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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OK AND WOW. BMW SERVICE & ORIGINAL PARTS
BMW Service stands for quality and precision in every detail, with specially trained technicians who use only Original BMW Parts and approved equipment. From oil changes to annual checkups and more, an authorized BMW Motorrad dealer will bring you peace of mind – so you can concentrate on enjoying the ride ahead. Find an authorized BMW Motorrad dealer at bmwmotorcycles.com.
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The Ultimate Riding Machine™
Motorcycling is also the DESTINATION By Jane Schluter
People say motorcycling is about the journey, not the destination. In my case it was both the journey and the destination.
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ne of my earliest memories is looking at motorcycles and knowing that I had to have one. My father taught me how to ride a bicycle when I was 5. I remember that feeling of freedom and almost recklessness that accompanied it. Like many children of that era, I started with training wheels. I loved that I could push my feet, make the pedals go and then the bike. I could move around my little neighborhood much more quickly than if I walked. I moved on to no training wheels, in no time; an experience that was not without scraped knees and tireless determination; but I was sold! I knew that I had to have the fastest bike, i.e. a motorcycle. Other girls my age wanted Barbies, I wanted to be Wonder Woman and own a motorcycle. I had only ever seen big motorcycles so I knew I would have to wait a bit to get one as I was possibly 3 feet tall. In the meantime, I would ride my little red Schwinn all over. And then I discovered dirt! I rode that bike through the woods in the dirt at every chance possible. I would come home so muddy and so happy. In this small suburban town,
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The BMW Riders Association was founded in 1971. The “RA” brings to focus the stuff all motorcyclists like through experiences gleaned over five decades of riding motorcycles on many continents. Our magazine is a pure enthusiast’s mix of topics we all enjoy, from the latest machines and technology to the oldest BMW still running, a 1923 R32 owned by one of our members. Our interests are history and revered old bikes, custom machines that grab our attention, racing, and superbikes that allow all riders to experience the race track in complete safety, riders’ gear, moto art, special events, and much more, including all the motorcycles we’ve come to revere and enjoy.
people didn’t go dirt riding or even think of it as an option. There was something extremely proprietary in what we felt. Almost as if we had discovered the sport and brought it into being. I went as much as possible until Bon Jovi bought the land and closed it off. I remember when I first asked my parents for a motorcycle. I was young and at first, I think they thought it a joke. I think they even laughed. Maybe I caught them off guard? Who can be sure? In any case, I received the expected “You’ll shoot your eye out,” response (from the movie Christmas Story). Which translated to, “No, you cannot have one. They are dangerous…”. At that point, I don’t know if they said I would never be able to have one or I heard it implied, but it made me want one even more. I brought up motorcycles enough times that my father finally acquiesced and said that if I saved up enough money, I could have one. I think he thought that there would be no way I could save up that much. He did not know I had already started this fund years earlier. My father also always believed that everything in life had to be earned. There were no free rides. I helped my mother with her business, doing inventory and accounting (math was my strength). I babysat all the kids in the area. I did any outside gardening work I could do for her. I don’t think the yard ever looked so good! I also came up with things
to sell. Going door to door, selling my different wares, I was an entrepreneur at an early age- motivated by my want of a motorcycle. So by the time he had said that it was all dependent on the cost- I was almost there. One year, I was in ninth grade and we were already in our second house in Rumson. I was not yet in high school as my elementary school went from Kindergarten to 9th. I would turn 15 in the spring. Everyone I had known for the last ten years (I had gone to one school for the entire time, K-9th) was getting a moped. I started my marketing plan. I found some post-its and wrote “moped” on the whole pack. I papered the house with them, especially at my father’s 6’4” eye level. I put them in his car on the visor, I put them anywhere I thought he might see them. Years later when the moped push was over and we were moving from this house, these post-it notes were still found attached in different obscure locations. In the end, earning the money was not enough to convince my father. I had my ninth-grade party at my house in June. The entire class was there. Very good turnout. They all came on mopeds. Unfortunately, I grew up in a very anti-motorcycle family and finally realized that getting one while still under my parents’ roof was not possible. However, as soon as I moved
out of the country after college I received a Vespa for my birthday. I was living in Rome, Italy and had little excess in funds. 4 years of riding in Rome traffic was probably the best driving school I could have attended. My Vespa took me all over Rome, the surrounding areas, and even over one hundred miles away. My friends used to joke about it. “Jane, seriously, rent a car!” I was on highways, byways, dirt roads, gravel, the large field stone Appian Way, Sampietrinis (the small square blocks that paved the roads to Rome and are incredibly slick when wet)- anywhere that allowed me to ride, I went. When I moved back to the States, being age 29, I figured I could buy a bike and my parents could not stop me. I met my first motorcycle dealer in NJ when I needed my 1968 Vespa from Rome repaired. I purchased one soon after and I have had one ever since. This same motorcycle I bought from the dealer in NJ, I would ride everywhere and I took it with me when I moved to NY. One day I was in an elevator in NY and I was putting on my helmet. I was alone except for a person talking on his phone with a headset. He suddenly stopped, I guess he also hung-up as he took his headset off and started talking to me. He asked me if I ride? I replied yes (and gave him a questioning and “seriously?!” look as
Motorcycling is also the Destination continued on 44
Jane and Ania
On the cover
Panayiotis Mason Amitsis BMW Motorrad the next generation: Panayiotis, my younger son, sits on my bikes, wears my old motorcycle helmets around the house and even sleeps in them. Every day he asks, “Mom, when can I get my motorcycle?” It’s in this dressing up and sitting on the bikes that the next generation is living their dream of someday owning their bike. January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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Always On The Level BMW Riders Association
Join BMW BMW RA RA Today! Today! Membership Membership includes includes member member card, card, club club decal, decal, and and 66 issues issues Join annually of of ON ON THE THE LEVEL. LEVEL Magazine. annually For new new memberships, memberships, renewals renewals or or change change of of address address call: visit866-924-7102 our website: or For fax: http://www.bmwra.org/membership/ 262-522-1103. Visit our website: http://www.bmwra.org/membership/ or call 866-924-7102 BMW BMW RA RA O Officers fficers George George Nyktas Nyktas President President Contact Contact BMW RA BMW Karen Karen Jacobs Jacobs Vice Vice President President RAP.O. Box 570 RA Headquarters: Bob Bob Ulrich Ulrich Treasurer Treasurer Headquarters: Mukwonago, WIRA53149-0570 Gary Andrew Haydel Pretzl Trustee Trustee P.O. Box 435 Tel: 262-409-2899 Andrew Jessie Baublitz Pretzl Trustee Trustee Clarksville, OH 45113-0435 Fax: 262-522-1103 Jessie Hans Rosenstein Baublitz Trustee Trustee Toll-Free: 866-924-7102 866-924-7102 Toll-Free: Greg MartinHutchinson Fischer Trustee Trustee E-mail: RAadmin@bmwra.org RAadmin@bmwra.org E-mail: Jerry Dockery Trustee Website: http://www.bmwra.org http://www.bmwra.org Website: Matthew DeWald Trustee Complaint Department RA R Rally ally IInformation nformation RA C omplaint Department rallyinfo@bmwra.org rallyinfo@bmwra.org RAPrez@bmwra.org Website: http://www.bmwra.org http://www.bmwra.org Website: RAPrez@bmwra.org Club Charters C Jessie lub Baublitz Charters – Chartered Clubs Coordinator Jessie – Chartered Clubs Coordinator Email:Baublitz charteredclubs@bmwra.org Email: charteredclubs@bmwra.org ON THE LEVEL-OTL-(USPS 023-559; ISSN 0199-9036) is published bi-monthly, six times per year by BMW ON THE LEVEL-OTL-(USPS 023-559; ISSN 0199-9036) is published bi-monthly, six times per year by BMW Riders Association Inc., 2764 Gum Grove Road • Clarksville, OH 45113. OTL arrives to most members at Riders Association Inc., 206 Travis Lane, Unit 8, Waukesha, WI 53189. OTL arrives to most members at the the end of each issue month. RA members may submit an address change online at bmwra.org/membership end of each issue month. RA members may submit an address change online at bmwra.org/membership or or to the address below by the last day of the month for the next OTL issue to arrive at a new address. to the address below by the last day of the month for the next OTL issue to arrive at a new address. Periodical postage paid at Clarksville, OH and additional mailing offices. Periodical postage paid at Waukesha, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to BMW Riders Association, P.O. Box 435, Clarksville, OH POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to BMW Riders Association, P.O. Box 570, Mukwonago, WI 45113-0435 53149-0570
Looking for Story Tellers, To Subscribe to Technicians, Gadget On Adventurers. The Level Gurus and
Magazine go toAdventures Tell us why the draw to motorcycling? it took you on. Technical modifications that worked and those that didn’t. Gadgets for bikes and Apps for the ride. Each issue, a collection of twists and http://www.bmwra.org/membership/ turns and eclectic passages. PO Box 435 Contact Jane SchluterGSJane@BMWRA.Org Clarksville, Ohio 45113 (866) 924-7102 toll free USA
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OTL
September/October 2016 Vol. 45 No. 5
OTL
On The Level
Official publication of the BMW Riders Association RA HQ Phone Number: 262-409-2899 anuary ebruary RA HQ Fax Number: 262-522-1103 ol o RA HQ Toll-Free Number: 866-924-7102 E-mail: OTL@bmwra.org n http://www.bmwra.org he evel Website: Official publication of the BMW Riders Association OTL Staff RA HQ Toll-Free Number: Will 866-924-7102 Editor-In-Chief Guyan E-mail: OTL@bmwra.org Bill Costello Art Director Website:Editor http://www.bmwra.org Layout Katherine Tsikitas
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OTL OTLAssociate Staff Editor Tina Doggett Contributors Owen Guyan Editor-In-Chief Jane Schluter Layout Editor John Harper Nicole Hesse Contributors Jeff TinaYost Doggett Tina Matt Doggett DeWald Editor Emeritus Steve Smith Robert Hellman Rally Map Erik Munck Andy Pretzl Euro Correspondent Marc Neve Buy-Sell-Swap Andy de Pretzl Alaska Correspondent Erik Christensen Legal Counsel David Bromfield Editor Emeritus Robert Hellman Rally Map Andy Pretzl Editor Buy-Sell-Swap Andy Pretzl Jane Schluter Legal Counsel David Bromfield E-mail: editor@bmwra.org
E Tditor echnical Questions Will Guyan by US Mail or phone Northern CA Oak Okleshen E-mail: 22637 editor@bmwra.org Ridgway Ave., Richton Park, Il 60471 (708) 748-8151 T echnical Questions and online at: by US Mail or phone onlinetechline@bmwra.org Oak Oak Okleshen Okleshen / Anton Largiader 22637 Ridgway Ave., Richton Park, Il 60471 (708) OTL 748-8151 Deadlines and onlinefor at:submitting all material for Deadline onlinetechline@bmwra.org publication in OTL is on the 1st day of the Oak Okleshen Anton Largiader month prior to/ printing.. OTL Deadlines Advertising Sales Manager Deadline for submitting all material for Tina Doggett publication in OTL is on the 1st day of the Cell: 414-313-9883 month prior to printing.. Fax: 262-522-1103 E-mail: advertising@bmwra.org Advertising Sales Manager Tina Doggett Want ads and Rally info Cell: 414-313-9883 Free to BMW RA members and chartered Fax: 262-522-1103 clubs. See respective section in OTL for E-mail: advertising@bmwra.org requirements. W ant ads and Rally info Back Issues Free to BMW RA members and chartered Contact RA Headquarters clubs. See respective in large OTL orders for $10.00 each/reducedsection rates for requirements. Fine Print Except those rare instances in which OTL pays monetary B ackinIssues compensation for an article or photos, the submission of any Contact RA to Headquarters text or photos OTL grants to OTL, for a period of not longer than thirty (30) days from $10.00 each/reduced ratessubmission, for largea first-right orders of
refusal regarding publication of said material. OTL reserves publication, to edit or modify any submitted material to publication, holdmonetary material Except in those rareprior instances in which and OTLtopays accepted for publication for aor period of not than six compensation for an article photos, the longer submission of months. Upon publication any submitted textaor photos, any text or photos to OTLofgrants to OTL, for period of OTLlonger thereafter a non-exclusive right to reproduce not than retains thirty (30) days from submission, a firstthis material in regarding printed orpublication electronic of media. Submission of right of refusal said material. OTL text or photos to to OTL constitutes acknowledgement of and reserves the right refuse publication, to edit or modify any agreementmaterial to theseprior terms. submitted to publication, and to hold material accepted for publication for a period of not longer than six months. Upon publication of any submitted text or photos, (ISSN 0199-9036) OTL thereafter retains a non-exclusive right to reproduce this material in printed or electronic media. Submission of text or photos to OTL constitutes acknowledgement of and agreement to these terms. the right to refuse ine Print F
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OTL Mail Fraulein Schluter: Thought that I would reach out & say hi. You are the one I have to thank (?) for introducing me to the world of BMW Motorrad. I put 65,000 miles on the K1200GT you sold me & I just bought a 2017 triple black GS/A. Hope your life has been going well in these ensuing years. Major congrats on your new position as editor of OTL. A most exciting job & I wish you well. Tell me how you are doing when you get a chance..... Thanks, Jay Jay, Thank you for reaching out to me- I always love reconnecting. I hope you have had some wonderful years- gosh it must be over 10 years. Congratulations, Jay on your 65K! All my best! Jane Friend of the Marque Your predecessor emailed me to the effect, “Before it goes to your head, remember Keith Dempster got there before you.” Now we can say, “leaders like Will Guyan are a part.” BMW AG owns a lot of odd things north of the Olympic tower up toward Motorrad Zentrum on Frankfurter Ring. Once one such thing was designated “Mobile Tradition.” I ventured by appointment and after a cup of coffee was offered a tour of more 2002’s than I could count. Then we came to a wall with a lot of writing on it, “Those are signatures of Friends of the Marque.” I was too polite to ask, “Where do I sign?” As I was escorted out the door, the guiding gentleman said, “Oh. You are a friend of the marque!” So when you get there, do ask, “where do I sign?” John Hermann RA 0013 Hi, Jane, I have been awaiting the time to welcome you to the Editor position for the OTL.
Editing a magazine is a lot of hard work, long hours, and stressful. I hope that you find it rewarding and satisfying. There are many members who are eagerly awaiting your first publication and issue. There is so much to say and so little time to gather it and put into type and ink. We await your efforts with eagerness... Take a look at my blog below, if there is any thing I can offer you? just let me know. I can usually write on anything, but my skills are in Vintage and Touring. Martin C. Fischer 570 815 6294 See Blog @ www.northeastclassicwheels. net One Man’s Opinion-GS Jane, I have been riding about 60 years on 16 BMWs and 30 or so other ones and have over 200k on the BMWs so I have some thoughts. I recently suffered a catastrophic encounter with a left turning automobile and among other things a serious broken left wrist causing loss of use of my left/clutch hand. No idea what the future will bring. Anyway, I am again looking at the C650GT which BMW insists on calling a “scooter”. It is not. A Vespa is a scooter. This BMW is apparently not selling well which I attribute to the perception that there is not much to it. I put 100K on an R75/5 which has less horsepower and poor handling compared to the C650GT. If BMW were not so hard to reach for suggestions, I would suggest they rename it something else such as Urban Tourer even though it is excellent on the long haul. Those detractors will be smiling at the taillights as it leaves them behind. In a perfect world I would be able to order one with dynamic ESA which would help a lot with the suspension for riding two up which we always have done. It would be nice to buy exactly what is wanted. I am currently limited in my choices so I wish BMW would step up to the plate and build a modern/automatic motorcycle or improve the C650GT automatic. Michael Truel 14562 BMWRA 89 since 1974 We will be sending you a composition soon detailing the Oklahoma City BMW dealership, too. Mt Mike Truel RA 14562
Mike I am sorry for the delay in responding. I know all too well these 4-wheelers. I am recovering from a serious accident myself. Someone who ran a stop sign and hit me full on. I was going 25mph and wearing full-gear which is the reason I am still here. It is unfortunate, because, regardless of the true fault, people like to give it to motorcyclists. I hope you are doing better! I also understand about the automatic drive wish. It is the present and the future of a division of the marketplace. I have seen the trend even in other scooter companies to go automatic for the rider who prefers to ride with no gears. I look forward to seeing your composition. All the best! Jane (email from Mike) Short ride; not recommended. Bought the C650GT because of the twist and go feature. Oct 1, 2015 Della and I were run over and seriously injured by a last second left turn driver. Our new R1200GS was totaled. We were both unconscious for a long time and she was medivac flown to OU med in Oklahoma City. We have been in therapy all this time and pleased to be alive. We train for those left turns but sometimes there is nowhere to go. Meanwhile the C650GT is an under-rated motorcycle in so many ways. We hope to be back in the game soon. It was Della’s choice, which I appreciate. Mike in Oklahoma RA 14562 Jane, Working on a article about Oklahoma City. Meanwhile when you visit Oklahoma the parts person in Tulsa is Carita from Finland! She is a wealth of knowledge of BMW and I am certain you two would have a lot to discuss. Ciao Mike Mike- No kidding- I am heading to Finland in a month with my sons, 8 and 9 years! Maybe she can offer some advice. Best! Jane
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BMW NEWS Grand Opening: BMW Motorcycles of Burbank Press Release by Matt DeWald
BMW Motorrad USA announced the grand opening of BMW Motorcycles of Burbank, located at 2913 N Ontario St, Burbank, CA. The new Burbank location offers a complete line of new and pre-owned BMW motorcycles, parts, accessories, apparel and service capabilities, within a 12,000-square foot facility and showroom. Mike and Aya Ungureanu lead the charge at the new facility. Mike spent 27 years in the motorcycle industry, including selling the BMW brand and serving as general manager at former dealerships in North Hollywood and Hollywood. New model year 2017 Additions and Updates BMW Motorrad announced the model year 2017 product offerings and pricing. Included in the 2017 line-up are two 313cc entry models and three new R nineT variations. The S 1000 R, S 1000 RR, K 1600 GT, and R nineT all saw model updates in their 2017 offerings. All New BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS Looking to pierce the entry-rider market, BMW added its first sub500cc offerings with the G 310 GS and G 310 R. And for the first time, BMW broke below the $5,000 price point with the G 310 R. Developed in Germany and made in India in cooperation with TVS Motor Company, the new 313cc motorcycles are designed for the world market – in part meaning they are compatible with diverse fuel qualities. Both models feature a single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with four valves and two overhead camshafts. In a new twist on engine design, the cylinder head sits in a backward-tilted position with the cylinder head turned by 180 degrees, with the intake tract at the front, when viewed in the direction of travel. With an output of 34hp at 9,500 rpm, 21 lb/ft of torque at 7,500 rpm, and estimate fuel consumption of 71 mpg, the GS and R seek to achieve BMW levels of dynamic performance in a small package. Weighing 349 and 373 lbs (unladen), respectively, the G 310 R and G 310 GS contain standard BMW features, such as ABS and a 6-speed gearbox.
All New R nineT (Blackstorm metallic/Vintage)
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
While the G 310 R resembles the S 1000 R, top speeds of 90 mph for the former are far less than that of its larger sibling. The G 310 GS also sports a top speed of 90 mph. The G 310 R is available in three color schemes: Cosmic Black/ Polar White non-metallic, Strato Blue metallic, and Pearl White metallic. Including destination charges, the G 310 R is priced at $4,995. The G 310 GS color options include Cosmic Black non-metallic, Racing Red non-metallic, Pearl White metallic. All New R nineT Racer, Pure, and Urban BMW Motorrad announced three new variations to its highly configurable R nineT series for the model year 2017 – the Racer, Pure, and Urban, each reminiscent of the riding days of yesteryear. The Racer and its half-fairing, hump seat, stub handlebars, and setback footrests, invokes memories of the 1970s racing era. Due to its resemblance to the BMW R 90 S, riders can expect a couched riding position, compact feel, and elongated gas tank. The Racer is available in Light White non-metallic paint, with an Aluminum Silver Frame and black drivetrain. The Pure combines Catalano Grey non-metallic paint, brushed aluminum trim panels, and black appointments on the suspension, engine, and seat, and is appropriately named for its no-frills look. Sticking to its classic appearance, seating is available for a rider and passenger, but the seat can be converted into a seat hump for solo riding. Originating from BMW’s 1980 R80 G/S, the new Urban G/S features five-spoke alloy cast wheels, 19-inch and 17-inch front and rear wheel, respectively. BMW offers optional extra deep treaded tires for off-road riding and wire-spoked wheels. Its suspension contains a conventional telescopic fork in the front, and a Paralever with a central spring in the rear. Automatic Stability Control (ASC) is available as a factory-installed option. Each of the R nineT variants pair a 1,170cc engine capable of 110hp with a 6-speed gearbox. Updated S 1000 R and S 1000 RR BMW’s S 1000 R and S 1000 RR underwent facelifts and feature updates for the model year 2017. By reducing the weight by 4 lbs, increasing the power output to 165hp (from 160hp), and adding vibration-free handlebars, riders may feel an uplift in speed and comfortable with the 2017 S 1000 R. BMW Motorrad has also added a titanium silencer as a standard feature, which invokes a potent sound and sporty look. A seasoned observer may also note a reduction of fairing and a new frame structure – both of which contribute to the reduction in weight, compared to prior year models. The S 1000 R features new factory-available options, including ABS Pro and Shift Assist Pro. The 2017 edition is available in three new color schemes: Racing Red non-metallic/ Blackstorm metallic, Catalano Grey non-metallic, and BMW Motorsport (Lupine Blue metallic/ Light White non-metallic/ Racing Red non-metallic).
The S 1000 RR’s standard features now include Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), variant riding modes (rain, sport, and race), and Race ABS (which increases the safety of braking in bends). While a single-seat with a passenger seat cover is standard, BMW Motorrad provides a free optional passenger package. The S 1000 RR is also available in a new color option - Granite Grey metallic/ Blackstorm metallic. Updated K 1600 GT BMW Motorrad optimized wind and weather protection for the 2017 K 1600 GT through enlarged slipstream deflectors and newly designed side trim parts. Additionally, new standard features include Dynamic ESA (electronic suspension adjustment) with adjustment modes for “road” and “dynamic.” Other new factory-available optional features include: reverse assist (which is actuated with a button on the left handlebar) and Shift Assist Pro. The K 1600 GT is available in three new color options: Mars Red metallic, Blackstorm metallic, and Lupine Blue metallic/ BlackStorm metallic. Updated R nineT For its base model R nineT, BMW Motorrad added new 17-inch wired-spoke wheels (standard), enlarged gas tank capacity (4.8 gallons), and a new optional paint finish (Blackstorm metallic/ Vintage) that includes a yellow, hand-painted start number “21.”
S1000RR
Steering precision and stability improved with a slightly longer wheelbase (by .3 inches to 60.1 inches), reduced steering head angle (to 63.2 degrees from 64.5 degrees), and an upside-down telescopic fork (which is also seen on the S 1000 RR). New options available for the 2017 model include Automatic Stability Control (ASC) and Blue Planet metallic/ Aluminum color scheme (which comes with an aluminum fuel tank and hump seat). BMW K 1600B Unveiled to US Riders at IMS in Cleveland BMW Motorrad debuted the all new K 1600B at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Cleveland on January 28 and 29, 2017. The new “Bagger” is the production version of Concept 101 (introduced in 2015) and is based on the K 1600 platform. However, the low-lying and slender profile is built on a backward-sloping linear design that noticeably reduces the height of the passenger seat. The 1,632cc, in-line 6-cylinder tourer reaches 160 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque. Three riding modes (road, rain, dynamic) come standard as does Dynamic ESA with road and cruise settings. Depending on optional packages purchased, additionally available features include Shift Assist Pro, reverse assist, hill start control, LED headlight, tire pressure control, audio system and adaptive turning lights.
January/February 2017 September/October 2016 ON ON THE THE LEVEL LEVEL
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G 310 R REVIEW
SINGLE AND LOVING IT Photos courtesy - Neale Bayly
By Neale Bayly and Staff
BMW’s new G 310 R the little roadster that’s big fun to ride. Imagine no attachments, minimal baggage and a light-hearted spirit… that’s the single life. Oh, wait… this is about motorcycles. Well, the mission of BMW’s new G 310 R is to make your riding life fun, carefree and exhilarating. OK, maybe not 200 horsepower exhilarating. Or six cylinders exhilarating. But a single-cylinder, peppy little corner carver kind of exhilarating and the only BMW one can buy for under $5000. One cylinder, reinterpreted This little roadster completely turns things around in the sub-$5,000 category. Visually quite appealing and replete with quality materials and finishes, there’s a BMW level of quality throughout. Angular and somewhat muscular styling gives the G 310 R a classic roadster stance. It appears bigger than anticipated but not overly so, very comfortable for up to mid-size adults and performs better than a larger bike rider would expect, especially in the handling
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department. Entry level riders will love this bike’s athletic demeanor, without getting themselves into trouble. The engine is a lot of the news here, in large part due to its reversed cylinder configuration. It’s 180º different from traditional engine layouts, with air entering the intake from the cylinder’s front and exhaust gasses exiting out the rear. It’s a completely new fuel-injected single-cylinder design with an 80mm x 62.1mm bore/stroke, displacing 313cc. A closed-loop catalytic converter positioned on the inlet side of the rear silencer, the BMW engine control BMS-E2 and a secondary air system all work together to make the engine extremely environmentfriendly, meeting the stricter EU4 emission standard. The cylinder head and most major engine components are based on BMW Superbike technology, with four valves actuated by two overhead cams pressing upon DLCcoated (Diamond-like coating) rocker arms. For greater fuel compatibility worldwide, compression is moderate at 10.6:1. Power is
adequate… 34hp @ 9,500rpm and 21lb/ ft of torque at 7,500. With extensive use of lightweight DLC and Nikasil coatings throughout, a counter-rotating balance shaft and a horizontally-split crank case, rotating masses are lower to increase longevity. Weighing only 349 pounds, with good mass centralization, the bike is “dynamic” as BMW likes to say. The 6-speed gearbox features ratios that are well-matched to the rest of the package. It’s a blast to ride and it’s a modern-day reminder of how much fun small bikes can be. At highway speeds the engine does work hard, but vibration is low so it will run all day at this pace. However, the G 310 R simply lives for relaxed riding along country roads. World-class handling It does takes a little getting used to at first after a steady diet of larger bikes, but once familiar, the G 310 R delivers solid, easy handling. According to BMW, the precise, agile steering is due in part to the engine’s layout and the transmission’s consecutivelypositioned mainshafts, which lowers center of gravity and places it closer the front
wheel compared to conventional bikes. The layout also shortens wheelbase while lengthening the swingarm, increasing stability and agility while providing clear feedback from the front wheel for exceptional control and rider confidence. Designed in Germany, built by BMW partner TVS Motor Company in Bangalore, India, the G 310 R’s suspension and other running gear are quite good for an entry-level bike in advanced markets like the USA and a prestigious step-up for riders in emerging markets. A 41mm upside-down fork is paired with a directly-mounted and progressivelysprung rear damper to suspend two light 5-spoke die-cast alloy wheels (3”x17” front, 4”x17” rear) shod with tires measuring 110/70 R 17 at the front and 150/60 R 17 at the rear. There’s a single disk rotor for each wheel, the 300mm front is squeezed by a radially-mounted 4-piston caliper and the 240mm rear by a 2-piston floating caliper. 2-channel ABS is standard. The G 310 R’s robust tubular steel frame, bolt-on rear subframe and long die-cast aluminum swingarm provide a high degree of ride stability, with light handling and precise steering response. Riding position is remarkably relaxed, with controls falling immediately to hand. A 30.9” seat height is reasonable for regular-size riders, with lower and higher options available. The G 310 R’s LCD instrument cluster is clear, bright and provides a good amount of information, including engine speed, road speed, gear,
total mileage, engine temperature, fuel tank level, remaining range, average fuel consumption, average speed, time. Much attention was paid to the design of the ergonomic triangle between handlebars, footrests and seat to ensure excellent control and optimal, comfortable feedback from the rider’s contact surfaces on the fuel tank and seat. The bike felt full-size to our nearly 6-foot tall test rider with 32” inseam, however, with its 54” wheelbase, the entire package is compact. The first run through the gears reveals the G 310 R’s playful character. With BMW’s current emphasis on pure riding experiences, this motorcycle is simply the perfect invitation to get on, ride away and leave all your cares behind. Expressive character BMW designers thought deeply about the emotions the G 310 R is meant to stir. The first thing you notice it doesn’t look like a small, low budget bike. Nice fit and finish and good presence with its size. It is light, but doesn’t feel small or cramped when initially mounting up. The bodywork features precisely-shaped surfaces, with all angles pointing forward for that classic roadster look. Beneath the side wing contour protruding from the fuel tank are precisely shaped surfaces that echo the styling elements of higher-capacity BMW roadsters, for instance, the side trim seen on the S 1000 R. Available in the three strikingly expressive colors: Cosmic Black/Polar White nonmetallic, Strato Blue metallic and for an
up-charge, Pearl White metallic. The Pearl White option is accented with the blue and red BMW Motorsport colors in a striking graphic that extends nearly the length of the bike. Gold-colored fork tubes and brake calipers also complement this color option. Competent riding partner Is is time for you to consider a relationship with a smaller, single-cylinder motorcycle? For many riders it is, with age, experience, size and budget being determining factors. BMW and TVS worked very hard to assure the same standards of design and build quality at the new Indian factory, and invested in a full year of training before starting production. Bringing the G 310 R to market at a sub $5,000 price point is a good move for BMW, something the company has historically lacked. With the bike being intended as an aspirational model in the developing world and an entry level machine in the first world, it gives BMW a practical offer priced to be competitive in the current global market. Not only that, it delivers fun for the dollar that’s off the charts! Optional accessories: • Low seat. • Comfort seat. • Luggage rack. • 29-liter topcase “Basic” with retaining plate. • 30-liter topcase. • Center stand. • 12-volt socket. • Heated grips.
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
9
Lane splitting as a social good California law an accommodation for a minority group
By Andy Goldfine
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fter decades of tolerance by authorities, and much study and debate, riding past stopped or slowly moving cars and filtering up to crosswalks at controlled surface street intersections is now officially recognized by law (A.B. 51) in California. Motorcycles really ARE a social good when riders are permitted to share the road with others this way, and now California state law is on their side. This is not about legislation to take care of a constituency having power, money or influence. It’s exactly the opposite. This is about formally empowering a minority, for the greater good of everyone.
I don’t share some riders’ libertinism about this. Over simplistically, I see choosing to ride as essentially one choosing to become part of an elective minority. As if one could choose to become a Native American, black, disabled or (born) Jewish person. I’ve had personal experience with the latter, and this is what makes me want to see lane-splitting formally blessed by the government. I have watched as various subsets of civil rights movements have progressed during my lifetime, and, overall, I like what has happened. I believe that without the force of law, there would be far fewer civil rights for so many different minorities. Voting rights. Integration rights. Special-needs persons’ rights. The list goes on and on. This progress, in aggregate, is the greatest value of the United States to the world. This quest is our core greatness as a people. It is what makes our country so exceptional and so important to the future of all of humanity. No other place on the planet has a melting pot of minority groups to the degree we do. And no other place has such high aspira-
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tions about fairness, equality, inclusion and accommodation for all. To me, this journey toward the administrative furtherance of civil rights has been the overarching accomplishment of my generation, far exceeding all the wars and scientific and technological advances which have also occurred during my lifetime. As difficult as it is to compare apples and oranges, let me try. The moon landings were cool and very important in many ways, but raising one more person without racial hate trumps it as a national accomplishment to be proud of. Which brings me back to lane splitting. People who are entitled to vote sometimes don’t get to vote in some places without some kind of formal affirmative action law sanctioning it for them. And people with disabilities don’t always get full access (from curb-cuts at sidewalks to 10,000 other accommodations) without some kind of formal affirmative action law. Similarly, leaving lane splitting alone, based on libertarian values, will not help riders who want to do this. In some imperfect way (as most laws are), this practice needs to be formally blessed and affirmed, so the majority (drivers) can learn to better tolerate and accommodate the minority (riders). This accommodation and tolerance needs to be sanctified for one reason only: because it is the right thing to do. For everyone. So now, with one U.S. state formally recognizing lane splitting as legal, the new law will be a powerful lever to help obtain similar laws in other states. This is why the California legalization is so important. It has zilch to do with accommodating any
significant constituency and everything to do with accommodating a (numerically) insignificant one, us riders, for the ultimate benefit of all. With the law’s passage now accomplished it serves as a springboard toward having lane splitting formally recognized elsewhere. History shows that lane splitting–like all other forms of socially desirable, legally protected rights and accommodations–will, after a brief transitional period, become widely accepted and will be appreciated by the public. A letter template for contacting your legislators to request this is here: www.aerostich. com/lane-splitting It’s simple and easy to find your legislator’s name, email and postal address online through the AMA website www.cqrcengage.com/amacycle . The letter tells them this common sense congestion-relieving practice has been accepted in California and most other countries for many years, and will make your state’s roads safer. Also that public debate, followed by enacting a law like California’s, will change voter attitudes from, “Hey, that motorcycle rider is taking cuts!” to “Great! That’s one less car in my way.” Something welcomed by all who share our roads. Resources about lane splitting are available at: www.ridetowork.org , www.lanesplittingislegal.com, as well as at www. americanmotorcyclist.com. –Andy Goldfine, an AMA Charter Life Member and BMWRA Member is the founder of Aerostich and of International Motorcycle and Scooter Ride to Work Day.
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
11
10 Must-Stops off the Blue Ridge Parkway
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The Parkway is so delightful that you may be tempted not to make some of my recommended stops, but maybe this list will tempt you to put the side stand down at least ten times. Everything about the Parkway is noted with “MP” for Milepost.
Of course twisty roads tend to take the spotlight on every motorcyclist’s “must-ride list” so here are two comparatively tame roads known mostly for sweeping curves that offer enthralling vistas and encourage peaceful contemplation under the helmet. Bonus: both traverse hundreds of miles of travel without a single stoplight.
1 Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is 25 miles from MP 0 in Charlottesville, Virginia, so technically not “on” the Parkway. I include it here because although I’ve been in McMansions larger than Jefferson’s plantation house, his architectural ingenuity frankly astounded me. The property makes liberal use of interactive displays and its knowledgeable docents interpret Jefferson’ life and thinking in ways that resonate with issues we’re still wrestling with in the current age. It will leave you with plenty to think about for the next 469 miles.
By Tamela Rich
very motorcyclist has heard of the great riding roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains, many named for reptiles like dragons and snakes. I’ve ridden most of them myself, grinning all the while.
Skyline Drive runs atop the central ridge of Shenandoah National Park for 105 miles. Enter the park and Skyline Drive in Front Royal, Virginia after filling your tank. There are no gas stations in the park. Watch for bears, which are plentiful throughout the area. There are two park visitor centers, Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, at Mile 4.6 in the Northern District, and Byrd Visitor Center, in the Central District at Mile 51 in Big Meadows. When you reach the southern terminus of Skyline Drive you can pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway, known as “America’s Favorite Drive.” The Parkway runs the next 469 miles to the North Carolina entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee. There are loads of scenic overlooks and some historical sites from the people who settled in the Smokies before it became a park. Aside from concessions on a few properties there is no commercial activity on the Parkway, including gas. Rest assured, however, there is gas at each “exit” off the Parkway in the hundreds of little towns and villages.
2. Blue Ridge Music Center MP 213 in Galax, Virginia is set on the Parkway itself on a lovely meadow with adjacent walking paths. Summer is filled with daily concerts and frequent jamborees. The impressive interpretive center helps visitors understand Southern history and culture through the lens of music, including how German group singing and African slave music combined to form the Bluegrass genre. The Center is run by the National Park Service, which means the interpretive displays and handson learning activities are of the highest quality. What I learned about the history and influence of the banjo gave me an appreciation for the humble instrument that doesn’t get much respect. When African slaves were forbidden by slaveholders to play their drums, they created the banjo. In the mid1800’s, when minstrel shows (featuring
white men in blackface playing banjos and baffooning) became the rage in America and parts of Europe, the instrument was largely abandoned by African-Americans. “Jim Crow” (as in Jim Crow laws) originated with a minstrel performer, whose character, Jim Crow, was devised to reinforce beliefs in white superiority. Jim Crow played a banjo. 3. Grandfather Mountain State Park is just off MP 305 in Linville, North Carolina. Walk its famous Mile High Swinging Bridge, the highest in America. The 228foot suspension bridge spans an 80-foot chasm and was built to give visitors easy access to the breathtaking view from Grandfather Mountain’s Linville Peak. 4. Linville Falls is also in Linville, North Carolina at MP 316.3. The magnificent threetiered waterfall plunges into Linville Gorge. Choose between two trails: Falls Trail is easy, at 1.6 miles; Gorge Trail is more strenuous and covers 1.4 miles. Factoids: Last of the Mohicans was filmed in Linville Gorge and the US Army has used it for cold weather operations. 5. North Carolina Minerals Museum MP 331 is located at Gillespie Gap, an important stop for Revolutionary War fighters on their way to the Battle of Kings Mountain. The museum itself features interactive displays about the minerals and gems found in the region as well as the historical importance of the mining industry to the local economy. Factoid: the largest emerald in the world was discovered nearby. 6. Mount Mitchell State Park is a slight turn off the Parkway at MP 355.4 then up, up, up. The dramatic summit is the highest point east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet. The accessible observation deck of-
THE OFFICIAL BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY MAP AND APP If you’re a paper map user, begin by downloading the official Parkway Map at http://www.nps. gov/blri/planyourvisit/upload/BLRImap1-1.pdf
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If you enjoy digital apps download the Blue Ridge Parkway Travel Planner App. Published by the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, the app is available on Google Play and Apple Stores. Explore the Parkway by region, activity, or by proximity to your location. It WILL work on the Parkway because it includes GPS mapping capabilities.
Photos courtesy - Fotolia
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Photos courtesy - Creative Commons Photos courtesy - Tamela Rich
10 fers spectacular views of the spruce-fir forest. Stay for a bite to eat at the restaurant there, one of few concessions on the actual Parkway itself. 7. The Folk Art Center is at MP 382 and is a combination of museum and retail shop. The Southern Highland Craft Guild, chartered in 1930, represents nearly 900 craftspeople in 293 counties of 9 southeastern states. During the Depression the Guild cultivated commerce for craftspeople in the Appalachian region. This legacy continues today as the Guild plays a large role in the Southern Highlands craft economy.
8. Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center can be reached via MP 384. Start with the Visitor’s Center, recently refurbished, and watch The Blue Ridge Parkway—America’s Favorite Journey, a 24-minute film shown in high definition surround sound. Using breathtaking aerial photography, it tells the story of a father-daughter motorcycle trip to introduce visitors to the natural and cultural heritage of the mountains and the history of the construction of the Parkway. Asheville itself is considered the crown jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Many surveys have given it accolades for everything from its food to yoga-friendliness. Be sure to visit the River Arts District, housed in 22 former industrial and historical buildings spread out along a one mile stretch of the French Broad River. Most artisans are happy to ship your purchases home for you. You’ll find restaurants, cafes and a brewery there too. I’ve spent an entire day in the district, myself.
1
demonstrations. I never tire of watching and listening as the blacksmith makes his anvils sing! What, you’ve never heard anvil music? Worth the price of admission. 10. Oconoluftee Visitor Center at Great Smoky Mountain National Park, MP 469 spans 6,300-square feet of interpretive and tells the story of mountain life, from native Americans who’ve lived there for thousands of years, to the early European settlement time periods, through the Civilian Conservation Corp and the development of the national park. While there, be sure to tour the adjacent Mountain Farm Museum.
9. The Biltmore Estate is just south of Asheville at MP 388.8 Let’s face it, some people like touring majestic homes and others don’t. Never fear, there’s plenty to do there for everyone in your party, including the winery, gardens, and my favorite—Antler Hill Village, which features craftsman
BIO: Tamela Rich is hosting the “Appalachian Mountains and Music Tour” from Front Royal, Virginia to Little Switzerland, North Carolina June 18-23, 2017. In addition to iconic mountain roads, the tour itinerary celebrates Appalachia’s rich history, its fusion of musical genres and dances, its distinctive cuisine, and its oral storytelling heritage. You can find Tamela online at www.TamelaRich.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or somewhere down the road. January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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We’ve Got A Dog In This Fight Over Fuel By Megan Ekstrom
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efore I became involved with motorcyclist rights, I didn’t pay much attention to what type of gasoline I put in my car. My husband tried explaining octane to me once—a lot of unfamiliar words and something about uncontrolled combustion and cylinders. Working with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), I quickly discovered concern among motorcyclists about the levels of the octane booster ethanol in the nation’s fuel supplies. There is an incredible debate raging in Washington, D.C., over ethanol, involving environmentalists, big oil, antihunger activists, marine enthusiasts, restaurant owners, snowmobilers, corn and dairy farmers, gas station retailers and, of course, motorcyclists. This is list barely scratches the surface of stakeholders who want a say in the ethanol debate, but where do things currently stand? In 2005, Congress adopted the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and then expanded it in 2007. The program requires oil companies to blend increasing volumes of renewable fuels like ethanol with gasoline and diesel, to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022. The e premise behind the law signed by President Bush was to move the U.S. toward greater energy independence by increasing the production of clean, renewable fuels. In addition, Americans would enjoy less price fluctuation at the pump. States quickly followed the federal government’s lead and started mandating the use of 10 percent ethanol, known as E10. With the rapid push of ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply, concerns about engine problems related to drivability, performance and damage to parts started increasing. This was further complicated when E15 (gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol) was approved by the EPA in 2012 for use in passenger vehicles made after 2001 and all flex-fuel vehicles. As increasing amounts of E15 entered the market, concern became even greater for engines that did not fit the EPA’s approval list, including older and antique cars, snowmobiles, motorcycles, boats and gas-powered equipment. Among the valid E15 concerns cited were clogged in-tank pumps and filters as well as damage to fuel lines, injectors, seals, gaskets and valve seats, as well as carburetors on older engines. The backlash caused
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the EPA to backpedal and ban the use of E15 and higher blends of ethanol in small engines, effectively making its use illegal in a number of instances. In turn, many of the manufacturers of small-engine vehicles and equipment started including statements that warranties would be void if E15 is used. These activities have caused a rift between ethanol producers and manufacturers and users of small engines where the use of E15 has not been approved. The predicament is that according to the law, higher blends of ethanol must be incorporated into the nation’s fuel supply, but in some cases, the use of these mandated blends is illegal. Enter Washington, D.C., policymakers! In the current Congress alone, there are 16 different measures to address ethanol blends in fuel. Some perpetuate the use, while others try to overturn the law or slow down implementation. At a recent field hearing in Kansas City, Missouri, many hours of testimony were delivered from various stakeholders, and neither side seemed happy with the current situation. Pro-biofuel cited frustration that a recent EPA proposed rule (applied to 40 CFR Part 80) would not increase renewable fuel volume obligations at levels “high enough” to meet the standards set forth by Congress. Oil producers and biofuel critics cited negative effects of higher ethanol blends on vehicles, the environment, food supplies and cost to taxpayers. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation testified at the hearing, maintaining a position that seeks to strike a balance between the various opposing federal bills. Instead of a flat-out repeal or other measure that jeopardizes the integrity of our motorcycles, the MRF believes that, until higher blends of ethanol can be approved for use by both the EPA and motorcycle manufacturers, the federal government must guarantee the availability of fuel blends containing no more than 10 percent ethanol by volume, nationwide. In addition, the government must work with all stakeholder groups, including motorcyclists, to develop a comprehensive consumer-focused set of resources warning about the dangers and legality of using E15 through improving signage and labeling at gas stations and conducting offi cial outreach to small-engine consumers, like motorcyclists.
It is not clear what the future of ethanol in this country will be. However, given the controversy and divisiveness of the issue, it is not likely that a solution will be realized soon. Before the presidential election, ethanol proponents and detractors looked at the issue through the lens of what might happen to ethanol in either administration. At an event hosted by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Donald Trump stated that he supported higher blends of ethanol and that the EPA should follow through on the ethanol mandates set forth by Congress. It’s important to remember the setting for the speech, which was made just days before the Iowa caucus—a critical state during primary season. Later, Mr. Trump was quoted saying that oil, coal, natural gas and “other energy sources” are vital to “complete American energy independence.” It was reported that the Clinton campaign had discussed the RFS with Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, a noted critic of the ethanol stadard and potential Clinton EPA chief. When asked, a Clinton representative rejected the notion that Mrs. Clinton would repeal the RFS. In May, Mrs. Clinton wrote an op-ed for an Iowa publication where she indicated that she supported the ethanol mandate, but there was room for improvement. With higher ethanol blends like E15 expected to spread into new markets, the rhetoric and debate is likely to escalate. Motorcyclists should remain vigilant as this issue moves forward. We need to be certain ethanol doesn’t compromise the integrity of our vehicles. Megan Ekstorm is vice president, government affairs & public relations for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. Article reprinted courtesy of MotorcycleConsumerNews subscribe@MCNews.com/defaultsuboffer
BMW Motorrad USA
Riders’ Equipment
The Ultimate Riding Machine™
GEAR UP.
MAKE LIFE A RIDE.
We don’t just build BMW Riders’ Equipment and Apparel. We shake, scrape and smash all of it without mercy. So all you have to think about is the ride. Gear up at your authorized BMW Motorrad dealer or visit bmwmotorcycles.com/gearup. ©2016 BMW Motorrad USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks.
ON THE LEVEL
Read
How to
Wiring Diagrams
It’s easier than you think, with an understanding of the basics.
Editor’s note: This first of a two-part article covers the basics of how to read wiring diagrams with easy-to-understand examples. The images, though not actual wiring diagrams, are used to illustrate logic, connections, and show a progression toward a typical wiring circuit. Text and photos by Tracy Martin
Taking a cross-country road trip as a kid may have been your introduction to reading a map. Your parents might have shown you a road atlas, and said, “We’re here now, and after we drive for four days, we’ll be there.” Reading a wiring diagram is similar to reading a road map. Road maps illustrate how to get from point A to point B. However, instead of connecting interstates, highways and roads, a wiring diagram shows how major electrical systems, sub-systems and individual circuits connect. Wiring diagrams and road maps have another commonality—layers of detail. A road map of California won’t show a street address in Los Angeles. You might find a city or town, but you won’t find an exact address. For that, you’d need a detailed street map. The same is true (to a lesser extent) of wiring diagrams. On smaller, and/ or older motorcycles, wiring diagrams show the electrical system on one page. As motorcycles grew more complex and “car-like,” wiring diagrams were categorized and separated into major electrical systems and sub-systems (instead of an entire bike). Honda’s Gold Wing, for example, has many sub-systems: premium audio, satellite linked navigation, anti-lock brakes, and heated grips, seats and back rests with individual rider and passenger controls. The bike has individual wiring diagrams for each of these specific electrical systems or sub-systems. Wiring diagrams lack instructions on how to read them. On many diagrams, there are pages that do identify electrical symbols, or wire colors. Th is information is certainly valuable, but does not really tell you how to “read” a wiring diagram. The secret to deciphering a wiring diagram is to understand how circuits and/or load devices operate. Every circuit on a motorcycle needs three things to operate: a power source, a load device and a ground return. The charging system and battery function as 12-volt power sources for the entire motorcycle through wiring. A load device is anything that does electrical work: lights, starter motor, onboard computer, heated grips and other components. The ground return completes the electrical path from the battery positive terminal, to the load device and back to the battery negative terminal. If any of the three is missing, the circuit will not operate. The wiring diagram provides a “map” to assist in figuring out which of the three components is missing. Some load devices are switched on or off at the power source, while others are controlled by switching the ground returns on or off. Some
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This wiring diagram for a Yamaha FJR1300 is in color to make it easier to identify individual wires. Unfortunately, there are no instructions on how to read or interpret any of the diagrams in most factory and aftermarket service manuals.
load devices may be affected by other load devices. This information is contained in a wiring diagram. Let’s start with some basic examples of circuit wiring diagrams and we’ll add layers of complexity as we go. These examples will also teach how a 12-volt relay operates, how to connect one to an electrical accessory and how to diagnose a non-working relay. FIGURE 1 (next page) is a simple wiring diagram showing a driving light circuit. Th e circuit consists of a battery, 15-amp fuse (used to protect the circuit), a switch (located on a fairing panel of the bike), and the two driving lights. Ground returns are shown by the ground symbol—a vertical line with three horizontal lines. Be advised that grounds are not drawn into wiring diagrams and it is assumed that all ground wires are connected to the battery negative terminal. In FIGURE 2, we see the circuit in both “on” and “off ” states. Red lines indicate the presence of 12-volt power and the black lines are ground returns. In the upper part of the diagram, the circuit “off ” drawing shows that 12 volt power is present to the end of the switch. The lower part of the diagram shows the switch closed, allowing electrical current to reach the lights and they turn on. The lower part of the diagram also shows how electricity (current) travels from the battery positive terminal, through the load devices and back to the negative terminal. Unfortunately, most wiring diagrams do not provide any of these advantages and even late model motorcycle diagrams may not isolate circuits to this extent—more likely they will be part of the overall lighting system. Color, if used at all in a wiring diagram, is used solely for the purpose of identifying individual wire colors, not to indicate power and ground sides of a circuit. In addition, wiring diagrams always default to show a load device in its “off ” state. There is an inherent problem with the design of the driving lights circuit as shown in our original circuit diagram. The driving lights require high amperage (12 amps) from the battery to operate, and this high electrical load has to travel through all the wires and the fairing switch to reach the lights. The capacity of the wires and the switch would have to be quite large to handle such a strong current.
“3-Things”
FIGURE 1: A light bulb powered by a battery illustrates the three things that all 12-volt electrical circuits must have to operate— power, a load device and ground return. Electrical energy travels from the battery’s positive terminal to the load device (light bulb) and back to the battery negative, or ground terminal. If any of the three things are missing, the bulb will not light
A simple solution would be to add a 12-volt relay (FIGURE 3 and FIGURE 4). The relay takes the place of the heavy-duty switch and provides the high-amperage connection between the driving lights and the battery. The fairing panel switch is still part of the overall circuit, but now it only has to switch the low-amperage relay control coil (0.3 amps) instead of the high-amperage driving lights. As a result, the wires going to and from the switch, and the switch itself, don’t need to be heavy-duty because it is the relay—not the switch—that is controlling electrical current to the lights. The control coil inside the relay is an electro magnet, and when energized, it latches (pulls down) the high-amperage contacts within the relay. Terminal No. 3 (circled in green) has battery power and No. 4 goes to the switch. When the fairing panel switch is turned on, the control coil is energized, closing the high-amperage contacts (terminals No. 1 and No. 2 of the relay) that connect battery power to the driving lights. The diagram above shows the circuit in the “off ” position and is more typical of a real wiring diagram. The technician has to visualize where power is present in the circuit when the lights are on. In FIGURE 5, we see how the addition of a second relay to the driving lights circuit improves its functionality. Relay No. 1 is controlled by the motorcycle’s ignition switch and prevents the driving lights from being left on by mistake with the engine off (or if the key is removed from the ignition switch). Relay No. 1 can only provide power to relay No. 2 when the ignition switch is in the RUN position. Relay No. 2 is the same relay as in the previous diagrams and is controlled by the panel switch. If the key is in the LOCK or OFF positions, or removed from the ignition completely, no power is available at Relay No. 2. This prevents the driving lights from being left on inadvertently, even if the fairing panel switch is left on. This diagram looks very much like a typical wiring diagram found in a service manual. There is no color indicating where power is present, no relay terminal numbers and a symbol is used to represent the battery. Study this wiring diagram carefully and become familiar with where 12-volt power would be present in various states of operation. How could a 12-volt test light be used to diagnose a blown fuse, bad relay or switch? This knowledge will be useful for Part 2 of How to Read a Wiring Diagram in next month’s issue. We’ll take a close look at actual wiring diagrams from off-road, carbureted and fuel-injected motorcycles. We’ll also throw in some challenging wiring diagram exercises. Article reprinted courtesy of MotorcycleConsumerNews subscribe@ MCNews.com/defaultsuboffer
FIGURE 2: Here, a simplified driving lights circuit is shown in both the “on” and “off” positions, using color to illustrate the flow of current. The green, dashed line shows how electricity travels from battery positive, through the load device and back to battery negative terminal (a complete circuit) when the lights are on.
FIGURE 3: A relay has been added and now controls the high amperage current required. The fairing panel switch is used to energize the control coil that latches the high amperage contacts, connecting battery power to the driving lights. FIGURE 4: This automotive style, 12-volt relay can be found in most auto parts stores for about $5. These relays can have 4 or 5 terminals. The fifth terminal indicates that the relay is a changeover type with the fifth terminal normally closed (provides power) when the relay is off—an added function the 4-terminal relay doesn’t have.
FIGURE 5: In the previously shown circuit, the lights could be left on with the engine not running, causing the battery to go dead. A second relay fixes that. January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
17
EXPLORING HORIZONS By Matt DeWald Cherishing the Treasure Trove at NYC’s IMS 2016
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Article and Photos By Matt DeWald
ith the temperatures marginally ridable in the mid30s, I was warm and cozy inside New York City’s Jacob Javitz Center in NYC, home of the International Motorcycle Show (IMS) for the weekend of December 9-11, 2016. IMS featured the latest models and technology from the major brands — BMW, Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Indian and many others. In NYC, BMW paired a virtual-reality riding experience with a BMW S1000RR, which proved to be a fan favorite. Also, Max BMW Motorcycles displayed and discussed the workings of a gutted engine and transmission, as well as the assembly of a completely restored R69S from a big pile of parts. While the masses crowded these inactive machines and imagined what riding them would be like, I focused my time and energy on the smaller vendors, who brought the show to life for me. Lining the circumference of the show floor, a treasure trove of vendors strutted their innovative solutions to common problems. Here are a few examples.
Jonathan Chashper – Wolfpack inventor In the treasure trove, I met an enthusiastic family (husband, wife, uncle, and two children) ready to talk about the importance of keeping a pack of riders together and in communication. The pack leader was Jonathan Chashper, inventor of Wolfpack, a navigation and communication app that simplifies and improves the riding experience. However, the real story was within the brilliant space between the ears of its product inventor, developer, and owner. Born and raised in Israel, Jonathan’s experience with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) led him to an education in computer science. He focused on location-based services and developed a successful product that proved to be critical for hospitals operating in remote areas. After moving his young family to the USA, Jonathan began exercising his entrepreneurial muscles and built Wolfpack to bring together two of his passions – motorcycle riding and navigation. In building Wolfpack, he addressed keeping a pack of riders together and making communication easier. Jonathan’s passion and excitement for his new trade is apparent to anyone who speaks with him. In addition, the numbers and subscribers show the clarity of Jonathan’s vision. Since its July 2016 launch, Wolfpack already boasts users from around the world, including from South America, Europe, and Australia. Up next on a long list of to-dos, Jonathan plans to make the Wolfpack platform multi-lingual. A detailed review of the Wolfpack app will appear in a later issue of OTL, but for now more information is available at www.wolfpack. run, Apple’s App Store, or Google Play. Look for the wolf symbol in a red background. Don Gomo – Rider safety advocate and trainer Realizing the risks and damage possible in our beloved sport, many BMW riders understand the need for continuing rider education. Tucked in a booth that was surrounded by heavy foot traffic, I met Don Gomo and his wife Lisa Brooks, a couple who brought their love for riding and safety together into a not-for-profit that advocates safety and trains riders in the New York area. Empire State Motorcycle Safety Education Program, Inc. (www. motorcyclesafetyprogram.org) provides safety education and makes on-site visits to local motorcycle dealerships and club meetings. Don learned to ride from a WWII veteran and family friend in 1971 and in 2004 became a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Coach. Noticing a large gap between many riders’ handlebar time and their technical skills, Don took action. Targeting what he described as the “you don’t know what you don’t know” category, Don provides free education in order to cast a wider net to capture riders who hesitate to take continuing education.
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Don’s program promoted the “3Ss to Survival” – strategies, skills, and safety gear. And as he noted, if a rider was only depending on safety gear to keep him/herself alive, then they were probably failing at the first two Ss.
Matt began riding motorcycles in 2009 after several life-changing experiences. Starting with a F650CS and now a 2013 R1200R, Matt has been practicing the art of navigating our country’s secondary highways, blogging, and testing motorcycle products. In 2017, Matt looks forward to a cross-country motorcycle journey, seeing BMW compadres in Salt Lake City, and expanding his moto-journalism. He is the newest member of the RA Board. Follow Matt on his website www.cherishtheride.com.
Since launching the program in March 2015, Don estimated that he presented his content to 500 motorcyclists, which included audiences at his program seminars, visits with bike clubs, and dealerships. I hope to experience more of Don’s training in the Spring and share it with the OTL audience later in 2017. Innovation What I love most about Jonathan and Don is one common theme – innovation! Both saw a gap in our favorite sport and filled it by dedicating their time, energy, and money. This level of individualism and strength will change riders’ lives and the industry at large. My point is simple: the excitement was in the details. Seeing and hearing the stories behind the stories, and experiencing the innovation revealed its true beauty. Our industry is filled with problem solvers, risk takers, and intellectual riders. So even if the weather was not ripe for riding, let us support the inventors who help us cherish the ride. January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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Photos by Jane Schluter
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R1200GS Adventure
S1000RR
R nineT Urban G/S R nineT Racer
S1000R Roland Sands Design R nineT Classic
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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1SHOW
MOTO
By AJ PushKarna
The One Moto Show, in my opinion, is one of the best premier shows that celebrates anything and everything around motorcycles. It has one of the best custom motorcycle exhibitions on the west coast. It takes place in the dreamy city of Portland, once a year. The organizing committee is closely affiliated and connected with seeseemotorcycle co.; not just a motorcycle cafe anymore. In my eye, that’s just the cherry on top of the cake. Every time I visit Portland, I make sure to swing by the shop and cafe. Perhaps every single time I am there I feel like a kid in a candy shop, and I want it all. The show is completely free to attend and the management takes high pride in being able to pull off such a spectacle. I think we are all aware, there are no free lunches anywhere. But brace yourself for a special treat, if you happen to attend the show, the show covers all sorts of custom built motorcycles: Bobbers, Cafe racers, choppers, cut downs, rat bikes, streetfighters. You name it, they have it. Some of the best builders get the opportunity to show their creations at the show. You know the1motoshow means business. This does not mean they don’t pay attention to any upcoming or novice builders like me. I will be attending this year’s the 1moto show. It’s like a dream come true. I never thought my first ever build would get blessed enough to be celebrated at their show. The One Moto Show is managed by extremely humble and attentive people. To keep the standards high, they have kept it invite only, for not just custom builders, but artists and vendors as well. They welcome everyone who feels they have something that’s worth showing. As a rookie builder, I don’t exactly have a lot of connections in this game. However, it seems that never tends to cloud their judgments around the selection for the show. I submitted my entry through email. I was a little naive at first (to be honest). As a fan of The One Moto Show, I felt that way. I never really imagined myself getting an invite, but took the chance regardless. I mean, why not?! Promptly enough, I got a response back from Tori George (from seeseemotorcycles), acknowledging they had received the entry and were going through
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the shortlist for people for invites in early January. The 2017 show dates are the 10th, 11th and 12th of February 2017. I submitted my entry around the first week of December, and well, the waiting game started. I am sure we have all gone through that uncertainty in some walk of life. Shall I say, it’s not comforting. Your mind plays tricks on you, especially when you are passionate about something. Just about when I was least expecting it, I received an email from Thor Drake (one of the main organizers) - “I’d like to send you an invite to this year’s show. What is a good address to send it”. Pheew!! … Man in heaven .. just wow! I just about managed to keep it together (as I was at my full time gig in San Francisco that evening). I felt more humbled than I had ever felt in the past. Time to bring out the polish and wax. Gotta get ready for the show, right? Feels great!! Soon enough the more formal invitation cards and instructions started pouring in, and the dream to be able to show in The One Moto Show was most certainly becoming a reality by the day. You can imagine how truly excited I was to get such an opportunity. See more about AJ’s bike and The One Moto Show in our next issue of OTL.
TOUGH / STYLISH
X-Head for R nineT
+
Scrambler
908. 652. 6779
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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DEALER PROFILE
Store Relocation Grand Opening, November 12, 2016 Gulf Coast Motorcycles, Ft Myers, FL
Group pix subjects.......L to R. The author (in red), Web Beninghoven, Mike Peyton from BMW N.A. (foreground), Jeff Gallo and Ed Gallo (owner). Web attended our Winter Rally this past weekend, HIS FIRST m/c rally from what I understand. He won $665 on our Friday night 50/50 drawing. By Larry Meeker, RA 28374 saddlesore904@comcast.net BMW Owners of Northeast Florida, RA Club #41, www.bmwnef.org
A
n increasing amount of buzz about a grand opening event on the Gulf Coast piqued my interest. E-mails from two BMW RA chartered clubs, the Gold Coast Beemers and Big Cypress Riders, and from the RA’s worldwide HQ led me, as our Florida representative, to call my old buddy Joe Green in Ft. Myers and get the inside skinny. He told me the Gulf Coast Motorcycles shop was relocating and expanding, and that I needed to be there.
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The Gulf Coast encompasses a fairly large area, none of which is close to my home in Jacksonville, FL. I often dropped in at the old shop. It was on my way to Venice, FL for the old Sun Your Buns Rally. A number of friends, including Joe, trade here. We had been swapping farkling ideas for his recently acquired 2016 GSA-W, so a ride for a visit was on. Joe’s fully furnished apartment in his 4 car garage building was mine. ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
It was mid-morning as we rolled into Gulf Coast Motorcycles’ new location and there were already hundreds of people gathering to watch Chris “Teach” McNeil smoke some rubber and test the rev limiter. Just a couple miles south of the old store on Route 41, Tamiami Trail, “the” retail corridor in SW Florida, the new shop is a big, well located facility with a modern, appealing look. Best of all, it was DONE. All the latest BMW, KTM and Ducati displays were in place and looked great. There were many specials offered and the parts counter was busy. We were there for several hours and the store remained packed.
Dimmable LED Motorcycle Lights
Joe introduced me to Web Benninghoven, Sales and Marketing Mgr, who introduced us to Ed Gallo, owner, and his son Jeff, the GM. We then learned BMW Motorrad’s new VP Mike Peyton was also visiting from NJ. Mike came to BMW NA a few months ago from 29 years at Harley and Ford prior to that. As a former HD rider myself, we shared a laugh over HD’s decision to bring in Elton John as the super-secret headliner at their 100th anniversary celebration in 2003. The Gulf Coast Motorcycles crew went all out for this event. They had food trucks, live music, and local club booths around the parking lot. There were some other vendors and some of Lee County’s finest LEO’s as well. What Ed Gallo started in 2002 is in good hands and poised for great things for many more years. If your travels take you anywhere near SW FLA this winter or beyond, I heartily encourage a visit. Gulf Coast Motorcycles, 17080 S. Tamiami Trail, Ft Myers, FL 33908. Phone: 239-481-8100 www.gcmotorycles.com Larry Meeker, RA 28374, saddlesore904@comcast.net, BMW Owners of N.E. FLA, RA Club #41, www.bmwnef.org
Sevina
Erica
Stock Headlights
Krista
Darla
Glenda
Erica 100%
www.clearwaterlights.com 916-852-7029 sales@clearwaterlights.com January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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PRODUCT REVIEW- BMW Motorrad Start Suit
By Elizabeth Allen, Motohio European Motorbikes
I
was fortunate to recently try out my new BMW leather Start Suit at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. My family’s dealership, Motohio, hosted a track day for our customers featuring Nate Kern, BMW’s S1000RR ambassador. The 2 piece leather Start Suit is made of abrasion resistant 100% cowhide nappa leather incorporating the super sharp BMW Motorrad Motorsports design. The focus on protection and overall comfort in a ladies’ fit makes this leather sport suit a winner for me. The safety aspects of this suit are uncompromising. The drop and abrasion resistance of the leather have been tested and proven by BMW with low residual impact forces. Luckily, I did not test the abrasion resistance first hand but my research gave me plenty of confidence! The new generation orange NP protectors provide max impact absorbing properties, certified to EN 1621. The protectors are removable in the back and hips, and sewn in at the shoulders,
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January/February 2017
elbows and knees. For hard core riders, you can also retrofit with hard plastic knee sliders. When I put this suit on I feel invincible, kind of like wonder woman. I jumped at the opportunity to spin a few laps on Nate’s decked out RR, and I have to say it performed stunningly – both bike and suit. Through the keyhole, down the back straight at 150 mph and around the carousel all the way to the finish line! It inspired confidence in my riding and abilities. Wearing a product that I know will give me excellent protection allows me to better focus on more important parts of my day, like line selection and braking. Integrated shock absorbing material at the collarbone decrease the likelihood of a break in the event of an incident. Luckily, I didn’t get to put that to the test either! In terms of comfort, I was very impressed with the ability to move in the suit. Most of my sessions, I practiced form and body position. Although the suit is pre-curved in the arms and legs, it’s not as stiff as a full-on race suit. The curvature is less accentuated, permitting a more
relaxed seating posture. Along with an inside pocket in the jacket, it has leather stretch inserts for maximum comfort at shoulders, sleeve, kidney, and knee areas, and at the hips in the ladies version. Aramid stretch inserts are also located on the arms and legs for optimized fit and freedom of movement. This is especially important for quick maneuverability, for example, when you’re moving side to side through the chicane on the track. The arm and leg cuffs are made of stretch fabric for increased comfort when tucking them into a sport boot or gauntlet style sport glove. There is also stretch fabric at the waist of the pants in addition to the key fob pocket. The women’s cut has yet another stretch panel in the hips. All seams are doubled stitched for durability. This attention to detail is a great example why BMW gear is exceptional. The connecting all-round zipper made it perfectly legal for track riding specifications, but gives greater versatility for street riding if you prefer to wear one piece at a time. After a full day on the track, I was surprisingly still comfortable. Track suits I’ve worn in the past have been so stiff and rigid, I would look for any reason to peel them off between sessions. The Start Suit was so comfortable I didn’t even take it off during my lunch break. Thanks to the perforated leather on the chest for ventilation, it was cool enough even despite the June temperatures. It was recommended to me to order a size up in this leather suit, as compared to my BMW textile counterparts. I am glad I did because it made for a great fit. It is snug to my body like you want for protection in case you go sliding down the tarmac, but it isn’t so tight I have to hold my breath to zip it up. This is the perfect suit for someone looking for comfortable leathers, but not a full piece race suit. BMW gets bonus points for going the extra mile and designing the jacket and pants specifically for a woman’s body. There is a wide range of men’s sizes also. Its mid-range price makes it very affordable for the amount of safety features you receive. And it’s backed by a 2 year warranty, so you know the quality is on par like the rest of BMW’s gear. This will be the suit I wear whenever I choose to ride a sport bike on the street or track. I’m really looking forward to going back to the track and honing my skills wearing this stylish, comfortable Start Suit!
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MEMBER PROFILE- George Nyktas
I
am a member of the Greater Cincinnati BMW Club, a chartered club of the BMW Riders Association.
I went on my first BMW Club ride 15 years ago and met a great group of BMW motorcycle riders who helped me learn about motorcycling, from how to counter-steer, to how to select the proper riding gear and accessories, to how to get the right training. This was my introduction to motorcycling and to BMW, all from The Greater Cincinnati BMW Club. My first real motorcycle was a Ducati 250 Scrambler purchased second or maybe third hand while I was in college. It was my daily commute to work, rain or shine, winter or summer. I wore hardware store work gloves in the winter. When my hands got too cold I held the gloves over the end of the exhaust to warm them. They were early prototype heated gloves. Quality rider’s gear was just beginning to show up, but was unknown to me then. The following three decades were devoted to house, family and my business career. Riding was put on longterm hold. In 2002, I found myself in new circumstances and looked into riding again. My cousin, who was – and still is – a dedicated Harley rider, advised me to buy a used BMW because of their noted reliability and quality reputation. Said another way, he knew I would not be willing to wrench on it and instead wanted to be able to ride. So I bought a K75, then a Cruiser, then an R1150RT, then an R90/6 sidecar rig, then a GTL – and now I am the delighted owner of a GS Water Boxer. On my first club ride with the Cincinnati Club, I learned all too soon how little I knew about how to properly ride and control a motorcycle. I followed along with the skilled club members when, on a Kentucky ridgetop road, we came to a sharp right hand turn followed immediately by a sharp off camber left hand turn. I hit the rear brake, locked the rear wheel and released the brake which caused the bike to stand bolt upright. I drove straight off the road into a farmer’s front yard, Fortunately for me there was no fence, ditch, line of trees
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or other obstacles. At our lunch stop, Jeff Lemkuhl, who since then has become a very good friend and riding buddy, asked me if I knew how to counter-steer. He explained it and I flatly said “That doesn’t make sense.” After many training classes I now know better. In 2007 I was appointed to the then vacant Treasurer’s position on the board of the RA. I have a Master’s Degree in Accounting, am a CPA and have volunteered for many years with my local BMW club, my children’s schools, my church and my college fraternity. Volunteering is ingrained in me. So when the opportunity arose to volunteer with a motorcycle club – I jumped on it. After four years in that role, I moved up to President. I am now in my sixth year as President. In 2012, I started attending meetings of the BMW Clubs International Council. The RA is one of three US Umbrella Clubs of the International Council. The other two are the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association (the MOA) and the BMW Car Club of America (the BMW CCA). After four years as an observer and then a delegate to the meetings, I was elected to the position of Vice Chair Motorcycle Clubs, a position originally held by our own Robert Hellman.
I have met many wonderful people from around the country and around the world that are BMW motorcycle and car enthusiasts. I am a member of the MOA and the CCA. So I am a proud member of all three US Umbrella clubs. The International Council serves as the interface between BMW AG and worldwide BMW Clubs. The four board members meet at least monthly via Skype, at least once in person usually in Munich and once at the International Council meeting. That meeting includes delegates from around the world and this year will be held in Cape Town, South Africa. Hands down, my best ride was in the fall of 2013 as a group of us returned to Bled, Slovenia to attend that year’s Council Meeting. Predrag Trkulja, the President of the BMW Clubs Europa at the time, led us on an extraordinary ride through Trenta Valley, over Vrsic Pass, lunching near Kobarid at Camp Lazar and on to Kranjska Gora.
George and Wife Mary
Closer to home in southeastern Ohio there are many great places to ride as well as in the nearby Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cherohala Skyway are particular favorites. In addition to being a member of the Cincinnati Club, I am a member of the Asheville BMW Riders. They host a series of great rides throughout the year. My wife, Mary, & I have ridden throughout the US and in Canada – although we have many more places yet to visit. We have been to Vermont, Florida, California, Oregon and many places in between. Club events have been an opportunity and excuse to see more and more of the country and the world. Outside of the US, we have ridden in Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Australia. High on our list is a trip to Aivali, Turkey, the town where my father was born.
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Riding the
Tunnel of
TREES 2017 BMW RA RALLY
July 6 – 9 Petoskey, Michigan
By Bob Alexander Photos courtesy- Petoskey Chamber of Commerse
Petoskey, Michigan is the place you’ll want to be July 6-9th. The Emmet County Fairground, on the outskirts of Petoskey, sits on a beautiful location above Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay. Downtown Petoskey, about a mile and a half away, is full of small specialty shops, restaurants, and “watering holes”. Petoskey is located in the Northwest corner of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, about 50 miles below the “Mighty Mac” (where the Trolls live). I lived, worked, and rode my first BMW (R90S) there for 24 years. I always thought the area would be perfect for a RA Rally and decided to look at options about 2 years ago. Besides M-119, the “Tunnel of Trees”, this corner of Lower Michigan has many beautiful motorcycling roads offering fun lean angles along the shorelines of the Great Lakes. Riding to Petoskey from the north and west is a great ride thru the “U.P.” or Canada and a ride over “Mighty Mac”.
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The fairground has a number of large updated buildings for our activities, along with grandstands and a “dirt area” perfect for some kick-butt, dirty “GS” play. Yes, there is plenty of nice grass for our “Green Eureka Timberlines” and a number of full service hook-ups for the ‘cushy’ RVs. With five unisex showers and bathrooms in the community building, along with an eight unit shower trailer and ‘porta-johns’ in the camping area, you will not lack for amenities. Most of the fun will take place in the large community building. We are working with the Petoskey area Jaycees to provide libations of local brews and wine. The Charlevoix Lions Club will serve up the “World Famous” lemon grilled BBQ chicken on Friday evening and pasta fare on Saturday evening. To help the two vendors determine quantities for the evening feed, we request your online preregistration, modestly priced at $12.00. The Friday Chicken feed will include 1/2 chicken, a couple of sides, chips and a pop or water. Saturday’s Pasta dinner will include Pasta with 2 sauce options, Italian Sausage, Salad, Garlic Bread, and possibly dessert. Pre-ordering is important to both cook staffs to understand the quantities as soon as possible to ensure they have enough and to avoid waste. A half-hour from the Rally site is one of Michigan’s great motorcycling roads; M-119 “Tunnel of Trees” Although only 20 miles long, this road hugs the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan through a dense forest. On one side you get glimpses of old summer cabin homes tucked back in the forest and on the other side you have brief glimpses of the Lake Michigan shoreline. This is a very narrow and twisty road that runs through the dense forest of trees. It is literally one of those roads that you always see in photos in travel magazines that makes you crave to ride. You look ahead of you, down the narrow tunnel of trees road, and cannot help but wonder what will be around the next curve. If you are on 18 wheels or 4 wheels pulling a camper it would be a nightmare; but, if you are riding a BMW, it is the road that you always
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“Mighty Mac” bridge. If you arrive early or stay longer, you may want to spend a night on Mackinac Island or ride up and spend an afternoon. Adding to the island charm, the only motorized vehicles allowed are emergency vehicles. Transportation on the island is by horse, bicycle, or foot. www.mackinacisland.org/
Petoskey’s Gaslight District dream of finding. Heading north, the route leads to Cross Village where a unique, turn of the century, fieldstone and driftwood “Polish Pub”, Legg’s Inn sits on a bluff above Lake Michigan. One man, Stanley Smolak, a Polish immigrant, began creating the fantasy-like atmosphere of Legs Inn in the late 20’s. Along with stones, washed smooth and round by Lake Michigan’s waters, Smolak collected twisted and tormented forms of trees, roots and driftwood from the surrounding area.
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He created this unusual building, fixtures and furniture. He once said: “Nature is the greatest sculptor - I am only helping to make the artistic objects more visible to the ordinary eye”. While riding the “tunnel”, be sure to stop in for a bowl of Zurek soup or some Pierogis and a look around. www.legsinn.com/history.html World Famous Mackinac Island is only an hour away from the rally site. You can board ferries to the island from either side of the
ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
Petoskey and northwestern Michigan is a very popular tourist area, especially during the summer months. Lodging fills up quickly. If you’re not camping at ‘The Tunnel of Trees’ rally, I would suggest that you reserve your rooms as soon as possible. Please go to the RA’s website for more information and links. For your convenience, here are some nearby motels and phone numbers. Americas Best Value Inn - (231) 347-3925 Apple Tree Inn- (231) 348-2900 Econolodge- (231) 348-3324 Hampton Inn- (231) 348-9555 Holiday Inn Express- (231) 487-0991 Michigan Inn- (866) 263-2819 Odawa Casino/Resort- (231) 347-6041 Stafford’s Perry Hotel- (231) 347-4000 Super 8- (231) 439-8000 Days Inn- (231) 347-4193
RALLY MUSIC We will have two local bands during our rally. On Friday evening, we will be entertained by the ‘Jelly Roll Blues Band’. When I lived in the Petoskey area, The JRBB were great performers and got the crowds dancing in the pubs around northern Michigan. They have played in the area for over 30 years. http://www.jellyrollbluesband.com/music On Saturday night get ready to reminisce with the ‘Up North Big Band’; a very popular, twenty piece swing band. Founded in 1996, their vintage sound caught on fast. Today, the UNBB continues to perform swing music from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s at their weekly dances and other appearances. Latin tunes, waltzs, and a couple of polkas are thrown in for good measure. Hopefully, we can get their free dance lessons at the beginning of each show to start the RA riders rolling. https://upnorthbigband.com/ If you need a little more music during your stay in the Petoskey area, the annual ‘Blissfest’ is the same weekend as our rally. Blissfest showcases the many musical styles that define our American roots and world music. Bluegrass, Blues, Zydeco, Celtic, Folk, Jazz, Latin, Ethnic, World music and Dance all share the stage. Innovators of these styles are on hand to dazzle and amaze. https://blissfest.org/
Bayfront Park
All of this for a bargain price of $40 for RA members and $50 for nonmembers. This year you can preregister, order your rally shirt (available in men’s and women’s sizes), and your meals. Preregistration is open. Preregistration saves you money: Admission is $15 more at the gate, The meals cost $1 more and the shirts are $4 extra. We look forward to seeing you all there this July 6-9th! Tunnel of Trees
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BUCKET LIST-
An Epic Colombia Adventure By Chad Warner
“I’m going to Colombia”…
Those 4 words have family and friends shaking their heads and asking me, WHY?... “Colombia, South America, are you crazy” … “Aren’t you scared” … “I would never go there” ... “That country is too dangerous.” The fact they don’t even know that it’s spelled Colombia, and not Columbia, may be a clue they don’t know about the “New” Colombia of today.
Adventure is out there, so come along for the ride as we rediscover Colombia together. http://epicomotoadv.com/?product=untamed-colombia-ride
Colombia certainly has a reputation, one which is synonymous with drug cartels, civil wars, corruption, and Pablo Escobar. But I am told by Ricardo Congote, owner and operator of EpiCO Moto Adventures, that those stereotypes should be swept aside, and today’s Colombia is so much more than its ugly Escobar legacy. Ricardo will be my tour guide for 12 days as we ride our motorcycles through Colombia’s countryside while experiencing breathtaking views, diverse cultures and Colombia’s best part, its people. I am told that I will fall head over heels in love with this beautiful country along my travels which Ricardo says can only be described as an Epic Colombia Adventure. Read more about The Epic Colombia Adventure in our next issue of OTL.
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“UNTAMED COLOMBIA” ITINERARY 14 days, 13 nights, 11/12 riding days Mostly paved, some challenging off-road sections and unpaved sections. Day 1: Arrive in Cali Day 2: Cali – El Cairo Day 3: El Cairo – Jardin Day 4: Jardin – Guatape Day 5: Guatape – Puerto Berrio Day 6 – 7: Puerto Berrio – Barichara Day 8 – 9: Barichara – Villa de Leyva Day 10: Villa de Leyva – Tota Day 11 Tota – Melgar Day 12 Melgar – Salento Day 13 Salento – Cali Day 14: Cali – Airport The photos are property of epiCO. Ricardo Congote, epiCO MoTo ADVentures pictures (Epic Moto Adventure rides and rentals in Colombia South America. epiCO!)
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TOWING INSURANCE - It Rocks
A
By Adam Landa
lthough my wife Jen and I have been on a dozen or so extended motorcycle trips, until this last one, we never needed to be towed. This year, we headed North, then West, from Orlando on “Sally”, our 2013 R1200GS, en route to Seattle by way of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Jen, intelligently, met me in Denver to miss crossing the “flatlands.” The Calgary to Tacoma leg of our trip was planned for the last week -- and on Tuesday of that last week, we crossed back into the US near Osoyoos, British Columbia. From there, we took Highway 97 to Oroville, and turned west down Loomis-Oroville Road to pick up Section 6 of the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route. Once past Palmer Lake, we left the pavement and climbed into the mountains on the Backcountry Discovery Route, two-up. Sally was in fine shape as we climbed. As a side note, when I took offroad training at the BMW U.S. Rider Academy in Greer, S.C., they taught me to turn off ABS when I
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
wasn’t on pavement. A practice I religiously followed until this trip. As I read more deeply about the Enduro and Enduro Pro ride modes, however, I learned that BMW had “tuned” ABS for off-road use. I figured we’d give it a go, so this particular day was the first time that I didn’t disable ABS off-road, and the braking took some getting used to, especially two-up with a near-capacity gross weight of about 950 lbs. Section 6 is beautiful and isolated and we enjoyed the ride. Although some sections were rather steep and more rocky than we anticipated, Sally, Jen and I managed to navigate them without incident. During the ride, I did notice some weirdness on my rear braking. From time to time, it seemed a bit different than what I anticipated based on my inputs. I chalked this up to the BMW ride modes “tuning” and didn’t think too much about it. As we descended out of the mountains, back to blacktop on the way to Conconully, however, the bike seemed to drag a bit, like I was applying the brake. I pulled in the clutch to roll to the side on the slight downhill, but as I pulled over, the bike slowed too quickly. I realized that something must be wrong with the brakes. Bummer. I got off and looked at the front and rear discs, and other than smelling “brakes” everything seemed in order. I played with the levers. Check. I turned Sally off and on a few times. Check. I couldn’t find anything wrong, but Sally was rolling freely again, so off we went, with a bit of trepidation. We made it to Winthrop, our planned stop for the night, without further incident. On Wednesday, with only four days left in our trip, our plan was to ride two of the most beautiful roads in Washington State: In the morning, we were going to ride West on Route 20 through North Cascades National Park (away from the sun); and then in the afternoon we were going to ride East on Route 2 to Leavenworth (again, away from the sun). We loaded up and shoved off after breakfast. Just a few miles outside Winthrop, while on cruise control at about 60 mph, Sally decided to gently apply the brakes. There could
be no mistaking it, it wasn’t just offroad weirdness -- once we stopped, we were fast in place, the wheels weren’t rolling. My uneducated routine began again: I played with the brake controls, “rebooted” the bike a few times, and eventually, the wheels were free. But we weren’t. It seemed to me like Sally had an intermittent and exotic brake problem. So Jen and I decided to head back to Winthrop, rather than forge ahead on Route 20, as going on would mean we are out of cell range for about 4 hours. From Winthrop, the nearest BMW dealer is about 200 miles. We pulled back into Winthrop, and started to call around for roadside assistance. My first call was to BMW. They were prompt and courteous, and even though we were out of warranty, they were happy to send a tow truck at my expense. The expense? BMW apparently has a flat negotiated rate of $4.50 a mile. And the nearest BMW dealer? About 200 miles. Ugh. We told them we’d call back if we still needed a tow after checking some other options. We have a MOA Platinum Cycle Club membership, so that was our next call. They were courteous and happy to help. Apparently, however, the Platinum roadside assistance entitles you to a tow of up to 100 miles. According to the representative, you can pay at the tow company rate to go farther, and the rates are “usually between $3 and $10 per mile.” Again ugh. We told them we’d see if we need them, and we called SafeCo, our regular insurance company. After a brief hold, we learned that our SafeCo insurance will tow us up to 10 miles, or to the nearest qualified service center. We asked the representative what that meant, and she responded by asking where we wanted to go. “BMW Motorcycles of Seattle” we responded. “184 miles. Fine, I can authorize that” was her reply. SafeCo arranged it all, and we were towed from Winthrop to BMW Motorcycles of Seattle. We planned to leave the bike there, and ship it home to be repaired (we were going to ship it home from Seattle anyway). We had already arranged a rental for our last few days. But when we got to Seattle
(some five hours later), the guys were intrigued by our exotic problem. They had never heard of this happening, and after a bit of standing around and discussing all of the possible causes, they rolled the bike in and inspected it. These guys rock. Or should we say, can find a rock? After just a few minutes of inspecting the bike, the techs found a pebble lodged between the brake lever and the frame. It was small enough to get in by (maybe) ricocheting off the exhaust system, but just a tad too big to get out by itself. With a little coaxing, it was out, and we were on our way.
Uninsured/Underinsured Insurance Coverage: Do You Need It? By Tina Doggett-Doggett Insurance Agency insuremybiketina.com
As an insurance agent, I field many questions about Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist coverage (UIM). UM/UIM works the same way as your liability bodily injury and property damage coverage with one difference. Instead of purchasing insurance to protect other drivers from damage you cause, you’re buying insurance to protect yourself from damage caused by other drivers.
No charge. A big shout out to Pete & Jim, and the other guys at BMW Motorcycles of Seattle who treated us so well, and took such good care of us during our (thanks to them) very brief stay.
Here’s some sobering statistics. 38% of the vehicles on the road older than 15 years have no insurance. “According to an Insurance Research Council study, an estimated one in eight motorists in 2012 was driving without insurance.” Oklahoma is currently ranked first with 26% uninsured. Unlicensed and uninsured drivers are involved in more than 20 percent of the fatalities on America’s highways. While you are required to have insurance, insurance laws do not prevent uninsured from owning or operating a vehicle.
We may never have found that rock, but we should have known about our towing insurance. We urge anyone taking a road trip to check out their policies, and we urge the MOA Platinum Cycle Club to revisit their coverage.
You can protect yourself from these drivers by purchasing UM/UIM insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage applies to bodily injury to you and your passenger when hit by an uninsured motorist or hit-and-run driver. Underinsured coverage increases the bodily injury protection to you if the at-fault party has a lower limit. Have you checked your motorcycle insurance coverage lately?
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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2 1
CHEFS,
MOTO
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
By Dan Fuentes and Pam Ponce de Leon
Upon making the decision to travel the world on a motorcycle, one of our first thoughts was that we were going to need a different bike. Something bigger, wider, faster and more powerful would be perfect for the adventure that we were about to begin. Maybe a R1200GS ADV or at least a R1200GS. After all, we would be riding two-up for long periods of time and we weren’t sure if our current bike was up to the task.
It was a difficult decision, but all those reasons helped us decide to give the Dakar the benefit of the doubt, while also giving us the inspiration to name the bike. Since she would be taking us to many far-away places, we decided to go with the name “Esperanza,” which means “Hope” in English.
“They say that hope is the last thing to be lost. “
Our 2007 GS Dakar is a great bike for one rider on long trips or two-up for short distance, with some off-roading. The 21” front wheel devours those rocky gravel roads without a blink. The “so called bulletproof” Rotax engine works great and the longtravel suspension gives the frame more than enough ground clearance. Plus, there is sufficient space to carry two people for short periods of time. One small setback to the height of the bike is that my feet won’t reach the ground very comfortably when stopped in traffic, but it gets better once the bike is fully loaded. While trying to find what we thought would be a “better” bike, we met some riders from all over: Ken and Carol from Australia, Brian and Peter from UK and Michelle from USA. All, who had been riding all over the world for some time, so they could offer experience and knowledge. Brian even used to be a mechanic before he started traveling, so he knew a thing or two about bikes.
We embraced this new decision and started learning everything we could about Esperanza from the experience that these sauced riders were willing to share with us. We went all around the bike, inspecting everything from tires, wheels and sprockets up to electronics and fluids. We learned how to perform basic maintenance on Esperanza as well as intermediate-level work. We found our bike expectations to be exceeded soon after we started gearing up our motorcycle with small modifications to ready it for life on the road. We had hard panniers for valuables and a hard top box to store the camping gear. A tank bag is essential when traveling long distance, as are crash bars for protection in a drop. We invested in auxiliary lights for unfriendly riding conditions and road visibility. A couple of waterproof duffle bags were given to us by a dear friend of ours who traveled around the world from Germany on his own single cylinder bike, Mr. Martin. With everything finally in place we started the engine and said goodbye to our family and friends who waved to us, “sayonara” right behind the tire marks of the departing bike. The only real “issue” we had for now was that a rear shock was on its last stretch of life. We would have to find a better replacement once it gave up completely. We hoped to find a replacement in Mexico, but that was not an easy task. After riding for two months through the country without a shock problem, we finally made it to USA.
While enjoying a few cold beers with them on the Mexican Caribbean, we shared our travel plans, bike plans and our reasons for traveling. Nothing prepared us for their answer: all of them advised us to ride the Dakar! Given that we are both fairly small to mid-sized people, weight would not be a huge deal. Running on one cylinder is cheaper and easier to work on than multiple-cylinder engines. A lighter bike is also easier to pick up after the inevitable falls that would happen while off-roading. Last, finding spare parts for this type of bike in unknown areas is far less complicated than for the bigger and more technical motorcycles.
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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While riding through Arizona, Nevada and California, the shock finally started giving us some trouble. After 4000kms of riding like that, the suspension started feeling “weird”. So we started asking around and a bunch of people helped us with the issue. Glenn Stasky from Clearwater Lights hooked us up with a temporary suspension from Alex Guth in Alyx Moto. We were able to ride on that shock from Sacramento, CA all the way to Olympia, WA. We had spoken to Kimo Lassila from Touratech USA and decided to fit Esperanza with a new Touratech Explore HP rear shock, which turns out was perfect for our needs on the road. The shock was waiting for us in Olympia and our friend Greg Hilchey (Terradrifting) helped us replace it in his garage. Back in California we left the hard top box and switched it for soft luggage that rumbles less and packs more. Two months passed and as we made our way through Alaska, Esperanza encountered a new “problem.” While parked at a gas station, not noticing the side stand was still up, we leaned the bike until it hit the ground with the riders still mounted. Oil started spilling all over… we didn’t know where it was coming from? When we checked, it turned out that the air box was getting filled up with oil from the starter box, which came from the gears due to a blown seal. The interesting part is that we didn’t find the reason for this leak until we reached Charleston, SC, 4 months and 12,000kms later. But Esperanza held up like the champion she is, we only had to top her up with about a pint of oil every 800kms. Once in Charleston, our host, Tony Ross, (who happens to be one of the nicest people out there), had the time, garage, resources and, most importantly, friends who knew how to completely split the motor open to get to the blown seal. So we got our hands dirty with our dear friend John Hammond. Three days later the seal had been changed and Esperanza was ready to get back on the road as if nothing had happened.
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
After two years on the road and close to 40,000kms we can say that keeping the Dakar for our adventure was the perfect choice. Not only is it reliable but its weight is perfect for on- and off-roading. Esperanza’s fuel economy is great considering everything she’s carrying and we really haven’t needed “more power” on the roads we’ve ridden so far.
But the most important part of the adventure is not the bike, or the gear, or the equipment we have with us. No, the best part of the adventure is the people you meet while riding. And that my friends, is another story...
Scott’s
Steering Stabilizer on
HP2 Enduro
E
nduro and road racing fans are probably aware, but for the rest of the world, a steering damper benefits many bikes by preventing what are typically called head shake and speed wobbles, two related phenomena that adversely affect the stability of a motorcycle’s front end handling. Off-pavement, head shake usually occurs when the front wheel strikes something on the ground, causing a rapid deflection from its centered position. Whacking rocks or ruts, or a loss of traction, such as deep sand or mud. Hitting a bar end on a tree or coming up short on a jump can also result in a violent front end reaction. Any these events can quickly and unceremoniously place the rider on the ground. Speed wobbles usually occur on high performance street bikes under hard acceleration, braking or turning, with the front end of the bike wobbling back and forth at an increasingly wider angle and more rapid pace. There are two primary types of dampers to resist this. Most road racers tend to use a device that looks like a typical shock absorber placed between the frame and triple clamps. And most off-road riders use a damper that is center-mounted above the steering stem. The latter damper’s basic hydraulics and mechanical technology was originally patented by Ohlins, and is licensed for manufacture by Scotts. The Scotts Steering Stabilizer offers several unique features that, in my opinion, make it superior to others:
Underground Machine’s mount increases bar height 1” and spreads bar risers slightly to allow unit to fit. UM’s clamp around steering head is split, eliminating the need to remove upper triple clamp when installing.
• High-speed damping • Adjustable low and high-speed damping • Adjustable range of function from off-center, making full-lock turns easier • Easily adjustable while riding, to adjust for changing surface conditions. Back in the day, dirt bike magazines described the steering damper as “almost like cheating.” Today they are the hot setup on almost every enduro and cross country bike that is ridden aggressively. The Scotts Stabilizer gets strongly positive reviews on-line discussion and conversations with off-road riders. Reports online from oilhead and LC GS riders describe it more as handlebar jewelry, not really having much effect due to the Telever’s stabilizing capabilities, but this was not actually tested. Jewelry it is, indeed, in all its CNC and anodized glory. Its appearance is very techno-businesslike, giving you instant cred. Machined from billet aluminum, the Stabilizer’s main housing is mounted to the upper triple clamp, centered over the steering stem, in between the bar risers and beneath the handlebars. As the bars are turned, the January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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The Scotts Steering Stabilizer prevents rapid deflection of the front wheel, greatly reducing the drama of riding across challenging surfaces.
housing rotates around a vertical steel central shaft that is connected to the bike’s steering head tube via mechanical linkage. The linkage consists of a link arm that’s affixed to the center shaft on one end and fits over a tower pin on the other. The tower pin floats within a cylindrical pocket on the frame bracket so that the whole linkage is not a completely rigid assembly. It’s darn near impossible to describe in words, but appears eminently logical when you see it. Inside the housing, this central shaft has a wing affixed that, as the bars rotate, pushes oil through the housing’s damping valves to absorb shocks and provide a smooth motion. When the bars are turned at a normal steering rate of motion, the damping is minimal, and adjusted by the low speed circuit knob. When the bars’ movement is abrupt, the high speed valve kicks in. Both valves are adjustable in very fine increments. The last adjustment is sweep, the included turning angle within which the damper will have an effect. The available area on the HP2 Enduro for all this to fit is extremely tight, both between the handlebar risers and between the steering head and the tank. Unfortunately, I did not have success with the mounting adapter sold by Scotts. The mount could only be used with the HP2e’s bars in the rear position, which is not an issue for me, but once mounted, the damper housing would not fit between the bar risers. No way would I put a grinder to either the risers or a $400 damper. According to Scotts, variations in BMW’s manufacturing are the culprit. Hmmmmm. Plus, it was a bit of a project to remove the top triple clamp in order to install the frame bracket on the steering head tube. So, a shout went out to Rbott on ADVrider.com, whose Underground Machine company makes a mounting kit for the HP2e that’s much better than the Scotts. It’s a machined spacer that raises the bars about an inch and spreads the bar risers wide enough to mount the damper. The Stabilizer mounts to the spacer with pre-loctited screws. If you buy the Stabilizer from Rbott, the damping arm is specially machined to better fit in the supertight space in front of the HP2e’s fuel tank. The steel post clamps to the steering head through the kit’s very nicely-engineered split ring, eliminating the need to remove the upper triple tree to install it, as is required with the Scotts. The entire installation took just under two hours, after which I went for a thorough test ride. I wasn’t expecting much of an effect to occur on pavement, but at highway speeds I was pleasantly surprised that my HP2e felt less skittish and less easily blown around. I would think that any BMW with conventional forks would benefit.
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
Highly functional CNC moto-jewelry, viewed from front. Scotts Steering Stabilizer provides low and high-speed adjusters to minimize deflection of front wheel when riding over rough terrain.
Heading out onto forest service roads with heavy rain and tire rutting and some decent size rocks and ledges, the Stabilizer greatly reduces the drama when traversing choppy, hard-edged bumps. Its has an uncanny ability to keep the front wheel from rapidly deflecting offcenter when riding along sharp-edged ruts and exposed rocks. It just doesn’t happen. Yet, when steering normally, you can barely tell the damper there. The on-center feeling in loose gravel is much improved. On sand, especially deep sand, there was far less tendency for the front wheel to sink in and wash out. The HP2e forks are rather raked out to allow the 21” front wheel to clear the front of the engine under full suspension compression, and the front wheel pushes and then flops to one side very quickly. Now the bike maintains direction better, allowing you to power through sand with the wheel heading in (generally) the right direction. When getting cross-rutted in a muddy spot on a two-track trail, my life flashed through my eyes prematurely. The Stabilizer (along with some throttle and a weight shifting) kept me from a certain over-the-bars excursion. The damper provides two knobs for low and high-speed damping. Scotts recommends trying the damper out with the factory’s middleof-the-road settings and then experiment in small increments. It’s working so well without adjustments that it’s hard to believe it could get much better. One interesting point, RBott’s mount positions the damper directly under the handlebar so that the adjuster knobs are not easy to adjust while riding, where Scotts mount positions the damper 180° differently, making the knobs easier, but also an extremely tight fit to the tank. Other than racing, I see no great advantage to not being able to adjust damping while underway.
And last... of course, one still must be comfortable sliding the front tire while riding, since the Stabilizer only affects traction in an indirect way: a front tire will slide less when it’s more aligned with the direction of travel. But even at lower speeds, the damper’s action is very confidence inspiring and well worth the money. Cost for the mount and the damper was $570. You can save a little money purchasing Rbott’s adapter separately, and the Stabilizer direct from Scotts, but I can say that Rbott’s first-hand experience with fitment on the HP2e and his hand-customized link arm save you enough grief during installation to make it well worth spending the extra money.
USEFUL INFORMATION Scotts Performance Products 2625 Honolulu Ave Montrose, CA 91020-1706 818-248-6747 scottsonline.com Underground Machine LLC 1427 Northwest Hill Rd. Pownal, VT 05261 413-441-6847 ryan.bottesi@gmail.com January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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I already had my helmet on at this point). And then he asked me again the same question and my responsive look became even more questioning. I literally had to take him outside and show him my motorcycle and that, I was the only one driving it. His name was Russell Wolfe and he was head of Premier Event Management. It was this chance meeting in the elevator in NY that started my relationship with BMW Motorcycles. Through this person I started on the BMW Demo team in 2002. Russell also knew I was a GS girl before I did and forced me to ride the R1150GS even though I just wanted to ride the cruiser. In 2003, I was hired by BMW of Manhattan for events part-time and full-time in 2004. They also found out I could sell- even winning the top sales award for 2005. I was also an integral member of the team encouraging more women to get into riding. I was able to be one of 4 BMW people who rode with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman on the last day of their “Long Way Round” tour. (Funnier still how the world works- I just happened to see Ewan McGregor on my Christmas vacation in Mexico.) I worked with BMW of Manhattan in all aspects including service, events, apparel, motorcycles, cars and Mini sales until 2007 when I had my first child. I did not stay away too long as a friend of mine reached out at the end of 2007 and told me about an opportunity at BMW Corporate in the Motorcycle Apparel Division. It was then I worked as a consultant to BMW Motorrad USA until May 2012. These four years found me in BMW Motorrad Apparel, Parts and Accessories: Marketing, New Business Development and Sales
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
and Distribution. These were amazing years of helping to organize BMW Motorrad’s part in the rallies (GS Anti-Concours for one), riding in the BMW AMA National Adventure Riding Series, coordinating the GT and GTL Pre-sale campaign, resuscitating the high mileage program, riding the trials and GS Giants courses, coordinating with all the BMW Motorrad Dealers on different campaigns and ultimately became “GS Jane” through my Representation of the GS brand (One such title was, “US GS Ambassador” thank you, Laurence. This title prompted a call to Russell to let him know how right he was all those years ago.) The BMW Motorrad community became my family and I loved meeting new people every day to add to this family. With that said, much of my life I have always sought writing, from the stories I was writing in Kindergarten to short stories in elementary school, high school and college; even purposely going to Kenyon College known to have a premier English program. I love writing. I wrote travel logs as I loved traveling too. During my time at BMW of Manhattan I authored a small newsletter and then for BMW Motorrad I created articles for their websites and added depth to BMW’s Facebook page, Planet Power, G450X and BMW Xplor... It all started with a little five-years old girl on her little red Schwinn bike. She was looking for excitement and freedom, all of which she not only found in the journey but also in the destination. We all have our own stories and reasons for riding. We experience the world in unique, but also similar ways. Motorcycling gives me the freedom of no inhibitions and mental clarity. I have met incredible
people all over the world. It has taken me on adventures in Australia, Italy, Scotland to name a few places. Motorcycles have such a way of bringing people together. I have met some of my dearest friends because of them. Whether in the US at a lighthouse in Maine, work (calling potential clients), Claire; at a BMW event, Ania; in France where I was supposed to do a TV show, Sylvain and Khedidja; or in Italy on the Island of Lampedusa, Elisabetta. These are friends I know I will have the rest of my life. I guess it is because motorcycles attract similar personalities who need that constant adventure, freedom and a certain solidity of character you might have also once found on America’s frontier. In hind sight, my life was always moving towards motorcycles even at the slowest juncture. And always towards my real familyhelping me surround myself with like people who turned out to be more my family than many of those that shared my blood. I have been fortunate to have found two incredible mentors along the way who recognized and helped me achieve my potential. I will be forever grateful to Russell Wolfe and Laurence Kuykendall, who not only recognized my love of the machine but also my passion for the BMW brand. It is my continuing prerogative to show that their efforts were not misplaced and to share with the riding community this same passion. As the Editor of On The Level I would like to share and promote the RA’s rallies and events, fully incorporate the BMW RA community in all aspects of the magazine; strengthen On The Level as a venue for the BMW RA community dialogue and help keep On The Level a supportive and encouraging fixture to all BMW RA riders.
BMW Motorrad USA
Authorized Dealer
The Ultimate Riding Machine
TM
EurosportAsheville.com 828-255-6600 · 30 BRYSON STREET · ASHEVILLE, NC
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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A Look at YESTERYEAR By Tina Doggett
J
oin us as we wander down memory lane through our OTL archives, beginning with our very first “newsletter” sent out April, 1972. I hope you’ll find them interesting, amusing and maybe even thought-provoking. In future issues we will be publishing random quotes from past issues. We welcome any recollections you would like to share. After all, we are all part of the history of the BMW Riders Association. Without further ado, enjoy!
MAY, 1972 –V1,N2
T.H. (Skip) Tenney Jr. #765 of Amherst NH has been declared the winner of the ‘Name the Newsletter’ contest. Skip’s suggestion appears on the heading of this issue for the first time. The name was chosen because of its descriptive quality of the famous BMW plant and because it also relates to the aspired honesty of our editorial and news policy.
Dry Deodorant. Get the addresses off their packages and WRITEWRITE-WRITE!
NOV 1973 V2, N10
California Housewife Praises EZ Berg Custom Contour Seat. Riding her own 1973 R75/5, Fran Gillson and hubby Dick, on his R69S rode from San Diego, CA to Austin, TX to attend a family reunion: a round trip of some 2500 miles. It was Fran’s first long bike trip and she says she couldn’t have made it without the comfort of her EZ BERG custom contour saddle. “It eliminated Fanny Fatigue by 90%, she stated.
OCT 1974 V3, N10
Threat to BMW Supremacy?? Arakawa, Japan, June 13, 1974: Honda is said to have carried out secret night-time trials of its new shaft-drive water-cooled flat four on its test track here.
Some of the entries which received serious consideration from the judges as well as causing some merriment were: BM Burbles, Tijuana Flyer, BMW Motorcycle Enthusiast and BMW Bull Sheet.
There are believed to be two versions of the machine, development of which was discontinued last December because of material shortage, six or seven months after Honda started to develop it.
OCT-NOV 1972 V1, N7
There are indications that two models are being developed: a 750cc and a 100cc. Both bikes incorporate several new safety features, including a fuel tank mounted under the seat instead of above the engine with lowering the center of gravity in mind as well as being protected from impact by the frame tubes. An electric pump supplies fuel to the carburetors.
Following a successful practice which has been bringing enjoyment to members of the Retreads motorcycle club, it has been suggested that we establish a tape recording club within the membership of the BMWRA. Through exchanging tapes, we could become better acquainted with our BMW riding friends in other cities, States and even far away countries…..All members interested, please write and let us know what type of recorder you have (reel or cassette).
DEC 1973 V2, N11
On Nov 6, NBC aired an episode of their new, hour long show “Chase” which renewed the old “Marlon Brando’ image of motorcyclists. It was complete with chains, choppers and mayhem. Of course, the bikers were the heavies and were eventually overwhelmed by good guy Brian Fong on his 350cc Honda. Unfortunately, most TV viewers are unable to determine fact from fiction, especially where motorcycles are concerned, and they tend to categorize all cyclists into the outlaw class. The day after the showing, many reports were received of increased aggressiveness towards bikers by autoists. We are calling for an immediate boycott of the program’s sponsors’ products and a campaign of letter writing to the producer, the network and to the sponsors to let them know how we feel about such prejudicial propaganda. For starters write: Mr. Jack Webb. The sponsors to Boycott are: McDonald’s drive-ins, Brim Coffee, Right Guard Deodorant, Post’s Raisin Bran and Saran Wrap, Gallo Wine, Alpo Dog Food, Arrid Stay
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
OCT 1974 V3, N10
On The Level to Remain As Is. We have studied and even admired the publication of other organizations who claim to be similar to ours and have come to a decision to leave the publishing of fancy motorcycle magazines to the professionals such as AMA News, Road Rider and the fledging quarterly, Rider. We will continue to concentrate on news of interest to our readers on a current basis. We will continue publishing letters of our members and give them free classified advertising (in reasonable amounts). Father, Son See 7 States on a Motorcycle for $320. Few travel agencies could offer a two week tour for two, through seven states, for $320, but that’s just about what Paul V. Tomosky, and his son spent on their 5,200 mile trip to Colorado last month. Riding a $2,000 German-made motorcycle, Mr. Tomosky and his son, Calvin, braved heat, wind and traffic en route to Golden, Colo., to visit a friend…Sleeping in private camp areas or in national forests, Mr. Tomosky and his son spent $50 on gasoline. When asked if he’d like to take the trip again, Calvin said “No, because my hind end started hurting me.”
The
Quest By Karen Jacobs
I
left Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 7 a.m. on Monday, the 21st of June, 2010, the same day my nephew Jim began his deployment to Iraq. There’s no doubt I would have the better journey. Shortly after leaving home, the rain began. Little did I know that this was a sign of how my entire trip would be. Making good time, I rode on past the Twin Cities and Jamestown, N.D. in hopes of logging more miles. It was a good first day, 745 miles, ending in Harvey, N.D. The small private motel I stayed at cost $45. I thought this was a little expensive, but soon found this was the cheapest lodging of the whole trip. Tuesday morning, I crossed into Canada. I picked a remote portal on Hwy 83 to avoid a busy crossing. The guard station was small. I think I woke the two young guards up when I pulled in and stopped. I didn’t know if they were new and nervous. They asked the same questions more than once. Or, were they trying to trip me up on my answers? They asked what all the devices were on my bike, including my “Spot” tracking device. I explained about ”Spot” and promptly was asked who was tracking me? Fair question, I suppose. I replied “family, friends and BMW club members interested in following my travels”. The next question was about the video camera. “Was it running? What’s in the top box? Can you open it?” I thanked them for being thorough and rode on into Manitoba and across Transcontinental Hwy #1 for a non-eventful ride to Moosejaw,
Karen Jacobs and her scoot in Alaska
Sask. I had to stop there. The name says it all. Wednesday’s ride ended in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. It was nice to finally see mountains. As it would turn out, I would be riding in those mountains for the next 3 weeks. Thursday morning I began my ride through Banff. It was beautiful. The ice fields, mountain-passes and did I mention rain, filled the day. I finished in Prince George. I initially rode past Prince George, but I nervously turned around and headed back, realizing there would not be another town for more than 100 miles.
Friday found me stopping in Dawson Creek for a photo op. at Mile “0” of the Alcan Highway and fighting rain all the way to Ft. Nelson. I can safely say I was “up-north”, as I took a picture of the snow-blower on the roof next door to my motel, before crawling in bed for a good night’s sleep. Saturday was a very trying morning. I rode across the summit pass, 1267 meters. (I think that’s a lot of feet). It rained all morning. The pass was so foggy I had to slow down to a crawl. Very nerve wracking. Then the road was a mix of pavement and gravel for the next ten miles. Construction on the Alcan is a constant. The winters can be very tough on the roads. Add to that, the Alcan is the only road. There are no alternate routes. A January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
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Breathtaking Alaska
couple of GS riders coming from the other direction gave me the “slow-down” wave as I was climbing a curve. Good thing. Around the corner was a herd or buffalo in the middle of the road. You don’t honk. You merely wait them out. And that’s what I did. A few miles later, an RV pulled over and two people ran across the highway. I thought there was an emergency, only to find out that they were chasing a black bear for a photo op. The bear was running into the woods. “Hey, don’t chase that poor bear. This is his neighborhood, not yours”, I thought to myself. Shortly afterwards, the sun came out. This made such a difference. What wilderness. It was breathtaking. I was reminded of how insignificant we are. I stopped for the night
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
at the Upper Laird Resort north of Watson Lake. A room, a bed, a shower and a great meal prepared by the owner, a native of the Czech Republic made for a comfortable night. Tomorrow I would be traveling to Haines Junction. The roads are becoming increasingly more rugged. My nerves are becoming more fragile. But, I’m 3/4th of the way to my destination and I can’t give into my fears and turn back. Sunday, June 27th. Well what a week it has been. After Watson Lake, I stopped for breakfast and joined a man from Vancouver who was riding his bicycle from Anchorage down to Vancouver. And I thought I was brave riding a motorcycle. Kudos to him! Then, onward I went to Haines Junction for an uneventful day, filled with beautiful scenery. I know there are adventure riders that make me look like a wooss, but Monday was the biggest test of my nerves and skills. And, I was riding alone! Leaving Haines Junction, I found the road from Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek becoming the toughest riding I’ve ever done in my life. The last 116 miles of the Yukon can best be described as a lava field
with a side order of pot holes. And the heavy rain made it seem like I was heading for hell. The worst frost heaves and pavement slides I’ve ever encountered. Your tire would get in a rut and it was nearly impossible to get out. The rut controlled your path of direction. The 60 MPH speed limit was impossible, as I crawled to a high of 30 MPH most of the way. Finally, arriving at Beaver Creek, I stopped for gas and a breather before heading on. I was only a few miles from the Alaskan border. Would I make it? The clerk in the gas station said I would experience about 15 miles of construction once I crossed the border, then the road would be good. Well, the 15 miles of construction was another extreme test. Keep in mind it was still raining heavily, and the road was dirt. Graders and rollers were moving dirt around as the pilot truck led us up, over and down the muddy road. Fishtailing along the slime, I was sure I would drop my bike. Amazingly, I survived and never thought I’d be happy to ride on the next surface, gravel, which allowed better traction until I reached firm pavement. This was GS country, not RT-Land.
Arriving in Tok, AK, I stopped for a well deserved lunch and decided I should cash in on my good fortune and get a room for the night. The ground in front of my motel room was so saturated from the heavy rain that my side stand would not hold. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to park up on the concrete slab in front of the motel. Well, you know what they say about crossing railroad tracks on a motorcycle? Hit in square. Well, the same holds true about a 4” raised concrete slab. And as you can only guess, I hit it on an angle and down I went. My poor new motorcycle was no longer free of scars. After asking an elderly man (actually, he was probably the same age as me) to help me lift my bike up, I approached the concrete from the other end of the motel where the surface was even. After a few tears, a bottle of wine and realizing I made it to Alaska, I decided to continue on with my journey. Tuesday morning, off I went to Anchorage for an oil change and a night at another Super8 motel. Wednesday morning was a casual and beautiful ride down the Kenaii Peninsula to Homer and the Spruce Acres Resort, where I was greeted by the owner, Clair. She handed me a card of congratulations from my friend Tina that arrived the day before. I made it! I arrived at my destination. I took a nap in the cozy cabin and enjoyed the moment. Thursday was a day of leisure and riding out to the “Spit”, a stretch of land extending out into the Gulf of Alaska, separated from the Cook
Inlet. I found a fish market, bought a fresh piece of sockeye salmon, a bottle of white wine and some asparagus for a nice meal on the grill back at the cabin. It was then that I decided I would pass on Denali and Fairbanks, as the weather report predicted 5 more days of the same rain. Friday morning brought more rain as I headed back along the Kenaii Peninsula, to Ninilchik, home of the Orthodox Church overlooking the village. Then back to Anchorage for the night. Saturday was a good day to head back to Tok. Shortly before arriving in Tok, I saw my first moose cow with her baby, crossing the road in front of me, with lots of space to spare. Earlier, I booked a room to stay in Tok, but on arrival, realized the sun had finally come out and there would be a good chance I could ride all the way to Haines Junction and finally put that horrible stretch of road behind me. For some reason, the road did not seem as difficult. There was no construction traffic, the dirt road was dry and the “lava field ” road in the upper Yukon was dry and did not seem as treacherous as the northbound lane was 5 days earlier. I successfully dodged the 116 miles of pot holes and crevices of the pavement. Again, back in Haines Junction, I checked back into the same inexpensive motel, $85, for a good night’s sleep.
Sunday was again the stretch from Haines Junction to Watson Lake, where I finally saw a grizzly, grazing on the side of the road. With my engine still running, I turned around, zoomed in and took a picture of the handsome creature. I then rode back down to the same cozy cabin in Upper Laird for another home cooked meal by the owner, best known by her regulars as Queenie. Monday was the ride down through the Muncho Lake area and more buffalo and mountain sheep, then Dawson Creek , stopping for the night again in Ft. Nelson. Tuesday’s riding was back down to Prince George. Wednesday, I followed along the Frazer River Canyon, one of the most beautiful parts of B.C., finally stopping in Hope, B.C., just north of the crossing back into the U.S. My trip was from June 21 through July 21, 32 days and 10,900 miles. 26 days in the saddle. 5 Canadian Provinces, 10 states, including the sought after Alaska. Incredible scenery, glaciers, wilderness, nice people, friends, grizzly, buffalo, sheep, moose and the never to be forgotten rain. I can finally say I did it. I conquered Alaska. Well, in my small way at least. Since then, I’ve ridden 49 states, 6 Canadian provinces, 4 countries and look forward to riding Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland this coming summer. At age 69, I think life is just beginning.
Mile O Alaska Hiway
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
49
Miracle on
the Road By Neil Jones RA-Cincinnati Club
M
otorcycling from Ohio to New Hampshire…it’s a ride I have done dozens of times. 883 miles each way and many different choices of roads. Some trips I ride the scenic wooded roads through Pennsylvania and New York, other times I ride the interstates, occasionally even taking the Cross Bronx Expressway through NYC for a different kind of adventure. In 2001 I stretched the route to 1000 miles and earned an Iron Butt membership. This year in July my route included visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and riding the Adirondack mountain roads in eastern upstate New York.
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
From the Adirondacks I crossed into Vermont over the Lake Champlain bridge at Chimney Point and headed for Bristol. Cubber’s Restaurant appealed to me for a late afternoon meal. As I enjoyed my sandwich a rain shower passed through. After the rain my 1150 RT would not start. My heart sank and I fought off a feeling of despair that tried to fill my brain. My RT had been giving me some trouble starting when cold, but it would always catch on before the battery was drained. So far I had done nothing to fix it. I pulled one of the spark coils, thought I saw a little oil where it shouldn’t be and wiped it off hoping that would make a difference. No luck.
Bristol is a pretty little town with angle parking along the one block of stores. There is a Shell station selling groceries, but no repair services. I tried to keep my head clear and focused. I got out the Anonymous book and found dozens of Vermont listings, but none in Bristol. But all seemed to be small towns with unfamiliar names. I would have to get a paper map to find which towns were nearby. Meanwhile, this bike isn’t starting and I needed a place to sleep. The folks at Cubber’s said there was a B & B in town where I could get a room for $150. For a guy accustomed to cheap motels and campgrounds this was steep, but it was my only option. I took an armload of stuff from the bike and started walking toward the B & B.
Crossing the city park at the center of Bristol I wondered if I could camp there. Some towns allow tent camping on the square and I have done so in the past. I saw a man sitting on a park bench. He wore a t-shirt marked up with red paint from a recent job, and the name, “Charlie.” I asked Charlie if it was OK to sleep on the town square. His face twisted into anger. He demanded, “Why are you asking me that? I haven’t done anything.” I explained that I was just traveling through and was just looking for a place to camp. “You can camp here, but you have to get a permit from City Hall and City Hall closed at 5 o’clock.” “Could I ask the Police?” I asked. “Would they OK it?” Charlie said that he knew most of the town’s police officers, but the OK could only come from City Hall. “Is there another place I could set up my tent? Something other than the town square but still legal?” Charlie thought about it for a second and said there was such a place where people sometimes camped. It was safe and nobody would bother me there. I realized he was talking about a homeless camp. For some reason it sounded as good as a $150 for a B & B so I asked him to show it to me. He pointed to a hill leading down from the main street and said it was that way. Charlie looked me square in the eyes and said, “I can’t buy alcohol in this town. Will you go into the convenience store and get something for me?” It dawned on me that Charlie was the town drunk. Of course he knew all the policemen by name. Of course he knew where he could and couldn’t sleep it off. Charlie was willing to help me so I felt I should help him. “What do you drink?” I asked. “Five Star Vodka,” Charlie said. ”I can pay you but I’m not allowed to buy it.” I was ready to head for the liquor store when a figure appeared. I didn’t see where he came from, but he was a big guy, over 6 feet tall, 40-ish, blond hair and a big grin. “Is that your beautiful BMW bike over there?” he asked. He stuck out his hand
and said, “I’m Eric Rossier, I’m a BMW rider, director of the MOV and my MOA member number is 194076. I saw your Ohio license plate and I want to welcome you to Vermont and introduce you to some of our great motorcycling roads.” “That beautiful bike over there won’t start,” I said. “It just broke down. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, I don’t know where to get it fixed and I have no place to stay.” “Your problems are over, my friend. You can stay at my house and we can get either fix your bike or get it to a repair shop.” Charlie made a quick grasp of the situation and knew there would be no Five Star Vodka this night. He nodded toward my new friend as if to say that I was getting the best deal in town. I got into Eric’s car. As we drove toward his house he made some calls describing the bike’s no-start problem. Eric had a bike trailer in his yard so he decided that the best course of action would be to trailer the bike to Frank’s, a BMW dealer in Essex, VT. The mechanic was on vacation but under the circumstances, the owner himself, Lester Pelkey would work on the bike.
The sun was setting when we dropped the bike at Franks BMW on Thursday evening. On Friday Lester had the problem identified (Hall effect sensor), the new part was ordered for overnight shipping. Before noon on Saturday the new part arrived, Lester put things back together and I was back on the road, less than 2 days after arriving. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for all that had happened. Not only did Eric have a trailer and a bedroom for me, he insisted that I use his bike until mine was fixed. Not only did Lester set aside the owner’s role to pick up the wrenches, he correctly analyzed the problem and got me back on the road before his shop closed for the weekend. I’m not a deeply religious person, but I do trust in God and I do go to church when I’m home. I have heard stories about guardian angels who watch over us and will take action when needed to keep us safe. And I look back on that moment. I was about to go under a bridge with Charlie, when Eric arrived. Yeah, that big guy, Eric. For me he was an angel. Passing through Bristol was not his usual way home from work. The timing was magnificent, you might even say it was a miracle.
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
51
th
Anniversary Celebration in Munich
I
By George Nyktas
was fortunate enough to be able to attend the celebration event in Munich along with tens of thousands of other BMW fans from around the world. It started on Friday evening the 9th of September with a tour of the recently renovated Classic Headquarters. This was the site of the original BMW factory.
Click bmwmoa.org/3free. Or call 864-438-0962.
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
The formal celebration opened on Saturday the 10th at Olympic Park. Hundreds of Vintage and Classic BMW cars and bikes were on display. These vehicles are privately owned and were brought from all over Europe and the rest of the world.
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53
BMW S 1000 XR Featured In The Latest Blockbuster Installment of the Resident Evil Franchise, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter BMW Motorrad’s first Adventure Sport Bike, the S 1000 XR, can be seen in Capcom’s hugely popular video game series, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. This series has grossed over 1 billion, making it the most successful video game film franchise of all time.
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ON THE LEVEL
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eing a huge fan of the BMW Motorrad’s Rallye Suit, it is hard to believe that BMW could come up with something better. However, knowing the BMW brand and their commitment to safety and cutting-edge technology, it is not surprising that BMW is always coming up with new products. 2017 welcomes the EnduroGuard Suit to BMW Motorrad’s apparel line. As you can imagine, it is the ultimate suit for professional enduro riding. Working with Schoeller Textil, to create the Dynatec fabric and ceraspace, a polymer matrix coating consisting of extremely hard ceramic particles, this suit is extremely heat-resistant and abrasion-proof. This does not come at the expense of breathability and weatherproofing as it has a 3-layer laminate with BMW Climate Membrane, so the suit is wind, waterproof and highly breathable. All you women riders out there will be happy to hear there is also a women’s cut, so we can maintain our curves while riding. As a GS aficionado, you can imagine my curiosity when I heard about this new enduro suit. I emailed around and found out it will not be in the US until April. However, I just happened to be going to Rome, Italy and thought I would see if they already had it. They did and I was able to get my friend, Michele, to model the jacket (the pants were not yet available).
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January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
57
Rally Map
1. Death Valley Rendezvous #25 2017-02-16 to 2017-02-20 This year marks the 25th anniversary of the “Oldest and Lowest” of all Airhead Rendezvouses, and, as in the previous 24 years, we will brave the unpredictable weather of February to gather at the Furnace Creek Campground in Death Valley National Park on President’s Day weekend. The Furnace Creek Ranch is nearby with a general store, restaurants, saloon, olympic sized spring fed pool, showers, & museum. Bring your bathing suit for the Sunday pool party. 2. Ohio RA Regional Annual Breakfast Meeting 2017-03-19 March 19, 2017 RA Ohio Regional Breakfast Meeting will be held at 9:00 AM with the short meeting following at 10:00 AM after breakfast at the Pioneer Restaurant located at 50 Columbus Rd., Utica, Ohio 43080 (SR 62 just west of SR 13). Everyone should be back from Daytona Bike Week by then and have some stories to share. More details of the 2016 BMW-RA National Rally and our Ohio Region calendar of events will be on the agenda. Restaurant phone is 740.892.2087. GPS Coordinates N40 13.780 W82 27.213 3. The Buckeye State Spring Kick-Off Campout 2017-04-28 to 2017-04-30 April 28-30 2017 RA Ohio Region Spring Camp Out This is our season opener held on the last weekend in April at the Kokosing Valley Camp and Canoe located 1/2 mile west of Millwood, OH (on the south side of US 36 just west of US 62). Camping is $7.50
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
per person per night tenting or bike pop-ups. We are looking forward to another great year at this location with its comfortable facilities: flush toilets, hot showers, a laundry, volleyball, basketball, baseball, horseshoe pits, and an on-site camp store, just to name a few. 4. 32nd Annual BMW Motorcycle MotoExpo and Flea Market 2017-04-29 to 2017-04-30 Huge indoor BMW MotoExpo and Flea Market, now open both Saturday afternoon and Sunday! We welcome buyers, motorcycle and accessory dealers, vendors, and enthusiast-sellers. Vendors, register early and get a free listing on our Website. Enthusiastsellers, rent a vendor space or sell your items on consignment at our club booth. Located at Winnebago County Fairgrounds, 500 W 1st Street, Pecatonica, IL 61063. That’s 10 miles west of Rockford and 1 mile north of US20, at GPS coordinates: 42.316242, -89.366612. Buyers admitted with a $5 donation. Saturday camping for both vendors and buyers. 5. The Original Mini-Rally 2017-05-05 to 2017-05-07 Come on out and help celebrate SPRING and our 45th year. No need to pre-register, just bring $25, that gets you 2 nights camping, chili dog dinner fri, non stop coffee, hot chocolate,tea,water,popcorn & donuts. Movie fri nite, food truck on site sat, Live music sat nite, pancake breakfast sun, bring your own headache remedies. Indoor plumbing with hot showers. Other rally stuff,door prizes, Awards, field events, rides etc. Electric available for extra $.
6. BMWMCON - European Riders Rally 2017-05-18 to 2017-05-21 Join the BMW Motorcycle Club of Nashville as we host our 19th annual European Riders Rally. We’ll offer a weekend of great riding for both the street and dual sport enthusiast. Enjoy seminars, movies, motorcycle games, great food, camping or nearby hotels. Visit www.bmwmcon.org for much more information. Questions? Email us at 7. Great River Road Rally (GR 3) 2017-05-19 to 2017-05-21 Join us May 19 – 21 for the 43rd annual Great River Road Rally in beautiful Soldiers Grove, located at the epicenter of the best riding roads in the state. We are returning to Veteran’s Park at the intersection of Highways US 61 & 131. 8. The 2017 DownEast Rally 2017-05-19 to 2017-05-21 BMW Riders of Southern Maine BMWMOA #183 & BMW RA # 206 Hermit Island Campground, Phippsburg, Maine. Join us as we return to Hermit Island at the start of the New England riding season for another DownEast Rally. Enjoy 3 days & 2 nights of Oceanside camping at Hermit Island Campground. Friday night chowders & chili, Sat. morning Full breakfast, Sat. evening lobster dinner & Sun. morning Pancake breakfast. Maps for self-guided rides will be available. Fees: $55 for pre-registration w/ camping postmarked
9. New Sweden 450 2017-05-20 to 2017-05-21 We are back for our fourth year! 450 miles of great back roads linked together in the tristate area. The ride will take place over the course of 2 days, traversing some of the best roads in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. We provide doughnuts and coffee during registration, free camping, a great dinner on Saturday night, prizes, a 50/50 drawing, a hearty breakfast on Sunday morning, and a finisher’s patch. Route sheets will be provided at the starting location, directions will clearly indicate mileage, turns, and gas/eating spots. *GPS uploads available (Donations accepted). 10. 2017 BMW Motorcycle Owners of Alabama Rally 2017-05-26 to 2017-05-28 Come join us at our Memorial Day Rally in the beautiful Sequatchie Valley in Dunlap Tennessee. Situated just west of, and close to Chattanooga, TN we’ll have some great suggested rides for you to explore the area. The rally grounds are the historical Coke Ovens Park and Museum. 11. 43rd Annual Square Route Rally 2017-06-02 to 2017-06-04 Join us at the 43rd annual Square Route Rally at Camp West Mar in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland. There is plenty of camping in the grass field and a limited number of beds in the bunk houses are available firstcome, first-serve.
12. 17th Annual Red Rock Rendezvous Rally 2017-06-15 to 2017-06-17 17th Annual Red Rock Rendezvous Rally June 15-17, 2017 13. Ohio Regional Rawiga Road Rally in Seville 2017-06-23 to 2017-06-25 Join us for our annual summer campout at our new location generously hosted by longtime BMW riders Kent and Pamela Ringstmeier on their private grounds. 14. 45th Annual Cascade Country Rendezvous 2017-07-20 to 2017-07-23 Join us for the 45th annual Cascade Country Rendezvous, July 20-23, 2017, in beautiful Republic Washington. 15. 2017 Twin Valley Rally 2017-09-15 to 2017-09-17 Imagine the perfect motorcycle rally. You put it annually in an area renowned for amazing roads and sublime scenery. You host it in a clean, intimate campground with proper amenities. You make it small enough to get to know practically everybody there, but large enough to broaden your friendships. 16. 14th Thunder Mountain Rendezvous 2017-09-22 to 2017-09-24 September 22-24, 2017 14th Thunder Mountain Rendezvous BMW Riders of Western Colorado RA #319 Color weekend in Hotchkiss Colorado, our venue includes grassy camping and restrooms with showers. $40 before 8/15, $50 at the gate, you get, two dinners, Booster Club fundraiser pancake breakfast available Sat. a.m., continental breakfast Sunday morning, camping, coffee, door prizes, and entertainment. No camping
on the grass before 5 p.m September 21. Information: Gary Campbell 970-210-2604, 17. Gathering of the Clams 2017-09-29 to 2017-10-01 Join us to celebrate our 24th Club Anniversary at Camp Fuller YMCA on beautiful Great Salt Pond in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Enjoy three days and two nights of oceanside camping or sleep in a shared cabin (first 70 people) at no extra charge. 18. 2017 RAMS Rally 2017-09-29 to 2017-10-01 Rally fee includes Friday and Saturday nights tent camping, pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, Saturday evening dinner, endless Coffee, Lemonade and Ice Water at Rally Central, live music, and Legendary RAMS Door Prizes. 19. Oklahoma Rally 2017-09-29 to 2017-09-30 BMW multi-club campout at pavilion. Ride the skyline drive to Queen Wilhelmina lodge for Saturday lunch. No charge except camping fee. Nice facilities, showers at this tiny state park in S.E. Oklahoma. Hosted by Central Oklahoma BMW Road Riders. September 29-30 2017. Food and motels in Talihina if not camping. 20. 16th Swamp Scooters Gumbo Rally 2017-11-10 to 2017-11-12 Our annual rally is once again coming around. Great tent camping under wonderful trees. Supper Friday night, breakfast Saturday morning, with the Gumbo Cook Off Saturday nights. Bike games on Saturday.
HOW TO LIST YOUR CLUB EVENT Rally-Map is a free service for all BMW Clubs. Please limit to 90 words or less. Material may be edited. Deadline is the 12th of the month prior to issue month. Send rally or special event information to: BMW RA, Rally Map, PO Box 435, Clarksville, OH 45113-0435. Best way to get published is to use E-mail: rallymap@bmwra.org. If you have access to email, PLEASE send your notices that way. No files over 2MB. (If you send graphics files or pictures, we won’t print graphics you send, but might include them on the web
page). And, if you must, you can fax listings to 262-5221103. And, as always, if you don’t name your event, I will.
LISTING YOUR RALLY If it is in the interest of motorcyclists, we will list the event, but you’ve got to tell us about it! The best way is to submit the information here, and as soon as it’s reviewed, it’ll show up on the map.
Email address: rallymap@bmwra.org
January/February 2017 ON THE LEVEL
59
BOOK REVIEW- Zero Below Zero
Electric Motorcycle Everyday Commuting All Winter in Duluth, Minnesota An experiment co-sponsored by Aerostich and Zero Motorcycles From Wikipedia: Duluth: ” Winters are long, snowy, and very cold, normally seeing maximum temperatures remaining below 32 degrees Fahrenheit on 106 days (the second-most of any city in the contiguous US behind International Falls), minima falling to or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit on 40-41 nights and bringing consistent snow cover from late November to late March.” This book chronicles the efforts of the owner of Aerostich and five of his employees to test the Zero battery powered motorcycle through the winter of 2015/2016. Being from Wisconsin, I’ve ridden a bit in the winter months and was very curious to read how these riders were going to fare. The book is interesting because you get the viewpoints of six different riders with various skillsets, and weather that runs the gamut from several inches of fresh snow to brutal double digit, sub-zero temperatures. The Zero motorcycle remains outside throughout the test period. It is fascinating how the riders modify the bike and test the limits of Aerostich’s heated gear. Without giving too much of the story away, I recommend Zero Below Zero as entertaining and an easy read around the fireplace. The book gives a good understanding of the Zero motorcycles capabilities in really adverse conditions and also gives insight into Aerostich’s philosophy of “Ride to work, work to ride”. Available at www.aerostich.com Submitted by Mark Doggett
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ON THE LEVEL January/February 2017
New Merchandise in the Black Eagle Shop It’s about the Ride
Multipurpose Pandanas. Get yours today.
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Call headquarters toll-free and place your order or purchase a gift certificate for that special person in your life.
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BUY-SELL-SWAP FREE to all BMW RA members. Up to 50 words – for non-commercial purposes. Ads for different categories must be submitted separately. Ads must state asking or firm price. BMW RA cannot be responsible for accuracy of descriptions.
E-mail to: Andy Pretzl, OTL Ad Editor Buysellswap@bmwra.org
On The Level Volume 46, No. 7
BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION, Inc.
January/February 2017
BMW RA P.O. Box 435 Clarksville, OH 45113-0435
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twitter@bmw_ra
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ON THE LEVEL September/October 2016
ey there, hope this finds you intrigued and curious. I have had to step into some very large shoes. Will did an amazing job with this magazine and had many years to perfect his view of what he wanted it to be. I cannot pretend to be Will and my vision and expertise are in different areas. I am just getting my feet wet and it will take a bit of time. I have some amazing secret helpers who know who they are. This magazine could not have been done without them. With that said, I would love any feedback as to where you, the reader, would like this magazine to go. I would love stories of your travels and actually would like to do a series on BMW riding around the world. Please write me at GSJane@BMWRA.org. I look forward to hearing from you! We can create a magazine together. Best! Jane
Photos courtesy - Neale Bayly