned back footrests, a short jump seat and a boxer engine with its output increased by 9 to 76 hp, his machine reached speeds of well over 200 km/h. After this, Dähne attracted attention at numerous races with his elegant riding style and fast lap times, and his red leather racing suit with white stripes became a striking trademark, too. Dähne remained faithful to the powerful BMW boxer motorcycles when he moved to tire manufacturer Metzeler in 1974 to work in racing. Here, he advanced the development of tires for fast road bikes and serial production racing. Dähne was both a test rider and a racer, and this was how he came to be involved in the Tourist Trophy, which he first entered in 1972. By 1994 Helmut Dähne had entered a total of 26 Tourist Trophy races, including several in the same year on some occasions. He became a TT legend when he secured victory in 1976, only narrowly failing to repeat his triumph in 1984 and 1986, when he finished second. Dähne won 131 of the 383 races he entered and holds a record at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe with his 7-minute, 49.71-second run of the circuit in 1993. The circuit was subsequently modernized, making Dähne's record-setting run unbeatable.

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Das Rally! was great! By Matthew Parkhouse #13272 THE

NATIONAL

rally was absolutely GREAT! About 6,000 folks attended, with an unknown minority of them riding in on airhead BMWs. Mike Friedle, the New York Air Marshall, set up a very comfortable Airhead Central for us to call home during the Rally. Susanna and I set up our tent not too far away, so I spent a fair amount of my time under the awning. A lift and compressor were made available, and the lift saw a steady parade of bikes, some having routine maintenance performed, others having a problem resolved. Two young men visited us, riding what I refer to as “legacy bikes.” These bikes had been owned by fathers and uncles before being inherited by the next generation. One was a R 100/7 that was barely running. It was backfiring badly at anything above an idle. I had the fellow bring it to the lift, and

we took a look at the ignition system. We pulled off the front cover (after demonstrating how to isolate the battery) and fired it up. As I watched, the points barely appeared to move. I had brought a handful of tools with me, and my points-spacing tool was one of them. I removed the advance unit and installed my tool. There really was almost zero movement of the points, so I reset them to the proper 0.40mm gap. Since the points appeared to be fairly new, I fired up the bike. It ran MUCH better, with a complete absence of backfiring. I brought out my continuity test lamp and set it up to static time the points. As we rotated the engine, the lamp showed the bike to be quite a bit advanced. After loosening and turning the points plate, we were able to see the lamp light up just as the “S” mark rotated past the Don Beverage, the Indiana AirMarshall, helping a rider learn timing window on the left side of about setting the valves on his bike. This sort of comaraderie the engine. The rubbing cam of the was a constant in the large tent of Airhead Central. advance unit looked completely

At the 2016 National Rally in Hamburg, New York. Both Tom Cutter and I hosted an hour-plus seminar on airhead tech/Q & A. I talked about my latest Mexico trip as well. Between the seminars and hanging out at the Airhead Central tent, my Rally was pretty airhead-intensive.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Tom Cutter, doing some "touch-up maintenence" on his bike in Airhead Central. He spent a fair amount of time under the canvas, helping out other riders and just relaxing with the Airhead crowd.

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definitely bright enough to work well. They are “beta testing” ten of these on various bikes in their local area. They’ve found a few bugs and have ironed those out. They hope to be selling these (the 1974-1977 and the 1978-1980 versions) by the time you are reading this. They will sell for $115 plus a bit of shipping. They have a nice website: www. katdash.com. Meeting Kat and hearing about her and her husband’s efforts was one of the high points of the rally for me. Constructed for real longevity, there are enough of the old airheads still running, and they are definitely worth being kept that way. As a result, various people have produced replacement parts for them. As I write this column, I have just sold the R 100 S. I’m very happy to see it go to a local Colorado Airhead fellow that I have met at a couple of tech days over the last few years. The S is going to a good home, and just maybe I can ride it on occasion. I’ll miss that bike. The late 1970s airheads are among my favorites, with their big pistons, big 40mm carbs and heavy flywheels. In addition, I believe those years saw about the best in fit and finish among the flat twins. The feeling those large, slow power strokes give the ride as one motors down the road is really unique to the big 1,000cc bikes. I really haven’t ridden it at all since last October’s 500-mile run through Colorado’s San Luis Valley. It’s been sitting under cover in our back yard, and it is high time it went to

Mono shocks • Twin shocks • ESA shocks Replacement springs for OEM shocks Lowering springs for OEM shocks Steet-Box • Telelever-Box • Steering Damper

The best return on investment: devoid of grease. No one present had any, so I removed the cover of the swing-arm pivot and used a screwdriver to dig out a bit of clean grease to apply to the rubbing area. The lack of lubrication was probably the main reason the points had worn closed. The young owner returned from a test ride with a big grin. He was encouraged to join the Airheads to begin the process of learning about the 1977 bike he was now responsible for. A number of experienced Airhead folks were present to offer help as it was needed. Tom Cutter (long time Airhead guru), Joe Cuda (Kansas Air Marshall), Don Beverage (Indiana Air Marshall), and I were all busy at various times at the lift. Many people were able to accomplish what work they needed to do without any help. The atmosphere was one of cooperation. One visitor to the Airhead Central didn’t need any help. Kat Connell, of New York, showed up on her 1974 R 90/6 and set out a little display of the “bulb holders” that she and her husband have created. The bulb holder part of the instrument cluster of any airhead from 1974 on is no longer available (NLA). I have gotten pretty good at repairing them with solder and bits of braided wire over the last few years. When her 1974 instrument bulb holder board wore out, she and her electrical engineer husband designed a printed circuit board using LEDs for the various colors on the cluster panel. Her bike had one in place, and it was

• OEM standard shocks leaking and not rebuildable? • OEM ESA shocks are leaking and not rebuildbale? • Need new springs for OEM ESA or NON ESA shocks? • Your are tip-toing and want to lower the ride height? • You have an older bike and need new suspension on a budget? - Call the experts at EPM performance

The new-and-improved airhead bulb-holder. It's nice to see someone trying to make a bit of a living keeping the airhead riding crowd on the road!

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someone who will RIDE it. Over the next few days, I’ll be prepping my Slash Five and Susanna’s Slash Seven for a run to visit her parents in Boise, Idaho. Her father is 95 and her mother is 91. They are living independently in their house and are beginning to have problems making that work. We are planning getting up there fairly often and will do this August trip on the bikes. Neither one of us are spring chickens any more, so this ride will be a check on how we do covering 900 miles each way. I did okay with the Mexico trip last winter, but it has been a couple of years since Susanna has done a long-ish bike trip. We are planning a several week tour of the Southwest this winter. This run will be a good test of our abilities.

Points and Timing

Airhead owners of bikes from 1970 to 1980 have ignition points to contend with (unless they have converted to an aftermarket electronic ignition). The owner’s manual calls for the points to get attention every 5,000 miles. That interval seems about right. You don’t need a lot of tools to install and set the points and timing. First, isolate the battery because part of the diode board under the front cover is “hot,” connected straight to the positive side of the battery. A slip here with the aluminum

A close up of my two tools for setting points on 1970 to 1978 airheads. The right side one is a part of an old advance unit, the left side is a custom-made tool that mimics the "high spot" of the cam.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Using the BMW-issued feeler gauge to set the setting of the ignition points. It is right where it should be - 0.40mm. The tool that mimics the "high point" of the advance cam is in place on the end of the camshaft.

cover can result in destruction of the diode board. I’ve also seen two advance units damaged by being in the pathway to ground as the cover came off. I use a small screwdriver to lift the points contact arm so I can inspect the surface of the two contacts. If pitted or uneven, I toss them; if they’re smoothly burned, I’ll try dressing them with fine emery paper. I actually prefer to reuse points this way because the rubbing block will be worn down, “broken in,” if you will. The advance unit is held in place with a 6mm nut. If this is at all worn, I replace it. The end of the cam can be broken off, so one needs to be very careful when tightening that nut. I really “choke up” on my 10mm wrench when working on this fastener. The gap of the points is set to 0.40mm. The elegant small set of feeler gauges that BMW supplied in the old tool kits is now NLA (no longer available), so you’ll have to find another small sized feeler for this measurement. Rotate the engine until the cam of the advance unit is at its highest point and the points are open to the greatest amount. It’s kind of awkward with the advance weights in the way. I worked around the advance unit for many years before acquiring a tool for this task. It is simply a metal tube, machined to slip over the camshaft and to equal the “high spot” on the advance cam.

Paul Travenier of Cycleworks (www.cycleworks.net) makes this and a number of other airhead tools. The points tool runs $25 with shipping. Should you have the misfortune to snap off the threaded end of the camshaft, he also sells a kit to help you fix it. This involves filing the end of the shaft flat and drilling (using his bushing) right into the end of the shaft. Then it is tapped for threads to use a small bolt and washer to secure the advance unit. That repair is a fiddley job. He told me he has sold three of those bushing kits this last week. Be careful out there! I’ve also acquired just the cam part of a ruined advance unit, which works just as well. Don’t go disassembling your extra advance unit to get one of these – they were up to $225 before they went NLA! With the points gap set, it is time to set the timing. You can either use a strobe timing gun or a 12 volt test lamp. At the national rally, someone had a strobe gun, but it was so faint in daylight, even in the shade, that I got my test lamp to set the points I was working on. Using the test lamp, you clip into the ignition circuit at the condenser, about eight inches above the points and ground the other lead. The electrical pathway for the ignition circuit goes the following way: when the bike is turned on, power is sent to the coils, runs through the coils to

the condenser and from there to the points and to ground. When the test lamp is in place, it lights up when the points open and goes out when they close. Opening the points interrupts the current flowing through the coils, which collapses the electrical field in the coils, creating the high voltage that makes the sparkplugs do their job. While the points are closed, the power goes through them to ground, a less-resistive pathway than the lamp, so it goes out. I want this opening to occur right before the piston is at top dead center (TDC) of the compression stroke. The flywheel has a mark at this point before TDC; it is the “S” mark on the points-equipped airheads. This is where the bike will fire at idle. I remove the black rubber plug on the left side of the engine which gives me a view of the flywheel. It helps to have a small flashlight to illuminate the flywheel as it turns. I turn the engine using an Allen key in the front of the crankshaft at the alternator. As the engine turns in the direction of rotation (this is much easier with the sparkplugs OUT!) the first mark to appear is the “F” mark. If a strobe gun is being used, you’d see this when the advance unit opened up completely (around 2,000 to 2,600 rpm). With the test lamp, keep going until the “S” mark shows up. As it crosses the opening, the lamp should light up. If it lights before, the timing is advanced. If it lights up later, the timing is retarded. To change the timing, loosen the points plate at the top and bottom, leaving the middle screw alone. I use a screwdriver to turn the plate, pushing against the raised little posts that are there for this purpose. The very early airheads lacked these posts, so I take the screwdriver and tap it with a small hammer to move the plate. If the points cannot be adjusted into the proper timing setting, it could be as a result of a badly worn rubbing block or an incorrectly set points gap. Once you have the lamp lighting as the “S” mark is crossing the center of the hole, you are done. If you’re using a timing gun and see a double image of the “S” or “F” marks, that is usually due to a slightly bent camshaft or a stretched timing chain. Neither should be a serious issue. If I have a double image, I set the timing to the mid-point between the two points. Checking points and timing are a part of a basic tune up, along with setting the valves and adjusting the carburetors.

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www.powerlet.com October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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How to correctly bleed brakes By George Mangicaro

I bled the brakes on my RT and they’re still mushy. Every now and then the ABS lights come on, but turning the bike off and back on again usually clears that up. Did I do something wrong when I bled the brakes? –Mike Z., R 1150 RT

The process for bleeding brakes used to be relatively simple. Remove the master cylinder reservoir lid (carefully), protect any paint from splashed brake fluid, and then squeeze the brake lever (or depress the pedal) while a helper opens the bleeder valve on the caliper briefly. Repeat until clear brake fluid flows through the hose on the bleeder valve without any air bubbles present. With the advent of iABS on motorcycles, followed by BMW’s infamous “whizzy” (servo-assisted) brakes, this doesn’t quite do the trick any more. This is a hydraulic-over-hydraulic system and the brake fluid in each part of the circuit exists in two separate pools. One pool goes from the input cylinder (master cylinder) reservoir on the handlebar (for the front brakes) or frame (for the rear brake) to the ABS control unit under the fuel tank. The other pool goes from the ABS control unit to the calipers. Flushing the system to put new fluid in it or simply bleeding the brake lines thus requires you to address both pools of fluid. (Which bike you have determines the total number of pools of fluid you have; for instance, the K 1200 LT bikes with these types of brakes generally have three pools, but depending on the year of manufacture, they could have four.) My guess – without having access to the R 1150 RT of course – is that Mike bled the system in the old-fashioned way, by opening the bleed valve on the caliper and squeezing the brake lever. Effectively what he did was empty fluid from the ABS unit-to-caliper pool, but not replace it because the fluid level in the reservoir-to-ABS unit pool would not have decreased. To flush or bleed these systems, the following process may prove to be the most effective, but as always you should consult with a qualified BMW tech if you’re at all confused.

Right, The tall, capped fittings are the bleed valves for the ABS control unit. The short, angled, capped fittings (only one is visible) are for getting air out of the lines, but they are reversed from the fluid bleed valves – that is, the one that looks like it should be for the rear brake circuit is actually for the front brake circuit. It is very easy to forget this, which is why it’s advisable to go to a qualified tech if you get air in the system.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Top view of an ABS control unit from an R 1150 RT. The battery is at the bottom of the photo and the bike’s Motronic computer is at the top. Note the combination of rubber and metal brake lines.

You’ll need: • Catch basin for contaminated (old) brake fluid • A big, unopened bottle (quart/liter) of fresh DOT 4 (or synthetic equivalent) brake fluid – this leaves you plenty of extra in case you make a mistake, spill some, etc. DO NOT use DOT 5 or silicone-based brake fluid. • Combination wrenches suitable for your bleed valves on the calipers and the ABS control unit (sizes may vary) Once you have access to the ABS control unit (you may have to remove body panels, seat, fuel tank, etc.), be sure to protect your frame and any other painted parts from spilled or splashed brake fluid – that stuff will take the paint right off. The system is under pressure, so fluid can spray out at high speed. Attach a hose or tube to the rear caliper bleed valve and run that hose to your catch basin. • Turn the key on. • Remove the cap on the reservoir marked H (Hintere, or Rear) and top off the fluid in the ABS control unit reservoir if necessary. • GENTLY apply the rear brake and allow fluid to drain, ensuring that fluid in the reservoir is always visible. • Release the brake and close the bleed valve, then turn the key off. • Top off the reservoir if necessary. • Repeat above steps as necessary until you see clear fluid coming through the hose. Using a funnel that screws into the ABS control unit reservoir can speed this process, as it gives you a good visual on when you need to add brake fluid. Beemer Boneyard sells them for about $35, or you can get the official BMW Motorrad tool, which is about $225 (p/n 83 30 0 402 174). The funnel also helps prevent air from getting into the system, which is important to both feel and function. For the front calipers, the procedure is the same as the rear, making sure (of course) that you are filling the appropriate reservoir (V for Vorwärts or Forward) on the ABS control unit. Popular opinion says to start with the caliper at the end of the circuit, but if you’re doing both in one sitting (and you should), it doesn’t matter which one you do first. Once you’ve flushed and bled both halves of the system from the ABS control unit, you’re only halfway done. Now you can move on to the fluid that starts at the brake lever or pedal.

Put the wrench on the caliper bleed valve before affixing the hose to the catch basin. Alternately, you can use the open end, but doing it this way helps ensure you don’t round off the bleed valve.

Remember that brake fluid can and will damage the paint on your motorcycle. Always protect painted surfaces when working with brake fluid and clean up spills immediately. When you’re bleeding any part of the circuit, ensure the reservoir never runs dry, or you risk introducing air to the system.

Right, For hard-to-reach places, cleanup can be accomplished with spray brake cleaner. Use a drip tray to control run-off and help protect the environment. October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

Start at the rear again: • Open the cap on the frame-mounted master cylinder reservoir. • Connect the hose for your catch basin to the tall bleed valve on the ABS control unit. • Top off the frame-mounted reservoir with clean, fresh DOT 4 brake fluid. • Open the bleed valve a quarter turn. • Press firmly on the brake pedal. • While holding the pedal down, close the bleed valve. • Release the pedal and refill fluid in the reservoir as necessary. • Repeat these steps until clear fluid flows through the hose. Once you’ve flushed and bled the rear, you can move to the front. Follow the same procedure for however many front calipers you have. There’s a popular myth that says it’s best to start with the caliper farthest from the reservoir, but as long as you do a thorough job, it doesn’t really matter which caliper you do first. If you somehow introduce air into the system, things get more complicated, and at that point, it’s advisable to seek professional help. The important thing to remember when dealing with the ABS control unit is that the brake fluid connected to the lever or pedal pushes on a piston inside the ABS control unit. The piston inside the control unit then pushes fluid to the caliper – two separate, distinct systems that work together to bring you quickly and safely to a full stop. The core of Mike’s problem was a simple misunderstanding of how the brake system on his bike manages fluid.

Opening and closing the bleed valves on the ABS control unit requires the use of a special tool. You can buy one from your BMW motorcycle dealer or you can modify a 7 mm wrench with about a 90-degree bend as a cheap alternative.

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BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

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October 2016â&#x20AC;&#x192; BMW OWNERS NEWS

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BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

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adventurelog

Leading Team BMW: Adventures in the Colorado Backcountry By Shawn Thomas #91122 "OKAY,

YOU

just follow the cones, over the log, through the tires and around the figure-8, then exit through the gravel pit. Got it?" I nodded at the referee and looked over the course, trying not to focus on other bikes being lifted from their horizontal resting places. The goal was to make it through all obstacles without falling or otherwise making a fool of myself. From where I sat, it was all a jumbled mess, though it seemed clear enough to those traversing the maze. I would be fine if I could just keep the bike upright through the whole thing. "All right," the official yelled over the noise of winding engines, “five second countdown. Ready? Five…four…” I nodded again, reaching for my SENA Comm system. Music helped me relax, and piping it though my helmet might make the course easier to handle. I tapped a button and the tunes began. "I stay out too late, got nuthin' in my braaaaain, that's what people sa-aay," Damn. My daughter’s playlist. Taylor Swift wasn't my first choice in soothing music, or my 100th for that matter. "2... 1... GO GO GO!" I throttled up, hammering though the course entrance and approaching the fallen log. It was large, maybe 16 inches in diameter and rutted at the base where others had torn the earth with burnouts. Taylor sang on. "But I keep cruuuuuisin', can't stop, won't stop mooooving..." I dumped the throttle, compressing

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

the front suspension. I bent at the knee, crouching down as if preparing to leap across a gorge. Simultaneously, I sprang up on the pegs and blipped the throttle. The front suspension released as my weight shifted, offering essential traction to the rear tire. The front end lofted, completely clearing the log as the rear tire bumped and followed. "I'll never miss a beeeat, I'm lightning on my feeeeet..."

I lined up on the tires, crouching into an attack stance and chanting my personal "eyes up, stay loose" mantra. Together the bike and I cruised over the worn rubber with ease and turned toward the figure-8s. So far so good. But it wasn’t meant to be. Halfway through the maze of cones, I managed to nudge my shifter, accidentally putting the bike into neutral at a critical moment. I throttled, expecting power to balance the bike through its lean. The motor roared, the 125 hp cut off from the rear drive. With a staggering jolt, I was

on the ground. I leaped up and hit my Comm system just as Ms. Swift reminded me to "Shake it off, Shake it off..." I shut off the bike, cursing myself for the stupid mistake. Someone was yelling at me. I looked up to see my teammate Sarah approaching, her iPhone pointed at the carnage. "OWN IT!" she hollered. "OWWWWWN IT!" I knew immediately what she meant. Smiling under my helmet, I climbed atop my fallen machine and struck a pose. She smiled back and shutter-bugged, scrutinizing the results before offering a thumbs-up and running off to photograph our other teammates. It was day one of the Cycle World Adventure Rally, and I was a member of Team BMW. Together, our group of four would spend the next few days tackling some of the most beautiful—and challenging—terrain the great state of Colorado had to offer. My teammates were all part of the BMW Family. Brian Voynick had recently taken on the role of Customer Relations Manager. He was new to adventure riding, but made up for lack of off-road experience with raw enthusiasm. Account Manager Fred Hoess was no stranger to the sport; his years of professional racing had earned him a legendary status. And it would be my second time competing with Sarah Schilke, head of Marketing at BMW USA and one hell of an adventure rider. The goals of the rally were simple, at least in theory. The facilitators gave out maps covered in a smattering of waypoints. Each team would get to as many waypoints as they could, photographing themselves in front of a designated landmark to prove they had in fact met the goal. The photos would be posted on Instagram, with hashtags denoting the team and location. Points were offered for each waypoint

reached, with prizes to the winners. There is always a bit of anxious energy surrounding an event such as this; by its very nature, adventure riding is an unpredictable animal. Adding competitive tasks and timelines is sure to fray some nerves. Despite being accustomed to this type of event, I was more than a little anxious. Being a part of Team BMW was a huge honor, one that required I put my best foot forward, both on and off the bike. Early the next morning we met for breakfast and retrieved our waypoint map. Armed with markers and notepads, we

went to work establishing a plan of attack. We noted each waypoint, marking the map with point values to help us gauge the best score accumulation. There were four types of waypoints: Easy (locations accessible by asphalt, Intermediate, (basic off-road traversals), Black-Diamond (hard dirt), and Double-Black Diamond (self-mutilation). The team settled on a progressive route. We would start with a few easy runs, then try our hand at the harder stuff. If the routes became too difficult, we would turn back. A good plan, at least in theory. We packed up our gear and headed out.

As predicted, the first few waypoints were at the end of easy roads and beautiful vistas. We found them easily, posing for goofy photos before moving on. When cell service was plentiful, the BMW team spent a few moments checking email, sighing quietly at the mounting workload they would be returning to. I understood their pain. I had been to the BMW corporate office many times, and had come to learn that these people had very demanding jobs. It was a rare treat for them to get out in the field and ride, and I hoped they would be able to fully enjoy the experience. The next group of waypoints promised to be challenging. They lay within a cluster of jagged mountains, the path draped in a zigzag of turns, rises and falls, culminating in traverse over Schofield Pass, marked on the map as “Insanely Difficult.” We checked the map; some of the waypoints glared back at us, their diamond eyes warning of the dangers that lay ahead. We were riding well, energy was high and everyone was excited by the challenge. Still, it was likely that we would need to turn back at some point along the way. We agreed to take it one step at a time. In Colorado it’s easy to be inspired. Every crest and turn reveals incredible beauty, a sense of remote, undiscovered country reserved just for our gawking eyes. We marveled at the landscape, stopping as much for waypoints as to appreciate the environment. Truly this was a region without equal. The terrain became more and more challenging. It was subtle at first, small patches of rock and a few mild descents. The team was moving quickly, inspired by the all-tooconquerable elements we had deftly tackled. This was going to be a cakewalk, or so we thought... We came upon a mountain pass, indicating the start of our descent to the northwest edge of the mountain range. Looking back on it, all the signs were there. In fact, there was literally a sign warning us of inevitable peril, should we dare to venture forth. But our confidence was high, and we had gravity on our side (it was a descent after all!). We agreed that as a team, we could tackle whatever came at us. We charged ahead.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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adventurelog

Immediately it was clear that we were in for a tough ride. The descent was intense and laden with loose rock. The mountain locked around us, its walls forcing rider and machine to maneuver ever closer to a perilous drop. Gorges far below roared with icy mountain rivers, their sound a deafening whoosh of whitewater. And beyond it all, the most strikingly magnificent views we had yet experienced, as if the path had been carved just so that our team could enjoy the intense natural beauty. As was our commitment, the team came together. As each challenge grew in difficulty, so did our resolve as we lifted, pushed and cheered one another through the pass. We gritted along, laughing and cheering as each rider took step after step in conquering the mountain. And in those

moments, the true essence of the adventure rider spirit enveloped us. Nothing existed but the mountain and the desire for us all to make it safely through. As quickly as it began, the difficult pass turned to easy, smooth dirt. The team was safe and headed to the safe embrace of asphalt. We were late; what we had anticipated as a 60-minute pass had gone hours over budget. We skipped our other waypoints and headed straight to camp. Upon arrival, the event facilitators gaped at our achievement. “That pass was not meant for BIG bikes, we planned it for the smaller dual-sport machines!” Oops. That evening we were surprised by the scoreboard which placed us at the top in our category. Apparently, there were “multipliers” achieved by collecting waypoints from at least one from each level of difficulty. Our joyride over Schofield Pass (or “The Pass of Death,” as we had come to call it) had helped us achieve this. We cheered

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BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

our achievement, toasting to the effort. In that moment we were a team; not Team BMW, with our individual titles and hierarchy, but rather just a group of friends, reliving the day and cementing memories that would not soon be forgotten. I lay back in my chair, soaking in the experience. Seeing the group before me, laden in dirty riding gear, I was reminded of why we do what we do. In that day my motorcycle had been so many things: an escape, a contender, an adventure. Surely tomorrow would reveal more, as would the following weeks and months, just as they had in the years leading up to this day. So many great experiences and new friends had been made along the way, and more were certain to come. It was a seemingly endless cycle, and I loved it. As the moon reached its peak in the nighttime sky we said our goodnights, looking forward to unknown adventures promised by a new day.

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discovery 54

Longdistancestyle

What a long, strange trip it’s been By Deb Gasque #182082 PERCHED IN THE

front seat and frozen in a trance, I peered through the large windshield and watched the lines on the pavement rapidly whir by in rhythm. I could hear the sound of the engine roar as the man driving laid his foot heavily onto the accelerator, along with the occasional earpiercing wail of a siren. Although faint, I could also make out the voices of two more men riding in the rear of the vehicle calling out numbers to

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

each other, along with the frantic beeping of machines that would heighten the pitch of their short, serious sentences. Squinting through the dark, I looked down and noticed the death grip I had on my tank bag which was perched in my lap, clutching it like it was my last possession in the world. Tank bag? In my lap? This surely was all just a bad dream. I closed my eyes tightly and prayed that when I opened them, I would be back in a bed in the curious little village of Woodstock, New York, with my husband snoring next to me. I wanted to wake up, throw down some coffee, slide into my riding gear, saddle up, and cruise down the road toward the next

adventure. This particular journey started off with great promise. It was mid-July, and the first leg of the trip was Hamburg, New York, where Das Rally! and good friends were number one on my agenda. My husband and I arrived on “rally Wednesday” and enjoyed four excellent days of socializing, volunteering, vendors and seminars, coupled with four nights of camping, fantastic music and a rocking beer garden where I enjoyed meeting so many of you, my fellow BMW MOA members. I must admit, one of my most favorite activities in this world of long-distance travel is the rallies—especially our annual BMW MOA International

Rally. My very first was in 2006 in Essex, Vermont, where I was a wide-eyed pillion on my first long-distance ride. It was a magical affair for me then, so it’s no wonder I still feel like a child on Christmas morning upon arrival, each and every July. The Sunday morning of Das Rally!, after many hugs and “farewells” to so many friends, we loaded up and hit the road with an agenda full of adventure. Following two nice overnight visits with friends in upstate New York and then Montreal, Quebec, it was time to get on with the next item on my list. I needed to fill in some blanks on my “U.S. Brag Map,” and several states along the Eastern Seaboard were in the crosshairs of my target…seven, to be exact. Following a lovely scenic drive-by of Vermont, the first planned destination was Glen, New Hampshire, in the White Mountains. The landing pad for that night was at the Bernerhof Inn Bed & Breakfast. Great place! Also, the owner just happens to be a motorcyclist and has added quite a few nice amenities for fellow riders. I especially loved the large Jacuzzi tub in my room, and as a special bonus from “Steve” the owner, the ice bucket which was delivered to our room also contained a nice little bottle of whiskey. There’s nothing like a relaxing bubble bath and stiff drink at the end of a long day of riding (www.BernerhofInn. com). After a fantastic breakfast in the morning, next was a lucrative shopping trip to White Horse Gear in neighboring North Conway, New Hampshire, and then destination MAINE! I’m not really sure why, but all of my life, I’ve wanted to visit Bar Harbor, Maine. I was born and raised in Utah and am used to breathtaking scenery, but something has always stirred my soul when I see photos of coastal Maine, especially the shores of Acadia National Park. As we rode onto the island of Bar Harbor, I was absolutely ecstatic, complete with tears in my eyes, finally in a place I had only previously dreamed about. It was all I had expected and more. Acadia, with its glacier-scoured granite peaks, thunderous waves slapping against the enormous rocks lining its jagged shoreline, and the heavy scent of balsam fir

trees, transported my soul to a total state of nirvana. I instantly fell head over heels in love. How was I so lucky as to be riding a motorcycle along such a glorious path of heaven? It was truly amazing! The village of Bar Harbor did not disappoint either. I had planned two nights of the itinerary at the Black Friar Inn in the village. It was another great pick for this two-wheeled adventure (www.BlackFriarInn.com). “Friar Tom,” the owner of this European-style inn, was very accommodating and ran a very casual, quaint and super fun place. The room was comfy and relaxing, and the tiny pub and restaurant downstairs served amazing eats and drinks. As an added bonus, the Black Friar Inn is very centrally located in the charming village of Bar Harbor, and just a quick walk down the street is a sand bar which is exposed at low tide and allows for a stroll over to the uninhabited Bar Island. I did that, too, and experienced another soulstirring moment during sunset while perched atop a large, ancient piece of driftwood. I look back and believe in my heart that those heavenly moments were my “calm before the storm,” and I’m very thankful for them, as the storm to come was very unkind. My departure from coastal Maine was tough…it was like saying “goodbye” to a soulmate. There were tears again, but they were wistful this time. It was time to begin the descent southward and explore the coastline of Massachusetts for the next couple of days. As we trickled through sweet, little villages along the rocky coast that day coming out of Maine, the temperature rose steadily as if it was running a race with the trip meter. Upon arrival in Sandwich, Massachusetts, at the Sandwich Inn (another fantastic, motorcycle-friendly inn with nice amenities - www.InnatSandwich.com), it was close to unbearable outside. Following check-in and a hydration and cooling session, we set out to ride to the tip of Massachusetts where the Pilgrims first landed in Provincetown (or “P-Town” as the locals refer to it). After a few photos at the Cape Cod National Seashore, we cruised through the

Lunch time, and the lobster never stood a chance!

crowded, colorful streets of “P-Town” and became convinced that our tired, overheated bodies and motorcycles needed some downtime. We spent the next two days on foot exploring the sights and scenery of Sandwich, established in 1637, as I had hit a “wall” during this segment of the trip with a nasty sinus bug, so wasn’t feeling quite as travel-hungry as normal. It was my first time on the road with an ailment, but I wasn’t about to call it quits. I did rearrange our itinerary a bit to take advantage of more relaxing and looser schedule. I had to forego a couple of fun side trips hanging in the wings, but little did I know how important that itinerary change would be in the end. After a departure out of Sandwich, Massachusetts, that Monday morning, I was excited to collect my trophies of Rhode Island and Connecticut for my brag map, which I did within the first few hours on the road. The day was super hot, and after several arguments with the Garmin which wanted to take us straight through the streets of bustling cities, we decided to chug it northeast to get out of the traffic. At our lunch stop that afternoon, I had an epiphany for accommodations that evening: why not get out of the heat and stop a little early that Monday to pay a visit to Woodstock, New York? How cool would that be? Little

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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longdistancestyle did I know how that decision would literally be an epiphany. We arrived late afternoon and checked into the super hip White Dove Rockotel (theWhiteDoveRockotel.com). This inn was one cool little joint. All the rooms were very tastefully decorated in themes of famous bands/entertainers from the famous Woodstock Music Festival of 1969. We booked the “Garden Room” which celebrated Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. All rooms are stocked with turntables and vintage vinyl, so after unpacking the bikes, taking a bubble bath in an antique claw foot tub, ordering a New York-style pizza for delivery and getting settled, I morphed from Fashionista to D.J. We were having a large time enjoying the ambience of Woodstock, and I was feeling quite satisfied with our spontaneous detour. The experience was groovy and as full of “love, peace and happiness” as you could get…and then in the blink of an eye, it was dark, and I was sitting in a trance peering out the large windshield, praying I was having a nightmare and would wake up soon. Sadly, it was all real. I was riding in the passenger’s seat of an ambulance while the men in the back of the unit were working hard to keep my husband alive. Right there in that fantastically quirky room in Woodstock, where we were singing along to our favorite oldies and enjoying downtime together, my husband had a heart attack. My memory of that fateful evening is still spotty at times, although I’ll never forget the 40-mile ambulance ride to Poughkeepsie, New York, where they were able to insert two stents into my husband’s blocked artery and eventually send us on our way back to South Carolina. There were many details in between that had to be attended to like getting our luggage, gear, bikes and ourselves back home. We got by with a lot of help from our friends. And everyone we came in contact with all along the way was so kind. As the saying goes, and to which now I can attest, “life changes in an instant.” I have been grateful in every way that my trusty sidekick/hubby/mechanic/photographer is still here and is thriving after that horrific scare in Woodstock. For days after, we thought through all of the “what-ifs,” including the scariest one by far: what if we had been riding when this happened? I truly believe my epiphany earlier that Monday was certainly some sort of intuitive revelation, and we are very fortunate that we acted upon it. Time has passed, and we laugh about it now; I guess crazy things happen in Woodstock, but, oh “What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been.”

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

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Das Rally Recap

BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

October 2016â&#x20AC;&#x192; BMW OWNERS NEWS

MOArallyrecap

Das Rally! was wunderbar By Paul Ruffel #119204 WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT DAS RALLY!

over the past year, and this year’s national rally lived up to the hype. Picture-perfect weather blessed the Hamburg site throughout the week. Prior to the official start of Das Rally!, GEARS Training delivered training to a group of young riders; for beginning riders, they were quick learners. A friendly and efficient crew at Registration headed by Roger Trendowski met folks upon entering the rally grounds, and very little time was spent there waiting to get into the rally grounds. The Hamburg fairgrounds had more than ample camping and RV space available for the 6,100 attendees, and for those who arrived early, long rows of trees provided shade for their tents. Local food vendors provided a variety of food at reasonable prices, and one vendor opened on Monday to serve the rally’s volunteers. Finding food to eat at this rally was easy,

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

starting with an excellent family restaurant, Pegasus, located within walking distance from the fairgrounds. Although the food vendors were selling bottled water, Chuck and Julie Manley’s Go-fer Committee kept free icy-cold water on tap outside the MOA Building. Fairgrounds staff kept the facility in excellent repair, whether it was daily garbage pickups, the porta potty company maintaining their equipment or the shower trailers being kept clean. What also made this rally site exceptional was having the lecture venues, vendors, food, and entertainment all centrally located to minimize the walking required to go from one seminar to another. While most vendors were in the same air conditioned building as Registration, a number were set up under pop-up tents outside. Wednesday night, prior to the rally, a raging overnight storm wreaked havoc with a few of the pop-up booths and

a few early volunteers’ tents, but they were ready for the crowds on Thursday morning. The knowledgeable vendors made available a wide selection of products, ranging from tents and riding gear to tires, lights, and many other farkles for our BMWs. It was difficult for a rider to go home without buying that must-have item from one of these companies. They seemed to have something for everyone! Throughout each day, there were touring seminars where one could discover the best roads to be ridden in Alaska, Arkansas or New Mexico. For that matter, lectures were

also available for two-wheel travelling abroad, whether it be south to Mexico, various European countries, New Zealand, South American countries, Africa or Afghanistan. Additionally, there were basic and advanced technical sessions on maintaining one’s motorcycle given by Paul Glaves. Other presenters went through topics such as tire changes on the road, setting your bike’s ergonomics for your body and riding style, getting the most from a GPS, how to set your bike’s suspension, and hooking up additional riding lights to the CAN bus system. Exercise programs were available for not only the young, but also for older riders who wished to extend their riding adventures. Women who ride also offered inspiration to aspiring female riders. Over in the Beer Garden, Jim “Mad Dog” Faucher had an excellent selection of popular beer brands and a number of craft brews on tap. Jim’s large and friendly contingent of volunteers poring suds kept wait times to a minimum. Despite the demand, Jim never ran out of beer. The Beer Garden’s location – just off the sound stage – provided a good location for enjoying the daily (and nightly) musical entertainment.

Besides attending seminars and visiting vendors, riders opted to either watch or participate on the GS Giant track, a dirt hill bulldozed just for our GS riders at the Hamburg Fairgrounds. These riders ranged from those new to off-road riding (including some riders from Camp GEARS) to those with years of experience in the dirt. The rally also featured an organized bus tour of local craft breweries. Many riders checked out Niagara Falls while others took a coach tour of the Falls from both the American and Canadian sides. BMW offered demo rides, and free concerts began in the late afternoons. Some riders took advantage of a street riding course; others were grateful to visit the MOA Bike Wash and Oil Change Stations after their long treks to Hamburg. After a full day walking around the rally, many members took advantage of Sam Garst’s crew of volunteer shuttle drivers, delivering people to their tents. Live music began on Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m. and continued until 10:30 each evening. Although all the bands were excellent, the music culminated on Saturday evening with the Paul Thorn Band, who last played for us in Bloomsburg,

Pennsylvania, in 2011. Rally Chairs Dutch and Kate Lammers hosted the closing ceremonies outside and kept the presentations moving, which kept the thousands of people sitting on bleachers and folding chairs happy. The companies giving away prizes kept their introductions short, with several of them showing brief video clips. Many of the prizes were out-of-country riding trips. We also met next year’s Salt Lake City MOA Rally Chair, Greg Feeler. Within an hour, all introductions and prize drawings were completed, allowing MOA members plenty of time for supper and an evening of live entertainment. After the Paul Thorn concert, a massive fireworks celebration showered the Das Rally! skyline. What a perfect way to end a great rally! Dutch and Kate Lammers spent a lot of time organizing Das Rally!, and their detailed preparations certainly paid off. Another aspect of the rally which made it a success was the tremendous help offered throughout the many venues by the MOA member volunteers. Approximately 1,200 members, a fifth of the rally attendees, volunteered their time, labor and expertise.

MOArallyrecap

Das Rally! Recap: A look back By Dutch and Kate Lammers, Das Rally! Co-chairs IT TRULY WAS WITH MIXED EMOTIONS

that we rode away from the Hamburg Fairgrounds on Sunday, July 17, and bid our farewells to the location that had been Das Rally!. It had been a great rally, marked by wonderful friends, good weather, great food and drink, amazing entertainment and a lot of work. We really were more than a little sad to see it end. This, the BMW MOA’s 44th Annual International Rally, was an event that provided its members and their guests an opportunity to meet up with friends, acquaintances, rally family, and new friends to enjoy each other’s company and make lasting memories. There were approximately 6,100 of us, including 964 first time rally-goers, doing just that

throughout the rally! Here are just a few of our favorite memories…we hope that you enjoyed them, too! • 42nd Street with the trees lit up at night, lined with Adirondack chairs, picnic tables, and benches, making it comfortable to enjoy the variety of music on the entertainment stage in the evenings • The Carnival Kids Steel Drum Orchestra: They were amazing! • Seeing folks laughing, dancing and singing along to The Caverners (Beatles tribute band) • The Sauce Boss and his smokin’ performance, while also cooking up a batch of gumbo for folks to enjoy • The Paul Thorn Band and the BMW MOA Foundation’s raffle drawing for a

custom Wunderlich R 100 • The GS Giant event: The track and competition were first rate (and the guys in their tutus were cute as could be!) • The generosity of our folks for raising an amazing total of $14,895 for Pioneer Camp and Retreat and Operation Purple • Beef on weck, chicken wings, pot roast, sundaes, crepes, super-sized Italian sausage, ice cream, gourmet mac ‘n cheese, and...wine slushies! • Great craft brews found at Das Beer Garden • The look of excitement and anticipation on the faces of riders as they waited for their turn to test ride a new BMW motorcycle, courtesy of BMW Motorrad • Early risers sitting in Pine Grove Park

enjoying a free cup of coffee provided by our Coffee Committee • Seeing the GEARS kids learning new skills that will last them a lifetime • Folks streaming into any of the 100 plus seminars • All of the beautiful bikes in the Vintage Display • Closing ceremony, and seeing the Grand Prize winners run up to claim their prizes • The fantastic weather • Watching shoppers as they visited some of the 130 different vendors • Happy campers (no pun intended) • Riders tinkering with their bikes at Airhead Central • Tim Horton’s coffee available the Gaming Center • Riders perfecting their skills on either the on-grounds or the on-road course • Suzanne A’s beautiful renditions of both the Canadian and American national anthems • The beautiful, impeccably kept

fairgrounds, and the amazing fairgrounds staff Heartfelt thanks to all of the Fairgrounds staff (E.J., Liz, Jay, Russ and Helen, Cathy, Wojo, Gary S., Gary H., and so many others) who worked tirelessly to achieve their goal of providing us with the best rally experience ever. We want to acknowledge Dionne and Karen from Visit Buffalo/ Niagara for their enthusiasm in helping to promote the rally and providing information on things to see and do in Western New York. Huge thanks to Mark Dzielski from Armor Inn Entertainment for the stages, sound, lighting, seminar equipment and setup, and for always being there to help. Hats off to all of the Committee Chairs and Co-chairs who put in countless hours making sure that their committee’s roles and responsibilities were covered, often going way beyond what would be expected. You guys are the best! These rallies would not happen without

the small army of volunteers who give up a portion of their own rally time to ensure that others have an enjoyable and memorable experience. We were overwhelmed by the sheer number of rally-goers who would stop us to ask “how can we help?” or “where do you need volunteers?” Sincere thanks to everyone who put in a shift (and many times several shifts) as volunteers. A very special ‘thank you’ goes out to Bob Aldridge for his unwavering support, sound advice, and patience with rookie Rally Chairs. We will forever carry these, and many more memories in our hearts, and any mention of ‘DAS Rally’ will always bring a smile to our faces. We hope that you had as much fun as we did. Now, as DAS Rally gets ever smaller in the rearview mirror, we point our headlights westward toward new and exciting adventures and experiences in Salt Lake City in 2017! Thank you all.

Bike Wash

Stephanie and I would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers at Das Rally! in Hamburg, New York. A special mention to our youngest volunteer yet, Alec Bialek, who at eight years of age jumped in there like a seasoned veteran. After replacing our E-Z Up after the wind storm Wednesday night, things went very well. It was an extreme pleasure to work with Melinda Haid, Jeff Smigla, Eric Rohrbaugh, Dennis Devers, Heather Aleksonis, Tony Aleksonis, Walt Taylor, Todd Urban, Al Villamil, Jim Low, John Goodemote, Tim McPherson, Diana Stanish, Tricia Taylor and, of course, Alec Bialek. Thanks to all who also donated to Das Rally! charity. Milo Bunda, Bike Wash Chair

BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

Ambassador Booth

We would like the thank all the Ambassadors for helping out by working a shift in the Ambassador Booth at Das Rally! in Hamburg. You were the greatest at welcoming all the "First Timers" to their first International Rally. We welcomed 963 First Timers to their first BMW MOA International Rally, including many Canadians, and you made them feel very welcome. After being greeted by a great group of volunteer Ambassadors, some even signed for volunteer shifts themselves. We had a ball working the booth with all of you and helping everyone who stopped by; we thoroughly enjoyed it! Leland and Slina Prothe, Ambassador Booth Chairs Lee and Verna Hunt, Ambassador Booth Co-Chairs

MOArallyrecap

Das Rally! Door Prizes By Susanna Parkhouse, Door Prize Chair WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE DONORS WHO HELPED TO MAKE A FEW HUNDRED RALLY ATTENDEES VERY HAPPY BY PRO-

viding wonderful door prizes. From t-shirts to an Aerostich riding suit, motor oil to polish and tires to luggage, there was a plethora of gizmos and gadgets provided through the generosity of our many supporters. We thank them all very much for their continued support. All Your Motorcycle Info In One Place

bike log Baroody’s

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BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

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Das Rally! Vendors

Rally goers at Das Rally! enjoyed seeing the wares of 125 vendors, several with both indoor and outdoor booth space. The indoor space was air conditioned and the outdoor space was flat. While setup went smoothly, unfortunately we couldn’t control the weather and a severe storm with very strong winds blew through the fairgrounds early Thursday morning. When daylight arrived, significant damage to the outdoor vendor area was discovered with several tents and vendor displays destroyed. Wunderlich lost their signature tent and glass display cases and it took significant effort for No-Mar to rebuild their tents so they could start changing tires. The vendors worked together to share undamaged and reconstruct damaged pop-ups and assist with cleaning up broken glass. The rest of the week went well with a constant flow of rally attendees through the indoor and outdoor vendor areas looking at and buying the products on display. The Vendor Committee greatly appreciates the efforts of our set-up and registration volunteers and assistance with vendor security during setup. We’ll see you next year in Salt Lake City. Deb, Cy and Josh, Vendor Co-Chairs

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Das Rally! Seminars

Sharing, learning, trading stories, taking chances and trying new things—that’s what the seminars that were presented at Das Rally! did for more than 6,100 really goers attending 112 seminars presented by 67 different individuals. From learning how to properly pick up a dropped bike, to listening about riding in faraway lands, to learning about the newest in technology, riding gear and accessories for your bike, or actually improving on-road as well as off-road skills, there was something for everyone this year at the Das Rally! Many thanks to all the presenters for giving their time, talents, knowledge and skills. The seminars wouldn’t have been a success without you! For those of you who have something to share, consider sharing it with us next year in Salt Lake City. You never know who you’ll help with your knowledge, the new people you will meet, and the difference you will make! Remember, we’re a club of volunteers…so volunteer and share. Sue Aldridge and Mari Harrelson, Seminar Co-Chairs

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

MOArallyrecap

Das Rally! Grand Prize winners BMW MOA

2016 BMW R1200 RS Steve Washburn, Burlington CT

Adriatic Moto Tours (value $3,640) Adriatic Riviera Tour Darrell Cooper, Elkhorn WI

Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures (value $7,860) Island Interlude Tour Deborah Kapnistos, Douglaston NY

BUMOT Motorcycle Luggage and ADV Motorrad (value $1,594) Complete Luggage Package Carl Meschter, Durham NC

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Clearwater Lights (value $1,500)

Gift Certificate Amy Smiley-Hubek, Marysville OH

Clutch Moto Tours (value $8,728)

The Seven Countries of Yugoslavia Tour Bob MacMillan, Mossley Ontario

Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental (value $1,630)

Avenue of Volcanoes, Quilotoa Loop and Amazon Basin Self-Guided Tour David Delagardelle, Waterloo IA

Edelweiss Bike Travel (value starts at $3,920) High Alpine Tour Sherry LeBlanc, Toronto Ontario

Elephant Moto (value $5,000) 12 Day Columbia Tour Rick Barr, Shoemakersville PA

IMTBIKE Tours (value $3,500)

Castle and Mountains Tour “Don Quixote” Country Steven Marks, Palm Beach FL

Motolumbia (value $2,990) Discover Columbia Tour David Plogman, Marcellus NY

REV’IT! Sport USA, LLC (value $1,640) REV’IT Summer Adventure Kit Frances Reed, Duanesburg NY

Revzilla.com (value $1,528) Riding Gear Package Sharon Lusby, Sunbury PA

2016 Charity Challenge By Karol Patzer #27994 FAMILY AND FRIENDS GATHERED IN HAMBURG, NEW YORK,

at Das Rally! for another excellent annual reunion. For the past 23 years, the Port Washington BMW Club has challenged other charter clubs to meet their challenge and donate $100 for our chosen National Charity. This year our support went to Pioneer Camp and Retreat – Operation Purple, an organization that provides kids from military families an opportunity to enjoy a camping experience. Thanks to the following clubs for their meeting or exceeding the challenge: Badger Motorcycle Club of Wisconsin $100 Blackhawk Region BMW Club $100 BMW Motorcycle Owners of Alabama $500 BMW Motorcycle Owners of America $1,000 BMW Motorcycle Owners Club of Minnesota $300 BMW Motorcycle Club of Port Washington $100 BMW Motorcycle Owners of Vermont $100 BMW Club of Houston $100 BMW MC of Nashville $120 Camp Glockenspiel $150 Cuyahoga Curmudgeons $100 Chicago Region BMW Club $250 Chain Gang $170 Expresso Riders of California $100

Gold Coast Beemers $100 Hoosier Beemers $150 Indy BMW Club $100 Kansas City BMW Club $100 Madison BMW Club $100 West Michigan Riders $258 Wisconsin BMW Club $120 Imagine the impact we would have if every club accepted the challenge! During the rally, Miranda, Greg and their team of 50/50 Volunteers raised another $6,871, and three lucky winners took home some unexpected spending cash (and donated back)! Donations were made at the Lost and Found, First Aid and Ice Sales. Our Electronics/Charging station collected $252, and your contributions at the Bike Wash/Oil Change added another $295. Charlie, Deborah, the coffee team and coffee drinkers contributed $1,436, while Linda, Allison, and the sewing team were busy, adding $1,476 more. With our combined efforts, we were able to present a check to Pioneer Camp Director Alex Knowles for $14,895. Thank you for your generosity and thanks to a lot of hardworking volunteers at the rally! If you’re a member of a club that wasn’t able to meet the challenge this year, please consider challenging your members for 2017. Remember, it’s all about the kids.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

Das Rally! Signs

This year's Das Rally! was a huge success because of Dutch and Kate Lammers as well as a legion of volunteers from across North America. They started coming in on the Sunday before the rally, entering a deserted fairgrounds and seeking a little shade to set up their tents. Forty-nine Committee Chairs were needed to help run everything from coffee in the morning to security at night. Each chairperson had his or her duties laid out by previous Chairs, or in some cases they had served as committee chairs many times before. In my case, I was asked to handle the sign placement after the sign production team had printed them. Every rally site has its challenges, and at Hamburg, it was the very hard ground we had to put signs into. My two teams of volunteers were ready by 8 a.m. each morning, placing signs as needed. If I am not fortunate enough to be able attend the 2017 Rally in Salt Lake City, I will have to pass my duties on to another volunteer. Thank you all for making it a great rally! Darryl and Terry Cainey, Sign Placement Co-Chairs

Pioneer Events

Every year since the 10th MOA Rally, the BMW MOA Pioneers have held a dinner in conjunction with the MOA International Rally. The dinners have taken on the feel of a casual family reunion with pleasant conversations accompanying what has always turned out to be good food. This year’s Pioneer Dinner took place on Friday evening at Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant, five miles north of the fairground, with 19 people attending. Three Pioneers, including Chuck Smith, Milton Hall and I, attended. We also had a fourth Pioneer family represented, as Dave Swisher’s son Jim was able to join us. The group also included special guests who have attended many rallies, including Terry Clark, Tom Harbrecht and Leland and Slina Prothe. Each of them, while not Pioneers, have only missed three or fewer of the 44 BMW MOA Rallies. Also present were outgoing MOA President Chuck Manley and incoming MOA President Wes Fitzer. Additionally, Chick Morse, the fourth President of the MOA, was among our guests. Norm Phoenix, Pioneer Events Chair

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Charging Station

We got a huge charge out of this year's Das Rally!, pun intended Our volunteers were fast, efficient and punctual which made everything run smoothly. Over the course of the three days, almost 1,200 devices were received, charged and returned to their rightful owners without losing a single one thanks to our fantastic volunteers! This year, we also took on Communications, which involved arming committee chairs, fairgrounds staff, security personnel and MOA staff with two-way radios and keeping them charged throughout their long work days. We are pleased to announce that all were “returned to sender,” with most happy to give up their electronic leash at the end of the Rally! All who wander may not be lost, but we sure found some of their stuff! If you're still missing something, items turned into Lost and Found were handed over to the MOA staff after the rally. Thanks to everybody for another great rally! Ross and Jean Copas, Charging Station, Communications, Lost & Found Chairs

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

MOArallyrecap

Das Rally! Vintage Display By Lee Deyoung #31683 THE VINTAGE DISPLAY WAS AN

exciting part of Das Rally! This was the annual gathering of the faithful dedicated to the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of BMW motorcycles from the past. This year’s exhibit consisted of 36 motorcycles from 1929 through 1976 and included the legendary Slash 5 and R 90 S, as well as a 1957 Isetta powered by a BMW 250 single. There was also a collection of BMW pre/post war privateer race bikes along with two very nicely done ISDT replicas. The display in the MOA Marketplace Building attracted crowds each day from the moment we opened the doors. There was a very nice representation of pre-war bikes from 1929 through 1939 along with a Harley Davidson knockoff, the XA that Bob Lonergan brought. You were able to easily see the evolution and engineering changes from the 1929 R 11’s pressed steel frame to the 1939 R 71’s welded tube frame. All motorcycles were studied continuously, as there are very few BMWs of this age that weren’t destroyed in the war. Over 60 enthusiasts attended Friday morning's seminar, “Restoration and Preservation of Vintage BMWs.” Bob Lonergan talked about paint and restoration, along with insurance. Norm Buck, who has done extensive research on 1967-69 U.S. color models, gave a very informative talk. Ron Rohner discussed the hard work involved in finding information for his 1953 R 51/3 German Red Cross bike. Lee Deyoung gave a show and tell on his two R 11’s—a 1929 Series 1 and a 1930 Series 2—less than a year apart but with significant changes in engineering. Judging of the vintage bikes took

place Saturday morning. We sincerely thank all the judges for their time and efforts. The Awards Ceremony took place at the display on Saturday afternoon. The Jim Falk Memorial honored Norm Buck for his tireless dedication through the years. He has shared experiences, knowledge and restoration processes and has always given his all at the Vintage Display. The Vern Mitchell Award was given to Patrick West who researched and manufactured his own Rennsport replica. Muriel Farrington, outgoing BMW MOA Board of Directors Secretary, presented the Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein BMW Classic Award to Philip Rose for outstanding contributions to the BMW traditions. Fifteen Awards of Excellence for the restoration and/or preservation of vintage BMW motorcycles were presented to owners receiving the highest scores in their category. Seven Special Recognition Awards to owners of significant models. Four volunteers who contributed to the success of the Vintage Display were also recognized with Awards of Appreciation. Following is a list of the Vintage Award recipients:

1929 R11

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Muriel Farrington, BMW MOA Board of Directors Secretary, presented the Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein BMW Classic Award to Philip Rose for outstanding contributions to the BMW traditions.

Award Winners Pre War 1938 R 71 1939 R 12

Bob Lonergan Maine Smith

Municipal

1953 R 51/3 German Red Cross Ron Rohner 1965 R 27 Polizei Steve Bauer

Plunger Twins 1951 R67 1954 R 67/2 1954 R 68

Bob Lonergan Maine Smith Bob Lonergan

Singles 1953 R 25/2 1966 R 27

Slash 2

1961 R 69 S 1967 R 69 S 1969 R 69 US 1969 R 60 US

R 90 S

1976 1976

Slash 5

1971 R 75/5 1973 R 75/5

Tom Dennis Johann Kasper Shawn McClean Ed Van Rossen June Santos Norm Buck Philip Rose Steve Bauer Dutch Lammers Todd Trumbore

1965 R 69S w/Steib LS200 1966 R 69 S w/Steib TR500

Ken Danzy Harry Mazer

Special Recognition

Lee Deyoung 1929 & 1930 R 11 Stephen Ascheral 1936 R 5 Peter Grossenbach 1956 German Isetta Bubble Car Steve Bauer 1960/61 R 69S ISDT Replica Patrick West 1969 RS 60 Replica Doug Morrison 1971 /5 ISDT Replica Ben Stratton 1973 R 75/5Awards of

Appreciation

Belinda Buck Maine Smith Patrick West Stephen Ascheral Jim Falk Memorial Award - Norm Buck Vern Mitchell Award - Patrick West Belinda Buck Doug Morrison Jerry Sullivan Lee Deyoung Norm Buck Ron Rohner Todd Trumbore

By Don Hamblin #9931 and Karen Mans #84082, Rally Awards Chairs

THE BEST STORIES COMING OUT OF THE 2016 BMW MOA DAS RALLY! HAVE

Sidecars

Judges

Das Rally! Rider Awards

Bob Lonergan Ed Van Rossen Jim Benge Maine Smith Philip Rose Stephen Ascheral

The ceremony concluded with a raffle drawing for BMW owners who exhibited their bikes in the Vintage Display. Prizes were generously donated by Bench Mark Works, Bob’s BMW and Max BMW. A special thank you to all the volunteers who worked above and beyond in helping at the Vintage Display; it was fun for all!

highlighted those riders who went the extra mile and carried home Outstanding Rider Awards in their saddle bags. • Long Distance Female Solo Rider: Phyllis Mallett, Vancouver, British Columbia - 2723 miles • Long Distance Male Solo Rider: Clayton Jolley, El Granada, California – 2,664 miles • Long Distance Sidecar Rider: Phil DePietro, Land O’Lakes, Florida – 1,211 miles • Long Distance Two-Up: Jim & Kathy Benge, Spring Valley, California – 2,536 miles • Long Distance Trike: Herbert Allen, Peeples Valley, Arizona – 2,220 miles • Oldest Bike Ridden to the Rally: Robert Wilson, Kitchener, Ontario - 1956 R50 • Rider/Bike/Passenger Combination: Dale & Dawn Sweigert, Reading, Pennsylvania - 1983 R 80 RT - 188 years • Rider/Bike Combination: Ed Van Rossen #44, Troy, Michigan - 1967 R 69 S - 124 years • Oldest Female Rider: Carol Taub, Toronto, Ontario - 78 years • Oldest Male Rider: David Carter, Cleveland, Oklahoma - 91 years • Oldest Saddle Passenger: Slina Prothe, Paola, Kansas - 79 years • Youngest Saddle Passenger: Johnathan Gifford, Collinsville, Tennessee - 7 years • Youngest Sidecar Passenger: Isabella Donovan, Rock Springs, Wyoming - 3 years • Youngest Female Rider: Cierra Reynolds, Warrensburg, Missouri - 19 years • Youngest Female Rider (2nd place): Sarah Hair, Fitchburg, Wisconsin - 29 years • Youngest Female Rider (3rd place): Cindy Smieja, London, Ontario - 31 years • Youngest Male Rider: Luke White, Middletown, Virginia - 15 years (11m 27d) • Youngest Male Rider (2nd place): Jacob Burns, Shippenville, Pennsylvania - 16 years (0 months, 15 days) • Youngest Male Rider (3rd place): Carter Coalfleet, Cincinnati, Ohio - 16 years • Youngest Male Rider (4th place): Wells Coalfleet, Cincinnati, Ohio - 19 years • Youngest Male Rider (5th place): Maxwell Wienke, Neenah, Wisconsin - 25 years • North American Touring Award: Dan Myers, Sparks, Nevada - 16,195 miles - 1 month 20 days on the road. • Largest Chartered Club at the Rally: BMW Motorcycle Owners of Minnesota 49 members • Largest Virtual Club at the rally: GS Giants - 227 members The best story highlighting the “family” of BMW MOA was the three generations of the Schroeder Family BMW riders at the rally! • Outstanding Rider & Honorable Mention(s): –G uenther Schroeder (2003 R 1150 RT) - Grandfather –R olf Schroeder (2015 R 1200RT) - Father (son) –D erek Schroeder (2002 K 1200 RS) - Grandson

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

Chartered Club Camping Report

Das Rally! is in the books, and as far as I’m concerned, Kate and Dutch put the G in Great Job! As they so correctly noted, it’s the volunteers that make the show go, and as usual, a chairperson needed only to ask for help to receive it. Both on Tuesday and Wednesday, recruiting early arriving members to help out was as easy as shifting gears on my K 1600—smooth. This year we had a total of 39 Chartered Clubs reserve space with an anticipated number of their members requesting space upward of 600! I didn’t get a chance to do a tent count this year, but this was biggest year of the last three for Chartered Club Camping. When I arrived on the Sunday prior to the rally, one could not help but notice how pristine and clean the fairgrounds were. After servicing more than six thousand attendees, the same was true when I left seven days later. A big thank you to the mystery picker-uppers who scoured the Chartered Club Camping area early Sunday when every flag and piece of tape used to layout the sites was picked up and discarded. On to Salt Lake City! Richard Koscher, Chartered Club Camping Chair

Das Rally! Registration

Registration was a great success this year due to our tremendous volunteers, cochair team leaders and the enthusiasm of attendees. Each year we try to improve our process, and this year was no exception, with several incremental changes made from last year. Tuesday was registration set-up day, where our team of co-chairs and ten volunteers surveyed the allotted building space, set up tables and chairs and had rally books and other necessary materials delivered, all within a few hours. On Wednesday morning a small group of registration volunteers finished setting up the area, packed flyers and raffle tickets into rally books and updated the software on our registration computers which hadn’t been touched since last year’s rally in Billings, Montana. From noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 30 new volunteers and our registration team opened the registration process for rally workers and Chairpersons, and we registered about 800 members. Attendees arriving after 4 p.m. on Wednesday were invited into the fairgrounds to camp overnight so they could easily register the next morning. The registration doors opened Thursday morning at 8 a.m. (the official start of the Rally) and closed Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. We ran three shifts per day with 30 volunteers per shift organized into basic groups including PC registration/payment, book/ticket table greeters, book/material assembly and door greeters. Feedback from many volunteers afterward indicated that everyone enjoyed their duties and the opportunity to work with friends from the other clubs. We had very few people waiting in lines this year with the occasional exception of non-registered attendees who had to fill out the registration forms and make their payment. Pre-registered folks went through very quickly since we scanned their tickets via a PC scanner or iPhone app. Perhaps this will encourage attendees to pre-register next year rather than register at the door. About 6,100 attended Das Rally!, and in registration we processed 5,348 adults and 219 children, as well as 380 day passes. More than 224 people volunteered in registration during the week with most using our eventbright.com volunteer website to sign up, and we had several volunteers who helped on multiple shifts. Thank you to everyone who committed their time to work and have fun. The Das Rally! registration team included Mark Austin, Sam Booth, Gretchen Crane, Keith McIntyre, Rick Nelson and Roger Trendowski. Roger Trendowski, Registration Chair

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

MOArallyrecap

Increasing our street skills By Eric Rossier #194076 WHEN SANDY AND I SHOWED UP

to the Street Skills tent outside the rally, we dismounted and walked around the bikes, sizing our classmates up like cowboys in the Old West. There were two Iron Butt license plate holders (Pete and myself) and my riding brother Sandy “Triple Digits” Marincic. Completing the foursome was Tracy, a lady rider of six months who had focused on training to rapid launch her riding career. Quickly Tracy became one of the crew; whatever butterflies she had were contained somewhere deep inside her. Her jaw tightened and her brow revealed her intense commitment to the skills. Tracy was all in. Within the first few minutes of my Street Skills course I felt like something was being taken away from me. Our instructor, New Yorker Jon DelVecchio, began to deconstruct riding a motorcycle. When I ride my 99 R 1100 RT, it feels like I am water skiing. I sit tall and straight to carve and lean in the same plane as the bike. It feels good and natural, and it has become my habit. Jon was describing how that was all going to change. Back at the campsite, when I told my friends I had a course in the morning, they asked me what I was teaching and if there was more room for them. “No,” I said, “I am taking a course.”

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

“Why?” they asked. “You know how to ride.” “I want to be safer and have more fun riding,” I told them. The MOA Foundation sponsored this course, lowering its cost after a rebate to $90. This is another example of how the MOA Foundation’s own Paul B. Scholarship has reached out to the masses. From multiday, track-based riding schools to half-day

clinics, the foundation continues to promote safe, proficient riding. According to Foundation President George Rice, “The Foundation’s mission is to make sure people don’t injure themselves on motorcycles and have a good time riding. We think riders can both have a good time and be safe, and we are committed to that goal.” There are three primary types of kinesthetic learners: watchers, thinkers, and doers. Although I would like to think I’m a thinker, I am much more of a doer. To this point, Jon’s first exercise involved all of us standing in front, facing him with our feet less than our shoulders width apart. We

tipped at the waist moving our heads and upper body to one side past our imaginary motorcycle grip hands, and we “kissed the mirror.” When we got it right, our center of mass moved outside the center of rotation, and we tipped over, catching ourselves by taking a step. This separation of upper and lower body in relation to cornering made me smile. I was headed into new territory. I truly committed to do everything that Jon instructed. I bought in, putting my water ski technique on the shelf in exchange for an expanding flat plate, where the rubber literally meets the asphalt. The flow of the course developed as Jon laid out each new increment of each combined task and reviewed it with us until we understood it. We then immediately put it in the progression on the curvy back roads of New York farmland. Our stops were busy, and the information shared was more valuable than I had expected. Jon put us to work. Each stop we leapfrogged, with the tail become the head, changing up the order so that each of us could have a look at the skill that Jon was modeling. Jon fine-tuned the group with precision. He laser engraved Street Skills on to our motorcycle minds. We picked up speed and built confidence for encountering hazards in corners. Sometimes performance riding is safer. For me the wrap-up was at a stop sign after our last set of twisties. I pulled alongside Iron Butt Pete with an ear-to-ear grin. “I can’t believe what a difference kissing the mirror makes!” “I know,” he said, smiling, “I know.”

First Aid

I sure did have a great time at Das Rally! The weather was near perfect, and the event went off smoothly. A huge thanks to all the volunteers who work so hard to make such a big event so enjoyable for so many! At the First Aid Station, we had a great view of the beer garden, and it was a good spot to watch the ebb and flow of rally-goers and for meeting the first aid needs of our members and guests. Though we treated about 145 rally participants for minor ailments including blisters, cuts, abrasions and sprains, a couple of more serious incidents occurred requiring EMS transport off-site. In addition to our regular duties, we also provided First Aid services at the GS Giant events. The two most asked questions at First Aid were “How is Pat Carol doing?” and “Do you have a band aid?” Pat missed this rally due to recent heart surgery and is planning on being at Salt Lake City next year. I want to thank our 28 volunteers who helped at the First Aid Station and roamed the rally grounds in golf carts. Many worked multiple shifts, including Megan Posey, Anne Marie Evans, Dean Bodman. I especially want to thank Joe and Kelly Hochderffer from Indianapolis, Indiana, who went way above and beyond by serving as honorary co-chairs. They arrived at the rally early and were a tremendous help with pre-rally set up. They also worked multiple shifts at the First Aid Station and provided their personal vehicle to transport non-emergency rally attendees to a local urgent care center. Thanks also to AMR-Rural Metro Ambulance Service for providing an on-site ambulance on standby during the afternoons of the rally, and thank you MOA and Rally Chairs Kate and Dutch Lammers for putting on a great party! I’m already looking forward to and planning my ride out to Salt Lake City next July. Hank Pfister, First Aid Chair

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

OUR BIKE Y P O IN ST

Point Arena BY

BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

BILL

8 REEVE #1949

The Point Arena museum and lighthouse, open to visitors at 10 a.m. every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

October 2016â&#x20AC;&#x192; BMW OWNERS NEWS

Northern California’s coastal Highway 1 is a classic motorcycle tour. With breathtaking scenery, little traffic, well-maintained roads and nearly perfect weather, it should be on every motorcyclist’s “to do” list. However, while on Highway 1 road trips, most riders hardly notice when they pass through the small town of Point Arena (actually, Point Arena, with a population of about 470, is the smallest incorporated city in California). At best, the town is remembered as just a bend in the road by riders heading either north to Mendocino or south to San Francisco. But when you are in that neck of the woods, stop and stay awhile. You will enjoy spending a few days in Point Arena if you appreciate friendly people, scenic hiking trails, winding mountain rides, excellent accommodations and gourmet food. And, if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, Point Arena is a fantastic weekend destination. Just a half day ride (125 miles) to the north, the laidback town is a great place to explore. This spring, Laura and I stayed three nights at the Point Arena Coast Guard Station Bed and Breakfast. This building was built in 1901 as the Arena Cove U.S. Coast Guard Life Saving Station. It, and adjacent smaller buildings, housed the station keeper and eight “surfmen” who risked their lives rowing cedar lapstrake Monomoy surfboats into wild sea storms to rescue logging schooner crews wrecked on the Point Arena rocks. As you would expect, there is a mixture of cultures in Point Arena. There are a few

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Silicon Valley millionaire hideaways up on the bluffs, though the downtown co -op market sees its fair share of carpenters, fishermen and farmers—men who make a living with their hands. Primarily, though, Point Arena has the laid-back vibe of an old hippie town. Upon arriving, we parked our bikes behind the Life Saving Station to walk into town for lunch. We were walking along Point Road, toward town, when an old car pulled up next to us. Inside were two elderly men with long, ZZ Topesque beards. As the car slowly kept up with our walking pace, the man in the passenger seat asked if we were the folks he had seen in town earlier riding the two motorcycles. When I said, yes, he said that we need to be very careful. He had ridden a bike when he was a young man. One day, when riding through town, he was distracted by a pretty girl walking along Main Street, and that caused him to run off the road. “I sold that bike because pretty girls just made it too dangerous. You need to be careful,” he said, with sincere concern. “I completely understand.” I replied. “Well then, you be safe,” he said, and blew us a kiss as the old car moved off up the road. I felt that we had just received some good karma. Point Arena’s downtown is in transition. Many of the storefronts are being refurbished, as the town is alive with entrepreneurialism. The term entrepreneur has been coopted by the tech community, and to be an

“entrepreneur” has come to mean starting a software company. But good, oldfashioned entrepreneurs are thriving in Point Arena. The town is a hotbed of “edge entrepreneurialism,” hardworking people making a living doing what they love whether it’s baking, jewelrymaking, gourmet cooking, running an apothecary shop or repairing and rebuilding classic motorcycles. Rather than attempt to list all the small businesses that make Point Arena such a special place, I will recommend that any motorcyclist visiting the town stop at The Zen House. The Zen House is a world famous motorcycle repair, rebuild and restoration shop on Main Street in Point Arena. It is run by the extraordinarily talented David Harris and his partner Kelley Litle. David and Kelley are always happy to greet visitors, although Dave is usually backlogged with repair and restoration work. In their own words, “When a disillusioned architect, turned motorcycle mechanic, mates with a disenchanted psychologist turned yoga instructor, the inevitable happens…” About a year ago, while traveling down the California coast from Crater Lake, Oregon, Laura and I stopped for gas in Point Arena. As she was negotiating some uneven pavement to get back on the highway, my wife’s left boot slipped, and her heavily loaded Triumph Bonneville went down gently. The gear shift snapped off, and we were stuck. Wouldn’t you know it, her bike broke right in front of The Zen House. Dave was in the middle of a BMW airhead

Above, The extensive bluffs to the north of Arena Cove are preserved as part of the Point Arena Stornetta California Coastal National Monument. Below, Wave-polished abalone shell fragments can be found like jewels in the beach gravel at low tide in Arena Cove.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

restoration. As soon as he understood our predicament, he dropped what he was doing, removed the gear shift, rebuilt it on the spot (making it stronger than the original), and sent us on our way. I am confident that we are only a few of many riders who are in Dave’s debt. The Zen House is always for us—as it should be for you—the highlight of any visit to Point Arena; however, the most famous local attraction is the Point Arena lighthouse and museum (the turnout to the lighthouse is just about a mile out of town to the north). In the mid1800’s (about the time of the California gold rush), the economy along the northern California coast was built upon lumber. The oldgrowth coastal redwoods that once dominated the northern coast were clear cut, milled into lumber and shipped to San Francisco. So many lumber schooners (and a few passenger ships) wrecked on the rocks off Point Arena, that in 1866 the U.S. government commissioned a lighthouse to be constructed. That first lighthouse was built of brick and stood approximately 20 feet in

The Zen House, on Main Street in Point Arena. Out front today are two 1982 bikes, a Moto Guzzi 254, and the equivalent Benelli.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

diameter and 100 feet high. At its base, the lighthouse walls were six feet thick. That original lighthouse was so badly damaged in the 1906 earthquake that it was torn down and a second lighthouse, built of steel reinforced concrete, was erected in 1908. This lighthouse was restored in 2009, and, with the adjoining museum, is a popular destination. During our two-day visit, we took a day ride up the coast to the town of Mendocino. There we window shopped, had lunch at the Saturday farmer’s market, and hiked along the coast in the Mendocino Headlands State Park. Back in Port Arena at low tide, we walked along the Arena Cove gravel beach. We (and a great blue heron) enjoyed tide pooling and searching for jewel-like abalone shell fragments in the pebbles. On Sunday morning, we rode an 85-mile loop up Mountain View Road (heading east into the forested hills above Point Arena), then about nine miles north on Highway 128 to the Philo Greenwood road. We took Philo Greenwood back west to Highway 1, and then south back to Point Arena. It was

a fine Sunday morning twisty ride, with spectacular views. Sunday afternoon found us hiking along the coastal bluffs to the north of Arena Cove. This is land protected as part of the Point ArenaStornetta California Coastal National Monument. Throughout our stay, we were impressed with the quality of the food in Point Arena. Chefs, who could manage exclusive restaurants in San Francisco, have chosen to work in Point Arena because it is such a beautiful place to live. Consequently, places like Uneda Eat, 215 Main, Franny’s Cup & Saucer and The Bird Cafe and Supper Club offer locally sourced, excellent meals. There are more places to stay and more things to discover in Point Arena, like the B. Ryan Wildlife Preserve, which is dedicated to the preservation of endangered African animals. The next time you’re on coastal Highway 1 in Northern California, pull over and put down your kickstand in Point Arena. Enjoy the small businesses, spectacular scenery and relaxed lifestyle – and say “Hi” to Dave and Kelley.

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BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

A Matter of

CHOICE:

One man’s passion for motorcycles leads him to BMW Member Profile by Tom Stewart #14651

ave you ever wished that you had kept your first BMW? Or, have you ever mused, perhaps after a tour of the Barber or some other motorcycle museum, what it might be like to have your own motorcycle museum and the ability to select the ride of your choice on any given day? Well, Ed Vaillancourt, a BMW enthusiast from Oshawa, Ontario, still owns the R69S that he purchased new in 1967. And, along with that iconic Beemer, he has amassed a personal collection of more than one hundred classic motorcycles, most of them in show quality condition and many of them BMWs. With possibilities ranging from a 1939 R 12 to a 2003 R 1150 RS, you may be surprised at the bikes Ed chooses to ride. When I caught up with Ed earlier this year, he was preparing his primary ride for the upcoming riding season. Within an arm’s reach of a beautiful Daytona Orange R 90 S, a shiny red K1 and lovely R 100 RS, Ed was putting the final touches on his R 45. R 45? The R 45 was a smaller displacement and lower-powered version of the R 65. Primarily intended for the German

market, a few of these bikes made it to North America, and Ed bought his new in 1980. There, in the lower floor of Ed’s garage-cum-museum, the bronze paint on Ed’s R 45 glowed, and the chrome gleamed. Ed gleamed as well as he talked about the capabilities of the little bike, especially on country roads. Based on what he chooses to ride, it seems clear that Ed has a soft spot for the smaller displacement BMW twins, extracting the performance he needs to suit the conditions of his ride. His favorites for “joy rides” are the R 50 and R 60/2s of which he has a sizeable collection. Ed states that he has put hundreds of thousands of miles on slash-twos and declares that a 50-year-old bike that performs perfectly is “easier on the nerves” than modern offerings. Ed rode an R 60/2 home from the national rally in Johnson City, Tennessee, in one day, about 800 miles; he says the R 60 loved the damp air that pervades the Smokey Mountains and that he had to concentrate to keep it below 85 mph. Spread over two floors in a purposedesigned two-story building, Ed’s museum houses bikes from BMW, Honda, BSA,

Ed Vaillancourt shows off an R 26. He has a soft spot for 50’s and 60’s twins and singles.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

Left, Ed’s Daytona Orange R 90 S poses in front of his heritage house in Oshawa. Below,A rarity in North America, Ed’s 35hp R 45 is his primary ride for this season. The upper floor displays an eclectic mix that includes British and Japanese bikes and 20 NSUs. Right. On the lower floor, a row of BMW Slash 2s is punctuated by Honda 400Fs.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Triumph, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ariel, Sears, Sunbeam, Matchless, Yamaha, Francis Barnett, Whizzer and a few others. Pride of place on the top floor is occupied by a collection of 20 beautifully restored NSUs, another fabled German make. Ed raises bikes he is less likely to ride to the tiled and scrupulously clean and bright second floor using a specially constructed lift. Even though Ed’s museum is not open to the public, many of the bikes are identified and described by professionally produced signage. Ed engages guests with passionate accounts of the bikes that make up his collection and witticisms from the world of motorcycles and life in general. Getting each of his bikes to perform perfectly is part of Ed’s mission and the reason why he selects certain bikes for prolonged “shake downs” that might last one or two seasons. The candidate bikes may range from an R 75/5 Beemer to a 250cc Suzuki or even a 100cc Kawasaki. Exposing their flaws through extensive riding and correcting them is what drives him. He rides the old and odd bikes in order to de-bug them and make them perfect. Ed does much of

his own work; a steep ramp across the parking lot from the museum leads to a well-equipped workshop in the basement of his adjacent heritage home. Ed’s fascination with motorcycles started early, riding an NSU Quick 100 on the street at age 12. By age 16, Ed was working at a plumbing company and used his wages to buy a new 1953 Matchless G9 with a factory race kit. He used the G9 mainly for local trips and later replaced that bike with a 1958 650 Matchless Hurricane. Ed got his first real taste of the open road on the Hurricane with a trip to watch motorcycle roadracing at Watkins Glen, New York. In the 1950s and 60s, Harleys and British bikes dominated the market. BMWs had a good reputation for reliability but, with their black livery and odd-looking front forks, were thought of by many riders as being ugly. So Ed and his brother Jack bought their matching pair of new R 69 Ss begrudgingly. This was well before test rides became commonplace. Ed remembers, “After we drove 50 feet, all our thinking changed and we never looked back; we could ride all day and cruise at any speed.”

He characterizes that first BMW as being smooth and quiet, with beautiful chrome and a plush seat. “I let the clutch out and felt the bike float away. I couldn’t believe I owned it; it blew me away,” he adds. In addition to that original R 69 S, Ed owns a couple of others, including one with virtually no miles on the odometer. As to future acquisitions, Ed asserts, “The last thing I want is any more bikes. I want to ride the bikes I have.” Daily rides are a ritual for Ed; he likes to get going in the morning with no particular destination in mind and ride for the day, stopping at interesting places for lunch. While Ed’s siblings, like many locals, found employment at the huge GM auto plant in Oshawa, Ed worked at a plumbing shop for 10 years before starting his own plumbing business that now boasts a dozen employees and seven trucks on the road. Ed’s business acumen helped him kick his passion for collecting fine motorcycles into high gear. He has usually been able to carve enough time away from his business to feed his motorcycle passion and has attended 38 national MOA rallies for the

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

rally atmosphere, vendors and a chance to visit with friends. Ed was attracted to track riding later in his life than most. While in his 50’s, he bought a couple of racing bikes so he could enjoy track days at Southern Ontario tracks. He enjoyed track time so much that when he was 60, he decided to campaign a 125cc GP bike. Ed happily recounts his rookie successes: a class win in a 7-race series at Shannonville Motorsport Park while breaking the track record for the class, two firsts in 125cc GP events at the famed Mosport track not far from his home, and a third place finish in the 125cc GP class at Daytona. He says the key for him in learning to go fast was getting his butt off the seat and learning to get his knee down. On the road, it’s often the smaller displacement, lower-powered bikes that Ed chooses to ride. At the MOA national rally in Vermont a few years ago, I asked Ed why he had chosen to ride one of his 30 horsepower R 50/2s; I already knew that he was riding two-up with raingear and enough luggage to suit two people away from home for a week. His reply: “Anything else would be overkill.”

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Above, Ed does much of his own work in his well-lit basement workshop. Below, On the track at Shannonville Motorsport Park

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skills

askapro

Stock seats: Why such a pain? By Lee Parks #162125

I t doesn’t seem to matter which BMW—or any other bike for that matter—that I buy, I inevitably need to buy an aftermarket seat. Is there some reason the factory engineers do such a poor job of comforting my derriere?

That is an excellent question. I wondered that same thing myself for many years, and then back in the mid-1990s, I decided to ask an ergonomic engineer at Honda Motor Company who had come over from Japan for a press introduction. His answer was both surprising and revealing. I should start by mentioning that the engineers that design seats for motorcycles are not idiots. They know exactly how to design the seat on your motorcycle. What you need to first understand is what design parameters they use. The engineer told me that, “Most purchasing decisions are ultimately made at the dealership. Therefore, motorcycle seats are designed to feel comfortable at the point-of-sale in the dealership showroom—not for riding down the road.” Stock seats are often internally (to the manufacturer) referred to as “test saddles.” They are designed to be comfortable for a couple of minutes with the rider straddling the bike and both feet on the floor. Stock seats are narrow so that riders will not experience pressure points on their inner thighs as they sit on the motorcycle. This works great in the showroom, but on the highway the narrow shape does not distribute the load

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

very well and pressure points are created. Stock seats also use too soft of a padding material. Again, it feels great at the dealership but causes pain on a long ride. As you’ve learned, when you sit on a quality aftermarket seat, or a custom-modified one, the first thing you will notice is that they feel quite hard and not all that comfortable. These seats may take 1,000 or more miles to break in to properly fit the shape of your butt, but will provide comfort for many years to come. The position of the seat is actually just as important as the shape and padding. For most of us, standing and walking around does not usually cause lower back pain unless we have bad back issues. The reason our backs are fairly comfortable standing or walking is that the tendons and ligaments on the front of our legs rotate our pelvis forward when we stand or walk. The technical term for this is “Lumbar Lordosis,” or curvature of the lower back. This curvature allows our spine to act a little like a spring to help absorb mild impacts going down the road. When we sit in a good office chair, the backrest does the same thing. Unfortunately, some bikes (such as cruisers) cause our lower back to curve in the opposite direction as our hips rotate slightly rearward. This is called “Lumbar Kyphosis” and can be very painful on a long ride. To fix this problem, change the angle of the seat so your pelvis goes back to a forward rotated position or add a backrest to do the same thing, and your comfort level will improve dramatically. Here’s a little experiment you can do to find the perfect shape seat for your butt. Go to the beach and make a “butt print” by sitting down in the sand. When you get up you will see the concave shape that helps distribute your weight over the largest possible surface area. When it comes to comfort, the shape of the seat is actually much

more important than the foam material on top of it. In fact, a properly designed, solid steel tractor seat can be more comfortable than many motorcycle seats. Farmers can drive those things all day without being in pain, and those seats don’t have any padding. Of course, because butts come in all shapes and sizes, there is no one perfect shape. The primary internal factors affecting ergonomic comfort in seats, as with other parts of your bike, are related to bloodflow, pressure and skin temperature. When you feel a sting or when part of you “falls asleep,” your body is letting you know that you aren’t getting enough bloodflow. Bloodflow is affected by excessive pressure. For instance, when sitting for long periods of time, the ischial tuberosities, the small, bony rails at the base of the pelvis, dig into soft tissue in your gluteus maximus, blocking off small capillaries. As a result, you will start to feel the sting. In addition to blocking small capillaries, pressure in that area can affect the sciatic nerve—one of the largest in the body that runs from your lower back (L-4/L-5) past these bony points and down the leg. Many knee and foot problems can be traced to sciatic nerve issues. Holding any body position requires some degree of muscle tension. Being in one position for too long, or restricting full extension of any muscle group for an extended period of time limits bloodflow. This can easily happen when you are crouched over on a race-replica like an S 1000 RR. The solution is to stretch out or relax the affected areas to get the blood pumping again. In a sense, this process can hose away your body’s “waste” products. In addition to relaxing, active range-ofmotion-type activities with the extremities can greatly increase blood flow. Bloodflow is also affected by hydration and diet. The more water in your system,

the fuller your “pipes” are and your body can function at lower pressures and better perfusion. Perfusion is the process of a body delivering blood to a capillary bed in its biological tissue. Hot temperatures cause your body to cool itself by perspiring. Leaving sweat on the skin surface for too long causes irritation. As you probably know, sweat contains salt that can irritate skin. A lesser-known fact is that any moisture (sweat, rain, etc.) can re-activate leftover soap on undergarments. Using very mild soap on undies such as baby shampoo or Woolite brand can go a long way to reducing skin irritation. The most effective technology for padding has been popularized by a company called AirHawk. I have pressure-map tested many custom seats, as well as pads made of memory foam and gel, and nothing else comes close to reducing pressure like the air-cell technology of the AirHawks. They work similarly to the famous “Sleep Number” bed you see in shopping malls and on TV. The main drawback is they can be a little unsightly. As you can see, seats are complicated business. I recently had a local upholstery shop turn my truly awful stock BMW G 450 X seat into a reasonably comfortable “adventure” seat. Now my butt can handle the extra mileage afforded by my equally new auxiliary tank. It looks a little strange but there’s nothing like pain to open up your imagination…and your wallet.

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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. October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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lifestyle 98

jacktheriepe

“Are you the guy who writes those stories?” — My account of Das Rally! By Jack Riepe #116117 BY NOW, REPORTS

of the BMW MOA’s “Das Rally!” in Hamburg, New York, have reached the provinces and distant outposts. It’s common knowledge that nearly 6,200 of the Teutonic faithful danced around the tribal fires while swigging Geritol and milk of magnesia from skulls of the vanquished. There was electricity in the air that energized my crippled frame and put a spark in my chronically humorless expression. I was again among my own kind. There is a hidden thrill in any moto event, as I discovered as a speaker at “Americade,” a rally for the Harley and the Honda crowd in Lake George, New York, earlier this summer. There is something about the growl, or in the case of Milwaukee Iron, the thunder, of a running motorcycle. I love all bikes, almost. Just to be around them and their riders in great numbers is a liberating experience. It makes me think of who I used to be and who I want to be again. Motorcycles and their riders give me a reason to write and to laugh. The BMW MOA rally gave me 6,200 of them. But there is something different about BMW riders. Their eyes carry an unspoken story, a common punchline and an undeclared challenge. Often, they smile before they speak, as they recognize the same things in the faces of friends they have not seen since last year, or 2005, or since the great “Los Oaxaca Rally,” when sirocco-like

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

winds dropped tarantulas among the tents. Some of these folks smiled when they saw me, which is the greatest compliment I have ever experienced. Two riders admitted to reading my column, though one thought I was Matt Parkhouse. (He kept calling me “Mr. Parkhouse” throughout the rally, until I fixed something on his bike. Then he knew I was Riepe.) I used to think the draw for BMW MOA rallies was the machine we ride. This is only part of it. The MOA is about people. I finally got to meet dozens of folks that I have writing to for years. Daryl Casey, Reese Mullins and his wife Rhonda, Patricia Blaskovic, and Bill Boylan, just to name a few. Susan Benson, a dynamic K 75-riding brunette dipped in hot sauce, popped up in front of me and drawled in perfect Georgian, “Do you know who I am?” I stuttered and stalled, thinking, “When the hell was I married to this one?” Susan rode up on a “F” bike. My New Jersey accent throws her all the time. We spoke on the phone before the rally, and she thought I was saying, “F’ing K-bikes” as opposed to “F- and K-bikes.” Ian Hammond, a tuba-player from a symphony orchestra and a dedicated K-bike rider dropped by from Ohio. Gary Schultz and his wife Judy made the trek from Arkansas. (Gary and I are pledged to ride into Salt Lake City together next year. I will be on a K-bike, and Gary will be on something else that BMW makes.) Don Eilenbeger, the diplomatic front man from the Ocean County Riders (New Jersey) rode in on a smile. James Nice led his posse down from Maine and presented me with Irish speech lubricant. Daryl Casey, up from Tennessee, did the same. Cy Ubinger arrived on a K 1200 LT that needs a few hoses. All of them, in fact. Cy presented me with a box of cigars, most of which he had

previously smoked. My pal, Bill Holly, rode in from Chicago. He’s like a ghost. We hung around for an hour or so, before he ditched me for dinner. “Bill,” I said. “Have dinner with me.” “I can’t,” Holly replied. “I don’t want to.” Turns out Bill left the rally early the next morning on a ride to Jersey City, New Jersey, to lay a wreath of flowers in front of the house where I was born. (The current owners of the house turned a hose on him. Neighbors who remembered me as a child threw bags of garbage at him.) Sue Rihn, the first fan I ever had at MOA, dropped by with words of encouragement. “Keep writing, Jack,” she said. “You’ll get it right one day.” My buddies from the Mac-Pac were there, too. And thank God they were. A small crowd of folks approached my office in the bier garten and wanted to know if I was “that guy who wrote those stories.” They didn’t look like they were selling Girl Scout cookies. I pointed to Dick Bregstein and said, “He is.” I laughed silently while they beat the tar out of him. My devoted column critic and legendary motorcycle mechanic, Tom Cutter, asked me to help search for his missing R-bike. He thought his classic “R slash Zero” had been stolen. Turns out the bike is painted a classic “prune whip brown” and blended right in with a parked UPS truck. Consensus was that every bike in the lot would have had to be stolen before that one would go. BMW rallies are a celebration of technology...of skill... and of tradition. The latest in gear design and farkles pulled crowds through the vender midway like a tide that came in slowly and receded somewhat faster, with many individuals lighter in the cash department. The cotton candy and the

balloons of the carnival are now jackets, helmet cameras, boots, tires, and mufflers for kids who never quite grow up. One trend I noticed at this rally is the tendency to turn ordinary R-bikes into super austere, sexual mechanical statements that scream raw performance and “You can’t touch this” in a savage visual appeal. I got to see a few of these machines up close. They are scalding hot and demand riders who weigh 138 pounds, who wear the blackest of leathers or ballistic, and who grin like Siegfried at the prospect of a new ax. I saw a woman sitting on one of these. She was about 32 years old and did for Kevlar® what Kate Moss did for jeans. She was wearing boots spattered with the souls of lesser men (all of them) and had the nonchalant look of a goddess barely aware of her surroundings. “Thank God I am no longer susceptible to bikes that cannot carry enough luggage for an overnight and to women who can turn a man’s resolve into powder,” I thought. And that was when I realized I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t even move. Not only was I susceptible, but I felt my DNA strand tightening into a noose. Then she looked up and asked, “Are you Jack? The guy who writes those stories?” I couldn’t speak. I could barely nod, as I remembered a time when all you needed for an overnight run was a bike that could carry two and a credit card. “I thought you’d be thinner,” she said. I have been bitch-slapped with less effect. I could feel myself melting into the pavement. I would be a puddle of Riepe in a second, or perhaps even a pond of Riepe, if this woman was correct. It was at that moment someone started a K-bike. The distinctive whine and accompanying Messerschmidt grumble brought me to my senses. Yet the grumble was more refined than the language of the K 75. It was a K 1600, a low-slung aircraft carrier of a motorcycle, winding up for the pitch. Suddenly, the way out was clear. I gave her a slow politician’s smile and said, “Tell your mom I said hello.”

The lineage of the K 75 is unbroken in the K 1600. I was about 100 feet away with my back turned when that K 1600 fired. I spun around, expecting to see a K 75 and was mesmerized by this six-cylinder giant coming alive. It is nothing like the machine that spawned the model designation. And yet, the similarities are unmistakable. Both machines were game changers. Both machines brought a new dimension to performance. Both machines sneer at distance. And there is virtually nothing that can be done to convert either into a sensually dramatic mechanical statement. (That is left to the lure of the rider.) But the K 1600 is the open door to interstellar two-wheeled travel, and the K 75 remains the calling card of good breeding and discretion in adventure. On the second day of the rally, I launched the Secret K-Bike Rider’s Club. I was told: • “The furtive nature of the K-bike rider is such that none will come forth.” • “K-bike riders venture not into the indictment of daylight.” • “You should have convened this meeting in a port-o-potty, considering the agenda.” These pronouncements were made by tribal R-bike elders. And “elder” is the word. I sat in the open, under the shade of a huge umbrella, wearing my Secret K-Bike Rider’s Club tee shirt. A voice in my head said, “If you wear it, they will come.” And come they did, in ones and twos at first… then in small groups...and finally, as a surging movement demanding recognition. They slurped their beers and wiped their mouths on their sleeves. They bit the ends off their cigars and lit the same from the burning pages of an R-bike manual. They spit with emphasis. They laughed out loud in the freedom of the moment. And these were just the women. Club business came first. Secret club rules were discussed in the most circumspect manner, with regard to membership, meetings, and statement of purpose. There was unanimity that our raison d’etre was to stop the bias against K-bike riders, the orphaned children of BMW. Our goal was

to get more coverage in the Owners News for the K-bike and more recognition for their riders. “When was the last time you saw a K-bike on the cover of the magazine?” asked James Nice. “When was the last time a K-bike was ever customized and offered as a foundation prize?” asked Cy Ubinger. “When was the last time a K-bike adventure ride got feature status in the magazine?” asked K1 rider Peter Frechi. “It ain’t easy riding from one end of this country to the other, staying in five-star hotels and drinking champagne from the glass slippers of occasional admirers.” Rules were passed. They are secret. K-bike riders voted with a shrug for “yes” and rolled their eyes for “no.” Officers without last names were shrugged into new posts. It was implied that we should meet occasionally. A place was suggested, and another place was instantly recommended. “I don’t like either one of those places,” countered Bill Boylan. “Can we meet closer to where I live?” “Where do you live?” I asked. “I’m not telling any of you guys that,” said Boylan. “It’s secret.” Boylan doesn’t even have a K-bike. “But I can read the handwriting on the wall,” he said. Overcome with emotion, I decided to lead the group in a cheer. I stood up and yelled, “Give me a K!” A hundred voices responded in unison: “Kayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.” “Well, that’s all there is,” I said. It’s enough.

The advent of the Secret K-Bike Riders Club at Das Rally! was more of a success than anyone anticipated. When the boxes were opened, the shirts flew out like enraged bats. The handful of extras didn’t put a dent in the demand. Many people who reserved shirts saw their gear carried off by the mob. More are being ordered. To order a shirt, email your name, shirt size and phone number to jack.riepe@gmail.com. Plus put “Secret K-Bike Club” in the subject line.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

lifestyle

highmileage

High Mileage Honor Roll By Jim Heberling #191926 HELLO

FELLOW

MOA members and congratulations to everyone reaching new mileage milestones. Right now, I’m on my way to the Colorado Springs Getaway by way of Mt. Rushmore. Not only will this trip be a great way to meet more MOA members along the way, but it’ll also add a few thousand miles and bring me closer to my first level on the High Mileage Honor Roll. See you on the road.

David Lafoy #115812

David Lafoy put nearly 90,000 miles on his 2004 K 1200 LT to reach the 100,000 mile plateau, with the remainder accumulated on his 2003 R 1200 CL. While Dave says he enjoys “loop rides” around his Calgary, Alberta, home, trying to stay in the foothills and mountains as much as possible as they are the most scenic and most enjoyable to ride, his most memorable ride was a three-week trek along the Oregon coast to California and back through the Oregon interior. “Typically, about 90 percent of the time my wife and I ride alone,” he said, “with the remainder being with a limited number of friends.” Congratulations Dave!

Ed Pedi #29818

Though it was Ed’s current bike, a 2010 R 1200 RT, that brought him past the 300,000 mile plateau, he’s ridden five other BMWs to get him there, including a 1980 R 100 T, 1988 R 100 RS, 1995 R 1100 RS and a 2002 R 1150 RT. Ed has ridden all over the world

100

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

with his wife, including Africa, New Zealand, Spain, France, Italy, Peru and the seven former countries of Yugoslavia, but his favorite trip was the ride through Norway. According to Ed, the roads and the scenery there are some of the most beautiful in the world. Ed also enjoys riding around his North Andover, Massachusetts, home and taking three or four day rides around New England with his wife. When alone, Ed says a favorite route he rides every couple of days is a 60-mile loop through some of the scenic backroads to Newburyport, Massachusetts, for a cup of coffee Ed Pedi and his wife in Serbia and a ride along the Atlantic coast. “I always ride alone,” he alone, he said his brother wanted to make said, “I love the freedom to go where I want one last long ride, so together the brothers when I want and to ride at the pace I like, toured Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswhich always seems too fast for other wick and Prince Edward Island while in bikes!” Canada and Maine, Vermont and New Congratulations Ed! Hampshire while on their way to Das Rally! in Hamburg, New York. Congratulations Ron! Ron Bogucki #131034 Ron describes himself as a Point A to Point B rider who has been known to wander the Dave Bement #134742 back roads when the mood strikes him. Like many of us, Dave Bement usually It was Ron’s 2006 R 1200 RT that accurides alone to take things at his own pace, mulated most of the miles on his way to though he does participate in monthly 100,000, and Ron’s most memorable ride rides with his local club, the BMW Motorwas a 4,900-mile trip he recently comcycle Club of Hampton Roads (BMWMpleted with his brother who recently turned CHR #73). 70. Though Ron usually prefers to ride Dave rides to work from his home in

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UltraBrighTs Extreme Chesapeake, Virginia, when he can and says he usually takes the long way home. While most of Dave’s miles were accumulated aboard his 2008 R 1200 GS, his favorite bike is his 2015 R 1200 GS. Dave says he tries to ride across Virginia several times a year and also rides through West Virginia when his schedule allows. This past year, Dave was able to reach the 100,000 mile plateau by riding the Blue Ridge Parkway last June. “I lucked out and had perfect weather and great visibility at the many pullouts along the Parkway,” he said. Congratulations Dave!

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info@weisertechnik.com October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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Don’t be dim

lifestyle 102

finaljourney

In Memory of George Rahn December 6, 1934 to July 24, 2016 By Ron Hurlburt #37390 IF YOU EVER TRAVELED THROUGH

outbuildings, at least one with a wood stove to allow service work in cold weather and a pit dug into the permafrost to store tires, keeping them frozen solid until needed. The surrounding black spruce forest held a treasure trove of BMWs, some pristine, some cannibalized for parts, some awaiting a rebuild during the off season. Some bikes were covered with tarps, some gathering dust. To me the arrangement seemed cha-

Fairbanks, Alaska, in the last 50 or so years and needed BMW service or advice, you met George Rahn. His dealership, Trail’s End BMW, was located down Westwood Way, off College Road, on the banks of Noyes Slough, the last driveway on the left and identified by a single BMW roundel on a post. The facility was unconventional by BMW corporate standards, but not unusual for Fairbanks. Turning into the driveway led you past a cluster of old bikes, a couple of Isettas and maybe a car. Beyond that, when you found a BMW motorcycle displayed in a picture window, you knew you were there. Access to the showroom was by several steep steps leading to the front door where a clipboard hung on a nail to one side. If George was gone during business hours he left a note, and George, center, with his son (standing). you were invited to leave otic, but somehow George had everything one, too. cataloged in his head. The showroom was small with no Just about everyone in Fairbanks knew more than four or five bikes, includof George. He was the guy riding the R 65 ing whatever was displayed in the or the sidehack downtown for coffee when window as well as the piano. Between the ice fog was nearly at ground level and the showroom and the trailer’s the temperature hovered around -30 Fahrkitchen was a narrow hallway full of enheit. I met him in the mid-70’s when my parts bins. I never saw how George assistant professor’s salary increased just got the bikes up the stairs into the enough to allow me to upgrade from Norshowroom, but in 1990 when I tons and BSAs to BMWs. bought a new K 75 S, George had me I had been warned that George could be keep one foot on the end of a 2x6 a little bit gruff, so all through the dog and while he coasted the bike down the pony show I paid close attention as he steep incline. explained the smoothness, low center of The rest of the property was a scatgravity and other features of the current tered mix of sheds and small

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

generation of boxers. I guess I passed muster, because when I later offered to buy a new R 60/7, we shook hands, and I wrote a check. George didn’t suffer fools, gladly or otherwise. If he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t sell you a motorcycle. Period. Show up with a dirty bike and you’d hear about it. Ask for something he didn’t think you needed and you probably wouldn’t get it. But if he saw that you treated the motorcycle with the respect it deserved and you were willing to listen and learn, quite likely you’d be welcomed back. Running a one-person dealership was a constant balancing act. If George trusted you with tools, you might find yourself under a shed roof or in an outbuilding, wrench in hand, doing something you’d never done before, with just a bit of guidance from the master. He did all the servicing and selling and adhered rather strictly to the shop hours he’d set, but if tourists from Europe dropped by or an old friend happened to be passing through, he always made time to go get a beer or coffee. George wasn’t a tall man, maybe 5’ 6”, but he had an incredible sense of balance on a motorcycle, and seat height never seemed to be a problem. When I’d leave the shop in summer, once in a while he’d offer to ride along as I returned to Goldstream Valley, where I had lived for a couple of decades. He’d grab the nearest bike, usually a R 100 RS, and we’d be together until we hit Ballaine Road. Then he’d take off, flat on the gas tank, and disappear in the distance. When I met up with him at the top of the hill, his grin said it all. He was a professional rider on the ultimate riding machine. No way could I keep up with that man,

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especially on the R 60/7. One of George’s personal bikes was an older sidecar rig, maybe an R 60, with just a flatbed for the car. One day when visiting the shop, I found a note on the clipboard that said he’d gone to the North Pole to a garage sale and gave an ETA for his arrival, so I sat on the steps and waited. Before long, I heard him coming down the driveway with a 15-cubic foot chest freezer strapped to the platform. He’d wedged some rags between the freezer and the handlebar end. Steering was a little tricky, he said, but he got a great deal on the freezer. That was George. When the K 75 S was introduced, I decided I had to have one. George had a red 1987 model in stock, maybe the first one in Fairbanks, and he offered to take my R 100 S in trade. He’d deliver it in the morning, he said, after warming it up overnight. I was living in town temporarily, maybe three miles away, and sure enough, the next morning the shiny machine turned in by the garage. He rode the trade-in home. It was about -30 Fahrenheit. He warned me that if I went out on the new bike to be careful because the engine braking was more than I was used to on the boxers and a big deal on icy roads. I stayed home. Our friendship continued after I left Fairbanks. I rode up from Juneau for the 1990 K 75 S, trading a 1977 R 100 RS I’d bought from Ozzie’s BMW in Chico, California. I don’t think George ever charged retail price for anything because the deals he gave were incredible. I suspect that new K probably was not much above his cost. Time passed. I moved to Homer for the first decade of this century, a destination for summer travellers. I knew George used to go there sometimes, so I called and extended an invitation to visit. By that time, though, I think his trips were closer to home. On another call he told me BMW had dropped him as a dealer because his facility didn’t meet the standards the company now demanded. Okay, be that way. He became a Royal Enfield dealer and remained one until the end. If I had been living closer, I might have owned a Royal Enfield.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

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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.

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fromtheboard

BMW MOA Open Session Board Minutes Hamburg, New York • July 15, 2016 LOCATION: New York state police building, seminar room two, Erie County Fairgrounds BMW MOA National Rally in Hamburg, New York. BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESENT: President Wes Fitzer,

Vice President Jackie Hughes, Treasurer Jean Excell, Secretary Reece Mullins, Directors Bill Hooykaas, Sam Garst, Stan Herman, and Marc Souliere. NOT PRESENT: Director Lisa Malachowsky (Participating in BMW MOA sponsored “Sisters Centennial Motorcycle Ride.”) STAFF PRESENT: BMW MOA Executive Director Bob Aldridge, BMW MOA Owners News Managing Editor Bill Wiegand, BMW MOA ON Art Director Karin Halker, Digital Marketing Manager Ray Tubbs, Advertising coordinator Chris Hughes, Director of Business Development Ken Engleman, and Digital Media Editor Wes Fleming. VOLUNTEER STAFF PRESENT: 2016 BMW MOA National Rally Chair and Co-Chair Dutch and Kate Lammers. 2017 BMW MOA National Rally Chair Greg Feeler. BMW MOA FOUNDATION MEMBERS PRESENT: Peter Per-

rin and George Rice

MEMBERS PRESENT: H. Tepel, Chuck Manley, Mark Austin,

Gary Blakney, James Sanders, Larry Card, Brian Burdette, Ben Lower, John May, George Nyktas, Tom Buttars, Yvon L’Heureux, Daryl B. Casey, Bob Malehorn, Muriel Farrington. Call to Order: At 10:39 Eastern Standard Time, President Wes Fitzer called the meeting to order. Wes proceeded directly into board member introductions. Each board member introduced themselves. Following board member introductions Wes proceeded to recognize the four outgoing board members for their service to the MOA: Chuck Manley, Greg Feeler, Muriel Farrington, and Vance Harrelson. Wes also recognized the 2016 Rally Chairs present, Dutch and Kate Lammers, and thanked them for all their hard work and effort.

Treasurers Report-Jean Excell

“The investment account currently stands at $615,860 which is in excess of our long term liabilities.”

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BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

Executive Director’s Report-Bob Aldridge As of May, Year to Date (YTD) PROFIT AND LOSS (P&L) Current Financial status: Income Cost of Goods Expenses Net Ordinary Income Investments Income Investment Expense Net Other Income Net Total Income

Actual $1,077,160.60 $353,989.38 $686,613.06 $35,514.16 $20,336.34 $3,068.18 $17,268.16 $53,782,32

Budget $993,994.00 $386,600.00 $633,022.61 <$25,628.61>

Bob went on to explain, that our financial reporting model will be changing soon. We will be issuing an annual financial report from an independent financial accounting firm, backdating the previous three years in order to “catch up.” Ted Moyer, formerly the Membership Director is now the BMW MOA’s Associate Executive Director. Additionally, the new printer contract is working well since August of 2015.

Digital Marketing Manager/Membership-Ray Tubbs

Current membership is steady at over 33,000 members. Membership services are very busy. For example, in the month of June alone Membership services performed over 2,200 member transactions, over 1,110 emails and over 1,100 telephone calls. The electronic registration at the national went extremely well, online and on site. The “DAS RALLY!” application for smart phones use was up by a factor of four compared to last year’s app use for the national. This year’s national app usage increase indicated an overall increase in interest by membership in its use and function as an effective rally tool. The MOA marketplace is established and successful, with an easy transition from the previous marketplace application, and has very active member participation. The MOA has a robust and active social media presence across the spectrum of digital platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We currently have twelve Regional Coordinators; the new RC program is functioning well. The MOA will be participating in the Centenary by hosting an event in Monterey, California, on August 25-26, 2016.

Managing Editor-Bill Wiegand, Art DirectorKarin Halker

The change in contract to the new printer in August is working

extremely well. Our advertising percentage remains under editorial content with the priority being editorial content. We are working to ensure through layout and design that the content is not lost or ignored due to advertising. We have launched our Discovery series with the ride around Birmingham which appeared in the May issue of ON. Future Discovery articles coming soon feature Wisconsin, Washington State, Southern Utah (which should tie in well with next year’s national rally) and Kentucky. A member asked, “Is the shipping sleeve a permanent addition to the BMW ON?” Bill answered, “Yes.” Regarding the subject of BMW MOA ON magazines being supplied to dealerships, there have been some changes. As the cost of supplying full magazines to dealerships is becoming cost ineffective and the MOA cannot control how the magazines are displayed, along with the potential issue of non-members using the dealership lobby as a free magazine subscription, we will be implementing a 24-page dealer supplement of the ON, similar to what has been displayed on the web site. This supplement will cut down on distribution and production costs and still provide the MOA exposure desired at the dealership. Our first copy went to the printer this month. Lesa Howard and Amanda Faraj are working very well with the MOA and have been instrumental in getting quite a few things accomplished. A member present asked, “Are we still doing the ‘Three For Free’ offer?” Bob Aldridge answered, “We are doing the three month ‘trial membership,’ which involves more than just three magazines; it includes full access to member services, forums, etc… and yes, we are still doing it and having quite a bit of success there.”

Director of Business DevelopmentKen Engleman

Ken began by explaining the new tri-branded partnership between BMW NA, Rever.co (Butler maps) and the BMW MOA. The trifecta will provide custom digital maps of the Sturgis area during the 76th annual Sturgis Rally, August 8th-14th of this year, in order to educate BMW and non-BMW riders about the MOA and highlight the MOA’s expertise in the selection of motorcycle roads, destinations, and advanced technology. The demo truck ride program is successfully extending the BMW brand to members and non-members. BMW NA is handing out MOA marketing material to their customers at the demo truck on the MOA’s behalf. Next month during BMW’s 100th anniversary at Octoberfest at Laguna Seca, the demo truck will be on site continuing to promote the MOA. Other programs in the works, include 87 individual member benefits available to each MOA member. Any member that has an idea or a request for an additional benefit can contact me directly at: ken@bmwmoa.org Bob Aldridge explained that the currently available BMW ADVANTEC oil program and the BMW dealership-based new bike purchase program that provides a corporate sponsored one year complimentary MOA

membership is Ken’s idea, and serves as an example of a benefit the MOA is using to target new BMW motorcycle owners.

Director of Advertising-Chris Hughes

Ad revenues are slightly above average and are currently exceeding expected projections for 2016. I’m currently working very closely with our main office personnel, Lesa Howard, in the collections from advertisers and Karin Halker, in the assembling of advertising content for the ON. Collection percentages are running well. Advertising is currently working well with both the ON and the MOA’s web content.

Digital Media Editor-Wes Fleming

Wes Fleming introduced himself as a new staff member that came on with Ray Tubbs to help with many of the tasks that Ted Moyer formerly had to do by himself. “If you see content on the web, it comes through me,” Wes said, in describing his duty position with the MOA. The rally app was launched a full week early this year, and our social media presence has expanded with more digitized art, content, and blogs; this content all comes through our volunteer network. I am currently working with Bill Weigand and Karin Halker to digitize the ON all the way back to 1974. This twice monthly e-book content will be open source and free. Greg Feeler asked, “How are we going to handle digital publication rights for previously published content?” Wes answered, “We are working to contact authors or their estates for permissions.” After Wes’s presentation Bob Aldridge concluded the staff ’s report at 11:25 EDST, and Wes Fitzer introduces the 2017 Salt Lake City rally chair, Greg Feeler.

Greg Feeler 2017 Rally Chair

Planning for next year’s rally is well under way and ahead of our common schedule. We have spent three days already on site. The site staff and vendors are extremely supportive for myself and my co-chairs, Brian Burdett and Pat Carol. The site layout will be completed by the October on-site board meeting. In anticipation of next year’s needs for the GS Giants I’m soliciting and receiving excellent feedback from this year’s rally to use next year. We are currently working on several new ideas and bringing back some traditional activities from the past to make next year’s “Sapphire Anniversary” rally one for the history books. To encourage non-campers to participate we are looking into several “lowthreshold” opportunities. One example: we’re negotiating contracts and opportunities with several local hotels that are positioned in Salt Lake along a light rail transport that services the hotel and goes directly to the rally site. We are currently working on an opportunity for rally goers to have free access to the rail. For those planning now on attending the rally, “Ride Utah” is a 350-page comprehensive book of all the best riding roads and destinations in the Utah area. We believe these efforts will facilitate bringing in a new constituency in the Utah area during the national.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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fromtheboard

COMMITTEE REPORTS Operations Committee Report- Jackie Hughes

We are currently in the process of updating our policy and procedures manual. It is a “living document.” The latest change to the bylaws incorporates changes on how the Board of Directors are elected. Next year, we could lose as many as five board members, in conjunction with the four board members we lost this year. Looking at the high turnover rate, to accommodate continuity within the board and to minimize turnover rates ,the bylaw change was proposed and accepted. This new change in the election process also has the additional advantage of giving MOA members an opportunity to run for election to the Board every year, versus once every three years, as in past elections. Jackie read the actual proposed bylaws change that was published in the June ON and approved during the July 5th 2016 executive session of the Board of Directors. “There shall be an annual election to elect the members of the Board of Directors and to vote on other such matters as may be placed on the ballot in accordance with these Bylaws. Three (3) Director positions shall be filled by such election. The transition to annual elections shall occur as follows: Beginning with the 2017 election, two (2) Board positions shall be filled, and the remaining three (3) positions will be extended for one year. For the 2018 election, three (3) positions be filled. In the 2019 election, three (3) positions shall be filled, one (1) remaining position will be extended for one year. In the 2020 and subsequent elections thereafter, three (3) positions shall be filled by such election. If any Board member serving an extended term chooses not to complete said extension, the currently serving President of the Board will appoint a replacement to fulfill the extended term. Once the transition period has been completed (2020), the preceding verbiage regarding the transition shall be removed from the Bylaws.” George Nyktas asked, “How often are officers elected?” Jackie Hughes answered, “Each year the board elects its new officers.”

Event committee-Stan Herman

No report at this time. Wes Fitzer: Our weekend Getaways are working really well. I encourage you all to attend at least one. They are well organized and well put on. A member asked, “How many are planned for 2017?” Wes: Our Current model for 2017 is sitting at 12 MOA Getaways. Stan Herman: “Over 50 percent of those who attend our MOA Getaway events have never been exposed to an MOA event in the past.” Peter Perrin asked, “What is the process for attracting new members at the MOA Getaways?” Wes Fitzer: “We have trial membership information available at the Getaways.” Stan Herman: “Our Regional Coordinators are working with dealerships in close proximity to Getaway events to inform and encourage local BMW riders who are not members to attend the Getaway.” Marc Souliere asked Bob Aldridge to address how the “Three-ForFree” program works at the Getaways. Bob Aldridge explained how the Getaways facilitate both recruitment and retention. The Getaways are serving as an effective retention model, especially for newer members. “If a new member does not find someone to talk to in the first year or two, there is a likely chance that the new member will walk away.” The Getaway’s distribution of locations facilitates an opportunity for members to get together outside of a national rally that the individual member may not be able to attend otherwise. Bill Hooykaas: “We are finding that we are attracting people from much further away from the Getaways than anticipated. The potential of the Getaway opportunity is quite great. As the word gets out our catchment area will increase.” Member Daryl Casey advocated keeping the attendance numbers relatively small at the Getaways to avoid changing the nature of the getaway into that of a large event. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the BoD will occur October 7-8 at the 2017 Rally site in Salt Lake City, Utah. At 11:51 EST, Wes Fitzer entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting from Stan Herman, Bill Hooykaas seconded the motion, and all in favor voted aye. The meeting was adjourned.

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BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

October 1

9/30/2016 – 10/2/2016

2016 Rams Rally

Location: Parker’s Crossroads, Tennessee Contact: www.bmwrams.com/the-rams-rally The Rider’s Association of The Mid-South (The RAMS) invites you to join us for the RAMS Rally in Parker’s Crossroads, Tennessee.

9/30/2016 – 10/1/2016

MOA Getaway Colorado Springs, Colorado

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Contact: Stan Herman hermanhaus1@msn. com or call (719) 250-4358 Come visit one of America’s greatest towns with Pikes Peak and spectacular riding at your door step. Colorado Springs is a motorcyclist’s dream town.

9/30/2016 – 10/2/2016

MOA Getaway Black River Falls, Wisconsin

Location: Black River Ralls, Wisconsin Contact: Sue Rihn sue@beemerhill.com Early Fall means beautiful color in the western edge of Wisconsin. The air turns slightly cooler, the days get a little shorter and the fun is just beginning. Join us for the inaugural Getaway Weekend in Black River Falls.

11 1

Detailed information for all events is available online at:

bmwmoa.org

9/30/2016 – 10/2/2016

Tellico Mountain Rally

Location: Tellico Plains, Tennessee Contact: Greg Crays gsgrog@gmail.com 727-418-5452 Rally includes dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, bonfires both nights and numerous door prizes. Advance registration is $40 ($45 at the rally). Contact registrar Larry Myers at LDMYERS365@HUGHES.NET or 423-3095929. Rally registration form may be downloaded at: www.bmwroc.com.

9/30/2016 – 10/2/2016

Valley BMW Riders Camp Out

Location: Oroville, Washington Contact: Gary Smith, 250-766-3192

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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whenandwhere

judosmith@telus.net This is a no-host camping event so come on out to enjoy the group, enjoy the camaraderie of other riders and check out the beautiful venue.

Rally

9/30/2016 – 10/2/2016

24th Annual Purity Springs

Location: New Hampshire Contact: Tim Tregea ttregea@comcast.net You’re invited to join us for our “do nothing” rally in the White Mountains of NH where you can ride, share some laughs, make new friends and continue to dazzle your old friends with tales of your riding expertise. Visit our website at www.gsbmwr.org.

Location: Stecoah, North Carolina Contact: Grant & Susan Johnson susan@horizonsunlimited.com Whether you’re a seasoned veteran with wisdom to share or a complete novice hungry for ideas and guidance, Horizons Unlimited Meetings are for everyone who dreams of adventure along the road less traveled. 10/7/2016 – 10/9/2016

Colonial Virginia Rally

Location: Lenexa, Virginia Contact: Carol Beals cebeals@gmail. com or call 757-287-5594 Tour rally site is the Rockahock Campground just a little north of Williamsburg and just outside of the Historical Triangle of VA. Many wonderful historical sites (Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown) are close by with great riding roads.

10/7/2016 – 10/9/2016

41st Falling Leaf Rally

Location: Potosi, Missouri Contact: bmwfallingleaf@yahoo.com

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10/13/2016 – 10/16/2016

AIM EXPO USA

Location: Orlando, Florida Contact: AIMExpo (949) 517-7501 Don’t miss the fun! AIMExpo is a one-of-akind motorcycling experience that brings together enthusiasts and industry insiders in one arena! Demo the latest models at the innovative AIMExpo Outdoors!, see and purchase the newest motorcycling products directly on the show floor, meet celebrities, learn tips and tricks from the pros and much more.

10/6/2016 – 10/9/2016

Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Adventure Travellers Event

Experience the spectacular roads and beautiful scenery of the Missouri Ozarks at the 41st Falling Leaf Rally. Join the Gateway Riders at the Washington County Fairgrounds for one of the last weekends of the season. Good friends, unmatched riding, great rally.

BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2016

10/13/2016 – 10/16/2016

Adventure Ribfest

Location: Centerville, Tennessee The BMW Motorcycle Club of Nashville and the GS Giants invite you to join us for the Adventure Ribfest on the Waggoner Farm in rural middle Tennessee. Visit bmwmcon.org for more information

10/14/2016 – 10/16/2016

BMW Touring Club of Detroit Color Tour Location: Interlochen, Michigan Contact: Mike Eckstein veep1@bmwtcd.org Join the TCD members in enjoying Michigan fall colors in beautful Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. Take in the scenic roads on the Lake Michigan shoreline, or explore the extensive ORV trail system in the area with your ADV bikes.

10/22/2016

OKTOBERFEST 2016!

Location: Herald, California Contact: John Vashon treasurer@bmwnorcal.org Join us for the BMW Club of Northern California’s annual Oktoberfest at the Rancho Seco Recreational Park. We have a large

grass camping site that gently slopes down to a beautiful lake. One all-inclusive price includes a lead tour to the campsite, meal, beverages, camping and admission to the park.

10/22/2016

11Th Annual Ride To Eat Picnic

Location: Sulphur, Oklahoma Contact: www.lonestarbmwriders.org Please join the Lone Star BMW Riders at Chickasaw Recreation Area in Sulphur, Oklahoma. Burgers and brats with all the fixings will be served at noon. Bikes and bikers of all kinds are welcome.

November 15

11/4/2016 – 11/6/2016

46th Annual South Central BMW Owners Reunion Location: Fayetteville, Texas Contact: Nick Bell vp@bmwclubofhouston.com 713-818-0134 Enjoy guided road rides, social events, and dinners on Friday and Saturday night, breakfasts Saturday and Sunday. For details see the event web page at bmwclubofhouston. com/cms/club-rally

11/5/2016 – 11/6/2016

Touring Club of Detroit 29th Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Run Location: East Tawas, Michigan Contact: Mike Eckstein veep1@bmwtcd.org Enjoy the brisk fall Michigan weather with this longstanding TCD tradition. Annual camp-out at Tawas Point State Park on Lake Huron. Saturday afternoon, ceremony on the shore to pay tribute to the 29 brave sailors lost from the Edumund Fitzgerald to the icy waters of Lake Superior.

11/11/2016 – 11/13/2016

15th Annual Cajun Swamp Scooter Rally Location: Lafayette, Louisiana

Contact: swampscooters.net Come have a good time with us. Great food with great music. Kick some tires and tell some lies. The roads are not great, but the food is the best.

11/18/2016 – 11/20/2016

MOA Getaway Marble Falls, Texas

Location: Marble Falls, Texas Contact: Paul Mulhern pmulhern@swbell.net This year’s weekend getaway in Marble Falls, Texas is centered in the heart of the highland lakes region of the state and the host hotel will be right on the water. This area has something for everyone.

1/13/2017 – 1/15/2017

BMWNEF Winter Rally

Location: Northeast Florida Contact: lemeeker904@comcast.net 904-278-9262 Chill out at Camp Blanding on beautiful Kingsley Lake in Northeast Florida for the 34rd annual BMWNEF Winter Rally; Florida’s Coolest Rally!

www.legalspeeding.com

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'14-'16 R1200RT AeroScreens: The AeroScreen's aerodynamic shape and flared top provide maximum solo or 2-up comfort and protection. AeroScreens are designed to be run at lower settings, allowing driver to see over the top while achieving overthe-helmet airflow. Now available in 3 screen heights to accomodate all drivers. Clear Only. R1200RT AeroWings: Dramatic improvement to the overall envelope of protection when used with any screen. Calms and expands driver and passenger coverage by deflecting air coming from the bike's side panels out and away from the riders. Easy install and removal. Available in Clear or Smoke. R1200RT HeadLight Cover 2-Piece Cover protects the front and exposed underside of the expensive headlight assembly from pitting or damage caused by rocks, gravel, sand and road debris. Made from Impact Modified Acrylic which is 6-8 times more impact resistant than non-modified acrylic. For prices/info l AeroFlow, Corp l www.aeroflowscreens.com aeroflowscreens.com l (714) 777-4844

tourbikes.com www.tourbikes.com

Colorado Tourbike Rentals 720-231-6349

www.bohnriderprotection.com

DMC Sidecars

SIDECARS – MOUNTS – HITCHES www.gotournz.com

866-638-1793

www.dmcsidecars.com dmcsidecars.com

Enumclaw, WA USA

www.captialcycle.com

www.roadrunner.travel/bmwon.com

advertiserindex Action Stations/Bohn Armor...............118 Adriatic Moto Tours................................... 39 Adventure Designs..................................103 Adventure New Zealand Tours...........118 AeroFlow.....................................................117 Aerostich-RiderWearHouse.................... 48 AIMExpo........................................................ 35 Alaska Leather............................................. 25 Alaska Motorcycle Adventures...........112 AlpsTours.com............................................. 48 Arkansas Parks and Tourism............ 32, 33 Ayres Adventures....................................... 31 Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures........... 92 Beemer Boneyard...................................... 13 Beemer Shop, The....................................104 Best Rest Products..................................... 13 Best Western Inn of the Ozarks............. 39 Bike Log......................................................... 96 Bing Agency................................................. 23 BMW Motorcycle Magazine.................111 BMW Motorrad.......................................9, 27 BMW of Southeast Michigan................. 95 BMW Performance Center...................... 96 Bob’s BMW..................................................112 Bombar’s Beemers...................................109 Boxer Works Service................................104 BullRack.......................................................112 California Motorcycle Rental................. 96 Cee Baileys Aircraft Plastic............... 52, 93 Colorado Motorcycle Adventures.....103 Colorado Tourbike Rentals...................118 Compass Expeditions............................... 43 Corbin Pacific............................................... 91 Crampbuster/Throttle Rocker.............104 Cyclenutz.....................................................104 DMC Sidecars.............................................118 Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals................ 34 Dyna Beads.................................................109 Eaglerider Pittsburgh............................... 95

Edelweiss Bike Travel................................ 47 EPM Hyper Pro............................................ 41 Euro Moto Electrics................................... 29 First Gear......................................................IBC Geza Gear....................................................109 Giant Loop..................................................103 GS-911 Diagnostic Tool............................ 95 Global Rescue.............................................. 85 GSM Motorent............................................. 96 Guard Dog Moly......................................... 96 Hannigan Motosports.............................. 85 Helmet Sun Blocker................................... 96 Ilium Works................................................... 48 IMTBIKE TOURS................................... 13, 29 Kermit Chair Company...........................112 Kinekt Gear Ring......................................... 29 KOA Kampgrounds..................................110 LD Comfort.................................................103 Legal Speeding Enterprises.................117 M4Motorcycles.........................................110 MachineartMoto........................................ 43 Max BMW Motorcycles...............................5 MC Wheel Repair......................................111 Michelin Tire................................................. 11 MOA Gear Shop.......................................... 67 MOA Member Benefits..........................105 MOA Platinum Roadside Assistance... 97 Morton’s BMW Motorcycles................... 25 Moto-Bins....................................................110 Moto Machines........................................... 34 Moto Machines/Capital Cycle.............118 MotoDiscovery............................................ 46 Motohansa Tools (The Beemer Shop)... 48 Motonation..................................................BC Motorcycle Releif Project - psa............. 34 Motorcycle Travel Network.................... 92 Motorex USA..............................................113 Motorrad Elektrik.....................................113 Motorworks - UK........................................ 25

Motoskiveez................................................. 29 Mountain Master Truck Equipment....112 MTA Distributing/Olympia Moto Sports..IFC Next Adventure Wealth Advisors.......113 N’Vision Creative......................................104 Overseas Speedometer.........................112 Palo Alto Speedometer............................ 95 Pandora’s European Motorsports......... 91 Parabellum.................................................108 Peru Motors................................................109 Pilot Travel Centers.................................... 49 Powerlet......................................................... 43 Progressive Insurance.............................. 19 Ray Atwood Cycles.................................... 34 Redverz........................................................109 Remus USA................................................... 57 Re-Psycle BMW Parts..............................109 Rich Phillips Leather.................................. 25 Rider Magazine..........................................118 RoadRUNNER Magazine........................118 Russel Cycle Products.............................113 Sargent Cycle Products............................ 92 Seat Concepts...........................................111 Side Kicker..................................................104 Spiegler........................................................111 Stop ‘n Go....................................................109 Street Eagle Motorcycle Rentals...........109 StrongBilt (StrongRak)............................. 34 Suburban Machinery................................ 96 Throttlemeister........................................... 92 Total Control.......................................39, 111 Touratech.........................................................1 Touring Sport BMW................................... 31 Venture Heat................................................ 23 Weiser Technik..........................................101 Wilbers USA.................................................. 31 Wolfman Luggage..................................... 92 Wunderlich................................................... 47 Ztechnik......................................................... 53

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 © 2016 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 46, Number 10.

October 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS

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talelight

Unstoppable

Dennis Godwin #190828 slowly maneuvers snow-covered Webster Pass while crossing the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Photo by Jim Bean #107701

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BMW OWNERS NEWSâ&#x20AC;&#x192; October 2016

www.firstgear-usa.com/mens-gear/jackets.html

BMW OWNERS NEWS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A PUBLICATION OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF AMERICA

Distinction,Details and Design.

TORINO WATERPROOF TEXTILE JACKET $139

Telluride Textile Pant $149 Dealer Locator at motonation.com Motorcycle courtesy of Motoworld of El Cajon, CA

OCTOBER 2016

Location: Olaf Wieghorst Museum: El Cajon, CA

Toll Free 877.789.4940

OCTOBER 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS www.bmwmoa.org