A Scorching BMW MOA Rally

If I had to pick two words to describe the BMW MOA Rally (Motorcycle Owners of America) it would have to be SCORCHING and HUMID.  By Sunday my brain was cooked from the 100+ degrees at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, my occipital lobe had slowed down to a crawl, it had stopped interpreting information from the retinas of the eyes, and the thinking function had stopped operating completely, drinking beer did not help.
The four days I spent camping were so hot that by the time I got home the bike was at least 50 pounds lighter, either I lost a lot of weight or I might have left stuff behind, in either case, who cares, I was riding, I had fun and that's all it matters.

I attended last years rally in Redmond Oregon with my brother, this year we had Wayne join us for the trip.  The weather guys had predicted 95 degrees for Thursday, I decided to meet Wayne at his house, about 45 minutes from mine and leave early, my brother would meet us there later, he works nights and it would be difficult for him to get up early.

I was stopped in front of Wayne's house loaded and ready to hit the road at 8am.  We had 160 miles ahead of us, about 2.5 hours riding.  We head across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and cut north on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension.  About halfway up we pass a red pickup truck with two BMW motorcycles on a trailer, one of them looks familiar to me, a red K75 also known as the flying brick.  Wayne riding a Triumph Sprint ST waves his finger at them, pointing out the fact that BMW's should be ridden to the rally, not taken on a trailer as most riders of another motorcycle marque usually do.   Wayne likes to stir trouble.
With the temperature climbing faster than fireworks on a 4th of July, we pull in to a rest area for a drink and some refuge from the heat.  We had parked the bikes and were about to go inside when a certain red pickup comes around, here comes trouble was my first thought.  The pickup slows down as it rounds the parking area, I throw a glance at it and see a big guy smiling at me instead of an angry face.  I turn around and I'm faced with Jack Riepe's smile, we immediately recognize each other.  You see, Jack has this blog called "Twisted Roads By Jack Riepe" which I have been following for a long time and he had recently started reading mine but we had never met.  We had exchanged a few e-mails and had planned on meeting at the rally during his seminar.    We introduce ourselves, shake hands, I excuse my friend's actions as just another hooligan Triumph rider and we all move inside to chat.  I will leave it to Jack to explain why he was not riding his flying brick, the very famous K75 AKA "Fireballs".

After registering ourselves we head to the camping area and proceed to setup our tents.  Less than an hour later and already sweating, we head to the vendor area but after a while we make our way to the main building where the air conditioners were running full blast and we knew we could take refuge from the heat.  Inside the building there's a large collection of old BMW's, NSU's, a single Douglas and a Brough Superior which I had never heard of.  Wayne is a motorcycle expert and he quickly explains to me how rare and expensive they are.  Another expert hears us talking about it and quickly points out the bike we are looking at is worth about $350K.  My mouth must have dropped, I thought only cars went that high. I did some research and was totally amazed with these machines.

Brough Superior motorcycles were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940. They were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles".  Approximately 3,048 of 19 models were made in 21 years of production. T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") owned seven bikes and died from injuries sustained after crashing one. Wikipedia

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18. The extraordinary breadth and variety of his activities and associations, and his ability to describe them vividly in writing, earned him international fame as Lawrence of Arabia, a title which was used for the 1962 film based on his First World War activities. Wikipedia

Every motorcycle was test ridden to ensure that it performed to specification, and was personally certified by George Brough. The SS100 model was ridden at 100 mph (160 km/h) or more prior to customer delivery.

SS100 Brough Superior made by George Brough

There was a large display of WWII motorcycles, I have always had a fascination with military hardware and seeing these motorcycles up close was very special, I could almost hear the staccato of the machine guns and the sounds of exploding rounds as I stood there admiring these wonderfully well kept machines.

The Harley-Davidson XA (Experimental Army) was a flat-twin shaft drive motorcycle made by Harley-Davidson for the US Army during World War II. The HD XA was based closely on the BMW motorcycles. Though an excellent machine, only about 1000 were produced. Wikipedia

There were lots of vendors selling BMW parts, I talked to a few that will have parts for the Yamaha Tenere. Altrider, Twisted Throttle, Micatech and a few others were mostly displaying BMW farkles.   There was a guy selling used motorcycles, some weird like the Suzuki Bandit trike and others more of my style like the BMW R1200S, one of the most beautiful motorcycles BMW ever made.

Later in the day we rode into Bloomsburg center and stopped for ice coffee at the Phillips Emporium and Coffee shop, a cute little book store that serves an amazing ice coffee.  Bloomsburg is a little town, in the north eastern part of Pennsylvania, with a population of about 15 thousand.  We then went to Applebees for diner, we knew the air conditioner would be running and the waitresses are always friendly.

The sun woke me up early Friday and I quickly got up.  Today I would attend Jack Riepe's seminar "How To Breathe Life Into A Ride Report Or Motorcycle Story".  I have breakfast and get to the grandstands about an hour early, I wanted to make sure I had a seat on the first row, I knew this was going to be a packed room.  Jacks shows up and immediately the fun starts.  I knew there was trouble when he asked the audience if anyone knew anything about computers, you see, he's an Apple computer guy, his computer did not have the standard VGA plug needed to connect to the projector.  Jack's a good writer but a computer geek he is not.  I volunteered to help, luckily he had the correct adapter, after some hiccups and lots of people suggesting different solutions everything was sorted out when we resorted to rebooting the damn computer.  Jack gave an amazing presentation and I got lots of good information.  His stories and jokes thrilled the attendees for about an hour.  I met John Bunce, Richard Machida and Steve Williams, all fellow bloggers I have been following.  Refer to the end of this post for a list of everyone's blogs.  After the seminar we had lunch at one of the vendors, it was extremely hot under the tent as you can see from the picture, we were all wet like someone had turned a hose on us.  With our eyes burning from all the sweat we still managed to down a pulled pork sandwich with Jack Riepe topping it with hot apple dumplings.  Jack has an amazing rapport with the ladies, a discussion quickly ensued about the type of apples and when they would be at the perfect stage for the apple dumplings.  The poor lady had no idea what she was getting into, last thing I heard she had invited us to come back and try the hot apple dumplings in two months, I only see myself going back perhaps in January when it's nice and cold.

L to R - Jack, Steve, Richard and me

In the afternoon we attended the trials where BMW riders were putting their bikes through hell. I do admire these guys putting their bikes though all kinds of terrain, boulders, water, ruts and mud.  There were a few mishaps but nothing to worry about, after all these are true adventure motorcycles.

The evening couldn't come fast enough, it cooled a little but by 6pm the temperature was still hovering around mid 90's.  We had purchased diner tickets for a meal of authentic German food and BMW had invited a very famous event band from Germany called "Blechblos'n".  The Bavarian group entertained the crowd with excellent German music and American songs but the band brought the house down with funny renditions of Lady Gaga and Tina Turner.

R to L - Wayne, Paul (my brother) and I

The "Blechblos'n"

Click to expand the panoramas

Saturday morning we headed to town for a proper breakfast at the local dinner.  We were standing outside planning the day when a large group of bimmers stopped at the light, there were a few ladies in the group with the pink GS650 being obviously one.  We left town and headed up into the country side following route 44 in a north western direction.  I stopped to take a few pictures of what I thought was a nuclear power station but quickly moved on, didn't want the security guys chasing me down the road.  We passed next to the station and realized it was a coal powered station.

Bush Road, winding road next  3 1/4 miles, I didn't see any problems with the road and we definitely did not follow the suggested  40mph.  We continued through the very hilly and sinuous country side stopping only for a drink.

My brother looks in his GPS and finds out there's a few covered bridges nearby, we plot the course and head to the bridges.  Pretty soon we enter what seemed to be a scene from a Stephen King story, we see lots of detour signs and no matter which direction we followed we ended up on gravel roads and no way out.  Lots of u-turns ensued.  You will notice I'm at this point riding the red Triumph ST, the gold visor being a giveaway, Wayne and I had swapped bikes.  I have always loved the triple sound and I was having lots of fun blipping the throttle on every downshift, the gurgling sound bringing out the hooligan in me.

I had to keep slowing down, the sound of the gravel stones hitting the fairing of the Triumph made me cringe.  My bike is also covered in plastics so we both decided not to continue down gravel roads, I could see the disappointment on my brother's face, of course he wanted to continue, he does ride the big GS1200 Adventure after all.

We were standing by the bridge wondering how nice it would feel to take a swim in the river when a cow started approaching us, we laughed as the cow proceeded to enter the water, I think I detected a smile on the cow.

We return to the campsite just in time to attend the BMW MOA awards ceremony.  We head to the grandstands finding a spot all the way up to escape the sun.  The temperature was about 100 degrees and no wind to help cool us down.  The event organizers had a display of fire shooting cars, very uncharacteristic for BMW riders and pretty soon people were booing. The flames shooting up into the air and blasting the stands with more heat only exacerbated  the agony of the spectators.

Later we moved to the beer garden tent and spent the night listening to various bands, drank beer and enjoyed the night in good company.  The 2011 BMW MOA ended with the last song a little after midnight.

On Sunday morning we quickly take down the campsite and head to Cracker Barrel for a healthy breakfast.  We hit route 80 east and head towards NJ making a stop in New Hope for an Ice Coffee.  I split from my brother and after crossing into NJ make one last stop along the Delaware river in Lambertville.  All the way from Bloomsburg we endured mid 90's temperatures but near the river it felt a little better.  

I continued east towards home knowing my pool was waiting for me, my wife had told me the water was almost 90 degrees.  The last 45 minutes flew by and soon I was parked in front of the garage taking my boots and socks off.  After a quick dash to the backyard I felt much better having jumped in the water with clothes on.  My mom stood there in utter amazement as I fell backwards into the pool while my wife took the pictures.  A few beers later I was feeling much better.

For the first time I saw BMW riders riding around town in shorts and even saw a few without helmets, Pennsylvania has a no helmet law. We don't usually ride without ATGATT but it was so hot that we decided to throw caution into the wind and rode into town in our more casual riding attire.  You will notice my very fashionable plaid shorts, black Nikes with white socks while my brother went for the more Germanic shorts and boots look, having forgotten to bring sneakers.  Wayne, besides the heat, looked very comfortable on his Triumph ST. 

It had been a scorching and humid BMW MOA event but the music, the beer and the camaraderie of the people had made the event special and worth attending.  I got to meet fellow bloggers and extract some valuable information from Jack.
Next year the event is schedule for Sedalia, Missouri in the middle of July, I hope we have a cold wave going by at the time.

Blogs:

Jack Riepe                 Twisted Roads By Jack Riepe
Steve Williams            Scooter in the Sticks
Richard Machida        Richard's Page
John Bunce                John's Alaska

Yamaha 50th Anniversary GP Video

Yamaha proudly celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Grand Prix Racing by getting together the current and past champions for some fun.

Americade 2011

I was not planning on going to Lake George for Americade this year.   I did not want to spend the few vacation days I still have left, I'm still planning a long trip sometime later in the year and most hotels/motels will not rent for one night only.   It is also very difficult to find a room for less than $200 a night.  The Central Jersey Motorcycle Riders Group had the event on the calendar and they were leaving on Wednesday and returning on Sunday.   During the Motorcycle Awareness Day event ride I found out from Ray that his room sharing partner Ken had to leave on Saturday and if I wanted I had a place to stay, apparently Ken had booked with Ray from Wednesday till Sunday but Ken had to leave on Saturday, an offer I couldn't refuse.  With everything in place for a one nighter I was ready to go and join the gang.

Lake George is 260 miles from my house, I planned on leaving at 5am and get there in four and a half hours arriving just in time to meet the group for breakfast.  I closed my garage door one minute after 5am and was soon heading north.  I knew I was going to run into rain, I had checked the weather for the weekend and there was a 70% chance in Lake George and 50% by my house, the odds were against me avoiding the rain.  I traveled north on the Garden State Parkway avoiding rain, 80 miles later I enter Interstate 87, also known as the NY State Thruway when rain drops started coming down.  I had my waterproof jacket on but was wearing jeans and knew I had to put rain pants, I make my first stop for coffee and to put on rain pants.  As you can see from the photo it had already rained heavily at the rest stop.

I continue north and for the next three and a half hours it pours on me, a constant heavy rain with spurts of torrential rain at times.  Water managed to get through my visor and ran on the inside, got through the front of the jacket and got my pants wet, it even managed to get into my right boot and turn it into a pool inside.  I had to slow down at times to keep it safe but mostly continued at 65 to 70mph all the while hoping deer wouldn't run in front of my bike.
I arrive at the Still Bay Resort just in time to meet the group already on their bikes leaving to go downtown Lake George where the vendors and everyone congregates. 
Check out these three panoramas of the Still Bay Resort and no, the tree on the last one is not crooked and the main building on the right is not tilted, the stitching application had a problem with my pictures.

We arrive downtime about 10 minutes later and the rain continues to come down, on and off throughout the day.  I take a few pictures and then head to a coffee shop for hot coffee and a muffin, I hadn't changed clothes and they were still wet leaving me miserable. Oh, the joys of motorcycling.

The group at the coffee shop waiting out the rain

The rain made the Saturday miserable for the vendors, last year it rained on Saturday too but in 2009 you would find it difficult to find an empty spot for your bike in the bike only reserved area.  This time the area was almost deserted.

We stayed at the coffee shop for a while joking and having fun at the expense of each other as guys do most of the time.  I see these two guys go by and laugh at the thought of the guy on the left wishing he had some of the hair from the other guy. Life is cruel, one has no hair, the other way too much.

The officer must have been at the donut shop :-)

We walk around the downtown area visiting shops and admiring the multitude of bikes on Canada Street.  There are lots of nice restaurants and stores selling Lake George and Americade memorabilia.  You can ride the Greater Glens Falls Transit trolley that rides up and down Canada Street, part of route 9, all the way to the town of Glens Falls.

The weather was so bad you could hardly see the other side of the lake

The gang was getting restless as the stomachs started rumbling and soon we were headed to a restaurant.  I had a nice steak sandwich loaded with peppers. I'm the one standing on the right still wearing my rain pants over my jeans, why remove them if the rain continued for most of the day.

View from the restaurant

We continue down the street admiring the bikes, lots of Harley Davidson's as usual in these types of events but I'm surprised to see more and more Japanese, British and Italian motorcycles every year.  This guy or gal must be proud of his bike.

We head back to the Still Bay to relax with a few drinks and smoke cigars.  The resort is beautifully kept, has a nice boat house and its own beach on the lake .   It's the perfect place to relax.

The next morning we have an early breakfast and start packing our bikes, time to head back.  Some of the guys had gone out the previous night to a local bar, I won't mention names but someone had way too much fun and had picked up a girlfriend.

My bike next to a side car rig

I say goodbye to Lake George and head home with two other riders, a leisurely ride home, only this time arrive dry.  Another memorable weekend.

Stelvio Pass

Saw this video on another blog about the amazing Stelvio Pass located in the Italian Alps. Its sixty hairpin turns, 48 of them on the northern side numbered with stones, are a challenge to motorcyclists.
The video is very well put together and if you ride a motorcycle you will enjoy it.   The pass has amazing switchbacks as it goes up the mountain and provides breathtaking views of the valley.  This is one of the roads in my bucket list.
Make sure you watch in HD full screen, have patience and let it load before playing the video, it's worth it.

STELVIO : HOT BRAKES AND HAIRPINS from MOTORBIKE EUROPE on Vimeo.

Motorcycle Awareness Ride

On March 25, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona, four riders were killed and five others seriously injured while stopped at a traffic light. They were struck from behind by a large refuse truck. This sad event has touched the hearts of many and reinforced the importance of motorcycle awareness initiatives. The 1st awareness ride was planned in response to this horrific accident.

In honor of all fallen riders and their families, riding groups and clubs across the nation participated in motorcycle awareness rides on May 22.

The Central Jersey Motorcycle Riders Group organized a ride making a loop around central New Jersey mainly on the highway where we could be seen to raise awareness for motorcyclists.  The ride ended at the Brick House Tavern in South Plainfield where everyone enjoyed lunch and camaraderie.

A few pictures at the start of the ride.

A pit stop for gas and a big surprise for the attendant when 33 bikers show up to fill up.  Click on the pictures to enlarge, they are panoramas.

We are a very diverse group of bikers.

Close to the end of the ride I sprint away and head to the Brick House Tavern ahead of the group to film the arrival.  It was only 11:30am and the staff were surprised to see so many bikers on a Sunday morning.

My bike all alone on the huge and empty parking lot.

 

A few minutes later

 

 A group shot, I'm the 3rd from the right, black t-shirt.

The arrival of the group.

6 Things Nobody Tells You About Owning a Motorcycle

Just read this funny article about "6 Things Nobody Tells You About Owning a Motorcycle" and sadly it's funny and so true at the same time.   I'm sure everyone has done a long day's ride fully covered in ATGATT only to feel all stinky at the end of the day due to heat, rain, bugs or whatever was sent your way as you rode down the road.   I think this part pretty much summarizes that feeling:

But hey, sometimes you ride in the sun, and that's great! The open road, the warm summer air, and the heat ... oh God, the heat. A great deal of bikes, like mine, are air cooled. No radiator. So they're only really cooling down while you're in motion.  When you're stopped (say, at one of those lights that doesn't recognize  your existence) they're just radiating that heat upward, which happens  to be right where your genitals are trapped. Aside from sterility and  ball-burns, this also creates a nice pool of junk sweat. But don't  worry: It will eventually evaporate into the rest of your clothing  and skin, leaving you smelling like the floor of a teenager's bedroom  for the rest of the day.

Read more: 6 Things Nobody Tells You About Owning a Motorcycle

Why We Ride

I saw this video a while ago and I'm sure some of you have seen it, I think it's beautifully done and truly captures the spirit of why we ride so I decided to post it.  It's never to late to ride and dream.

Live to ride and ride to live.