BMW Owners News for July 2023

We’re happy to answer every one, because we know that’s important to you.

Our parts staff fulfills orders every day from within our service department, not from a warehouse or remote call center. This means if you ever have a question, you can count on talking with a talented professional who works on and around BMW Motorycles all the time. With an unparalleled inventory and dedicated parts staff that ships orders 6 days a week, MAX BMW is here to make ordering parts for your motorcycle convenient and easy!

Shop our parts catalog at www.maxbmw.com Questions? Call us at 203-740-1270 or send an e-mail to francis@maxbmw.com

When you carry 45,000 parts, you get a million questions.

TRIP OF A LIFETIME: RIDING WITH IMTBIKE

BY MARK BARNES #222400

RIDING UPSIDE DOWN AND ON THE LEFT

BY ALAN TONEY #124362

IN THIS ISSUE

4 | HEADLIGHT Our Future is Bright by Bill Wiegand

8 | FROM THE BOARD Serving our Members by Brian Dutcher

10 | POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD

12 | RIDER TO RIDER Letters from our Members

14 | NEWS Help us Celebrate 50 Years with IMTBike, Touratech releases its next generation of electronic suspension with Plug & Travel EVO, We’re Heading Back to Redmond for the 2024 National Rally, The new R 12 nineT: Pure Classic Roadster Ready to Customize.

18 | ANNUAL MILEAGE CONTEST Congratulations to our 2022-23 Annual Mileage Contest Winners.

28 | GEAR Wunderlich Adjustable Brake Lever by Mark Thompson

30 | GEAR Motobatt hybrid AGM-lithium battery by Mark Barnes

ON THE COVER

Mark’s

34 | GEAR OGIO and RAM Mounts tank bag by Wes Fitzer

36 | Airhead 247 Survivor Series, a 1978 R 100 RS by Daren Dortin

38 | TORQUE OF THE MATTER Cons of Owning a Vintage Bike by Wes Fleming

58 | SKILLS Functional Riding Performance by Colleen Sepulveda

60 | SHINY SIDE UP Only on a Bike, Part Two by Ron Davis

62 | JACK THE RIEPE The Empty Table at the Club Breakfast by Jack Riepe

66 | THE RIDE INSIDE Form and Function by Mark Barnes

70 | Welcome our Newest MOA Members

74 | WHEN AND WHERE Rally listings

79 | ADVERTISING INDEX

80 | TAILIGHT

A shot captured during Mark Barnes epic ride through Spain and Portugal while touring with IMTBike. Read

account of his adventure beginning on page 40. Photo by IMTBIke.

THE ARAI DIFFERENCE

No matter how good a helmet is, the amount of energy that can be absorbed is inherently limited. Faced with an impact that exceeds that limit, Arai’s belief is that avoiding energy by Glancing Off is essential to keeping that energy away from the inside of the helmet.

Arai is still a small, family-owned company driven by the same mission through three generations – three generations of riders. We at Arai are motorcycle enthusiasts. We ride. We build each Arai helmet as if we’re creating it for one of our own – a brother, a father, a husband, a mother, a sister.

Arai’s mission has always been the protection and comfort of every person who chooses an Arai helmet. Our foundational principles of protection first, exceptional quality, and rider comfort have never been forgotten in over six decades of helmet design and manufacturing. This is Arai Helmet.

No helmet can protect the wearer against all foreseeable impacts. Nothing is a substitute for safe riding practices. ©2023 Arai Helmet

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!

While there have been several significant changes made to BMW Owners News over the last few months, most of which centered on our appearance and delivery, this month there’s another significant change worth noting. This issue is missing an important part that’s been a staple for several years–a President’s Column written by Reece Mullins.

When I first met him, Reece was simply a member sitting in the audience of an open session at an MOA Board meeting in Greenville, South Carolina, about eight years ago. After that meeting, Reece was moved to run for a board position and was elected the following year in 2016. Since that time, Reece has faithfully served our organization first as a director, then as secretary, vice president and most recently, president. During his board tenure, Reece has carried the MOA flag with determination and enthusiasm while also working as an MOA champion responsible for bringing many new faces to our organization. I’m sure I am but one of many to thank Reece for his hard work, and I know the MOA is a better place for what’s been accomplished under his watch.

During my tenure as editor of this magazine, I’ve had the privilege of working with two other outstanding individuals who have led the MOA, Chuck Manley and Wes Fitzer. Like Chuck and Wes, Reece is but another example of the impressive individuals who make up the membership of the MOA. While I was saddened to know that his time with the board was coming to an end, a smile returned to my face when I learned that, along with Sam Garst (another long-time MOA member who has served the MOA at the highest level), the two will continue their volunteer work as Co-Chairs of the 2024 MOA National Rally slated for Redmond, Oregon, next summer.

Like Wes Fitzer, who along with his wife Paula, served as our 2023 National Rally Co-Chairs, Reece and Sam just can’t walk

away from the organization they’ve given so much of themselves to.

I know I’ve written many times about the phenomenal volunteer spirit that permeates every aspect of our beloved club. A spirit first exhibited 51 years ago when the “group of five” came together from across the country at their own expense to set the foundation of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America. Their driving inspiration at the time was to create an organization of BMW motorcycle-riding enthusiasts for the “pleasure, recreation, safety, information, coordination and furtherance of goals and interests of the club and its members.” Perhaps more important, I believe, was their further desire to promote the “camaraderie and friendship of individual members and BMW motorcycle clubs wherever they are located.”

At the time, that must have seemed like a pie in the sky goal to anyone not understanding the motivation and determination of our founders. But, it is because of their efforts and the work of thousands upon thousands of selfless volunteers who have stepped up over the past half century that the BMW MOA has continually moved forward. It is humbling to see so many giving of themselves for others, and it’s been my experience here that has moved me to volunteer in my local community.

We have faced and overcome many challenges since our founding in 1972, and there will be more. But knowing the quality and drive of the individuals forming our membership, I know any obstacle in the road ahead will be quickly and promptly overcome as we continue our ride promoting the camaraderie and friendship of individual members and BMW motorcycle clubs everywhere.

The future is bright and its potential is exciting. I think we’re gonna need tinted visors!

“The

Iain Glynn GS Trophy Team ORBDR Expedition

and planted on the Oregon BDR.”

Red Rocks and a Desert Road

Aram Moss (#227185) photographed his R 18 on a seductive desert road near Primm, California.

SERVING OUR MEMBERS

Now that we’ve successfully put a wrap on our 50th National Rally in the MOA’s 51st year of operation, it’s a good time to reflect on what our founding riders had in mind when establishing the MOA and how that will drive us forward in our next 50 years.

To recap the excellent historical piece Bill Wiegand published in the October 2022 issue of BMW Owners News, the driving force behind the BMW Owners Association breaking into two BMW clubs was disagreements centering on the organization getting involved in a legal battle against the state of New Jersey. Our founders, aka the Group of Five, were so adamant about their desire to become a healthy and vibrant rider community and not a political, legislative club that they explicitly called that out in their articles of incorporation.

Per the BMW MOA’s Articles of Incorporation, section 2. a., the stated purpose for which the corporation was formed: “The specific and primary purposes are to own, operate, and maintain a national BMW motorcycle owners club exclusively for the pleasure, recreation, safety, information, coordination and furtherance of goals and interests of the club and its members, and promotion of the camaraderie and friendship of individual members and BMW motorcycle clubs wheresoever located.”

As such, the BMW MOA was established and remains today as an apolitical organization.

So, you’re asking how this affects the MOA today. Well, the number one topic and complaint to the MOA staff and Board of Directors is that we are not actively confronting BMW North America (NA) and standing up for BMW owners’ rights to repair. So, to address this, I’d like to clarify some points.

• This is a BMW AG policy, not a BMW NA policy, negatively affecting BMW owners worldwide.

• BMW AG views current owners as those continuing the BMW heritage, not customers.

• BMW AG views customers as those outside of the brand.

• The BMW International Council of Clubs (ICC) of which the BMW MOA is one of 30 umbrella organizations with equal representation, can only make recommendations to BMW AG on behalf of members.

• The Right to Repair issue was a discussion at the 2022 ICC meeting. The 2023 agenda is still being developed, but the topic was resubmitted.

Our membership has clearly expressed concern regarding BMW AG’s policy change and would like to see it reversed; some have publicly stated they will not purchase another BMW motorcycle (reference BMW AG's stance above). I can speak for the entire BoD: We completely understand your concerns and personally disagree with the policy. As an MOA member and BMW rider, I have a connection to BMW Motorrad and all the joy it has brought me since 2009. While I’d like to replace my trusty 2011 R 1200 GSA sometime in the future, I am reluctant to do so under the current policy.

As individuals, we can pursue several courses of action (listed in no particular order and not all-inclusive).

• Sit on our hands and do nothing.

• Voice our concerns directly to BMW NA and BMW AG.

• Request another entity that does conduct lobbying to take on the fight, e.g., the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) or your state’s ABATE chapter.

• Voice your concerns to your state and US representative to support the Right to Repair Act legislation.

Bottom line, the MOA is one of 30 voices at the international table with BMW AG, and even if all 30 voting delegates voted in favor of repealing the policy, it’s still just a recommendation that BMW AG can tell everyone, “Thanks, we’ll take it under consideration,” and that’s the end.

On a positive note is the new 10% discount for BMW MOA members at U.S. dealers on BMW parts, accessories and gear. If BMW NA sees higher-than-expected rebate use, it might provide some insight into how many riders want and do perform their own maintenance.

You can always make more money, but you can’t make more time; go ride today.

Italy is a never-ending source of beauty, adventure, nature, excellent wine and food, fun and Dolce Vita. The good news is that you are spoiled for choice, the bad news is that you will be unable to put an end of your tour.

Choose your favourite motorbike in Milan and Rome at HP MOTORRAD RENTAL STATIONS and enjoy it!

PROMO CODE SHARK4MOA

Book by February 28th 2024 to have a complimentary Shark Helmet for rental/tour use.

Main Supplier

Each month we publish the great images sent to us by BMW MOA members from their travels around the globe. Send us your best images and you could have your work published in our Postcards from the Road pages. Email your high resolution images, image description and contact information to editor@bmwmoa.org.

Top, Bruce Bigelow (#225281) captured his HP2 Enduro in its natural habitat in the southern Sierras west of Lone Pine, California.

Above Left, A deserted gas station found in the Blue Ridge Mountains provides the backdrop for Kevin Benjamin's (#138801) K 1200 S.

Above Right, Jim Kerr (#33026) photographed his R 75/5 in front of the Remai Art Museum in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Recently restored, the bike has 1,824 miles on it and this was its first ride in 50 years!

Top left, Along Lake Chatuge during the 2023 Georgia Mountain Rally. Photo by Ian Feinberg #206734.

Top Right, On a sandy beach along the Atlantic. Photo by Dana Locatell #62800.

Left, A stop at a historic Napa Valley location. Photo by James Seay #205727.

Above, Showing the Lady in Blue a favorite dining location in Tombstone, Arizona. Photo by Deryle Mehrten #58537.

Bad Idea

RIDERTORIDER

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

Not a good idea to flash headlights at oncoming vehicles because you think they are going to turn left. Flashing headlights has always been a go-ahead sign meaning “You go first.” Also motorcycles that ride around with continuous alternating lights are very annoying and not sensible. This new generation of motorists needs to be checked.

Charles Henson #231273 Coatesville, Pennsylvania

Happy Mark is Here!

I beg to differ with Mr. Fritz’s letter criticizing Mark Barnes’s column in the June 2023 BMW Owners News, Rider to Rider, “Changes Reasonable.”

Mark’s column is neither “long-winded” nor does it fail to “exercise economy of words.” On the contrary, Mark uses exactly the right number of words. “The Ride Inside” makes sense of the complexity and seeming randomness of our thought processes (and foibles) related to our sport in an engaging, most readable manner. His product reviews are analytical, logical and appropriately detailed.

I am very glad that Mark joined the MOA and contributes regularly to Owners News through his column and his product reviews.

Jim Waldeck #49708 Williamsburg, VA

Always be Braking

“Always be closing!” yelled Alec Baldwin in the 1992 movie “Glengarry Glen Ross,” based on David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. While dramatic, you have to wonder at the real-world effectiveness of such single-path advice.

So too with Nick Ienatsch’s current “Always be braking” mantra as recounted in his recent April 2023 BMW Owners News article extolling the virtues of trail-braking as taught in his school.

I’m old enough to remember his original articles: “The Pace,” and its follow-up, “Pace 2.0.” They are both still available on the internet for your review. The Pace and The Pace 2.0 struck me at the time, and still today, as being thoughtful, mature, fun and reasonable, and, perhaps most importantly, they recognized the difference between street and track riding. Those articles did so explicitly, as this quote from the original exemplifies: “The Pace focuses on bike control and de-emphasizes outright speed. Full-throttle acceleration and last-minute braking aren’t part of the program, effectively eliminating the two most common single bike accident scenarios in sport riding.”

Right under The Pace 2.0’s headline is “The street is not a racetrack: How to ride swiftly and safely on the road.” And yet, today, Mr. Ienatsch seems to have all but abandoned that observation in his recent quest to promote trail-braking as “the solution” to speed on the street, with statements like, “If speed was to blame for single-bike backroad crashes, all my friends would be dead. My wife would be dead, I’d be dead. We like speed...the safety issue is not the speed, but the inability to control that speed.”

I like speed too; most of us do. But, and this is a big “but,” no matter how good you are at trailbraking (or any other riding technique) you cannot overcome physics, nor can you control the constantly changing, totally unpredictable street environment. The Pace and The Pace 2.0 recognized this, along with many other things that make street riding very different from track time.

Reg Pridmore promoted “body steering,” Keith Code the “quick flick” and

now Mr. Ienatsch has latched onto “trail-braking” as his marketing differentiator. While I applaud any and all training, and certainly recognize the benefit of trail braking (not a new concept at all) “always be braking” feels a lot like an attempt to “always be closing.”

Mike LoGalbo #155063 Tucson, Arizona

You Saw Me!

I would like to respond to Steve Metz, regarding his comment about the “guy in a banana yellow Roadcrafter suit topped with a yellow helmet.” That might have been me. But I’m not a guy. I’m all girl! Also, the Roadcrafter and helmet are not “banana yellow,” but Hi-Viz!

You saw me. Others see me. Drivers see me, and I made the cover of the Aerostich Catalogue!

I do care how I look. I think I look great! But I care more that I am seen. After all, which is more important?

Nancy Broen #220013 Georgetown, Texas

By the Numbers

Dave Cwi, I always enjoy your writing and I wanted to comment on your “What’s Your Number?” article in the BMW Owners News March 2023 issue.

In 2003, I attended a seminar you held at the MOA Rally in Charleston, West Virginia, on long-distance riding, and I’ve successfully lived by your “numbers” for the last 20 years–with a caveat.

That rally was a 3,300-mile round trip for me on a 1999 BMW R 1100 S with a stock seat. I promise you; my trip home was much more enjoyable after following your advice.

During the seminar, your numbers went like this and are loosely quoted: “Don’t

watch your odometer, watch your clock. Ride for two hours, stop for 15 minutes and walk around. Drink 16 oz. of water as drinking the water insures you’ll stop again in two hours. And you gotta go 90.”

I still follow those numbers today, with the caveat that I no longer “gotta go 90.”

Once my wife started riding (slowly), I realized I was missing a lot of pleasant scenery by maintaining that speed!

Thanks for sharing your numbers–again.

Neal Nelson #95218

Princeton, Texas

Keep Up the Good Work

Bill, thanks for your brief editorial on positive change (BMW Owners News, March 2023).

Yes, I’m sure there are difficulties involved, but I want to thank you and the team specifically for the reduction of plastics. I don’t actively participate in major conservation efforts or lobby actively, though I think these things are important, but I do appreciate every time an individual makes a decision that has wider implications as in this case. There may be members who are concerned with this shift, especially for mail handling. The reduction in the number of pages and changes in the binding process are, as I understand it, for the same reasons. I could not applaud you more.

Please keep up the good work, knowing that as you make a difference in the lives of all riders, these changes, in

specific, make things better for non-riders as well, helping to keep our planet healthier, longer.

Best regards and safe rides to you and the team at BMW MOA.

Scott Johnson #206382 Woodinville, Washington

Best Ride is With Others

For some riders, the ultimate trip is solo. Just you and your bike, with no particular destination and no rush to get there. The next best trip is with others. John “JP” Privette highlights the important points to ponder in his article “Safe Motorcycle Group Riding” in the March issue of BMW Owners News

I’ve had the pleasure riding with different groups and enjoy smaller groups for many of the reasons Privette shared. I’m sure I’m not alone when I get frustrated when someone forgets to adhere to the unwritten riding guidelines. Many of my friends are prior military like me, and we are very good following rules and wearing all the gear all the time (ATGATT).

On my last group ride, I was the only one without an in-helmet communication system enabling group chats. The hand signals kept me informed. I’m glad to see the hand signals illustrated in Privette’s article, which is packed with common sense, and I greatly appreciate the reminders.

Wayne Hoey #95919 Evans, Georgia

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Matching Gifts for the Foundation

If you were fortunate enough to be at the MOA Getaway at Fontana last April, you saw the great efforts of Ted Moyer and the MOA Foundation staff working all weekend. I thought I would pass along a couple of reminders and ideas if you are interested in making a donation.

If you work for a major corporation like I do, many have a Matching Gifts Program that will match your charitable contribution. Mine matches everything up to $2,500 per year. It’s an easy way to double your donations. Ask your HR department or search the internal site for Matching Gifts.

If you are part of the over 70 crowd and being forced to take RMD’s from your IRA or qualified plan, one of your choices to avoid the income tax is to make a contribution to a charity directly from the account. Send the money directly to the Foundation and do not have it sent to you first.

If you are interested in making a legacy gift to the Foundation you can name them as a partial or full beneficiary of any IRA, qualified plan, trust or will. They do great work and I’m sure any gift will be greatly appreciated and put to good use. Contact the Foundation for questions and be sure to consult with your own tax advisor. Everyone’s specific situation is different.

William Caskey #220360 Columbia, South Carolina

Each month, the Rider to Rider pages of BMW Owners News detail the successes, failures, wishes and frustrations we all face as riders, BMW motorcycle owners, customers and individuals. As a BMW MOA member, these are your pages and we want to know what’s on your mind.

Got something to get off your chest? Tell us about it. Know a business that deserves to be recognized? Tell us about it. Got a riding or tech tip that we could all benefit from? Tell us about it. Got a suggestion for BMW Motorrad? You know the drill–Tell us about it! There’s only one rule and that’s to stick to the subject that brings us all here–motorcycling, so save political rants for Facebook!

Send your thoughts to editor@bmwmoa.org and lets all work to build a better community.

Help us Celebrate our 50 Years with IMTBike!

It has been a fantastic first 50 years of the BMW MOA and IMTBike has been with us since they opened their doors in 1997. We’re celebrating in style next spring with a jointly developed tour across Spain, led by IMTBike founder Scott Moreno. As a special treat, the MOA’s own Bill Wiegand will join the tour for 14 days in Spain and Portugal!

This motorcycle tour combines IMTBike’s “Best All Round” Castles & Mountains Tour with Portugal, a little country with a big heart!  Portugal never ceases to impress with its warm welcoming people, fertile lands and seafood rich coast. There are plenty of mountain twisties and sweepers all throughout this motorcycle tour through Central Spain and Portugal. In addition to great riding this tour boasts stunning historical cities like Toledo, Avila, Lisbon, Porto, Óbidos and Cuenca.

All hotels are top-notch with a tremendous variety of exquisite local cuisine. Enjoy freshly grilled sardines and a glass of chilled white port in the harbor of Porto or salted Cod (Bacalao) and a fine Portuguese red in the Barrio Alto in Lisbon; either way you can’t go wrong! Come and explore Portugal & Central Spain, and you’ll see why these regions are the real deal for connoisseurs of great roads and great cuisine.

Highlights include six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain—Segovia, Ávila, Ciudad Rodrigo, Trujillo, Cuenca and Toledo—and two in Portugal—Porto and Lisbon. Exquisite local cuisine! Awesome hotels with first-class historical Pousadas and

Paradors plus a few specially selected boutique hotels with local flair. We stay in some of best Paradors and Pousadas in the Iberic Peninsula. Pousadas and Paradors are castles, palaces and fortresses converted into motorcycle-friendly hotels. Tour starts and ends in vibrant Madrid. All IMTBIKE lodgings are handpicked for their quality of service, local charm and strategic locations.

Tour prices start at $5,645 Euros, and space is extremely limited. Visit imtbike.com/tours for more details and registration.

Touratech Releases its next generation of Electonic Suspension with Plug & Travel EVO

Ten years ago, Touratech launched the Plug & Travel suspension system as the world’s first high-quality replacement shock for the electronic suspension of the BMW Boxer GS. The experience gained from millions of miles ridden have been incorporated into the completely redesigned Plug & Travel EVO series–a new suspension system with technical innovations providing riders with a greater range of adjustment, better damping performance and dramatically improved comfort on water-cooled Boxer GS motorcycles.

Developed in collaboration between the suspension team at Touratech and renowned suspension producers JRZ and Eibach, the new technology includes a HyperFlow damper piston engineered to suppress foaming and cavitation and ensure consistent damping for predictable and stable performance no matter how tough the terrain gets. The newly developed electromagnetic valve also responds quickly to changes on the ground and offers riders a planted feel and enhanced sense of control. The Plug & Travel EVO has been specifically developed to enhance the auto-leveling performance of BMW motorcycles.

“The EVO has true plug & play integration with the electronic systems on the BMW R 1200/1250GS/A motorcycles. The dynamic suspension features and ride modes work in a seamless fashion with these shocks. The settings work as intended, but with a higher quality shock, state-of-the-art technology and a much broader range of adjustment,” said Paul Guillien, CEO, Touratech USA.

We're Heading Back to Redmond for the 2024 National Rally!

We had such a great time there in 2001 and then in 2010 that we’re heading back to Redmond, Oregon, for the BMW MOA National Rally, June 13-16, 2024!

2024 MOA National Rally Co-Chairs Sam Garst and Reece Mullins invite you to come to Redmond next summer to reunite, unwind and ride inspired where they promise all of us “the best rally ever!”

Punctuated with spectacular places and surprises to discover, Redmond is the center of good times and unexpected finds for all visitors to Central Oregon with its mouth-watering restaurants, award-winning breweries, quaint boutiques and delicious roads. Oregon is known in the Pacific Northwest as a Mecca for motorcycle riders who enjoy getting out on twisty backroads and twisting the throttle both on road and off.

While you’re at the Rally, grab a couple of friends and take a day ride south to Crater Lake National Park or head east to the quaint town of John Day, Oregon, and enjoy the area’s dramatic scenery as you explore the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

To the west lie the majestic Cascade Mountains with Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters formation of volcanoes dominating the skyline with their spectacular views and scrumptious mountain roads. If you’re really adventurous, ride a little further west and dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean.

Sam and Reece, our hosts for the 2024 Rally, are no strangers to serving the members of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.

A new rider looking for others who like riding as much as he did, Sam Garst attended his first MOA Rally in 2004 in Spokane, Washington. Then in 2015 Sam began his service to the MOA with his volunteer work at the 2015 National Rally in Billings, Montana. Since then, Sam has served on the BMW MOA Board of Directors and has continued his Rally service each year as co-chair of the Logistics Committee.

Reece Mullins joined the MOA in 2008 shortly after leaving the Army and buying his first motorcycle, a 2005 R 1200 RT. In 2016, Reece was elected to the BMW MOA Board of Directors and served for seven years as Secretary, Vice President and most recently, President.

Sam and Reece are both looking forward to the honor of serving our members as 2024 Rally CoChairs and look forward to seeing you next June in Redmond, Oregon.

Sam Garst and Reece Mullins, Co-Chairs of the 2024 BMW MOA National Rally in Redmond, Oregon.

The new R 12 nineT: Pure Classic Roadster Ready to Customize

The new R 12 nineT is being released for the “100 years of BMW Motorrad” anniversary and is the successor to the R nineT, which was launched exactly ten years ago on the 90th anniversary of BMW Motorrad.

Like the original R nineT released in 2013, the new BMW R 12 nineT is a purist, a powerful classic roadster which offers a wealth of conceptual options for almost unlimited customizing and personalization.

According to Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, “The R nineT and its customizing concept established the new Heritage experience for BMW Motorrad’s 90th birthday and has become an indispensable cornerstone of our model range. The new R 12 nineT continues the successful heritage story surrounding the legendary BMW boxer engines with an even more classic, reduced design language, even greater

degrees of freedom when it comes to customizing and, last but not least, new and innovative technology.”

100 years ago, the very first BMW motorcycle–the R 32–was already based on the flat-twin engine. The boxer’s unmistakable design, powerful acceleration, unique power delivery, hallmark sound and smooth running quickly made it a legendary synonym for BMW motorcycles. With its air/oil-cooled boxer engine, the new R 12 nineT continues this great tradition. The number 12 in the model designation refers to the engine capacity as with many models in the history of BMW Motorrad, such as the current R 18.

Even more than its predecessor, the new R 12 nineT combines the beefy character of the boxer engine and the design language of traditional motorcycle eras with innovative technology and a modular concept offering the rider

many customization options.

Reduced even more to the essentials, it delivers high emotional appeal. A purist, classic look and the attention to detail were at the top of the agenda when it came to designing the bike.

Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad: “The purist design language is dominated by the clear tank/seat/rear line, in the style of the traditional /5 or the legendary R 90 S of the ‘70s. At first glance, the tank itself is a classic BMW boxer tank, with a typical bend in the lower edge and classic knee contact. The new R 12 NineT also features side covers in the area of the frame triangle in the authentic Roadster look, another reminiscence of BMW motorcycles of the 1970s.”

Particular attention to detail is also evident in the redesigned front mudguard, the LED main headlamp with black-surround light guide element and the two round instruments in the traditional style of days gone by. Additionally, many customization options are offered through the BMW Motorrad accessory range. With customizing in mind, the new R 12 nineT also features an LED rear light unit integrated into the seat, which now makes it easy to realize a “short tail.”

Expect BMW Motorrad to release additional information on the new BMW R 12 nineT in the second half of 2023.

Congratulations 2022-2023 Annual Mileage Contest Winners!

As you’ve probably heard, moving forward, the MOA will only sponsor an Annual Mileage Contest. No Summer Contest; no Winter Contest; no Every Other Wednesday Contest (OK, I made that one up). This will simplify things in that participants won’t have to wonder if they’re sending in the right form.

There is one Start Form and one End Form for this year’s contest. The End Form will be available in March 2024. If you don’t have an easy way to print out the form on the MOA Mileage Contest webpage (bmwmoa.org/page/mileagecontest), just call the MOA office and they’ll mail a form to you. The other reason that I’ve heard we’re going to only one contest is that the MOA wants to put more emphasis on the Coddiwomple during the summer months.

For the 2022–2023 Annual Contest, we had 109 finishers. Arizona had the most finishers at nine with Texas and Florida sharing the next two spots with seven finishers each. Pennsylvania finishers covered the most miles with 159,580, but it’s almost not fair because they have a secret weapon. More on that later. California and Arizona follow with 141,334 miles and 127,150 miles, respectively. Also, as they have for the last few mileage contests, Michelin is providing a set of tires to our first, second, third place finishers as well as the average rider for male and female participants. Thank you, Michelin for sponsoring our mileage contests.

This is not about me and the piddly 2,000 miles I covered this year so bear with me for a minute. Linda, my fabulous wife, and I ride to the National Rally every year. As we’ve gotten older, we will

sometimes cover 358 miles in a day. This is a pretty good day for us in our K 1300 GT/Hannigan sidecar rig. 500- or 600-mile days are a thing of the past for us–maybe for you, too.

Now imagine riding those 358 miles every day. Not while you’re on a trip but every day of the year–365 days in a row. Then imagine doing this while living in and dealing with Pennsylvania weather for many of these riding days. That’s what Blaine Paulus, Jr. of Biglerville, Pennsylvania, accomplished last year when he rode 130,521 miles over 12 months. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he has won the Annual Mileage Contest for the past five years. He toyed with reaching the 100,000-mile per year threshold the last couple of years with results of 87,904 and 90,155 miles, but this year he obliterated that threshold. I can’t wait to read his rider story, and maybe you can’t either, but we’ll have to wait until next month’s issue of BMW Owners News because we weren’t able to collect all of the stories and pictures of our winners in time for this issue.

Stay tuned.

First Place Male Rider

Blaine Paulus, Jr. #79801

I live near Biglerville, Pennsylvania, about 11 miles northwest of Gettysburg. Being retired allows me to follow my passion of riding. I do not have a TV and am lucky if I put a couple hundred miles in a cage a year–way too confining for me. I love the wind on my chin and try to keep the sun on my back.

I got my first BMW in 1994 when a friend was going through a divorce. Today, it sits in my living room where the TV would be.

I joined the BMW MOA in about 2003 and became a life member. Liking the mileage contests, I have been in the top 25 every year since then except for three years because of work commitments.

Because I ride year-round and every day since 2/21/2000 except for 10 days because of Covid hospitalization, I like the yearly contest better and started entering it in 2017. That year I placed second. One of my riding friends, Randy Ward suggested that because I am retired, I needed to ride more. He suggested I ride at least 100 miles in a day, then a couple years later suggested 200 miles in a day.

In last year’s contest I rode 90,155 miles. Randy suggested 100,000 miles in a year was in reach, and I set my benchmark at 300 miles per day.

Seeing that at the end of the calendar year I was on track for breaking 100,000 miles for the year and because it was very nice January, I upped my daily ride number to 400+ miles per day. I also rode to Florida in February and stayed until Bike Week was over which meant that for 45 days straight, I rode 400+ miles per day with a few 500 days added for good measure. Then, I came home and still rode 400+ miles per day until March 31st. During the contest I did a perfect year of 300+ miles per day.

Most of my riding was loops in addition to my normal Tuesday breakfast rides. Over the course of the year, I had 21 tire changes, 24 oil changes, 866 fill-ups using 2,870 gallons of gas. I also surpassed 1.1 million miles on BMWs and 1.7 million miles on all brands.

I would to thank Jim Hughes for helping me keep my 300+ miles per day streak alive, Randy Ward for his support and encouragement, Michelin for sponsoring the contest, and the BMW MOA for sponsoring this contest.

Keep the wind on your chin, the sun on your back and ENJOY.

First Place Female Rider Stephanie Pischke #222203

The year was 2019 when my best friend got me on the back of his 2014 R 1200 GS Adventure for a ride around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and I was seduced by the amazing feeling of being on a motorcycle. I was bitten by the riding spirit bug. I immediately decided I wanted to ride and to own that feeling on my own bike. After many assurances to my friend that I would not blame him if I died, I followed his advice and signed up for the MSF course and started visiting dealerships.

I went to my favorite BMW dealership, Morton’s in Fredericksburg, and soon, my first bike was a brand new 2019 F 750 GS. I then hooked up with some riding ladies in the Honey Badgers chapter of the Women in the Wind. After practicing on my 750, I discovered a 2015 R nineT standard at Morton’s–this became my second bike.

My first cross-country trip was in April 2021 to Arizona from Virginia Beach and, of course, to California and back through Colorado and Utah since I was already out there! This trip started yearly trips with my fiancé which have included the Bear Tooth Pass in Montana and a week in all four corners of Colorado, including Pikes Peak.

Overall, I have 157,000 miles under my belt since 2019 on three different BMWs. Most of these miles have been on Michelin tires. I have signed up for classes in dirt riding, street riding and slow speed maneuvers. The best advice I got was from Motojitsu on YouTube, shut up and practice. From the cul-du-sacs of Virginia Beach to the attention-demanding switchbacks of the Dragon, the more miles, the better.

Motorcycle riding has shown me a new life, a new love and just how tough I can be. This spiritual journey is indeed a whole new world.

Second Place Male Rider Steve Ladd #195576

I’m a retired Floridian living like a nomad in my 38-foot toy hauler with my 1985 R 80 G/S and 2022 R 1250 GS loaded in the back. I keep a permanent address in the Florida Keys but use my daughter’s Washington state address for my MOA membership. I belong to Thousand Trails, so I usually move from one site to another every three weeks. I spend my summers in Washington state visiting family and friends and the rest of the year in southern states since I don’t really enjoy cold weather. This past year I camped in Washington, Arizona, Texas and Florida, where I’d unload one of the bikes and go exploring.

I’ve been riding motorcycles since 1971. I bought my first BMW–a 1975 R 90/6–new and was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the brand. Since then, I’ve owned a 1985 R80 G/S, 2013 R 1200 GS, 2018 R 1200 GSA and 2022 R 1250 GS. Back in the mid ‘70s and early ‘80s I belonged to the Pacific Northwest Trials Association and competed with a 1977 Bultaco Sherpa T 350, 1978 Montessa 348 Cota and 1980 Montessa 348 Cota. I had to give up trials when I injured my back in a construction accident just two points from making expert.

This past year I rode through Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. I enjoyed riding through the Texas hill country as well as the Big Bend area of Texas. Of course, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Washington have many great rides as well.

I attended the Kerrville, Texas; Cashmere, Washington; Fayetteville, Texas, rallies and the Florida winter rally in Live Oak, Florida, where I met new riding buddies. I’d like to give a great thanks to Michelin for sponsoring the MOA’s annual competition each year and look forward to installing a new set of rubber on my GS.

Second Place Female Rider Colleen Sepulveda #108960

My miles this year were accumulated by traveling for fun, taking motorcycle training classes and teaching motorcycle classes. My home base is Santa Cruz, California. I take every opportunity to ride my motorcycle, a 2022 R 1250 GS, and the further away, the better!

I rode to Borrego Springs for three days of off-road training with West 38 Moto in April. Then, lots of miles to teach lots of classes in California. Next, I joined a whole slew of fellow BMW owners in Springfield, Missouri, for fun, camaraderie and Authority Training with BMW’s Rider Performance Academy.

There was more teaching all over California and then a women’s only camping event in northern Washington for a few days, followed by visiting family on the way there and back.

The Three Flags Classic ride happens every year on Labor Day weekend, and we travelled from Mexicali, Mexico, to Penticton, British Columbia, this year. Everyone was happy on the ride because the event had been cancelled for the previous two years due to the pandemic restrictions.

I put a few miles on BMW U.S. Rider Academy bikes when I flew out for three days of off-road training with some San Jose BMW friends.

As soon as I got home, it was time to ride my own bike for training with the Total Control Adventure Bike Course in Anza-Borrego.

I found new friends to ride with in Oakland and rode lots of miles with local friends, too. In March, I rode to training with American Supercamp for two days.

It was another great year of riding, and I’m excited for the adventures to come this year. The BMW MOA Rally is coming up, and I’m looking forward to seeing current friends and making new ones as I ride every chance I get!

Third Place Male Rider

Dale Hadley #218953

I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was 12 when I had a Honda Trail 50 as my first motorcycle. As the years went by, I moved up the motorcycle food chain and now ride a 2020 BMW R 1250 GSA–my nineteenth motorcycle and sixth BMW. I have owned an R 75/5, R 90S, R 80 G/S, R 60/5 Toaster Tank (which was a complete basket case), and have had an R 1200 GS. My current bike is a 2020 R 1250 GSA.

I commute every day on the GSA from my home in Hemet, California, to Irvine, California, racking up lots of miles just commuting Monday to Friday. I am the Chief Inspector for an Aviation repair station and hold an FAA Airframe and Powerplant Certificate. I have worked on aircraft for 30 years. I do ride on the weekends to relieve the stress from work, and it is not unusual for me to log 500 to 1,000 miles on the weekend. I gave up automobiles six years ago and do not miss having a car. This year has been a challenge for me due to my current job. I find that I often just want to hit the open road and get away from the stress of daily work.

I ride on the weekends with and am a member of Veritas Riders, Murrieta Sportbike Riders, Last Minute Riders, The Bike Bros, Temecula Motorcycle Riding, and Inland Empire Free Riders. Living in Southern California has its advantages and disadvantages. The mountains and deserts offer some exciting rides, and there are a lot of challenging roads and back roads which can be fun and exciting. I hope one day to have some time off so that I can attend more rallies and events. I would also love to tour the United States and hit all the national parks in the lower 48 states.

One of the best rides I ever did was back in 1985 when I rode with a friend around the Alps and to West Berlin and saw the Berlin Wall. Riding on the Autobahn was exciting and fun with no speed limit at that time.

I will continue to ride as long as I can.  My life motto is “Live to Ride, Ride to Live”

Third Place Female Rider Tricia Dutcher #182161

The summer of 2022 is forever etched in my memory. That was the summer when my husband and I left our hometown of Vail, Arizona, for a four-month ride with no actual schedule and only one primary destination, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. This trip had been on our bucket list for roughly 10 years, and 2022 was the year we would make it happen.

I started riding when I was 45 after several years of riding pillion. The seed was planted at the Sedalia, Missouri, Rally in 2012 when I saw other women riding the GS Giants course, and I wanted to be a part of that. A year later, I rode to my first National Rally in Salem, Oregon.

Now back to the summer trip of 2022. We left Arizona and traveled to the Midwest to visit family and then to the National Rally in Missouri. From there, we headed East and up the northeast coast into Maine, where we were hosted and taught how to dig for clams by new friends we met at the Rally. Then it was into Canada, where we traveled around Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island and rode the Cabot Trail. Next was the cross-Canada travel from Nova Scotia to the Canadian Rockies, where we hooked up with the Alaska Highway. Once we reached the end of the ALCAN, we headed for the Dalton Highway and up to the Arctic Ocean for our polar plunge in Prudhoe Bay (which happened at 34 F).  Camping was our lodging of choice for this trip, as was getting groceries every night to make meals at camp. We settled into our routine around a week or two after leaving the Rally. The summer of 2022 was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Get out there and build your happiness! You can find me riding in the shadow of my husband Brian almost always!

Make life a ride. See you down the road!

Average Male Rider Craig Littlefield #41989

I am honored, or maybe just lucky, to be chosen as the average rider. I was off my bikes for three months with foot surgery, but it was still a great year.

Motorcycle riding, especially on BMWs, has been my passion for 70 years. I started on a 1939 Harley Knucklehead that I bought for $200 when I was 16 in 1953 and have never been without a motorcycle since.

I sold a Triumph Bonneville in 1965 to buy my first BMW, a new R 69S. Over the years, I have owned 33 motorcycles, 20 of them BMWs and have ridden a total of 956,000 miles with more than 745,000 miles on BMWs.

I am the leader of BMW MOA Chapter 213, The Southeast Arizona Touring Riders, (SEAT). We have rides every week all year long and several longer “overnighters” throughout the year. We have 250 members. I enjoy the day rides, but my favorite rides are those of several days exploring the west. My wife and I have done many trips together, including the four corners of the U.S. in 19 days as well as Alaska, Switzerland and Peru.

I retired from IBM 27 years ago, and when not riding. I participate in church activities, volunteer care giving and do long road trips with my beautiful wife in our Porsche Boxster.

I currently have a 2021 G 310 GS and a 2022 S 1000 R. At 86 years old I ride better than I walk and hope to have a few more years on BMWs.

Average Female Rider Karen Ager #155112

Mostly I ride with my husband Philip. Most of my miles were on my 2016 R 1200 RS, my 2009 F 650 GS and my 1982 R 100 CS.

My local BMW club is the Motorcycle Owners of Alabama (MOAL, aka Alabeemers). We have periodic weekend gatherings at State Parks or other nearby locations and also host a monthly Ride-to-Eat on the second Saturday of the month.

We are also part of a small “Vintage M/C” contingent that gathers thrice weekly.

Our longer trips were also excuses to visit friends and family in various locations. The rallies we attended were each memorable for various reasons and include the MOA Getaway at Fontana Resort, the Georgia Mountain Rally, the MOA National Rally in Missouri last June, the Tennessee Airheads Beemer Club Tech Day in Nashville, Tennessee, the BMW RA National Rally in Waynesville, North Carolina, and Vintage Days at Barber Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Alabama.

There was also a quick trip to Holt, Florida in October for the Coddiwomple and an Iron Butt Association’s gathering in Jacksonville, Florida.

We also participated in the Coddiwomple which included bonus locations along Route 66 (among other categories). From the National Rally in Springfield, we headed north and collected bonus locations along that portion of Route 66 up to its start in Chicago. We continued to Racine, Wisconsin, to visit a close friend.

Lots of people helped me achieve my BMW miles. Morton’s BMW sells us various parts we need. Pandora’s European Motorsports performs service that we aren’t willing to try. Greg Samples and Pete Aberg (from Tennessee) helped with servicing my CS. Local Vintage club members are always willing to help with expertise and tools. There are so many great people connected with these BMW machines; I’m happy to be associated with all of them!

Enter Michelin’s Photo & Video Contest

for a chance to win 5 sets of tires!

80 consumer Promotion to

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MILEAGE CONTEST

Top 25 Male Annual Finishers

All Finishers by State

Top 14 Female Annual Finishers

1ST PLACE WINNERS

Male: Blaine Paulus Jr Biglerville, PA / 130,521 Miles

Female: Stephanie Pischke Millersburg, OH / 51,400 Miles

2ND PLACE WINNERS

Male: Steve Ladd Lake Stevens, WA / 75,959 Miles

Female: Colleen Sepulveda Santa Cruz, CA / 20,398 Miles

3RD PLACE WINNERS

Male: Dale Hadley Hemet, CA / 47,321 Miles

Female: Tricia Dutcher Vail, AZ / 18,856 Miles

AVERAGE MILEAGE WINNERS

Male: Craig Littleeld Tucson, AZ / 14,259 Miles

Female: Karen Ager Huntsville, AZ / 13,346 Miles

Each winner receives our sincerest congratulations and a new set of MICHELIN® motorcycle tires!

MILEAGE CONTEST

Wunderlich Adjustable Brake Lever and Brake Pedal Enlarger

I never grew fond of my ‘22 R 1250 GSA’s rear brake pedal. It’s just a big, toothy piece of black stamped metal. Utilitarian to the extreme and probably good if you’re going to be off-roading a lot or don’t care about looks, but early on I knew I would be replacing it. In time – and thanks to a Black Friday sale, a fashionable alternative came my way to the tune of $175.95 (note that’s the regular price; the BF price was 20 percent less).

The Wunderlich Adjustable Brake Lever, besides being able to adjust to your personal ergos, looks like a piece of sexy metal sculpture, topped off with a toothy triangular-shaped folding pedal. Tres’ cool!

It comes with the usual IKEA-style, word-free follow-the-pictures instructions. Keep them for reference but go to the Wunderlich website (www.wunderlichamerica.com) and watch the installation videos, maybe several times.

I set aside a couple of hours for the installation, as I’m a firm believer that any task involving brakes should be done slowly and carefully with lots of doublechecking of my work. You’ll need a few Torx sockets, a needle nose pliers and a Vise Grips or spring hook.

Step one is removing the right side peg. Remove the cotter pin, slide the pivot out and then put it into the peg to keep the spring in place when you set it all aside. It helps to take a photo before beginning so you can refer to it later to make sure you’ve got everything right. How the spring is positioned is the gotcha part.

Don’t worry about trying to save the cotter pin; Wunderlich supplies a replacement.

Once the peg is off, use a Torx socket to remove the bolt, nut and washer holding the brake pedal in place, and then follow that up by disconnecting the brake return spring. You’re actually almost done at this point, because installation of the new brake lever is just repeating these few steps in reverse. You might find a third hand helpful with the footpeg and pivot pin reunion, as everything has to be held in place while the pin is reinserted.

After struggling to reinstall the brake pedal return spring back onto its perch on the frame using the video’s recommended Vise Grips, there’s no room, and so you’re mostly working by feel–use

The Wunderlich unit is a stylish machined unit that besides looking nice, lets you adjust the pedal’s length to fit your personal needs. Just like the stock pedal, the tip folds in the event of a spill.

a spring hook if you have one. Those of us with a dirtbike background use spring hooks for the exhaust pipe springs on our two-stroke motors. Most bike shops catering to off-road brands will have the tool available for around $10. Worth buying as you will find other uses for it whenever a spring enters the picture.

After everything was installed came the part where you adjust the lever to length. There are two fasteners: a Nyloc-secured bolt that secures the adjustment, and a tiny set screw that presents a unique problem. The set screw requires a 1.5mm Allen wrench. Go spend a few minutes going through your toolbox; I’ll wait. Odds are you won’t have this size. After a long search I finally found one in some old R/C car-building tools, but you might not be so fortunate. I feel Wunderlich should include this wrench as part of the package or change the set screw size to something more common. I’d add that the set screw is so buried within the front of the pedal; it took a few minutes to even find it (a flashlight helps).

After a short test ride at a leisurely pace to be sure the brake was working properly, I suited up for a long ride.

Which was where I discovered I really didn’t like the pedal’s smallish size and tucked-in placement. Over the next few weeks, after several rides totaling 400+ miles, I still was not wholly comfortable with the small triangular pedal. I’ve gotten used to it obviously, or I wouldn’t have been able to ride all those miles, but I was TOO aware of it. It’s become a distraction, a worry.

The solution also came from Wunderlich to the tune of $60 and their “Enlarger Pedal” which adds an inch in each direction, transforming the small pedal into a wide, easy-to-find landing spot for your boot. No more worries about missing it during one of those panic stabs at the brakes. It doubles the size of the pedal. Installation is simple: remove the bolt and nut, then place the bigger plate on top and slide in the longer bolt and nut and tighten things up. It looks good and is one piece. Note that the Enlarger only works with Wunderlich’s adjustable brake pedal.

It was a two-step process for me, and while many riders will be satisfied with the Wunderlich Adjustable Brake Lever as delivered, I think they should really package both items together, plus that pesky tiny Allen wrench for the invisible set screw.

You can see the pedal at wunderlichamerica.com.

Above, The installation video at wunderlichamerica.com expulains the installation sequence and is well worth your time. No special tools are needed but if you have one, a spring hook will simplify reinstalling the brake pedal return spring.

Right, Pay attention (and maybe take a photo with your phone) of how the return spring is positioned in the footpeg. Once off the bike, put the pivot pin back on the peg to hold the spring in place. When it’s time to reinstall the peg on the bike, you might want a third hand to keep everything aligned. These are SW-MOTECH pegs if you’re wondering.

Above, Once installed, it’s a handsome addition and the metal points offer good traction. It is, however, a noticeably smaller pedal than stock and while it might be fine for many riders, I decided I wanted more surface area.

Above Right, The Enlarger Pedal (also from Wunderlich) adds a good bit of real estate to the brake pedal's toe, and replaces the original toe on the lever. Note that it only fits the Wunderlich Adjustable Brake Pedal and can’t be used with the stock unit or any other aftermarket brand.

Riding and writing, that’s Mark. As a writer, his first published story was about a local Wisconsin motocross race while still a journalism student at the University of Wisconsin. Mark has been a contributor, editor and publisher for a wide variety of motorcycle magazines and online sites, in between 13 years at Readers Digest. There’s 40+ years of racing motocross, numerous transcontinental motorcycle trips on many different bikes, a deep involvement in the motorcycle industry and multiple books. He makes his home in the Cincinnati area these days and rides a ‘22 R 1250 GS A after stints on a K 1600 GTL and an F 850 GS won at the Great Falls National Rally in 2021 (he definitely should have written about that!)

Motobatt hybrid AGM-lithium battery

Anyone who has owned motorcycles long enough knows that sinking feeling when you’re all set to ride but discover you’re short on electrons. I recently had just such an experience with my R 1250 RS. It had been a bit hard to start during a cold snap last month, but I’d chalked that up to the expectable difficulty any battery might have when temps are extra-low and crankcase oil viscosity is extra-high, especially on a long-stroke, high-compression, large-displacement twin. Turns out it was an omen. A mere two weeks after my last ride, on which there was no hint of trouble, I wheeled my bike out of the garage into the warmish sunshine, thumbed the starter, and got a single, brief, “Rwrr.” All done. The dash voltmeter read around 11v, clearly not enough to achieve the desired effect. This bike has sat dormant longer without my Battery Tender and never had an issue. I’m not proud of such absent-minded neglect; my point is something was definitely wrong.

With my riding buddy waiting, I was able to salvage the day with a tiny jumper pack I’ve kept handy, but never had to use before. Barely as large as the alligator clamps that connect it to the battery (and remote + terminal on my bike), this mighty little device threw plenty of amperage at the big boxer’s starter, kicking it over instantaneously. Although I never needed this augmentation again during the day’s riding, I knew my battery—now probably going on four years old—had become untrustworthy. Time for a replacement.

I researched the options, again weighing the cost/benefit and strength/

weakness arguments for sticking with a conventional advanced glass mat (AGM) lead-acid model like the OEM unit, or switching to a lithium version as I’ve done with all my other bikes since 2018. Lithium batteries typically have a large cold cranking amp (CCA) advantage and are much lighter, smaller, and more expensive than their AGM counterparts; lithium batteries also self-discharge much more slowly, allowing for vastly more owner neglect without punishing consequences. On the other hand, AGM (and old-school unsealed or newer-school gel) lead-acid batteries generally have the upper hand in terms of amp-hours (Ah), even when the lithium counterpart’s manufacturer may claim a similar “lead-acid equivalent” (PbEq) Ah rating. (Such measurements for each battery

type involve different parameters and can’t be directly compared.) Superior Ah translates into greater resilience under sustained load (e.g., parasitic drain from electronics when the motor is off, or a net drain when the motor is on due to accessory needs exceeding alternator capacity) and/or sub-optimal charging during operation, as may occur during frequent stopping/ restarting and low-speed running in urban traffic. You might think of lithium batteries as explosive sprinters and lead-acid batteries as marathon runners.

Speaking of explosive, you may have heard or read horror stories of lithium batteries bursting into flame. Please note such accounts usually involve lithium-ion batteries, whereas most lithium powersports batteries are lithium-iron (actually lithium iron sulphate, or LiFePO4); it’s easy to miss this distinction when there’s just a single letter difference. Lithium-iron batteries are far more stable and aren’t normally vulnerable to thermal runaway (catastrophic overheating) during rapid charging, discharging or short-circuits. Though heavier and possessing less energy density than their Lithium-ion cousins, lithium-iron batteries are cheaper to produce, more tolerant of vibration and high heat, operate consistently through many more charging cycles, and aren’t nearly as toxic or environmentally hazardous. Assume my references to lithium batteries here are all lithium-iron.

In addition to the headline contrasts between lithium and lead-acid batteries already mentioned, lithium variants can require a “warm-up” period in very cold

weather. A motorcyclist may need to turn on their bike’s headlight for 30 seconds before hitting the starter button. This gets some current flowing through the battery and allows it to then perform normally; otherwise, it may seem alarmingly weak. Lithium batteries can also have the disadvantage of requiring a dedicated charger. Although they obviously receive conventional charging via the motorcycle’s electrical system during operation, certain aspects of chargers designed for lead-acid batteries are not ideal for lithium. Without getting into all the details here (Dammit, Jim! I’m a psychologist, not an electrical engineer!), lithium batteries hold a higher resting charge (13.3-13.4V as opposed to 12.6-12.7V), don’t require—and can be damaged by—a float or trickle charge because of their extremely low self-discharge rate, and could suffer serious harm from a desulfation or equalization cycle in the charging process (which may be automatically included in a standard charger’s routine). Also, the algorithm used by a lithium charger to modulate current is optimized for rapid and complete charging of a lithium battery without overstepping strict maximum thresholds; use of a standard charger on a lithium battery is apt to be less efficient, may not result in 100% charge, and/or may extend charging beyond safe limits. Modern lithium batteries typically have built-in circuitry to protect against overcharging and excessive discharging, maintain cell balance, and avoid overheating. This helps prevent the worst outcomes of using a conventional charger on a lithium battery, but doing so may still involve some risk, if only in terms of sub-optimal battery performance. There are chargers that can sense, or be set to accommodate, both battery types, but what I’m about to reveal makes all this moot.

Instead of deciding between AGM and

lithium, I chose Motobatt’s hybrid in hopes of getting the best of both worlds. (While the name may be unfamiliar, Motobatt is a subsidiary of well-known Yuasa; Motobatt AGM batteries come as OEM equipment in some European brands and have performed well in other motorcycles I’ve owned.) I have not measured and independently confirmed the amperage-related specifications below, but here are the numbers for the Motobatt hybrid model appropriate for my RS and most other modern large BMWs, compared to those for a conventional AGM unit and my old favorite lithium competitor:

You can see the hybrid falls in between the AGM and lithium batteries on some counts, and may be superior on others. It does not require a bespoke lithium charger, yet it’s touted as charging faster than a lead-acid equivalent. Self-discharge rate supposedly approximates that of a lithium battery, with starting performance stable across all weather conditions. Its life cycle duration is claimed to exceed that of either alternative battery type.

*This is about half the price of the stock BMW part, which appears to have lower cranking amperage.

Note: Cranking amps are measured at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit); cold cranking amps are typically measured at -18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit), although the BMW battery’s case shows it as measured at -10 degrees Celsius for some unknown reason. The standard conversion involves dividing CA by 1.25 to get CCA; hence the figures shown start with the CA or CCA value from each manufacturer (only one or the other may be provided), with the remaining value calculated using this formula. Different charts on Motobatt’s website show 350 as CA in one place (and on the battery top) and CCA in another and I was unable to get clarification. I’ve shown the calculations both ways above. Also, I’ve not considered Antigravity’s Re-Start feature in this comparison, though I did cover it in my previous review of this battery (ON issue: 2/21; web post: 1/17/21).

In addition to these factors, here are several other things to consider. The Motobatt hybrid features their M-Flex terminals, which utilize two pairs of copper extensions to locate the connections on either side of the battery, allowing it to replace a longer list of other models and thereby reduce stocking costs and, presumably, retail pricing. If you need the positive and negative in reverse orientation, just use the longer pair of extensions and turn the battery around. Either pair gets screwed onto the same permanent mounts on the ABS case’s short sides. The terminals also allow for vertical or horizontal connections, using a threaded block positioned within the extension in either orientation. (To be fair, the Antigravity battery achieves the same versatility by simply positioning dual-orientation terminals at all four corners.) Like other lithium

batteries, the hybrid comes with adhesive-backed foam spacers (two at 15mm, each) to take up the vacant space in a battery box resulting from it being smaller than the OEM part.

After getting excited about buying Motobatt’s hybrid, I was disappointed to find the one I needed out of stock at their U.S. website. Impact Battery in Kentucky had it and shipped it promptly for free.

For more information, visit motobatt.us or impactbattery.com.

Yuasa YTX14-BS Motobatt MHTX16 Antigravity ATX-12 Lithium

Depending on the orientation of the battery in your motorcycle, you may want to use either the top or side connection for the battery cable.

OGIO and RAM Mounts put a new twist (pull) on the tank bag

OGIO Powersports has teamed up with RAM Mounts to create a new line of tank bags which are simple, yet ingenious in their design.

For the two of you who have read my president’s columns over the years, you may remember I have an affinity for tank bags–usually somewhat of a love/hate relationship. I LOVE tank bags for the ease of having a place to store items that I need/use frequently such as wallets, hats, sunglasses, flashlights and other things I need to get to without having to empty a pannier to find them. The HATE part usually revolves around two issues. First, although I like the looks of tank bags which follow the curve of the tank on my 2021 R 1250 GSA, I’ve found that all the little items find their way to the bottom of the bag as it curves around the tank and seem to be lost forever. Second, many tank bags make it a real chore to remove the bag, either partially to fill your tank or fully when you want to take it into a hotel, tent or home.

OGIO has solved both issues for me! Now, I fully understand everyone has different needs, tastes, etc. for tank bags. I even know a few who refuse to use them. I haven’t decided if they’re dimwits or just don’t understand that the person with the most toys wins, but tank bags allow you to carry more stuff!

It took a little getting used to the fact that the OGIO M2 expandable tank bag is perfectly flat and doesn’t follow the contour of my tank, but what I’ve found is things stay put. Now, I don’t have to dig in the bottom of my tank bag to find my Burt’s Bees lip balm, my knife, change for the toll road and any number of small items. The tank bag also comes with a handy storage pouch for those small items you use frequently. This pouch Velcros

to any interior side wall of the tank bag. This makes finding those small, hard-to-find items that much easier.

The second issue I have with many tank bags was solved through a partnership with RAM Mounts, with a patent pending mounting system. With their easy-to-use selector tool, you choose the proper RAM Mount mounting hardware, replacing the screws on your existing tank filler ring, and a few short minutes later you’re ready to roll. Removing the tank bag for fill-ups or to carry into your hotel room after a day’s ride couldn’t be any easier; one simple pull on the mounting strap at the front (handle-bar side) of the tank bag and viola, it’s off. Re-installing the tank bag is just as easy–problem solved!

Here are a few other niceties about the OGIO/RAM Mount tank bag: It has two outer small pockets which can be accessed without opening the full bag which are great for gum, candy or snacks such as crackers. There is one simple zipper which circumnavigates the bag which expands the bag from eight to 12 liters–monster sized! It has two snaps to secure your zippers into place, preventing the bag from accidentally opening through wind or rubbing on the rider’s jacket over time as you move on the bike. It has a clear map pocket with touch sensitive plastic, which is easily accessible from the underside of the lid–perfect for cue sheets or a cell phone. I used to put actual maps in these pockets, but as my eyesight has diminished with age, I’ve found cue sheets to be perfect. The tank bag is molded from single-shot molded polyurethane (PU) with carbon fiber graphics inlaid for a sharp

look and has reflective piping/ lettering for better low-light visibility. I can attest it is water resistant, although I haven’t ridden in any hard or long rains without the provided rain cover, I have been caught in a couple of brief showers with no water penetration. The provided rain cover provides excellent protection and has the same clear, touch sensitive window on the top. It also has removable shoulder carry straps which make it easy to carry everything into a hotel after a long day’s ride. There is a power charging cord pass-through at the front (handle-bar side) of the tank bag which allows you to easily pass a charging cord from your bike through the tank bag to charge small electronics as you ride.

I’ll mention one last thing that only those of us with a motorcycle addiction will understand: you can simply purchase an additional RAM Mount appropriate for your second, third or tenth bike and wham-bam you can move your tank bag from bike to bike in about two seconds. Meaning there’s no more fighting with strap lengths or having multiple tank bags as the thing you need is in another tank bag, on another bike!!

Installation is super easy. I spent more time searching for the right Torx bit than I spent actually installing the RAM Mount ring. I’ll make it even a little easier. For my 2021 BMW R 1250 GSA, it takes a T-20 for removal of the stock ring screws and a 2.5mm Allen wrench to install the provided screws. BAM, you’re done.

The M2 8-12L expandable bag retails for $199.99 on OGIO’s website which I thought was very reasonable and includes the mounting hardware for one bike. If you have multiple bikes, it becomes REALLY cost effective.

Check them out at ogiopowersports.com; you won’t be disappointed.

The tank bag comes with a rain cover sporting the brand name and logo.

Airhead 247 Survivor Series

Unrestored Bikes and Their Stories

By Daren Dortin #60755

It was a typical weekday morning in December 2021; the first cup of coffee was poured, the laptop was powered up and I began browsing through various sites I’d bookmarked to check out bikes that had popped up for sale. I was not in the market for anything particular that day; however, an ad on Cycle Trader came up describing an unrestored 1978 R 100 RS in Metallic Gold with original paint and fewer than 7,000 miles–the ad had just been posted the previous day.

Without hesitation or knowing where the funds would come from for this, I

emailed the seller and within short order, we were on the phone, and I was going through the usual questions regarding the history of the bike.

I learned the first owner was Jim Roche (Dr. Curve) who apparently put the majority of the miles on the bike during his ownership tenure. The story goes on that the RS was then sold to a collector called Spike Wright and sat mostly unridden for a number of years. John Landstrom of Blue Moon Cycle in Norcross, Georgia, apparently bought Spike’s collection, including the Gold RS,

in the early 2000s.

I also learned the seller had purchased the bike from Blue Moon about 10 years earlier and somehow only managed to put about 1,000 miles after buying it. In his defense, the man had a shop full of bikes, boats, cars, four-wheelers and jet skis. But still, only 1,000 miles over almost 10 years? I’ll be happy to change that odometer reading.

Satisfied with the seller’s representation of the bike and without hesitation, I made an offer that was mutually agreeable, sent the seller a $500 deposit and agreed to

My restored 1978 R 100 RS.

pick up the bike in the coming weeks. In the meantime I sold a 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200XE to fund the purchase and a few weeks later, the RS was parked in my garage.

No surprise, the RS needed some attention and a good refreshing the steering head bearings were nearly frozen, front suspension was like overcooked spaghetti, oil weeped from every location one would expect, and while the bike would start and run, there was some work to do.

After a few months of wrenching over the winter, the RS was ready to make its reappearance in the Arkansas Ozarks in the spring of 2022. Having owned a ’77 RS years ago, I recalled the refined comfort and appeal of the RS and easily fell into a comfortable place gripping the S bars behind the fairing. For a few hours I was transported back to 1978 with the sight, sound and feel of the unrestored 1978 RS.

In what can only be described as a bit

of serendipitous destiny, I later recalled stopping by Blue Moon Cycle one day back in 2005. At the time, I was working as a touring musician and on my off day, met my dad in Atlanta and we made it a point to visit Blue Moon Cycle together. There, I was drawn to a Metallic Gold 1978 R 100 RS, if for nothing else, because of the unique bold paint color that could have only been approved for production in the 1970s. My Dad, always there to document with his camera, took a picture of the bike and I, none the wiser of our eventual meeting again years later.

While visiting my parents in the winter of 2022, I happened to pick up a large box of photos in a storage box. Randomly going through the photos, I picked up an envelope marked “ATL 05,” and as I flipped through the prints, I was astonished to come across this strange and beautiful twist of fate–the photo my dad had taken of me and the gold RS 17 years earlier which now sits in my garage.

Not much had changed on that bike since Dr. Curve owned it, and it’s safe to say it will stay that way.

Daren hosts the Airhead 247 Podcast and lives in Mountain View, Arkansas. His first BMW was a 1972 R 75/5 purchased in Athens, Ohio, in 1990. His current rides include a ‘75 R 90S, ‘77 R 100 S, ‘78 R 100 RS, ‘81 R 80 G/S and a 1994 K 75. Daren also works as a for hire drummer and can be heard on recordings by Jimbo Mathus and Alvin Youngblood Hart.

The photo my father took of me in 2005 standing next to a Metallic Gold R 100 RS when we visited Blue Moon Cycle.

The unrestored dash of the R 100 RS.

Cons of Owning a Vintage Bike

Last month I looked at the pros of owning a vintage (or “mature”) bike; this month I feel obligated to follow up with the cons of such a venture. We all know in life not everything is sunshine and unicorns, and there’s no sense in hiding the truths, even when they hit a little close to home.

If you’re starting from scratch—say, a bike that hasn’t run in decades or one coming to you as a frame and boxes crammed with parts—then you know getting a basket case motorcycle into safe operating condition can be a lengthy, frustrating and time-consuming process. That’s just to get the bike assembled and on the road in basic (safe) running condition; we’re not even talking about the years or even decades it might

take to fully restore a vintage bike.

For many riders, this can be the most maddening aspect of owning an older bike. You want to ride—because of course you do and now you have this awesome classic bike—but the motorcycle just doesn’t cooperate. This can sour anybody on vintage ownership in a hurry, making the immediate effort seem overwhelming in the face of eventual fun. All I can do in this regard is wish you luck, remind you it will be worth it in the long run and say I hope you have another (newer) bike you can ride in the meantime.

If you’re not a tinkerer, buying an unrestored vintage bike might not be a road you should ride down. Owning and maintaining an older bike simply takes

more effort than a modern bike, and if you’re not interested in doing the near-constant maintenance work yourself, you could be looking at significant expenses as you patronize your local Airhead expert several times a year— maybe even once a month depending on how much you like to ride! If you’re well-off, this is less a concern, though it might require reprioritizing your household expenses, which might lead to awkward conversations if you have a non-riding significant other.

Specialized mechanics of any sort simply cost more than average techs, because not only do they tend to be more experienced, but also their time is also at a higher premium as a result of their skills and accumulated knowledge.

And honestly, that’s if you can even find them; anecdotal evidence points to numerous BMW Motorrad dealerships in the USA and Canada now refusing to work on older bikes. Whether that’s a result of a lack of legacy knowledge and skills as older technicians retire or take other jobs or because some shops are so busy working on bikes that aren’t 30 years old (or, in the case of my R 90/6, on the far side of 40 and nearing 50) doesn’t really matter, because the end result is the same: Dealerships’ bread and butter repair and maintenance work is going to lay with bikes less than 10 years old. This means you’re increasingly likely to be seeking out independent mechanics, and while there are many gems among this population, I’m sure we all know local mechanics who claim to know more than they really do and lack the ability to properly estimate how long a particular job might take—provided the parts are even available.

Say you’re willing to do the work, though, and two more possible problems crop up: necessary skills and critical parts, including specialized tools, as intimated above.

A quick glance through BMW Motorrad’s widely available parts fiches online shows a growing number of parts marked “NLA”—No Longer Available, which means you can’t get them from BMW any more. You might find one at a dealer somewhere, but if they don’t already have it in stock, NLA means BMW isn’t going to be sending them a new one from their stash. While plenty of common parts are available from BMW, they don’t stock everything any more, and frankly, it would be unrealistic for us to expect them to do so. All is not lost, however, as a fair number of aftermarket parts are available to keep your vintage bike running. You’d be wise to look to companies like the Beemer Shop (in California) and Boxer2Valve (in North Carolina)—among others, this is not a comprehensive list, of course—as well as other companies known for keeping a ready supply of elusive vintage-spec parts on hand.

“I should tally up how much I’ve spent on parts,” said Scott Lindroth, another new R 90/6 owner you might remember from last month’s column. “I think it’s just over $1,000, largely because of the clutch, rear shocks, carb rebuild kit and the starter. Most of these are—or better be!—one-time costs, so it’s not bad in the grand scheme…but it’s not nothing, that’s for sure.”

“I’m a Boxer2Valve fanboy,” he continued. “I also got parts from MAX BMW and Bob’s Motorcycles—formerly Bob’s BMW. Both B2V and MAX offered great email and phone tech support.”

New old stock (NOS) parts, which would be de rigeur for a proper restoration, are frankly just not going to be available in many cases. This means knowing whatever it is you installed on your bike isn’t the 100% right part, no matter how correct it looks. For a real diehard fanatic, that kind of thing can crush resale value and weigh on the mind of a true purist.

If you can get the parts, well, you still need the necessary expertise to install them properly, and quite possibly some specialized tools to boot. This means having access to shop manuals—which, luckily, are still available for everything but the newest BMW motorcycles—and quite often assistance in understanding how to diagnose a problem, determine what needs to be done about it and then effect the needed repairs or replacements. Running out of skill halfway through a clutch replacement means not just frustration, but quite possibly additional cost as you struggle to find somebody willing to take on your half-completed job. This is a good reason to embed yourself into a community of like-minded riders; not only will you find sympathy for your roadblock, you may well find people who can help you find the parts and tools you need as well as develop the skills you’re missing or even fix something for you. (I highly suggest finding a way to slip them some cash for their effort.)

It’s well worth joining an era-specific club to boot in order to find a community

full of people who have probably done to their bikes what you need to do to yours. Look to the Airheads Beemer Club (ABC) for support for boxers from the 1970s to the mid-’90s or the Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners for anything before that. (If you’re more into K bikes from the 1980s, call Jack Riepe and tell him I sent you.) The MOA Forums (forums.bmwmoa. org) can also be a valuable resource to tap, something you can do without initiating another membership.

Reading this column in a vacuum would discourage me from owning a vintage bike, so I definitely encourage you to read—or re-read—”Torque of the Matter” from last month, where I get into the pros instead of dwelling on the cons. Take these two columns together; go into vintage bike ownership with your eyes (and, frankly, your wallet) wide open and you’ll be well on your way to having a wonderful experience with your vintage motorcycle with all its quirks, quibbles and quavers. It’s OK if you decide vintage bike ownership is not for you—at the very least you’ll have given it a try and learned something about yourself (and motorcycles) along the way.

Wes Fleming tried being a rock star for 25 years, but gave all that up to focus on motorcycles. His mother still hasn’t forgiven him. The first new motorcycle he ever bought got run over by a car – with him still in the saddle. He discovered BMWs thanks to a friend in 2001 and has been riding trendy, not-so-trendy and sidecarequipped BMWs ever since. Wes currently holds down multiple jobs, including freelance guitar consultant and history professor; when he's not pacing around his empty nest, he's out looking for a great deal on a used motorcycle.

TRIP OF A LIFETIME: Riding with IMTBike through Spain and Portugal

By Mark Barnes #222400

This won’t be your typical travelogue detailing a sequence of routes, destinations, historical notes, and points of interest. There’s simply no way to do justice to those aspects of my two-week Iberian odyssey, even in this double-sized article. You can find such information on IMTBike’s website. Here I’m going to zoom out to provide a bird’s-eye-view, covering only the most general categories of this spectacular experience, which is still quite a daunting task!

Like Drinking from a Firehose

The most salient aspect of this tour was its sheer volume of stimulation. It was a non-stop avalanche of wondrous sensory inputs, far exceeding any human’s capacity to absorb. At most any given moment on the road, I had to decide between paying attention to the exhilarating tasks of piloting a motorcycle on sinewy asphalt or gawking at the breathtaking scenery surrounding me. Mealtimes demanded impossible choices between numerous equally enticing dishes and which fellow travelers I’d sit with to share freshly inspired conversation. Mid-day stops, evening free time, and three so-called “rest” days presented wide arrays of options to explore, with time to sample only the tiniest fraction of what was available. I’d have been overwhelmed if given a moment to reflect on just how much I was constantly missing! Instead, I did the only thing humanly possible: I picked bits and pieces on the fly and resigned myself to the blur of perpetual excess. It was immediately apparent from the outset I’d have to abandon any hope of consuming everything on offer. Imagine being a child given one hour to spend at Disney World; that’s what it felt like for two solid weeks.

For someone in search of a relaxing vacation, this characteristic would be a drawback. We were on the go all the time, even when we weren’t riding. Sure, there were unscheduled hours each day, but any impulse to rest had to compete with a plethora of compelling activities. When you’re far from home in exotic places, it’s very hard to just lounge in your room, no matter how tired you are. That’s the only “downside” of this tour I can identify, and it certainly wouldn’t be a negative for everyone. For those who have trouble unplugging from the routine stressors of work and domestic concerns, the intensity here would likely provide distractions powerful enough to deliver a much-needed break.

The Basics

With that global impression setting the tone, here’s the tour’s fundamental structure. A diverse assortment of 17 American travelers, with 12 motorcycle pilots and five passengers, met in Madrid, Spain for an introductory meeting led by Head Guide Martin and Assistant Guide Ali on the eve of the tour’s launch. Most IMTBike tour groups are comprised of a more heterogenous international mix, but this trip was set up especially for MOA members. We learned a bit about each other, received an orientation to traffic and safety issues for European riding, and were infected with the bubbly enthusiasm of our guides as they described the myriad thrills awaiting us on our winding counter-clockwise trek to Portugal’s coast and eventual arc back to Madrid, totaling 1,774-miles. It was thoroughly outlined in the extensive 60-page tour-specific handbook we received. Each riding day thereafter began with breakfast at the hotel or parador (more on these later), with bikes loaded and wheels turning between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., depending on how much ground we had to cover (124-204 miles/day). While never militant, our guides instilled an ethos of timeliness in the group such that everyone was ready to go on, or ahead of, schedule whenever we were to convene and exit. Although given the option of riding apart from the pack (to go faster, slower, or take an alternate route), no one chose to do so and we remained in a fairly cohesive string throughout each leg of the tour, rearranging our order on a somewhat random basis depending on how the bikes had been parked, who was ready to roll first, or who felt like clumping together. Eventually, some stratification developed with faster riders up front, but this was neither consistent nor a matter of competition. Over the course of the tour, everyone rode in front of and behind every other rider, and the group’s speed was carefully managed by Martin at the lead and Ali in the sweep van; those two were in constant communication regarding everyone’s status. Any time the group got too spread out or segmented by traffic, the leading contingent would slow or pull over and wait for everyone else to catch up. This created a communal atmosphere and provided reassurance nobody could get hurt or lost without immediate detection. For the record, there were no injuries or significant route deviations among my tour-mates, though a couple of us with older bladders did pull off to “de-hydrate” a time or two.

Walled city of Avila.

Around 90 minutes after our initial departure, we’d pause for a mid-morning coffee break in a charming café (lasting about half an hour), often with a scenic view or interesting landmark a short stroll away. The second leg to lunch would be similar in duration, with a respite of up to two hours if we stopped somewhere with lots to see, which was usually the case. We might eat as a group at a restaurant or be given free rein to wander around and choose an eatery individually (or just have a snack to maximize sightseeing time). Given a culture wherein meals are approached as leisurely opportunities to socialize, it could be difficult to hustle in and out of restaurants American-style. I learned to relax into the unavoidable choice of either covering a lot of ground on foot or savoring a delicious meal and discussion with my new friends. Even with an allowance of two hours, there was no way to do both.

The second half of the day would involve another break mid-afternoon, again usually at a picturesque spot, and then often a refueling stop. The latter was an extraordinary exhibition of coordinated efficiency, the guides simultaneously gassing up two columns of advancing motorcycles in quick succession. It was like watching a pit crew, and we lost very little time to this necessity. Arriving at our destination each afternoon between 4:30 and 5:30, we were given two to three hours to explore the area before regrouping for a 30-minute meeting at the hotel/parador’s bar. There, Martin would review events of the day and outline plans for the next, including our route, schedule and particularly noteworthy points of interest. I cannot overstate the excitement conveyed during these presentations! Both guides exuded relentless positivity and affability, but Martin, who has been doing this particular tour (in continuously evolving form) for the past quarter-century, seemed to be the opposite of jaded by his extensive familiarity with it. Knowing what was coming made him more enthused, not less, and he clearly relished the opportunity to share with us the treasures ahead. Always eager to engage us about the riding, bikes, castles, cathedrals, and other jaw-dropping sights, or area history and culture (his knowledge was encyclopedic), Martin was an exemplary leader, unquestionably yet deftly shaping our experience each day to keep everyone safe, content and aligned with the mission of having big fun together.

Cathedral at Segovia.

La Alberca, a medieval town.

Windmills at Consuegra.

Porto

I must also highlight Ali’s hard work and dedication. While performing the critically important duties of driving sweep and carrying tools, a spare bike, and most of our luggage (what we didn’t need with us on the bikes) in the support van, he also maintained communication with staff at all our various stops, making countless arrangements and keeping places abreast of our arrival times so they were always ready for us. He managed to load/unload our luggage with care and speed, locked up our jackets and helmets while we wandered on foot during the day, and took meal orders proactively for many of our evening repasts. When one rider had a minor spill, he toted the bike and took the rider to a nearby hospital for examination, just to be certain he was okay. And when another rider became ill, Ali procured medicine and special meals for him. Every morning our windshields were clean, mechanical adjustments were performed promptly, and everyone benefited from Ali’s effervescent personality. He was constantly working behind the scenes to ensure a seamlessly smooth experience for every tour participant and he succeeded brilliantly.

Great Roads

According to Martin, Spain’s pavement is a point of national pride, which was easy to believe after sampling almost a thousand miles of it in both urban and extremely remote areas. Not only were there zero potholes or patches, but the grip was consistently superlative (Martin attributes this to the asphalt’s special composition). On the vast majority of riding days, we navigated literally thousands (plural!) of curves. Let that sink in. I’ve ridden the legendary Tail of the Dragon hundreds of times and many of the roads on this tour made that curvaceous stretch seem like an airport runway by comparison, and they were many times its length. Every corner genre was well-represented, from long, high-speed sweepers to super-tight hairpin switchbacks, and everything in between. We rode over multiple mountain ranges, across vast plains, along the Portuguese coastline, through small towns, and, occasionally, in major cities (with minimal time spent negotiating dense traffic).

IMTBike rates this tour’s roads low-medium in challenge level, requiring intermediate skill. That’s accurate in an averaged sense, but some sections were significantly more demanding than that description suggests—nothing like the Stelvio pass (Google it), but definitely more technical than anything found on typical routes in the American mid-west or other flatlands. My estimation of my tourmates’ skill levels would place them all at high-average or well above. None of them found the challenges problematic, but some said they definitely got a good workout in the twistier portions. In any case, the roads alone were enough to make this tour worthwhile.

Martin and Ali Debriefing at Cascais.

Great Scenery

Much of Central Spain is arid, and this spring brought higher temps and less rainfall than usual, so many of the areas we traveled through were rocky, gray, and brown, especially in the mountains that didn’t benefit from weather moving north from the Mediterranean (these were nevertheless strikingly beautiful in a stark, barren way). Other areas near the coast and along the more southerly sierras and their foothills were lush, and we passed through verdant farmlands with newly sprouting crops and herds of livestock. The spectrum of landscapes on this tour represented much of what’s available on the planet. It was common to spy castles and fortresses on hilltops or craggy mountainsides in the distance, or right in the middle of small villages through which we passed. Riding down narrow, cobblestone streets in older towns provided a glimpse of life from long ago. One of the most impressive sights was a multitude of homes built on shockingly steep mountain slopes. On some streets I could see entrances to driveways, but they dropped at such sharp angles the rest would be completely invisible. Fascinating gothic architecture, viewed from the saddle or on foot, compounded the dilemma of deciding where to focus my attention. A European tour veteran advised me to use a GoPro on this trip (which I did), explaining it’d be impossible to appreciate all the visuals while also concentrating on the fantastic riding; I could look at the places I’d ridden through once I got home! His advice contained some wisdom, but obviously my recordings don’t really capture all the phenomenal sights I (partially) witnessed.

Great Motorcycles

IMTBike has used BMWs exclusively from its start in 1997. While their fleet of over 200 bikes contains virtually every current model, my group mostly chose the F 750 GS or F 850 GS. There was also one R 1250 RT, one F 800 GT, one S 1000 XR, and two R 1250 GSes, one of which (with the lowered suspension option) was ridden by yours truly. All machines were low-mileage and in pristine condition, outfitted with

The cliff city of Cuenca.

Explorer monument in Lisbon.

Looking toward Portugal from the wall of Cuidad Rodrigo's Parador

factory side- and top-cases, and none had any mechanical issues during the tour. Any could have a GPS added for a small fee, but there was little need, given how the group moved as a pack. Some riders chose mounts identical to what they rode at home, others wanted something different out of curiosity or because they felt it would be more fitting for this trip. I’ve been considering the possibility of swapping my R 1250 RS for a GS, so it was a perfect opportunity to do an extended test ride on this alternative. (I’m still torn, but much clearer on the pros and cons of each.) IMTBike rents from their fleet on an individual basis, too, from five locations scattered across the Iberian Peninsula.

Note that the support van can accommodate a passenger or two. Anyone desiring a break from riding pillion could spend a stint there, and one spouse rode shotgun the whole time. If this holds appeal, check with IMTBike about availability.

Great Accommodations

Paradors are unique government-operated hotels (with their own bars/restaurants) found mainly in Spain; Pousadas are their privately owned counterparts in Portugal. These are historic structures—castles, monasteries, convents, and palaces—that have been renovated into thoroughly modern facilities with all the amenities you’d find at upscale establishments of newer vintage, but with many of their original architectural features preserved or restored. Riding into a medieval walled city or fortress through a massive stone gate dating back to the 15th century (or earlier) is a mindblowing experience! Simply spotting castles and cathedrals along our routes was quite special, but staying in buildings far older than anything we typically find in North America was a fantastic treat. It’s history on an entirely different scale. During the few nights we weren’t in paradors, we stayed in high-end hotels. Every place was supremely comfortable (I never heard a single complaint), and most were legitimate attractions, themselves. In the evening, when we were free to explore the surrounding towns, I often got caught up in photographing the places where we were staying and never made it off the grounds. Like the roads, these accommodations could justify the tour on their own merits.

I can’t credit IMTBike with the gorgeous weather that graced our tour (one rainy afternoon, otherwise 50-85 degrees and mostly sunny), but they did schedule this adventure when such environmental probabilities converged in our favor.

The view from my hotel room's balcony in Porto.

The lobby and bar at our hotel in Tomar.

Parador room in Avila.

Great Food

Breakfasts and most dinners are included in the tour price, with participants responsible for their own lunches, alcohol, and dinners on the three non-riding rest days. Breakfasts were remarkably consistent at each parador and hotel, with huge spreads of numerous locally produced hams, sausages, cheeses, fruits, eggs, and fresh baked goods, along with a variety of juices and coffee-based options, all served buffet-style but in a much, much more appetizing manner than any “Continental” breakfast bar I’ve encountered in the states. Dinners were fabulous, with genuinely gourmet cuisine (usually featuring regional specialties) provided in three courses at each riding day’s end. We usually chose from a selection of meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes in advance, greatly streamlining the dining experience. This efficiency was appreciated by those of us accustomed to eating on the normal American schedule, since dinner in Iberia is traditionally served between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Not only would we be hungry by dinnertime, but we’d also want to get in bed at a decent hour for the next morning’s breakfast bell at 7:00 or 7:30. On the other hand, we wanted all that time before dinner to

rest, freshen up, and investigate our locale after getting off the bikes. With such excellent food, this tour could just as easily have been marketed as “The Flavors of Central Spain and Portugal.”

Our group's final dinner in Madrid at Couzapin Sidreria.

Tapas at Sidewalk Cafe in Toledo.

Seafood in Madrid.

Dessert at Cuenca Parador.

Great People

Everywhere we went, the people were helpful and friendly, and they absolutely love motorcycles and motorcyclists! Car drivers and pedestrians frequently waved joyously as we passed, with adults holding their children up as if we were a parade. It was almost always possible to find someone who spoke English, and knowing a little rudimentary Spanish was enough to get by, given the constant presence of our multi-lingual guides (except on rest days, when they remained available by text/ phone). To be honest, I was apprehensive about being lodged in a group of strangers for two weeks, but my tour-mates were all amiable and interesting folks; I enjoyed sitting with any combination of them at meals and good conversation was reliably plentiful on riding breaks. During each rest day, joining a sub-group to roam through the area was an easy, organic process, allowing for richer connections with those companions. Scott Moreno, founder and owner of IMTBike, describes his operation as first and foremost a people-oriented business, focused on hiring ultra-high-quality human beings as staff, and promoting an atmosphere of community and pro-social engagement among the participants of each tour. Based on my exposure, this deliberate emphasis has yielded exactly the congenial interpersonal environment he envisioned.

Great Value

I’m not a business wizard, but Scott Moreno must be. I cannot fathom how he’s covering his costs, much less making any profit, given the relatively modest price of this tour and the top-shelf accommodations, food, motorcycles, and personnel included in the package. (Several tour-mates shared this same reaction.) Check IMTBike’s website for pricing on many other tours throughout Europe, North Africa, the Far East, and elsewhere, but as an example, here are figures for the upcoming fall edition of this same tour for MOA members in midOctober. The base price is 5,945 euros (you’ll have to look up the dollar conversation at the time you read this), which covers a single rider on a G 310 R in a shared room and some cool tour swag. Add between 350 and 1,315 euros for a motorcycle upgrade, 4,230 for a passenger, or 1,260 for a one-person room. Insurance, which covers rider liability, motorcycle damage/loss, and some medical provisions, is mandatory and purchased through IMTBike. A 3,000 euro-deductible version is included in the base price; a 500 euro-deductible “VIP” alternative is available for 25 euros per tour day.

If I were to recreate my tour in October, I’d pay 5,945 euros (base), plus 755 euros for my R 1250 GS, plus 1,260 for my private room, plus 325 euros for 13 days of VIP insurance coverage, making my total payment to IMTBike 8,285 euros. My fuel totaled 215 euros, and another 100 euros covered my lunches and coffees on riding days. Exercising little self-restraint, I spent roughly 300 euros (total) for food on rest days, along with snacks and drinks throughout the tour. I consumed about $100 worth of local wines (incredibly cheap, yet very good) over two weeks. That makes a grand total of 9,000 euros. Obviously, airfare and personal expenditures can add substantially to this amount. Still, I spent two weeks in luxury hotels, eating fine food, renting a premium motorcycle, and enjoying my trip

without having to make any of the arrangements or figure out the best routes, with two extremely competent full-time personal assistants, for what amounts to 643 euros ($721 at time of writing) per day. I can’t imagine reproducing that more economically on my own.

To be sure, this is an expensive vacation in terms of absolute cost, but you get a whole lotta greatness—the trip of a lifetime— for your money. Depending on your fortunes, it may be just one of many. About half my group had done other organized motorcycle tours, and they all rated this one among the very best, citing the guides’ constant attentiveness and comprehensive support as standout features. To my knowledge, no one was disappointed with the product. As I write this a week after returning home, I’m still digesting the lavish feast of wonders spread across this tour’s very long banquet table; this is going to take a while! For more information, visit imtbike.com

Mark Barnes is a clinical psychologist and motojournalist. To read more of his writings, check out his book, Why We Ride: A Psychologist Explains the Motorcyclist’s Mind and the Love Affair Between Rider, Bike and Road, currently available in paperback through Amazon and other retailers.

Meeting my bike on the first day.

Riding Upside down and on the Left

By Alan Toney #124362

It was a dark and stormy night in Greer, South Carolina.The bottom had fallen out of the barometer. A westerly gale was throwing buckets of cold rain against the side of the house. On the other side of the wall, we were trying to sleep through the noise.

My iPhone pinged at 1:58 a.m., announcing incoming mail. “That can wait till morning,” I mumbled, on the edge of sleep and hunkered down beneath the covers. Ten seconds later, another ping, then another and another, and yet a fifth! “This must be serious. Something really urgent,” I muttered to my good lady wife. Stumbling bare-footed across cold kitchen tiles, I grabbed my phone, peered through the haze, and could not believe my eyes.

Five, count ‘em, five invitations to the Compass Expeditions Reunion Rally, scheduled for mid-April 2018 in Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia. This was big! I’d never ridden Australia. “They must really want me down there, my dear…as honored guest, star attraction, perhaps as guest speaker…that sort of thing. I’ve just got to go. They’d be so disappointed if I didn’t!”

I phoned Compass early the following morning. Jerry answered. “Oh, sorry about that, mate. Our records show you’ve done five trips with us over the years, in South America and Africa. You must have got an invitation for each one. Looks like a computer glitch. No, mate, we’re inviting only one of you, but there’ll be snags (bratwurst) on the barbie (BBQ) and buckets of ice cold stubbies (beer). Coming or not?”

Do monkeys eat bananas?

The Sapphire Coast, New South Wales.

With the in-flight “chicken or pasta” dinner nothing more than a sorry after-taste, I checked my watch. What was it the captain had told us? Something like, “In 17 and a half hours flight time, we will pass backwards through nine time zones and then, somewhere over Tonga, we will lose a complete day. It’s Tuesday now, and we’ll land on Thursday, but you won’t remember a thing about Wednesday because there isn’t one on this flight.” The gears turned slowly and out churned the answer. Still 16 hours, give or take a day, until touchdown. Time for some last-minute cramming about that sunburnt country/island/ continent, that pink blob in a vast expanse of blue, somewhere on the other side of tomorrow.

From my carry-on, I pulled out 20 pages of facts and figures garnered from the Australian Bureau of Statistics website. With sparse narrative and mostly numbers, it was Nirvana for dataphiles. Yawn. I started reading. Numbers, cardinal and ordinal, rational and irrational, peppered with pie charts and percentages, tumbled around inside my head. Yet another yawn. I was asleep in less than ten minutes, dreaming of snags ’n stubbies.

to look over my right shoulder before overtaking, not my left, and so on.

Freddy the taxi driver leaned across and said with obvious pride “You know, I’ve been driving taxis in this town for 11 years, and I’ve never been pinched by the cops, touch wood. I’m from Lebanon, a beautiful country, but it’s in the wrong neighborhood, you know, with Israel, Syria and Jordan, so the wife and I came to Australia for some peace and quiet. We’ve never looked back, not even for a minute.” In the 30 minutes that it took Freddy to drive me from the airport to my hotel in Annandale, he gave chapter and verse on “how not to get pinched” by the cops.

“Watch out for CCTV in the city, especially around schools, work zones and major intersections. Out in the country, always use your lane change indicators, and never ride in the overtaking lane unless you’re overtaking. And remember that it’s mostly the speeders they’re after and that the speed limit IS the limit. Believe me, the cops’ll be round every corner with their radar guns. Just obey everything, mate. There’s bloody thousands of ‘em; signs, rules and cops, that is. Oh, and don’t forget to ride on the left, and NEVER ride after dark.”

Signs, signs and more signs.

I was shaken awake as Flight 101 touched down at SYD. “This is your captain speaking. Welcome to Sydney. It’s a sunny 30 degrees C outside. The local time is 6:15 a.m., and it’s Thursday, as promised. For you sleepy heads who slept through breakfast, you didn’t miss a thing. It was just our signature rubberized omelette and impenetrable roll. It’s our way of thanking you for flying our friendly skies. For all you folks from the States back there, if Sydney is your final destination, then please remember to drive on the left as you exit the airport. And have a nice day!” Click. The first thing I noticed on Sydney’s streets were the road signs. They were everywhere. There were signs for this and signs for that, signs for every occasion and for every mood. Most of them looked familiar, but in mirror image. Keep Left Unless Overtaking was the first sign to catch my eye. I reckoned that the needed adjustments would be more subtle and numerous than at first sight. Approaching intersections and entering traffic streams needed reverse thinking. Nearside traffic would come from the right, not left, and rotaries ran clockwise. I would need

The next morning, with the paperwork done and dusted, I wheeled my BMW F 700 GS rental out of BikeRoundOz and into the bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic on Parramatta Road. At 23 kilometers long, it’s Sydney’s longest de facto parking lot. I white-knuckled it eastbound for about a mile, then did my first right turn riding on the left. “Woohoo, I made it!”

I was on City Road and riding through Newtown, a sociological stew of students, Goths, urban hippies, artisans and eclectic others of every hue. To the left and right of me were boutiques, second-hand clothing stores, pubs, bookshops, yoga studios, cafes and oriental restaurants, but I saw little except for the traffic in front of me and whatever was in my rear-view mirrors. Two hours of stop ’n go in 36 deg C (about 97 F) heat took me to the southern edge of Sydney. There, the road morphed into the Princess Highway which took me over the bridge at Botany Bay and past the conurbation of Wollongong and Nowra. Only then did I hit top gear for the first time and feel that I was, at last, on my way to Merimbula.

Beyond Ulladulla, fields and farms gave way to forests. Besides the occasional stand of softwood pines, it was mostly wattles and varieties of eucalyptus, scribbly and spotted gum trees. Here, the Princess Highway was more like a two-lane rural road with narrow grass verges, no hard shoulders and only the occasional pull-out.

The land was folded and twisted, the road not smoothed by “cut and fill.” It simply rose, fell, and turned with the contours of the land. Signs for Crests and Dips and for Tight Bends were everywhere. Signs for Intersection Left far outnumbered Intersection Right. The former promised sapphire seas and snow-white sand beaches with no footprints, reliable surf, rock pools, campsites, walking tracks and other fun stuff. To the less frequent right, the roads led inland, up into the Great Dividing Range and farming country beyond.

On long uphill stretches, apassing lane was offered, together with a full complement of road signs, rules, fines and demerits. Approximately one kilometer before, a sign announced Passing Lane 1 km. Fair enough. Where the passing lane began, a second sign announced the obvious for the awareness-impaired, Passing Lane Begins. No problem with that one, I suppose. About midway, a third sign warned Keep Left Unless Overtaking, followed by a fourth and fifth which reminded me to Respect the Speed Limit in Overtaking Lane and that Fines Apply. Finally,

just before the passing lane ended, a sixth sign invited both the overtaker and the overtaken to Merge. I figured that as long as I respected every sign, I shouldn’t get ticketed, fined or demerited, unless, of course, I forgot to signal my lane change. So why didn’t they have a sign for that too?

There are two main arteries running from Sydney to Melbourne and beyond. A shorter, faster inland route skirts Canberra and Wagga Wagga, and then there’s “The Princess” that runs closer to the coast. Slower, with less traffic, it is more scenic, and it took me directly to Merimbula. I rode through one State Forest after another, through National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Nature Reserves, with only small towns and fishing villages in between. It seemed that, in this neck of the woods, parks and forests outnumbered people. I rode for long stretches without meeting any other vehicle in either direction.

Occasionally, I rode through a small town that had a comforting, evocative vibe about it, with a main street wide enough for angle parking each side. Most buildings were made of wood, with corrugated red tin roofs and Art Deco facades. Decorative shingles announced the specialty within, and most businesses were family-owned. There was a small shop for every need, whether it be hardware, shoe repairs, pet supplies, sewing notions or stationery and office supplies. There were no supermarkets, strip malls, shopping plazas, parking garages or parking meters, but every necessity could be

A small town in New South Wales.

Your guess is as good as mine.

found on Main Street, one shop at a time.

The daytime social center of each small town seemed to be the bakery, where you could pick up freshly baked bread, cakes and meat pies, along with coffee or tea and the news of the day. Most towns had a local radio station and a newspaper that survived not because of their newsiness, but more for their public announcements and paid advertising. After all, in small towns everywhere, word of mouth trumps the internet, with radio and newspapers a distant third and fourth. The penny finally dropped. That was it! Small Town NSW…The Andy Griffith Show…Mayberry, North Carolina. Just the way it was in ‘50s America.

New signs started to appear. No words, just black silhouettes on a yellow background. I recognized the kangaroo, the emu and the koala bear (so cute, even in silhouette!) but the fourth escaped me. I later found it to be a wombat, a large slow-moving, slow-witted, burrowing marsupial which, like the kangaroo, munched on the grass verges at dusk. Either one, if hit, would make a serious dent in both my machine and life-span. Freddy had warned me to never, ever, ride after dusk. Now I knew why.

I decided to chill a little, sit back and enjoy the ride, while still keeping an ever-watchful eye on the road ahead. After all, the road signs had me convinced that two-dimensional-blacksilhouetted-somethings were everywhere, waiting to jump out from behind every tree, but I had to remind myself that, as a motorcyclist, I was still a hundred times more likely to die at the hands of a fellow human being than from a collision with a kangaroo, wombat, emu or koala.

That said, I reflected on the journey so far. The first two hours had been stop-and-go in Sydney’s heavy commuter traffic. Had I ever once been tail-gated, cut off or threatened by an aggressive or distracted driver? No, not once. In town and country alike, my fellow road users seemed focused and disciplined. Two hands on the wheel, with no multi-tasking, was the rule. The police made sure of that. I saw no-one phoning, texting, applying mascara or lipstick, reading notes, eating sandwiches, drinking coffee,

hanging an arm out of the window, or any of the other distractions that are common back home. Riding upside down and on the left, I felt visible to all drivers around me, and safer in New South Wales than on home turf.

I had left the early morning heat of Sydney and ridden 450 kilometers away from the Equator to Merimbula at latitude 38 south, where it was noticeably cooler due to the fresh southerly on-shore breezes. It had been a beautiful ride, and it was over all too soon. At the entrance to town, a huge sign happily proclaimed, Welcome to Merimbula. Oyster Capital of the Sapphire Coast, then a second smaller sign, Local Speed Limit 50 KPH, followed by a third, Fines Apply. For an instant, my tired old eyes thought they spotted a fourth:

Don’t even think about it, you Pommy Bastard! You can’t see us, but we’re watching you.

And so, at 4:00 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, I rode, oh so respectfully, at less than walking speed, down Merimbula’s Main Street. It was eerily quiet, almost deserted. Where was everybody? I was later told that Australians, like their Kiwi cousins, take their leisure time seriously. Stores, restaurants and most businesses closed early on Friday, to get an early start on the weekend.

Happily, the local Woolworths store was still open. No, not the

Merimbus Lagoon.

These buggers are everywhere.

Woolworth of five-and-dime fame in the U.S., but an unrelated, sound-alike chain of supermarkets that sold upmarket fruits and veggies, with a delicatessen and a seafood counter to die for. A fine selection of beer, wine and liquor was also offered. Civilized. I settled on a gourmet crab salad sandwich and a couple of stubbies, popped the impromptu picnic into my top box and headed for the western edge of town.

As dusk approached, I checked into the Norfolk Pines Motel. My plan for the evening was a simple one…unpack, a hot shower, a sandwich and two beers, check my messages, a spot of telly, then lights out. Darn it! My iPhone wouldn’t take the motel Wi-Fi code. Frustrated, I traipsed up to Reception.

Annie was “70-something,” and the motel room cleaner, but this particular evening she was doubling on the desk. This was not the Merimbula Hilton. “No worries,” she cheerily exclaimed. “I see you’ve got an Apple SE, a foreign job. We’ve had trouble with them things before. We’ll soon get you sorted. I’ll phone IT Support.” With that, she picked up her cell phone and called her grandson. “He’s a whiz, you know. Just graduated from high school this year. Such a clever boy!” A brief conversation ensued. “He says it’s got to be your phone, not the provider. He says to just do a hard shutdown, give it 30 seconds and reboot. That’ll fix it. Here, give me your bloody phone, I’ll put the Wi-Fi password in for you.”

While Annie was busy connecting me to the northern half of the globe, I glanced absent-mindedly out of the office rear window. There was a playground for the little ones and a patio with barbecue, picnic bench and dry bar for the big kids. Beyond, the ground sloped down through tall grass dotted with scrub trees to Merimbula Lagoon. A sprinkling of house and street lights hinted at small town suburbia.

Suddenly, I noticed a movement. My first-ever kangaroo in the wild! It was brownish-grey in color and difficult to discern in the fading light–until it moved, that is. Then, with every hop, it covered a huge distance with such effortless grace. Wait! There

was a second, a third and then another!

“Annie!” I shouted. “Look outside, there’s a whole herd of kangaroos! They’re beautiful! Look at ‘em go! But why do they hop like that?” Without looking up from my phone, Annie chimed, “Well, first off, they probably learned to hop because the ground’s too bloody hot to walk on barefooted, and second, it’s not a herd, it’s a mob. We call that a mob of kangaroos.”

“But how exciting!” I chirped enthusiastically.

“Nah, not really,” she sighed, “the buggers are everywhere. Welcome to Oz.”

Yes, these buggers are everywhere.

Rainbow Lorikeets, Merimbula, NSW, Australia.

Never ride alone

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Functional Riding Performance

Riding motorcycles offers us many benefits, and most riders would have a difficult time naming just one. One rider may argue that riding motorcycles is less expensive than driving cars when considering reduced fuel consumption. Another may note the personal satisfaction and pride one receives in dealing with challenges other roadway users typically shun. Most of us would agree the freedom we experience while on the road can make even the most mundane commute to work much less tedious.

When I’m asked the question, I often refer to a needlepoint pillow I’ve seen that reads, “You never see a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist’s office” as evidence of the mental health benefits of riding. Whether that saying is true or not, motorcycle riders will happily speak about the joy they feel while riding.

Some of the mental freedom we experience comes from the challenges we face when riding a motorcycle. On top of traction and stability surprises we may experience, violations of our right of way by inattentive car drivers can be dangerous. Riding a motorcycle safely requires our complete focus and commitment. Unexpected situations happen to motorcyclists and other roadway users every day, and if we aren’t prepared for or able to quickly react to these surprises, we may experience a crash. Even when wearing our full gear, the odds aren’t in our favor while we’re on two wheels. As riders, we can’t depend on other drivers to watch out for us. When we’re on the road, we must be as sharp and precise as possible to stay safe, and it’s only through regular training and practice that we can hone our skills and reduce our vulnerability to make every minute of our ride enjoyable.

As human beings, our natural tendency is to overestimate our abilities no matter what task we are defining. In the field of psychology, this tendency is called the Dunning-Kruger effect. As an example, surveys show that 93% of all car drivers believe they are better than average car drivers, a belief which is statistically impossible. This same principle applies to motorcycle riders, making it imperative to be aware of our own overconfidence in our abilities.

Just as motors and other fine machinery require scheduled maintenance and service to operate efficiently, so do the skills and techniques riders depend upon to keep them safe. This “skills maintenance” is only achieved through our ongoing training regardless of how long we’ve been riding. Two skills I believe are critical to riding safely are proper vision and braking.

Target Fixation is a phenomenon where a rider becomes so fixated on something they are trying to avoid that they

actually increase their chances of colliding with it. This elevates our line of sight to a super-power, capable of saving us from harm. Vision and correct line of sight are integral to reducing motorcycle crashes. Failing to use this power appropriately can lead to disaster. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration statistics show that motorcycles collide with fixed objects 25 percent more frequently than other roadway users, often resulting in fatal collisions.

The other area I believe to be critical to riding safely is proper braking. Because weight transfers to the front wheel during the stopping maneuver, a rider must vary the pressure being applied to each brake based on the riding surface and the traction that is increasing (or decreasing) for each wheel. Maximum braking requires precise application of each brake to avoid skidding either tire and potentially losing stability and falling down.

Riders can maintain and service their vision by taking a motorcycle course. Even a basic course will help cultivate proper use of your sight. In the BMW U.S. Rider Performance Academy’s Authority Course offered at the National Rally, head position and vision are stressed on every exercise. Still, once one has practiced controlling and directing their vision effectively, the skill must be practiced regularly. Head and eyes level with the horizon offer a full and confident view of the environment ahead, as well as maximizing balance and stability. Riders will know when their eyes stray down to the ground or at a hazard instead of through the turn because it creates uneasiness. Correct focus is accomplished by looking through the turn to the horizon.

The next maintenance and service need is practicing collision avoidance. Getting the most out of your brakes, learning to swerve effectively and improving cornering skills are all critical elements leading to enjoying many years of riding. No matter how good riders believe they are, the moment of truth at the instant before a collision is the ultimate test of their skill levels. Make sure that you are up to the task with ongoing training.

Most street courses work on cornering, braking and swerving skills to keep your riding skills sharp. I recommend enrolling in intermediate and advanced classes, then practicing those skills every time you ride. Precise brake application and recognition of changing traction conditions will allow you to stop safely and smoothly no matter what situation you may face. If you ride long distances with a lot of cargo and/or a passenger, practice stopping on different surfaces with the weight and balance of the typical load you carry. Practicing at low speeds (15-20 mph) will help develop the muscle memory and precise controls to keep you confident and competent in any situation.

Even a basic course will help you refine and polish your basic control skills and smoothness. Take the class with a family member or friend. You will be creating a new riding buddy while you perfect your control of your bike!

Across the country, there are many options for motorcycle training. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and, of course, BMW’s Rider Academy also have excellent options. Any school offering braking, swerving and cornering skills will provide valuable tools to enhance your confidence and keep you safer. Visit the MOA Foundation’s website at bmwmoaf.org/rider-training/trainingdirectory/ for a listing of motorcycle training opportunities.

The best part of any training is how much fun you will have. The amount you will learn is limited only by your willingness to open your mind and learn from professional instructors.

See you on the road!

Colleen started riding with a passion 15 years ago and within two years, was teaching new California motorcyclists to ride through the CMSP. Motorcycles and motorcycle safety take up a huge portion of her life and she currently rides a ‘16 R 1200 GS after logging more than 100,000 miles on a ‘10 GS.

Colleen is a retired police officer from Santa Cruz, California, and currently trains riding instructors there and teaches advanced riding courses. In her spare time, she rides twenty to thirty thousand miles a year on track days, dirt and while touring. Her motto is: ride intelligently!

Only on a Bike, Part Two

In April, I offered a round-up of responses from my fellow columnists when they were asked, “What’s one experience you’ve had that only happened because you were on a bike?” Since then, Andy Goldfine, founder of Aerostich, also weighed in:

“One kind of motorcycle-only experiences which make me smile inside is when some non-rider person randomly encountered will say something unintentionally amusing while trying to interact in a nice social way. Examples are almost infinite, especially if one wears an Aerostich one-piece rider’s suit in daily commuting situations. Examples include the usual drunk at a bar: “Who called the EMT’s?” Another example: An otherwise perceptive female executive at a board meeting as you enter the conference room carrying your helmet and dripping water on the floor because you rode there through a rainstorm: “Did you ride your motorcycle?”  One can only grin in such a situation. Sometimes the idiocy goes the other direction. For example, once, at a beach-front high-rise hotel in Daytona Beach, my Hi-Viz suit-wearing friend and I got on an elevator full of spring-break kids, all having noisy conversations about something. As the elevator doors closed the conversations all stopped, and the car became very quiet. Next, someone softly said something to someone else about the two of us possibly being fire fighters. As we exited on the fifth or sixth floor, and just as the doors closed behind, my friend turned back and said to the kids: “Don’t go above the ninth floor.” And then they were gone. We walked down the hall to our room laughing. Now after forty years of collecting such experiences, I love little moments like these even more.

Andy also shared with me a story from his friend John Atkins, which I think will resonate with any rider that has done some touring…

“Skippy” By John Atkins (1999)

While returning to Minnesota on our recent three-week, 6,000 mile trip to San Francisco, we wound our way through the glacial lakes area of northeastern South Dakota (the area the locals used to call “the first rise of the hills”) and were attempting to cross over the Bois de Sioux river using a bridge on a littleknown road that eventually leads to Wheaton. This day the bridge was closed for repairs which elicited some discussion about our proposed route, and it seemed, for some reason, that we just had to get to Wheaton. So, the detour was followed and Wheaton (with its converted hotel/ cafe across from the old depot) was attained.

We prefer to spend our touring miles with mid-sized bikes like the ‘94 Yamaha Seca II (in yellow) and the ‘98 Suzuki Katana 750 (in tasteful black), and there’s little problem taking our usual back roads, as well as with anything else from city centers to interstates. But I digress. There we were, once again enjoying a home-cooked meal (me the blue plate special and Mary, fried chicken).

Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity in the fairly full cafe as an octogenarian in a multicolored bill cap, aided by a walker, crossed the room and headed for our table. Shaking with palsy, he asked the waitress, “Are these the motorcyclists?” I interceded, “That’s us.” While introducing himself as “Skippy” he proceeded to tell his life story (a shortened rendition). He told us about touring the country border to border; about buying a new Harley Davidson in ‘42 and not spending the extra $50 for the overhead valve engine (they were new and unproven), but spending an extra $50 for the leather saddlebag option. He put ‘SKIPPY’ in chrome letters on the tops of both bags. He told about later owning and riding BMWs and Hondas and trikes before the hip replacement. He also mentioned taking a gal to Yellowstone one summer on the back of his bike. I interjected, “You

brought her back, didn’t you?” “Yeah, sure,” he said, “she’s still alive, you know.”

Looking out the window at our parked bikes (complete with light luggage and minimum camping gear), he said, “You guys are doing it right, I used to travel like that—that’s the best way. How big are the motors?” I told him. “Just right,” Skippy continued, “oh, I’ve tried those big bikes, and, yes, they’re more luxury, but, all in all, yours are the best size.” We couldn’t have agreed more. After snow on Lassen, Winnemucca range fires, camping near Sturgis, and all that happened in between, we knew exactly what he was talking about.

Eventually, Mary left the table while I got up to pay, and, amazingly, Skippy was at the till, too. He said to the waitress, “I want to pay their check.” I protested politely but conceded as he, with constantly shaking hands, dug bills out of his wallet and coins from a well-worn coin purse. He said, “I want to do this for all the people who’ve been good to me out on the road.”

Finally, BMW MOA member John Friedrichs sent me his own “Only on a bike” story: It was the fall of 1989, I was married, but had a free weekend. I decided to do a quick trip to the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground in Cruso, North Carolina, from my home in Powder Springs, Georgia. Hurricane Hugo was in the Atlantic and headed our way but was forecasted to turn and follow the coast north. So much for forecasting.

I packed my 1984 Honda Nighthawk S with my camping gear and took off after work, headed north. It started raining, but I had a rain suit, and I’d ridden in the rain before. The farther I rode, the harder it rained. At one point I encountered water on the road that was so deep, it was over my foot pegs. As it was getting darker and raining harder, I considered abandoning my camping goal and getting a motel room. I was passing through Hiawassee, Georgia, and looked for a motel room, but the Georgia Mountain Fair was in town, and

no rooms were to be had.

It was now dark, and the rain was persistent, so I was more than a little worried. Soon I spotted an old Country Store/Gas Station that had a concrete slab with a metal roof spanning the width of the store. There was a van parked on the slab, also a group of locals sitting on chairs, stools and milk crates. I was hesitant to pull up onto the slab, but desperate for shelter and after a brief mental deliberation, I pulled my bike onto the slab next to the van.

As soon as I had my helmet off, the locals were laughing and asking if I was “moist.” As an outsider to this group, I was nervous at first, but they waved me over to join them. These locals obviously had known each other for years and just sat around telling stories. It seemed they had already heard all their stories and were happy to have someone new, with different stories to tell. We talked about vehicles, schools, work and of course, women.

As the evening wore down, one of the locals told me he owned the store and to pitch my tent right there under the roof. He lived right next door. I did just that and the next morning some of this same group was there and provided me with microwave sausage biscuits and coffee, refusing to accept any money for them.

My preconceptions about this group of local “good ol’ boys” sitting on the front porch of a country store worried me so much that I almost didn’t pull in. If I had continued on in that storm, there is no telling where I would have wound up. The evening turned out great and made for a story that I’ve told many times.

Find more motorcycle stories in Ron Davis’ two books, Shiny Side Up and Rubber Side Down. Both carry the subtitle “The Improbable Inclination to Travel on Two Wheels” and are available from most online booksellers and the publisher, Road Dog Publishing (roaddogpub.com).

I’ve enjoyed Ron Davis’s columns and stories for a long time…he does what all the best motorcycle writing does: he makes you wonder why you aren’t out there riding your own bike, right now, except during the long Wisconsin winter, when his work simply helps you stay sane until spring.”

—Peter Egan, Author of Leanings 1, 2 & 3

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Hand crafted from oak wood, aluminium, and Cordura fabric.

The Empty Table at the Club Breakfast

The 1986 K 75, known as “Blueballs,” entered the “S” curve in the sweet spot of 67 miles per hour, 12 miles per hour over the limit. Though it had rained during the night, the new Metzelers bit into the pavement like chainsaws slicing through cheesecake. I found Metzler’s to be okay, particularly as they were just about the only size you could get for the K 75. My last set of Metzler’s lasted 10,000 miles, at which point they were as transparent as a politician’s smile.

The “S” curve was on a steep downhill, but the sweet spot needed neither brakes nor downshifting to hold my place in traffic. It was well into spring 1995, yet cool enough to keep the liner in my riding jacket. I was wearing condom-thin, perforated leather gloves. These were the finest $22 riding gloves you could buy. In a crash, they were guaranteed to keep the skin on your hands for a millisecond. Why gloves like these? Because they didn’t mute the language of the road through the handlebars. When spring arrives and the road calls you by your first name, you want to hear every word.

I was headed north on Pennsylvania Route 100, roaring out of West Chester to the proletariat paradise of Pottstown, specifically, the Pottstown Family Diner. It was the third Sunday of the month and the designated day for the Mac-Pac’s monthly breakfast. The Mac-Pac is southeastern Pennsylvania’s Premier chartered BMW riding club, though the group is equally committed to antique Nortons, arthritic Triumphs, and deathrattle Ducatis.

My knowledge of this group was sketchy, limited to fantastic stories I had heard in bordellos, prisons and other places like Bed, Bath, & Beyond. One rider allegedly romanced a goat as part of a BMW R bike ritual. Another–a certified cardio-vivisectionist–only wore women’s leather riding gear, with the head of a house cat embroidered on the front. (He went by the name of Dr. Fluffy.) Then

there was the rider who had no name, only a reputation that produced cold sweats in plumbing. He was known as “That Bastid Bregstein.”

I’d had this bike for six months and had been unsuccessful in finding other BMW riders. It’s not like I had conducted an intense (nor even casual) internet search…but I thought I’d run into some BMW riders on the road someplace who’d ask me to ride with them in the spirit of being chummy. The second half of the preceding sentence gives an indication of my youthful gullibility. BMW riders regard everyone with thinly veiled suspicion, but to an R bike rider, K bikers constitute pond scum. (It’s a horsepower-envy thing.)

I had yet to discover the MOA, and getting my first piece published in their magazine–The Owners News — was still a year into the future. My explanation for the absence of BMW riders was that their bikes sported invisibility paint to match the sound made by their mufflers and horns and that their riders simply disappeared when throwing a leg over the saddle. This explanation is as good as any and better than they’re all in assisted living. It was on a ride through rural Pennsylvania that I stopped at a park to admire a statue of two R bike riders.

“What extraordinary detail!” I said. Then one of them spoke, breaking the illusion.

He handed me a business card bearing the name “Posthumous Willenski, President of the Mac-Pac, Meets Every Third Sunday Of The Month, Pottstown Family Diner.” Then he invited me to apply for membership in person. I didn’t know it then, but it is common practice among R bike riders to invite the K riding elite to join other clubs. “Posthumous Willenski” had nothing to do with the Mac-Pac. Before I could thank them, they rode off in a cloud of cottage cheese and prune vapor.

The third Sunday of the month crept

up on me like athlete’s foot. I’d nearly forgotten it until the sleeping woman beside me said, “Aren’t you going to a breakfast meeting of the Lightning Laxative Riders or something?”

“That depends,” I snarled, slowly snaking my arm around her warm, supple form.

Her response was instantaneous, like steam escaping from a pipe: “Noooooooooooooooooo,” she hissed. Ninety seconds later, “Blueballs” and I were rocketing up PA Route 100. The distinctive whine of the K75 filled my helmet. Like any rare wine, this one is an acquired taste. But once you hear it… taste it… and feel it…it becomes a tune you can never forget, yet one in which the lyrics can change by the hour or even by the minute. It is the howling of invisible road wolves, always closing in on their prey. And all “K” bikes make it.

A shrinking amount of PA Route 100 is farmland. Some of it holds little pockets of residential paradise. On my left was an old two-story home surrounded by a few acres of hardwoods, fronted by a little stream. I often wondered what it would be like to live there…To sleep there…To snake my arm around a sleeping woman who didn’t make noises like a bursting, high-pressure steam pipe there. I am a dedicated K bike rider, and my daydreams about this house evaporated when I realized it had a gravel driveway spilling onto Route 100. That would mean an uphill, left turn, in gravel, into opposing traffic, merging on a highway where the sweet spot was 67 mph.

Screw that. The sleeping woman in that house would have to do without me.

There was enough greenery along Route 100 to make its gentle curves pleasant, and there were spots where you could just go like hell. There were plenty of places where you had to exercise caution, too, like the big Catholic church that spewed scads of blood-thirsty Papists, shooting out into traffic on blind

faith. Then the road went to three lanes just before a Sunoco station on the left, where a cop sometimes sat in the middle, looking to grab suckers trying to catch the light. It is amazing how, with 100 percent unobstructed visibility and light traffic on a nice day, you can fail to see the cop sitting in the middle of the road. Likewise, a beautiful sweeper built for high-speed hooliganism abruptly ended at a traffic signal that changed faster than a runway model. The traffic light was guarded by a line of senior citizens who had one trick: making a left-hand turn from a dead stop with smoking tires.

All of this was new to me as I headed to this fateful breakfast for the first time.

The club had their own parking nook behind the diner, choked by 70 of the most eclectic two-wheeled spätzle-grinders I’d ever seen. The most common of these was the mighty GS, a ponderous motorcycle that looked like an armored emu with a double beak. There were dozens of historic R bikes, resplendent in their Amish black buggy paint jobs. Several K LTs–bikes so huge that they required a hydraulic center stand and a reverse gear–blocked the sun. A rider had just pulled in on one stuck in reverse. He’d ridden backwards–at 2 miles per hour for 43 miles–just to make breakfast.

One guy rode in on a bicycle. He looked like copper cable on a spool.

Some machines had sidecars that resembled amusement park ride gondolas from the 1930s. You can never go wrong complimenting a rider’s bike. I approached the sidecar’s owner and said, “This is simply beautiful. Is it custom?”

The rider beamed at me and said, “It is a gondola schtolen from a “Cherman” amusement park in 1932.” The man wore a black leather jacket with red stars on the epaulets and spoke with a heavy German accent. This was my first meeting with the legendary Horst Oberst. At 127, he was the oldest member of the Mac-Pac.

In those days, a Mac-Pac Third Sunday Breakfast was a cross between a food fight and a prison riot. I was introduced as a new guest, then cordially invited to sit down and shut up. I was at the kid’s

table with Gerry Cavanaugh, Dick Bregstein, and “Big Jim” Ellenberg. R bike rider Cavanaugh presented me with a coloring book image of a motorcycle and a crayon. He instructed me to indicate which end of the motorcycle was the front.

“Take your time,” said Cavanaugh. “Accuracy is more important than speed for this one.”

“This is the front,” I said, tapping the headlight on the illustration.

“Circle it,” said Cavanaugh. I no sooner circled the headlight than Cavanaugh pulled the illustration from my hand, held it up to the crowd, and shouted, “See! I was right! This is the front!”

The crowd paid him no attention. They were planning a group ride to a destination on the Maryland shore. This idea drew 100 percent acceptance. The GS riders wanted to pick their own route: an unpaved easement that ran through yards, people’s houses, two abandoned tunnels, and a strip joint. The traditional R bike riders (known as the “Petrified People”) wanted to follow an ice cream truck, as the day was likely to be hot, and they could hear the jingling of the truck’s bells over the stuttering of their engines.

The group ride motion carried with the understanding that participants could take any route they wanted, following the ice cream truck of their preference (Good Humor/Mr. Softee), on any day they chose. Then I was asked to stand up and say a few words about myself. I made it through my name before a faceless voice in the crowd interrupted me by saying, “Oh God…How the hell do these people find us?” (The voice belonged to DucDude, whose Vincent Black Shadow adorns the covers of my books.) When I declared myself a K bike rider, another voice asked, “Who makes that? This is a BMW club.” And thus began my introduction to a group of women and men that would forever mold my impression of the BMW community.

They were/are experts in every aspect of the BMW motorcycle as a machine, in riding technique, in practical

maintenance, and in execution of group safety on collective rides. For the most part, they were engineers for companies like Boeing or Siemens. Horst Oberst was a master mechanic of the old school who traveled the world in service for General Electric. All of these folks would show up on cue if you had a fallen tree in your yard or were moving or threatening to have a party.

When the last woman I will ever love bought a Honda Aero Shadow, Jim Sterling turned up to replace the rig’s farting chipmunk horn. He had the appropriate parts disassembled and spread out on the garage floor. The replacement horn was not surrendering willingly. This sparked some doubt on behalf of my hot squeeze. Ninety minutes later, the enraged scream of a high-performance horn drew her to the garage. Mr. Sterling showed her a “corrected” wiring schematic that he had changed to illustrate the actual path of current in her bike. “Who was that man?” she asked as he left.

“An electronic engineer for Boeing Helicopter,” I replied. “Did you think the horn had him baffled?”

A year later, my hot squeeze remodeled the kitchen and installed an electric Kenmore Range. This colossal POS went belly up two days after it was off the warranty. My squeeze–the last woman I will ever love–was enraged to discover it would cost $750 to restore its functionality, $450 bucks of which was a new part delivered before the stove grew cold. Enter Brian Curry of the Mac-Pac.

Curry was in the kitchen for five hours. The range was reduced to parts, spread out in a line that stretched 50 feet.

TLWIWEL (The Last Woman I Will Ever Love) came in and gasped for air. Brian rebuilt the stove without looking at the $400 replacement part. That range would work flawlessly for another six years.

“Keep the replacement part,” said Curry. “This unit is total crap.”

“Who was he?” asked my hot squeeze as Brian Curry rode off on a K 75.

“He’s an electrical engineer for a nuclear facility,” I replied. “He fixes the

stove that provides light for seven million people.”

Through the Mac-Pac, I would meet riding legends like Doug Raymond (who rode an R bike in ultra street mode up the Haul Road to Prudhoe Bay), “Moto” Eddie Mendez (who rode an unaltered K 75 around the world and through the Sahara Desert); Horst Oberst (a master mechanic who had his first ride in a sidecar when he was three and Hindenburg was the president of Germany); Jim Robinson (Goat Master and pioneer of the floating GS); Chris Carr (World’s Fastest Man On Two Wheels, 2006); Tom Cutter (my mechanic and BMW Friend of the Marque); Peter Frechie (my cardiologist); Joe Dille (the bicyclist); The Sorensens; Billie Zane; Todd Trombore; Kimi Brown (an artist and adventurer best described as a two-wheeled sunrise); Ken Bruce (resident haggis tester); Gerry Cavanaugh; Clyde Jacobs; Ron Yee; Earl Bare; Big Jim Ellenberg; and that “Bastid Bregstein.”

In my endeavor to list those Mac-Pac riders who dramatically changed my life, I’m sure I left out somebody—like Bruce McKelvy, the original “Mac” in Mac-Pac history.

Mac-Pac member Todd Trombore— himself a collector of distinctive twowheeled iron—organized the best back county rides for antique bikes, covering hundreds of picturesque miles and never hitting the same pavement twice. I was always invited. I got invited to a couple of high holy Airhead events before I realized what an honor this was. The legendary Chris Carr was a speaker at one of these. Opening his talk to questions, someone asked, “What is the streamliner’s seat like?”

Chris Carr replied, “Imagine a catcher’s mitt big enough to hold Riepe’s ass.”

I first met Chris Carr at a Mac-Pac “Special New Year’s Day Event.” Carr’s participation had been arranged through the auspices of “Big Jim Ellenberg,” one of the group’s larger-than-life members. As I took my seat in the audience, I was joined by BMW mechanic Tom Cutter, known to many as Mr. Warm and Friendly. Before the presentation began, Cutter said to

me, “If Chris Carr opens this presentation to questions, keep your mouth shut. I don’t want him thinking you are a representative member of this club.”

Then Cutter sat next to me, ready with the restraints.

Carr’s presentation was marvelous. When it was over, Cutter got up to hit the head. That was when “Big Jim” brought Chris Carr over to meet me. When Cutter returned, Chris Carr was sitting in his seat. That was how I introduced Tom Cutter to Chris Carr. Later that month, Chris Car would invite me to watch him race with his pit crew. I never felt like such a big deal before. Spending a day with Chris Carr’s pit crew was amazing…but getting over on Cutter was just the best. (Truth be told, I spent a day watching Cutter race and that was pretty cool, too.)

I first met the riders of the Mac-Pac 18 years ago, and I thought I stood with the “Invincibles,” timeless riders who diminished distance and obstacles through speed, skill and sheer determination. I arrived at breakfast one Sunday and confessed to Doug Raymond that I had dropped my bike in the garage the day before. Doug replied, “Think nothing of it. All these guys drop their bikes in the garage and just don’t talk about it. One day, on the Haul Road, I stopped counting the number of times I dropped my bike when the count hit 11.”

No one is invincible; every mile of two-wheel glory is another grain of sand lost in the hourglass. Every now and again, I’d get the call or the email that somebody I knew had tangled with cancer, kidney failure or heart disease and came up short in the deal. Some had gotten an 18-month extension, but never without losing some aspect of the Viking warrior life. That list includes some of the finest riders I have ever met, and all of them were better men than me (although that isn’t hard to do). They are:

Joe Dille

Big Jim Ellenberg

“Brave” Roddy Irwin

Horst Oberst

Doug Raymond

Jim Sterling Wayne Woodruff

Ron Yee

Each of these folks had a “life celebration” event, which I did not attend. My reason for not attending is simple: I can’t think of any of these folks in the past tense. I so desperately need all of my friends alive. I expect “Big Jim” Ellenberg to call every day. Only one phrase could describe Joe Dille: “Pleasantly Indomitable.” All of these guys were Alpha Dog originals…all wool and a yard wide.

The diner where the Mac-Pac used to meet is shuttered now. The group gets together at “Michael’s Diner,” a bigger venue and more up-to-spec. (Jim Ellenberg once found a Band-Aid in his Chef’s Salad at the Pottstown Family Diner.) I want to make the Mac-Pac’s Third Sunday Breakfast in June. I want to sit with Dick Bregstein and Jerry Cavanaugh, and chat with eight missing riders who are waiting for me where the sun never sets.

Form and Function

I’m sure there are plenty of BMW enthusiasts who’ve detected beauty in the motorcycles produced by the marque throughout its long and convoluted history. To my eye, however, beautiful Beemers populate only the current era, maybe going back as far as the early aughts, with many since then still not qualifying for the adjective. Wait—that’s a bit overstated. Certainly, there have been a handful of lovely offerings over the past century, but the vast majority seemed to have been designed according to a crystal-clear hierarchy regarding form and function, with the latter taking all three positions on the podium.

This is not a criticism. I have always thought of it as a perfectly respectable priority and exactly what the faithful wanted. My longstanding image of the stereotypical Beemerphile was a latemiddle-aged man in an engineeringrelated occupation who eschewed fashion (both visual and technical) in favor of reliable, practical, real-world functionality, looks be damned. An ugly bike or part served as evidence the manufacturer and owner subscribed to the philosophy of “pretty is as pretty does.” (Ironically, the only person I ever heard utter this phrase was in fact a late-middle-aged engineer, but one who owned old Ducatis! So much for my stereotype—and his application of the phrase, since Italian machinery has often represented its antithesis. To be fair, he was referring to his preference for the stability and grunt of his plain-Jane ‘90s-era 900SS over the flashier, twitchier, peakier sport bikes from Japan at that time.)

In recent years, I’ve come to appreciate the tremendous diversity within the BMW community, just as I’ve been awed by the extensive diversification of genres and models on offer from Berlin. I’ll readily concede BMW now makes some of the most gorgeous motorcycles on the planet, partly because they’ve genuinely

stepped up their styling game, but also because so much of the competition has morphed into garish cartoon-like monstrosities. Maybe I’ve also simply reached some tipping point in late-middle-age. For the most part, this enhanced visual appeal has been accompanied by even greater functional proficiency, a decidedly win-win proposition for buyers. After all, homeliness is no guarantee of operational superiority.

There’s a relevant principle in psychology I’d like to apply here. (If there are any Lacanian psychoanalysts in the audience, please forgive my extremely loose use of the following terms.) There are signifiers, and there are the things signified. Human beings very often treat these as interchangeable, and this can cause problems. To use a simplistic illustration, let’s say I view the blue and white roundel as a symbol of prestige, broadcasting my sophistication, financial means and sporty, adventurous character. I may not actually possess any such attributes, but adorning myself with that emblem could reassure me that I do, especially if I believe it evokes the desired image in onlookers’ eyes. The emblem is the signifier, the idealized identity is what’s signified. This is obviously the currency of marketing efforts, and it can be extremely effective without having any veracity whatsoever. An embroidered logo on a shirt may have nothing to do with the quality of the garment, and it may bear no relation to the socioeconomic status of its wearer, yet it can sell a product in great quantities at premium prices if the signifier is enshrined as the signified in public opinion; never mind the shirt’s seams start to unravel during the second wash.

Likewise, we might feel compelled to act in a way that signifies something it actually isn’t. Again, to use a simplistic example: If I immediately and meticulously clean/service my bike after every ride so it’s in perpetually pristine

condition, this may represent to me a sort of immortality—I’m resetting my motorcycle’s aging clock back to zero, over and over again, preserving it for eternity. By extension, to whatever degree I’m identified with this machine, I may feel repeatedly restored to a state of ageless perfection, ready to weather any storms that might come my way. I’m a shiny fire truck sitting poised in the station, always kept in tip-top shape by the firemen between calls, totally prepared for the next alarm. In reality, there are certainly benefits to keeping a bike in good shape, including the careful examination of its condition during regular cleanings. However, this is most definitely not the same as ensuring it will last forever or never fail during use, and it certainly has no connection to my own invulnerability or mortality. Yes, if I live my life in a state of continual preparedness, I’m apt to fare better than if I surrender to entropy, but there are countless limits on my capacities for prediction, awareness, and control; unexpected catastrophe can befall anyone at any time, regardless of their proactive investments, and one can spend a lifetime preparing instead of living. If I really buy into the immortality signifier, whether for my bike or myself, I will be baffled and enraged when problems arise despite my efforts. I may also neglect more realistic ways of improving my chances of survival.

Perhaps the most common areas wherein people get tripped up by signifiers are interpersonal relations and jobs. We imagine a friend or romantic interest is a certain type of person based on a specific feature we consider emblematic. Continuing with simplistic possibilities, we see a fit, muscular person and imbue them with qualities of strength, determination and self-discipline. While that may well be true when it comes to physical exercise, they may display none of those characteristics in other areas of their life. This doesn’t only

apply to positive attributes. We may write off a particularly attractive person as probably an entitled, shallow airhead, with physical beauty signifying empty conceit. As a result of errors in both directions, we can end up entangled with people we eventually conclude are tremendous disappointments and forfeit relationships with much better choices. It’s important not to mistake an impeccable suit for professional integrity, or a pair of faded jeans for irresponsibility.

We may be drawn to a profession or a workplace because of various trappings, like its social status or monetary compensation, imagining these are proof it will be rewarding. Then, after living within it for a while, we realize neither of those promises have been fulfilled—or, even if they have, the position may leave us thoroughly unrewarded in other, more important, ways. We need the ability to distinguish between the signifier and the signified if we are to invest wisely and have a realistic set of expectations regarding the world around us. This is even true of our own identity. When we reify some element—a job title, family role, group membership, medical diagnosis, etc.—as though it is who we are, we’ve again reduced the whole to a part (or worse, an abstract label), confusing a signifier with what’s supposedly signified; we’ve bought into our own PR, replacing something complex and multifaceted with a unidimensional façade.

A particularly infuriating example of deliberately calculated signifier abuse is what we all hear on the recordings pumped through our phones while we wait endlessly on hold. The saccharine voice assures us with threadbare phrases our call is terribly important to the company we’ve contacted, or that all manner of frustrating, dehumanizing indignities in the interaction are somehow a function of their most sincere efforts to ensure the very highest quality

of service. Do you really believe the health insurance company is denying your claim because it has your best interests at heart and is tirelessly protecting you from your doctor’s greed and incompetence? The assurance of concern is most definitely not the same thing as actual concern. Corporate insistence on this count is usually so transparently incongruent it fools absolutely no one, and instead alienates and antagonizes customers even more. It’s unimaginable anyone would mistake signifier for signified in this domain.

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I trust you get my point by now, so I’m going to give the concept a fresh shake. It occurs to me there are cases wherein the form is the function. We call this art. What if the electro-mechanical operation of my gorgeous R 1250 RS isn’t the main attraction? What if I just wanted it for its body(work)? Who’s to say this would be an illegitimate justification for its purchase? Its form might edify me by virtue of its sheer visual, tactile presence—the graceful curves and sensual creases of its surface providing delight without its motor ever turning. I could take pleasure in the elegant engineering evident in the visible elements of its motor and chassis, as did those admirers of BMW motorcycles before the modern era. The aesthetics of design can be inspiring, comforting, or exhilarating. Why would this be any less genuine a function than transportation, sporting prowess, or touring competence? What seems superficial to one person might be the whole point to someone else.

cocoon providing refuge from turbulence and pain. Regardless of the profile it cuts, a machine’s precision craftsmanship might transport me to a parallel universe where order and logic coexist with careful, patiently applied lovingkindness. It’s just plastic and aluminum, but I can infuse it with meaning of any magnitude, according to my emotional needs and imaginative tendencies.

Ultimately, a deeper layer of emotion drives our imagination and shapes our perception and interpretation of signifiers. We’re never free of such distortions; we never observe the world or ourselves from a truly detached, objective viewpoint. We can only recognize our propensity to mistake signifiers for the signified and try to carefully reassess such substitutions in the areas that matter most to us. In a very real sense, we live in a realm of self-manufactured illusions and things are not as they seem. Alas, the blue and white roundel on my bike doesn’t really accrue to the perfection of my soul, no matter how much I admire my bike’s form or function. Berlin can’t do that work for me.

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As for the issue of signifier and signified, the concepts don’t really change. I would still be dealing with an abstraction, an element, and mistaking it for a larger whole that has been symbolized. Perhaps a bike’s lines call to mind a fierce creature; owning it is then tantamount to possessing that beast’s raw power, not because of the horsepower the motor generates, but because of the “facial” expression of its headlights. Obviously, I’d be no more fierce in real life. Another bike’s form represents something more maternal, a luxurious

Mark Barnes is a clinical psychologist and motojournalist. To read more of his writings, check out his book Why We Ride: A Psychologist Explains the Motorcyclist’s Mind and the Love Affair Between Rider, Bike and Road, currently available in paperback through Amazon and other retailers.

Also check out Mark’s podcast version of The Ride Inside, with essays and interviews, available through your favorite podcast app or online at BMWOwnersNews.com.

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Ben Krupp Centennial, CO

Roman Krych Plainfield, IL

Kaustubh Kulkarni Alpharetta, GA

John LaRiccia Newbury, OH

Robert Lasirona South San Francisco, CA

Kelley Latham Riverview, FL

Bruce Lauro New Milford, CT

“I’m new to the club, but looking forward to the MOA rally in Virginia this summer. I rode my 2016 R 1200 GSA all the way to Deadhorse, Alaska, last summer.

Along the way I quickly learned that if you’re serious about riding in Alaska, you need a bike that you can trust! That became very obvious as I saw other bikes/riders struggle through the rough roads and tough riding conditions we endured.

There’s no better feeling than standing in the Bering Sea and knowing you got there because of a gutsy ride on a gutsy ride.”

– Lee Anderbery

Timothy Laycock Lafayette, IN

Beverley Lee Fergus, ON

Brian Leet Aurora, CO

Brian Leslie Aurora, IL

Maiwenn Lethu-Andre Cuba City, WI

Kenneth Lewis Saratoga Springs, NY

David Liechty Bountiful, UT

James Lim Toronto, ON

Avinash M Des Plaines, IL

Airam Magliano Greer, SC

Matt Malone McFarland, WI

Christie Mancuso Coral Gables, FL

David Marcus Elizabeth, CO

Lynn Marler Lebanon, TN

James Marshall Bella Vista, AR

Chad Martin Langley, WA

Phil Marx Charlottesville, VA

Steven Mattos Fredericksburg, VA

Bill Maurer Virginia Beach, VA

Andrew May Roanoke, VA

Andy May Roanoke, VA

Jared McCoig Maryville, TN

Robert McCurdy San Antonio, TX

Steve McDaniel Allegan, MI

Holly McDermott Piedmont, SC

Connor McMullen Fort Morgan, CO

Kevin McQueen Desoto, TX

Michael Meltzer Woodinville, WA

Marcy Meltzer Rockville, MD

Paul Mentag Bath, ME

Thomas Migliorino Massapequa, NY

Pier Milito Saint James City, FL

Lynn Miller Boulder, CO

Imityaz Mohammed Lombard, IL

Raymond Montalbano Farmington, UT

Doug Moore Calgary, AB

John Moorhouse Voorhees, NJ

Steven Morris Orleans, ON

Sarim Nafees Roselle, IL

Alex Nazarian Ann Arbor, MI

Rob Nigmond Barboursville, VA

Mike Novak Naples, FL

Martin O’ Brien Onalaska, WI

Shannon Olive Crumpler, NC

Juliana Olson Oklahoma City, OK

Donald Olson Humboldt, IA

James Orth Beaverton, OR

Christopher Owen Worcester, VT

Dilip Patel Castle Pines, CO

Anil Patil Duluth, GA

Thomas Payne Philo, IL

Paul Pazmino Cape Coral, FL

Enzo Pellegrini Littleton, CO

Daniel Perea Washington, DC

Eusebia Perea Chicago, IL

Edgar Perez Mount Juliet, TN

Heladio Perez Pesina Lincoln, NE

Steve Perkio Loma Linda, CA

Thomas Perry Browns Mills, NJ

Zach Perry Garden City, MI

Mike Peterson Eagan, MN

Terry Pettey Pleasant Prairie, WI

Jay Plaza Edison, NJ

Becky Plovanich Columbia, MO

Chris Poelma Denver, CO

John Porter Roselle Park, NJ

Shannon Purvis Sullivan, MO

Mark Putnam Liberty Twp, OH

Vinu Raman San Jose, CA

Raj Ramaswamy Cumming, GA

Bradley Ramirez Ardmore, OK

Jhony Ramirez Duncan, SC

Patrick Rancourt Barre, VT

Zach Rankin Enterprise, AL

Kurt Rasmussen Seattle, WA

Steven Reeves Chickasaw, AL

Ron Reich Bedford, NH

Jeffrey Reick Channahon, IL

Tom Reifsnyder Lake Placid, FL

Micah Reiman Alva, OK

Theodore Rennenberg Yardley, PA

Brian Rennie Rankin Park, NSW

Alberto Rios Amarillo, TX

Bruce Ritter Hinsdale, IL

Roy Roberts Chesapeake, VA

Jeff Robinson Portland, OR

Jamie Roche Wilmington, NC

Elvis Rodriguez Woodridge, IL

Carrie Rogers Charleston, SC

Gary Ross Portsmouth, RI

Chris Ross Boaz, AL

Michael Rotko Wanatah, IN

Terry Rowley Albuquerque, NM

Randall Rozzell Jones, OK

Yero Rudzinskas Glen Allen, VA

Helmars Rudzitis Easton, PA

Andrew Rusinowski North Salem, NY

Max Ryzh Des Plaines, IL

Indy Saini Marina Del Rey, CA

Micah Sallach Evanston, IL

William Schattner Eagle River, WI

Jens Schipull Seattle, WA

#232766

Jeroen Schmits Spring, TX

Don Schneider Oak Park, MI

Michael Schnurr Roland, IA

Claudio Scremin Eliot, ME

Bruce Scudella Crest Hill, IL

Doug Seefus Denver, NC

Daniel Sernovitz Washington, DC

Amit Shah Ames, IA

Kevin Sheen Littleton, CO

Korey Sherwin Henderson, NV

Robin Shufelt Carver, MA

Bryan Sichers Moneta, VA

Udo Sille Ward, CO

Leonardo Silva Oakland, MI

Caroline Simkins-Mullins Woodbridge, VA

Alex Skuropat Fairhope, AL

Nathan Smith Indianapolis, IN

Wayne Smith Brooksville, FL

Neva Smith Carthage, TX

Jarrod Spadino Highland Park, IL

Erica Starling Charlotte, NC

Greg Starrak Victoria, BC

Tom Steele Montgomery Village, MD

James Strang Tucson, AZ

Adrian Suarez Carpentersville, IL

Geetha Subramaniam Washington, DC

Alyss Swanson San Jose, CA

Michel Swieca Toronto, ON

Piotr Szmuc Chicago, IL

Valko Tanev Mount Prospect, IL

Andrii Tarnovskyi Des Plaines, IL

Paul Taylor Delta, BC

Prachait Thalla Chelsea, MA

Karl Thompson Gainesville, VA

Nealon Thompson Bristow, VA

James Thurber Plattsburgh, NY

Rod Thurley Nashville, TN

John Toureau Ray, MI

Levan Tshelidze Northbrook, IL

Blair Turney Dalton, GA

Danilo Ubaid Winter Garden, FL

Jozef Valko McLean, VA

Klaus Vikari Wilmington, DE

Ramon Viso Tucson, AZ

Conrad Vogel Laramie, WY

Christopher Vogel Mesquite, NV

Charles Waeltz Gulf Shores, AL

Eric Wafford Sahuarita, AZ

David Warmus Ashville, AL

McKenzie Warmus Ashville, AL

Jonah Wassermann Boca Raton, FL

Zachary Wayton Stafford, VA

Edward Welliver Bear Creek Twp, PA

Randy Wells Enterprise, AL

Norman Wells Toronto, ON

Adrian Westmoreland Coquitlam, BC

Joshua Whitney Lorton, VA

Bradley Wieczorek Sioux Falls, SD

Timothy Williams Aldie, VA

Paul Williamson Round Rock, TX

Estie Womach Bryant, AR

James Wooden Charlotte, NC

Kenneth Woody Buckhannon, WV

Isaac Yarian Altoona, IA

Saad Zarhloul Alexandria, VA

Find an Event near You

7/13/2023 – 7/16/2023

CASCADE COUNTRY RENDEZVOUS Cashmere, Washington rallymaster@wsbmwr.org

7/20/2023 – 7/23/2023

TOP O’ THE ROCKIES RALLY Paonia, Colorado topotherockies@bmwmcc.org

7/28/2023 – 7/30/2023

CAMPOUT AT BEAR RIVER Colfax, California tourcaptain@bmwnorcal.org

7/29/2023

CELEBRATE “MAXIMUM BOB” LUTZ AT YANKEE AIR MUSEUM Ypsilanti, Michigan jblock8586@wowway.com

8/1/2023 – 8/4/2023

THE GREAT EASTERN ADVENTURE

Bishop’s Falls, Newfoundland & Labrador moores@horizonsunlimited.com

8/4/2023 – 8/6/2023

MOA GETAWAY AT VALLEY FORGE

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania membership@bmwmoa.org

8/4/2023 – 8/7/2023

INTERNATIONAL ROLLING BROCOLLI Vassar, Michigan

J. J. Dostal 810-624-5987

8/11/2023 – 8/12/2023

30TH BLUE BUTT RALLY Virginia City, Nevada bluebuttrally@gmail.com

8/11/2023 – 8/14/2023

KASLO CAMP-N-RIDE

Kaslo, British Columbia events@valleybmwriders.com

8/17/2023 – 8/19/2023

MIKE MCPEAK MEMORIAL RALY Village of Nakusp, British Columbia milkemcpeakrally@hotmail.com

8/17/2023 – 8/19/2023

25TH ANNUAL BEARTOOTH BEEMERS RENDEZVOUS Red Lodge, Montana registrar@beartoothbeemers.org

8/17/2023 – 8/20/2023

57TH ANNUAL 4WINDS BMW RALLY Fairmont City, Pennsylvania jmarnell@mac.com

8/19/2023 – 8/20/2023

MS RIVER ROAD RUN Monticello, Minnesota lee@hamlineconstruction.com

8/25/2023 – 8/27/2023

9TH HOPEWELL ROAD RALLY Athens, Ohio samrbooth@yahoo.com

8/26/2023 to 8/27/2023

CAMPOUT AT BADGER FLATS Lakeshore, California tourcaptain@bmwnorcal.org

9/1/2023 to 9/4/2023

RANGE OF LIGHT GYPSY TOUR Colusa, California tourcaptain@bmwnorcal.org

9/1/2023 to 9/4/2023

THREE FLAGS CLASSIC

Begins in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico and Ends in Calgary, Canada emailmotopippi@gmail.com

9/6/2023 to 9/10/2023

10TH ANNUAL WAILIN’ WAYNE WEEKEND Nelsonville, Ohio chad@bmwmoa.org

9/7/2023 to 9/10/2023

MIDWAY CAMP-N-RIDE Midway, British Columbia events@valleybmwriders.com

9/8/2023 – 9/10/2023

52ND ANNUAL WISCONSIN DELLS RALLY Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin barnrazer@yahoo.com

9/8/2023 – 9/10/2023

KENTUCKY STATE BMW RALLY Pineville, Kentucky prorepoms@aol.com

9/8/2023 – 9/10/2023

TUG HILL TURNOUT Lowville, New York camdengroup@icloud.com

9/14/2023 – 9/17/2023

CRUISIN’ CUSTER RALLY Challis, Idaho chad@bmwmoa.org

9/21/2023 – 9/24/2023

2023 PURE STODGE IOWA RALLY Elkader, Iowa pstarally@gmail.com

9/21/2023 – 9/24/2023

3RD ANNUAL LAUREL HIGHLANDS WEEKEND SPONSORED BY THE BMW MOA Somerset, Pennsylvania gsjay@kaplitz.com

9/22/2023 – 9/24/2023

19TH THUNDER MOUNTAIN RENDEZVOUS Hotchkiss, Colorado aesurvey@aol.com

9/22/2023 – 9/24/2023

36TH ANNUAL HOOSIER BEEMER RALLY North Vernon, Indiana k12lts@gmail.com

9/28/2023 – 10/1/2023

LAST CHANCE TO CAMP-N-RIDE Oroville, Washington events@valleybmwriders.com

9/28/2023 – 10/1/2023

THRILLS IN THE HILLS, TEXAS HOEDOWN Kerrville, Texas chad@bmwmoa.org

For complete details on any event listed, please visit bmwmoa.org and click on the Rallies & Events tab

This scenic 350-mile loop weaves together rugged two-track with some of the most incredible pavement you’ll ever ride. Ranging from wide-open prairies to dense aspen forests and filled with historical points of interest and abundant wildlife, this route is a perfect introduction to what riding BDR is all about. RideBDR.com/BlackHills

BMW MOTORRAD | GAIA GPS | EDELWEISS BIKE TRAVEL

| KLIM | MOTOZ | COLORADO MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES | REV’IT

PRESENTED

WHEN & WHERE

9/29/2023 – 10/1/2023

“BACK TO JAMAICA” CAMPOUT Jamaica, Vermont kz1000@hotmail.com

9/29/2023 – 10/1/2023

41ST ANNUAL LAST CHANCE RALLY Wading River, New Jersey pjliskojr@gmail.com

9/29/2023 – 10/1/2023

CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BMW ROAD RIDERS ANNUAL CAMPOUT Talihina, Oklahoma tburull@hotmail.com

10/8/2023 – 10/22/2023

BMW MOA & IMTBIKE CELEBRATION TOUR OF SPAIN Madrid, Spain tours@imtbike.com

10/13/2023 – 10/15/2023

48TH FALLING LEAF RALLY Steelville, Missouri rally-coordinator@gatewayriders.com

10/28/2023 – 10/29/2023

OCTOBERFEST

Manchaster, California tourcaptain@bmwnorcal.org

11/3/2023 – 11/5/2023

53RD SOUTH-CENTRAL BMW OWNERS REUNION Fayetteville, Texas

vp@bmwclubofhouston.com

Mike McPeak Memorial Rally

57th Annual Rally

Aug 18 – 20, 2023

America’s longest running BMW rally

Escape to the scenic western PA countryside and enjoy a relaxing time that will remind you of rallies from long ago. Great Friends, Good Food, and the Best Stories! Early arrivals and all bike brands welcome.

Sat. catered dinner, on-site food concession, paved and adventure rides, local attractions, field games, prizes, seminars, movies, demo rides, bonfire, 2 nights tent camping under large shade trees, open grass or indoor covered shelters, RV spaces, free coffee and drinks, Sun. morning donuts.

Pre-register $45 – Gate $55 • Youth pre-register $20 – Gate $30

www.4WindsBMW.org

For more information, contact: 4WindsBMW@comcast.net or Joe.Burns@bmwmoa.org

BMW Motorcycle Owner s of Vermont 39th Annual Green Mountain R ally

September 8-10, 2023

Registration opens June 1

Come join us to carve the sweepers and streamside shaded twisties of Vermont. Enjoy cool mountain air as you soak up music from Snake Mountain Bluegrass Friday night and Vermont Blues Saturday.. Dine comfortably on home-cooked meals in the screened hall or fire-lit pavilion. Self-guided gap rides and tons of gravel roads in and near national forest. Free hot showers, bonfire, and great rally prizes from our sponsors: Max BMW Motorcycles, Aerostich, BMW MOA, and BMW RA

F or More Inf ormation email: greenmtnrally@gmail.com

Jim Goss, Co-Chair jsgoss@roadrunner.com

Erin Ackerman-Leist; Co-Chair Regi

https://bmwmov.club

Molyoil ‐ oil, fuel & air filters – 12/24K maintenance kits – brake pads & rotors – fuel pumps – Hall sensors – repair manuals & dvds–tools – fuel line disconnect sets – fuel injection controllers – exhausts – batteries & chargers –master cylinders & rebuild kits – starters – spark plugs & wires – cables –  radiator fans – alt belts – fender extenders – Carbtune carb/TB synchronizers

select BMW

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor BILL WIEGAND | bill@bmwmoa.org

Art Director KARIN HALKER | karin@bmwmoa.org

Digital Media Editor WES FLEMING | wes@bmwmoa.org

Associate Editor RON DAVIS

A ssociate Editor JOSE ABILES

CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Eugster, Steve Ladd, Pat Carroll, Craig Szelestey, Simon Cox, Annette Bennis, Nick Greear, Derek Molina, Lew Soltis, Adam Chandler, Jose Abiles, Rob Nye, Steve Metz, Matt Parkhouse, Wes Fleming, Alan Toney, Eric Bell, Dustin Silvey, Ron Davis, Jack Riepe, Mark Barnes, Rob McInerney.

SALES & MARKETING

MEMBER SERVICES

Advertising Director CHRIS HUGHES | chris@bmwmoa.org

Business Development Director CHAD WARNER | chad@bmwmoa.org

Executive Director TED MOYER | ted@bmwmoa.org

Membership Associate TONYA MCMEANS | tonya@bmwmoa.org

Digital Marketing Manager RAY TUBBS | ray@bmwmoa.org

Membership Manager PAULA FITZER | paula.fitzer@bmwmoa.org

Chief Operating Officer BECKY SMITH | becky.smith@bmwmoa.org

MEMBERSHIP

BMW MOA Headquarters 2350 Hwy. 101 South, Greer, SC 29651 (864) 438-0962

Membership in the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America is open to all riders, regardless of brand affiliation. Although we are united by the BMW marque, adventure-minded motorcyclists will find a home here. Join today by visiting bmwmoa.org or call one of our friendly membership associates at 864-438-0962.

For a complete listing of membership options, please visit bmwmoa. org or call 864-438-0962.

BMWMOA.ORG

BMW ON (ISSN:1080-5729) (USPS: 735-590) (BMW Owners News) is published monthly by BMW Motorcycle Owners of America Inc., 2350 Hwy 101 South, Greer, SC 29651. Periodicals postage paid at Pewaukee, Wisconsin and additional mailing offices. Opinions and positions stated in materials/articles herein are those of the authors and not by the fact of publication necessarily those of BMW MOA; publication of advertising material is not an endorsement by BMW MOA of the advertised product or service. The material is presented as information for the reader. BMW MOA does not perform independent research on submitted articles or advertising.

POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO BMW ON, 2350 Hwy 101 South, Greer, SC 29651 ©2023 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 53, Number 7

ADVERTISING INDEX

Photo by Jose C. Abiles #184071

NEW Lifestyle Collection

In our continuing efforts to bring innovative products and services to our membership, the MOA is excited to offer The Lifestyle Collection. For the first time, the MOA and Klim are offering co-branded apparel. Klim is the global leader in designing, developing and manufacturing, the most advanced technical riding gear and motor sports apparel for motorcycle riders.