August - BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington

The Monthl
y Ne
wsletter
Monthly
Newsletter
of the BMW Biker
s of
Bikers
Metr
opolitan Washington
Metropolitan
Volume 31, Number 8
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Jim’
s Wild & Wonderful Ad
venture
Jim’s
Adventure
Ruth’
s Mor
occo Motor
cyc
le Tour
Ruth’s
Morocco
Motorc
ycle
by Jim Bade, #2392
by Ruth Kile, #1847
[Ed. remark: Here’s another multi-part trip report to whet your
appetite for organized group tours in exotic lands. Thanks a lot
Ruth for your material and the accompanying photographs.]
The mission: To ride as much as possible without slabbing it.
The place: All of West Virginia.
The result: The best three riding days I’ve ever had, bar none!
Friday, 7 February 2003
SuperShuttle pickup at 2:55 p.m. for 7:15 p.m. flight. One
cheerful passenger in the supershuttle was going to Colombo,
Sri Lanka. While at Dulles, I bought Dior “Higher” cologne
and 70% dark chocolate, duty free. The chocolate will come in
handy for greasing wheels with venders.
The story: Mike and I had been planning this for the past
several weeks (Mike Baum; Greenmanstunnel, on the forum). We
wanted to do a little exploring around an area away from the
holiday mess, and on some decent roads. We wanted to keep it
cheap, but we wanted to have fun without discomfort or solid
plans. Planning for weeks without making plans you say? True,
but if you knew Mike and I, you would understand completely.
Our 4th of July weekend was to begin at the 007 Café in
Gordonsville, VA. We met at a leisurely 10 AM, I was a bit
early so I waited inside and read the paper. Mike showed up a
few minutes after ten and fighting traffic out of Richmond. My
ride from Fairfax, VA was longer, about 80 miles, but no traffic
going the back way. We got started by taking a picture of the
bikes in front of a very cool small town café, one that Bond
might know of in an out of the way location. Cool, but very
unassuming.
We ate a nice little breakfast and got ready to go. No
problem; we then jumped aboard and got ready to roll. Mike
has a new, 2006, 900 mile, Ducati 620 Multistrada, and I have
a ‘99 BMW R1100GS with just under 50K miles at the start of
the trip. Both of us had stylish bags and a bike ready to kick
some twisty road butt!
Saturday, 8 Feb 03
Early morning, just after 7 a.m. at Heathrow’s Terminal 2.
Few people around. London weather is gray and mild. Ate
dinner at 9 p.m. (DC time) and breakfast about 3 hours later!
Movies: The Transporter, Xando… It’s only 8 a.m. and I have
until 11:10 to catch my flight to Sevilla, Spain.
Shops in Terminal 2: Ballys; Burburry; Caviar House;
Harrods, etc. Girl with little tray of Spanish wine in glasses
asked me if I wanted to try the wine . . .I said no, she said “too
early?” Lots of chocolate here – lots of Valentine’s Day hype.
Little girl told her mother she wanted to ask about the
mony polly (monopoly?) game which wasn’t working. Her
mother explained that those games are contracted out and not
everyone in the airport would know anything about them . . .
she advised the girl and her younger brother that if they spent
money on games they’d better be sure that’s what they wanted
because she wasn’t going to replenish their money all vacation
long. They are on their way to Paris, France. Mother, after
getting out a bunch of snacks, “I’ve got to go to the phone now,
I can’t sit here and wait on you.” “Mommy . . .” “Go back and
watch my bag as I asked you to do. I just need two minutes to
make this call . . .”
Ten of us for dinner in Sevilla. We are a Guatemalan
gynecologist, Juan Carlos; Philadelphia radiologist, Larry; a
Guatemalan grocer & pharmacist and his wife, Edgar and
Lourdes; owners of Rex’s Grocery, a couple from Choteau,
Montana, Julie and Doug; Turkish motorcycle tour group
Photo by Jim Bade
Mike’s very new Italian Stallion and Jim’s almost new GS!
That is until Mike pulled out and shifted into 2nd, or tried
too. His shifter fell off the bike, along with a chunk of the plate
it was bolted to. Fifty feet into the ride and Mike’s bike was out
for the count. He coasted into a flower shop that is also an
antique shop, and waited for me to stop and come see what was
up.
(Jim’s WV Ride, continued on page 6)
August 2005
A
ugust 2005
August
(Ruth’s Road Trip, continued on page 8)
Inside this Issue
President’s Corner
Membership Report & New Member Profiles
3
4+5
Secretary’s Reports
13
Summer Picnic Report and Registration Form
15
Members’ Market
16
Treasurer’s Status Report (brief but True)
17
Calendar of Events
19
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
1
Letter to Editor
A minor editorial suggestion that you might want to raise and/or verify with the
more experienced heads of the Editorial Directorate next time they convene. One of
the articles this round referred to Lucas as the Prince of Darkness (R27, July 2005).
This, I respectfully submit, is grammatically suspect and in any case historically
inaccurate. It does not confer adequate stature on Lucas; sort of like referring to
Watergate as "a second-rate burglary" or Bernie Ebbers as "a telecommunications
entrepreneur."
First: Lucas, as a corporation, has no gender or personhood and thus should not
be referred as a "prince" (or peasant).
Second: on the historical side, I've heard from several folks over the years--my
own riding started in 1965--that the correct attribution comes from a corporate
marketing slogan adopted by Lucas during the later years of gaslight, specifically,
"LUCAS: We INVENTED Darkness." Perhaps apocryphal, and not originally intended as ironic, but at least grammatically appropriate, and wholly credible to anyone
who's worked on older bikes or British cars.
Regards, and thanks as always for the newsletter,
Stan Wiggins
Between the Spokes
Editor:
Mailing:
Phil Ager
Dave & Angie Talaber
Between the Spokes, the monthly
newsletter of the BMW Bikers of
Metropolitan Washington, is published solely for the use of its
members. Any copying and/or
duplication of any of its contents
without the written permission of
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Deadlines & Submissions
All submissions must be received by
the editor no later than the 10th day
of the month preceding the month of
publication (e.g., May 10 is the
deadline for June).
Please email all submissions to
THE 2005 BO
ARD OF DIRECT
ORS
BOARD
DIRECTORS
President: Billy Rutherford
president@bmwbmw.org
H: 703-455-6942
W: 703-440-0914
Fax: 703-440-9005
Vice-President: Bert Spittel
vp@bmwbmw.org
H: 410-531-5764
W: 410-821-2920
Secretary: Meredith Hassall
secretary@bmwbmw.org
H: 434-295-0496
Treasurer: Mark Dysart
treasurer@bmwbmw.org
H: 301-527-8795
Gov. Affairs: Mark Dysart
government@bmwbmw.org
H: 301-527-8795
Membership: Elsie Smith
membership@bmwbmw.org
W: 301-774-3622
Newsletter: Philip Ager
editor@bmwbmw.org
H: 301-203-0600
Rally: Mike Enloe
rally@bmwbmw.org
H: 540-338-1263
Rides: Ed Phelps
rides@bmwbmw.org
H: 410-781-7521
W: 410-760-0072
Safety: Pam Fisher
safety@bmwbmw.org
H: 410-526-9130
Internet: Ted Verrill
webmaster@bmwbmw.org
Sales: Jim Bade
sales@bmwbmw.org
H: 703-772-8296
Mtgs & Events: Linda Rookard
events@bmwbmw.org
H: 703-451-6167
Technical: Anton Largiadèr
tech@bmwbmw.org
H: 434-295-0496
2
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
editor@bmwbmw.org
If sending articles on diskettes or
CD-ROMs, mail to:
Philip Ager, Editor
Between the Spokes
P.O. Box 44735
Fort Washington, MD 20749-4735
Ad
dress Chang
e
Address
Change
Please use the membership application/address change form on the
newsletter’s last page and mail to:
Elsie Smith
P.O. Box 77
Olney, MD 20830-0077
Club Affiliations
Affiliations:
BMWBMW is chartered as
BMWRA Club No. 15 and
BMWMOA Club No. 40.
Find us on the Internet at:
www.bmwbmw.org
August 2005
President’
s Corner
President’s
Tour Mexico. The July meeting was pretty well attended
and Bruce Anker did a great job of telling us about the
Motodiscovery (formerly Pancho Villa) tours focusing on
Mexico. Bruce spent a lot of time in Mexico and is fluent in
Spanish. The Motodiscovery tours sound great and are quite
different from some of the other tours. The main difference is
that for the Mexico tours, you will ride your own bike. This
means that you have to get your bike to the tour starting point
and then home after the tour. Quite honestly, I like the idea of
riding my own bike and having it equipped to suit my riding
style. Bruce will continue to keep us posted on the opportunity
to organize a Mexico tour just for the BMWBMW members and
friends. [Additional details in General Meeting minutes, pg. 13-14]
BMWBMW Member Tour Experience. We have been
fortunate to have several presentations about riding in different
parts of the world. Our members have a lot of experience riding
Russia, Alaska, China, Mexico, Europe and many other countries. They have used a variety of combinations with and without
tour guide support. If anyone is thinking of riding in a particular
area of the world, please check with me and I will point you to
someone who has ridden in that area.
China Tour. A friend just returned from an Edelweiss China
tour and he had a super time. Most of the tour members were
from Europe. I have been to China on business and always
thought it would be a wonderful trip to get on a bike and ride as
much of China as possible in a couple of weeks.
Safety Training. Pam Fisher, Safety Chair, will be scheduling first aid and CPR training sessions. We also want to get some
group ride leader training scheduled. Leading a group ride is a
lot of fun but there are some procedures that should be followed
when leading a group ride. We have the Motorcycle Safety
Foundation video on Group Riding and an excellent PowerPoint
presentation about Group Riding that Don Graling developed
last year. I am looking forward to getting several members better
trained to lead group rides.
First Aid Kits. There are a variety of first aid kits on the
market. You don’t have to have a very large kit since we are
really looking at rendering bystander care which typically
involves starting people breathing and stopping the bleeding. My
biggest concern is always the securing of the crash scene to
prevent oncoming traffic from crashing into the scene. If you
cannot have someone to direct traffic around the scene, then
consider moving the injured person and bikes out of harms way.
Remember not to move anyone if they have a suspected neck or
spine injury – the risk is great and you could make the injury
much worse. Wal-Mart has a nice first aid kit for $8.97 including
protective gloves. I purchase my shears, protective CPR masks
and reflective triangle from http://galls.com . There are probably
other excellent sources, but Gall’s has quality merchandise at
competitive prices.
Sidecar 102. What a treat to get my second lesson on
sidecar operation. Joe Grant has a great Honda Goldwing rig that
offers another option in the world of sidecars. The big
Goldwing had a kit that included all of the connection hardware
to make an integrated system that looked like it was made
together as a unit. This unit operated as if it has power steering
and very little effort was required to drive at slow speeds. Joe
gave me several back issues of “Hack’d, The Magazine for &
about Sidecarists.” It has been fun looking at all of the combina-
August 2005
tions of sidecar rigs. I am now definitely putting a sidecar in my
fantasy file and will plan to go to the next sidecar show or rally
to look at the different sidecar combinations. My thinking now
is to try one on my R1150 RT but I have other options to mull
over. It is a treat, and you owe it to yourself to try a sidecar.
BMWBMW Board of Directors. We are looking at about
a 50% turnover on the board. Please consider volunteering for
the board. Call me at 703.440.0914 or email me at
president@bmwbmw.org and we can discuss the positions that
will be available.
Ride Safely. Billy
TECH MEMO
by Anton Largiader
Some of you may remember a dire warning that was issued
when the Twin Spark bikes were released. If the connector for
the “Direct Ignition Coil” (the spark plug cap that goes on the
center of the valve cover) was broken, the entire wiring harness
on the bike would need to be replaced at a cost of about $1500.
This wasn’t a warranty repair, either.
BMW must have gotten too many complaints about this
expensive fragility, because last fall they released a repair kit.
Service Bulletin 61 011 04 describes the repair using a $60 part.
It still is not cheap, given that the entire wiring harness for a /5
costs less than $60, but it’s a lot better than the original repair
option.
To perform the repair, you need a tool capable of producing
an F-crimp, not a typical “crimping pliers dimple” crimp.
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
3
MEMBERSHIP REPOR
T
REPORT
by Elsie Smith
June ‘05 BMW2 Membership statistics (as of 30Jun05)
Membership statistics:
Full members: 454
Associate members: 51
Total members: 505
Number / percent of members electing to download newsletter rather than receiving a printed copy 109/ ~24%
New Members, 7 Full and 3 Associates:
William Early, Sr., from Columbia, was referred by Bob’s
BMW. He’s riding a K1200LT.
Dianne Garrett, residing in Highland, MD, was also referred by
Bob’s BMW. She has a 1982 R65 and a 2003 Suzuki Bergman.
Ruth Warzala, from Gaithersburg, was referred by Tom & Rita
Hassall. She’s riding a ‘03 F650CS. [see bio below right]
Michael and Sondra King of Westminster, MD, found us on the
web. Their stable includes: ‘05 R1150RT and ‘98 Honda Magna.
Michael and Siegfried Krause reside in Rockville, and they too
found us on the web. Bikes include K1200RS and a R1200C.
Michael and Connie Matzenbacher are from Reston. Again
they found us on the web; they enjoy a 2000 R1150GS.
Joseph Hohn of Towson, found the club through the web and is
riding a 1999 R1100.
Renewing Members:
22 full members and 1 associate.
Welcome to all our new members and associates! Good to see so
many of you at the General Membership Meeting at the Hunter
Motel in Springfield!
Ne
w Member Pr
ofiles
New
Profiles
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for your note, but the sad fact is that I’m no longer
a BMW owner; awhile ago I took a spill on the pristine 1994
K75 I’d just bought, and my insurance company declared it
totaled. I was thrown from the bike but, thankfully, came away
with just bruises and soreness and a new appreciation for the
value of good protective gear. Still, I’m sad about the loss of the
bike – I’d spent a lot of time looking for a nice K75 and had
grown really attached to it in the short time I had it.
Who am I? I’m a 61 year old lawyer living in DC. My own
motorcycle history is pretty simple, and mostly ancient. Some
40 years ago, when I was in college, I spent a summer in
Europe. I’d never been on a bike in my life, but picked up a then
10 year old BMW single in Munich, a 1954 R25/3, taught
myself (sort of) to ride it in an open field, and hit the road,
traveling through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the
UK before shipping the bike back to the US when I went back
at the end of the summer. Needless to say I took a few spills
along the way, but only one required repairs and an obliging
mechanic in a small Austrian town agreed to do them over a
weekend. I kept the bike through my senior year in college, to
my parents’ horror. Eventually I sold it after my dad gave me a
choice of keeping it or having my law school tuition paid –
though I agonized all summer over which way to go! What a
great bike for its time – 10 years old, cruised flat out all day (of
course, flat out was all of about 70 mph), never a mechanical
problem. Wish I still had it.
That was the last I rode until last summer when some
friends in Brussels, Belgium, where I was living and working at
4
the time, organized a Sunday motorcycle outing in the countryside and talked me into getting on a bike again. I rented a Honda
Shadow, and though it wasn’t my style of bike I was immediately hooked again. Motorcycle still meant BMW to me. A
couple of weeks later I rented a BMW F650CS for a weekend.
Loved the way it handled, but too much vibration and noise at
higher cruising speeds for my taste.
So when I moved back to the US in the fall, I threw myself
into choosing the perfect bike and landed on the K75 – not least
because I’m just 5' 6' and the later naked K75 came with a lower
seat. Wasn’t sure what kind of riding I’d do, but fantasized about
rides in the country, occasional longer trips up or down the
Eastern seaboard. Found a gorgeous K75 on the IBMWR site,
bought it, had it shipped back – and much too soon for the bike,
had the idiotic and fatal spill I mentioned earlier.
Unfortunately, one of the things I decided after I actually
started riding the K75 was that it was too big and top-heavy for
me to handle comfortably. It wasn’t an issue when I was moving
and wasn’t related to my spill, but keeping the bike upright when
standing or maneuvering it in slo-mo was more precarious and
more of chore than I liked.
So I’m trying to decide on my next bike. Unfortunately, I
think just about all the recent BMWs are too heavy or too high
for my small and aged body (except the F650 which, as I said, I
wasn’t crazy about). So, though my heart will stay with BMWs,
my butt will probably be on something else for the time being.
Regards, Chuck Stark
Another Ne
w Member’
s Stor
y
New
Member’s
Story
Hi Nancy,
I am Ruth Warzala and I live in Montgomery Village, MD.
I’m a career federal employee in the information technology
field. I’ve moved around a little in my career, originally from the
midwest and came to Maryland from Orlando, FL. I have a
daughter who attends college in Florida (USF) and she’s not
quite sure what Mom’s up to! I just recently started riding
having long suppressed a love of motorcycling. I was inspired
by my colleague and friend, Rita Hassall. With her and her
husband Tom’s assistance, I purchased a sweet 2003 F650 CSA
with 3,800 miles on it. I completed the MSF course in May and
have been riding with Rita and Tom. Wow! I have only just
begun to appreciate the many backroads, scenic routes, and rural
vistas to be found in this area. I joined BMWBMW with the
thought of making new friends, learning lots, participating in
and helping with club events, and oh yes, going to rallies!
Regards, Ruth
Over 8,000 Miles of Rides,
all in the Mid-Atlantic
Great Roads, Great Rides
30 Rides in 9 States
(less than 200 Interstate miles)
One-Day, Two-Day & Three/Four Day Rides
Jennings Glenn, BMWBMW
www.greatroadsgreatrides.com
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
August 2005
Hello Nancy,
I am a writer and researcher,
primarily working for the Dept of
Energy and Dept of Homeland Security (contract work). I’ve been riding
for three years now, and a month ago
sold my first bike, a 99 Suzuki Bandit
600S, to buy a 93 BMW K75S. My
interest in riding was sparked by my
father, who rode through his twenties,
then gave it up due to family obligations. He returned to motorcycling
ten years ago, and is also a member of
BMWBMW. He helped me select and
purchase the Bandit and ran parking
lot drills that helped me pass the MVA
test (MSF already full for the year -
August 2005
the following spring I took the MSF
course). Through my Dad, I attended
the Square Route Rally three times,
though I unfortunately missed this
year’s due to business (figures, as
soon as I ride a BMW and am a
member of the club, I can’t attend the
rally!), and I’ve attended an
Oktoberfest.
I try to get out for mid-length day
rides whenever possible (100-200
miles) that mainly center on northern
MD (Bel Air to Hagerstown) and
south-central PA (Susquehanna valley
to Pine Grove Furnace). During the
summer (or when vacation time
allows) I love touring trips as well;
last summer I took long weekend
rides to the Poconos and Bear Mountain Park and a week-long trip to
AMA Vintage Days. The summer
before that I rode with my Dad to
BMWMOA in Charleston, WV. This
summer I plan to tour much of southern Ontario, taking a week to ride
through the northeast.
Wow. That’s a bit more than a
paragraph, so I’ll stop right there!
Thanks again for your interest.
Attached are three pictures of me and
the K, taken Memorial Day weekend
in northern Baltimore County.
Gareth
Photos courtesy of Gareth Williams
Ne
w Member Pr
ofiles
New
Profiles
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
5
His first words were: “Well, my F*#!$^ ride is over!” And it
was, at least on the Ducati. The sideplate had broken off, and no
way could we jury rig it to work.
While I ran off to get some JB Weld in the hopes of getting
Mike home, he waited and met a nice lady going into the flower
shop who asked if she could help. Turns out she is the fiancé of
the owner of a local cycle shop, and called him down to help.
The guy shows up on a beautiful Harley full dresser with all the
leather and the look. He actually runs a non-denominational
shop though, and is very cool. He escorts us over to his shop and
gets his machinist right on it. Unfortunately it is just not repairable, but they did use a pair of my vice-grips to effect a makeshift shifter for Mike to get it home.
We managed to get it to the Ducati Dealer in Richmond, and
they were less than useless, and with attitude to boot. I guess she
didn’t like the comment that Mike should have purchased a
Japanese bike instead of Italian crap. So we took it home to
Mike’s place and picked up his KLR to resume the trip. His KLR
650, which is 7 years old and has all of 8K+ miles on it, ran like
a champ all weekend.
So, 160 miles for me, and we were now leaving Richmond.
Nice enough ride, if a little hot and humid. Not long before we
hit the wet stuff and had to don our rain gear, in the rain, on the
side of the road.
At one point my bike hit exactly 50,000 miles, so I pulled
over for a picture.
Off again for 45 minutes of rain riding, and a nice dinner at
a cool roadside place. We had no more gotten our drinks when
Mike saw a cute waitress and got all wet in his lap. LOL, No. He
just spilled his drink. Apparently it was not his day.
Finally entering into WV, the rain had stopped and it had
cooled down, just in time for some great roads! This is where the
weekend really began. We rode along in beautiful weather far
into WV, and enjoyed no traffic, perfect weather, twisties galore
and the serene rugged beauty of WV. Other than Mike nearly
running over, and getting bit by a water moccasin the ride was
fantastic! What a great ending to a day that didn’t look promising at first.
We saw a bunch of balloons taking flight, and were under
them for a while. I really want to do that one day!
We got into Marlinton and went to the River Run Lodge
looking for a place to stay. There was no room at the inn, but the
very helpful, and pretty hostess, Cassy, called around for us and
got us a place down the road. The people here are so nice.
We thanked her and headed for the hotel. It was 9:45, and
we’d covered 399 miles.
At the hotel we met the night manager, who told us of a
nearby bar, and offered to take us to one a little further away
Yes, Virginia, there is BMW
motorcycle service in
Charlottesville.
Classic Twins (1970 and later)
K bikes and Oilheads
Anton Largiadèr
Repairs and maintenance
(434) 295-0496 (h)
Tire installation
(434) 409-3767 (m)
Roadside rescue
anton@largiader.com
6
since she was going in a few minutes. I think she liked Mike! We
declined politely and went to our room and got changed for the
short walk to the local bar.
Nice place, the hotel McCall’s Inn; a little rustic on the
outside, it looked like new inside. No AC, but it wasn’t a problem.
Photo by Jim Bade
(Jim’s WV Ride, continued from page 1)
The old facade of McCall’s Inn in Marlinton, WV.
The Roadhouse Saloon was having a special band that night,
and actually charged a $5 cover charge and wanted to see our
ID’s to get in. Small place nearly empty and loud, but we were
parched and decided to stay a while.
Turned out to be a good decision as the band was very good,
and a cool name of Fat Headed Monsters, plus the drinks were
cheap, and there were drunken redneck women and men having
a blast. Very entertaining; I envied their lack of self-consciousness as they danced, and especially the guy doing the Robot to a
bluegrass song. What a hoot!
Then the waitress gave me a free drink, and I was soaring. A
roofie? LOL nah, just nice people again.
The next morning we got up around 8 and headed over to
the River Run Lodge for breakfast on the patio. Great views of
the river, and decent breakfast for a good start.
Packed up and ready to go, we headed out 59 with New
River Gorge and Bridge as our first destination. Fantastic roads,
and no traffic to speak of.
We passed a group of Rainbow Club partiers, basically
hippies from the sixties that never grew up, and use this as an
opportunity to get together and relive their glory days. It was
interesting to see thousands of hippies, yuppies that looked like
hippies, and freaks of all kinds congregate in their beater VWs,
bestickered Subarus and overpriced SUVs! Strange mix of old
and new stoners having a party in a state park. We were told
something like 20 thousand of them were converging on the park
to commemorate the police beating death of a couple of their
original members 25 years ago. The facts may be off, but the
idea is right. And no, not THAT Rainbow Club.
More great riding, and LOTS and LOTS of twisties. WV
must not have more than 10 miles of straight roads.
Finally arriving at the New River Gorge Visitor’s Center at
around 1:00, we were both exhilarated, and tired, but having a
blast! The staff was very helpful in getting us the number to the
hotel at our next destination so Mike could make the reservation.
Nice people!
(Jim’s WV Ride, continued on page 7)
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
August 2005
Pho
(Jim’s WV Ride, continued from page 6)
buffeting was getting to him!
Finally he stopped and removed the fairing on his KLR all
the way. We then strapped it on the back of his bike. Talk about a
happy man. It totally cured his wind and buffeting problem, but
man did it make his bike ugly!
Photos by Jim Bade
We went down a very twisty road for seven miles, following
the only real traffic we found all day, to the bottom of the gorge
900 feet below. The NEW River, one of North America’s oldest
waterways, is very majestic! The bridge that spans it is the
world’s largest steel span and the second highest bridge in the
United States. It is 876 feet high, and spans 3,030 feet in one
arch. Very cool, as is the road to the bottom and the old bridge.
New River Bridge near Fayetteville, West By God Virginia
We stopped for a little sightseeing, and took some great
pictures, as well as watching the rafters on the New River having
fun! For 15 Oct festival info, http://www.officialbridgeday.com/
Back on the road we headed towards Gauley Bridge and had
lunch nearby at the visitor’s center. Nice place, very good food,
dirt-cheap! Nice waitress too! We met a few cool bikers that we
talked with for awhile. They seemed impressed that we rode so
far. Care to guess what they rode?
Again, beautiful roads as we followed 39 heading North and
somewhat East. We picked up 41, then 20 and 55 to complete the
incredible ride to the Snow Show Inn at Snow Shoe Mountain.
These roads were just turn after turn after turn, back and forth
for a hundred miles, with a few small towns thrown in for
variety, it was a great route.
Mike was excitedly looking at my Jesse bag and asking if I
felt it hit? I had no idea I even did until he showed me. Cool!
Though I must admit it must have been an off camber turn since
I had been taking it mostly easy so Mike could keep up on his
KLR!
We even took in about 10 miles of dirt road to mix it up a
little. Mike really was glad for the KLR then, though the wind
August 2005
Photos by Jim Bade
Gauley Gorge off the Gauley Bridge.
Mike performs the fairingectomy on the KLR.
We took Routes 39 to 41 to 20 to 15 and on up to Snowshoe. I think we hit one stoplight all day. Nothing but two lane
twisties, and great ones at that. Have I said I love WV yet?
We showed up at the Inn at Snowshoe, checked in and
headed for the shuttle for the top of the mountain and Snowshoe
Village. Beautiful faux Alpine look, but cool anyhow. The
weather was cool, but not bad. Still I was underdressed and was
soon in search of a sweatshirt.
But first we had to have some food, and all the restaurants
were packed, so we hit a stand and got Pita Sandwiches. They
were actually quite good.
The band was playing, and ‘cold’ women were everywhere!
Ski village and party atmosphere at Snow Shoe Resort in WV.
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
(Jim’s WV Ride, continued on page 11)
7
layering. We pass through Ubrique and stop for coffee and
bathrooms. Ubrique is the self proclaimed ‘cuna de piel’ – cradle
of leather – in Spain. By late afternoon, after a day of beautiful
riding, we arrive in Algeciras, the port from which we will ferry
across the Gibralter Straight to Africa. Our Hotel Cristina is
beautiful, 75 years old, and the clerk demands our passports in a
heightened security check.
Before dinner, Doug, Julie and I ride into the town of
Algeciras in search of the Internet Café Boomerang. We struggle
with the strange keyboards. After dinner we return on foot to the
Internet Café with Larry and Kaz. Kaz and Larry discuss how
Doug and Julie tried to fix him up with a character called the
Dumpster-Diver from Choteau MT who dives dumpsters at
Rex’s supermarket. Larry brought up a doctor who works at his
hospital who has an obsession to eat free all the time, bringing
home food from baby showers at work, etc.
Julie asked me if I always did trips like this alone – so I
explained that I used to do them with Russ, but when he died, I
do them alone.
Buffet dinner in the hotel is funny – many British tourists.
We have a long table for ourselves. We hear more English than
Spanish.
Later that night I discover that the heat in my room doesn’t
work. Unable to sleep from the cold, I call the front desk clerk
who comes to my room and confirms that the heat doesn’t work.
He brings heavy wool blankets and after a hot shower I fall
asleep some time around 3 a.m.
(Ruth’s Road Trip, continued from page 1)
owner, Kaz; IMT staff from Barcelona, Martin; Scott Moreno
(‘Escot’) our leader, American, living in Madrid – and me, an
unemployed American adventurer.
On our way to the restaurant, Lourdes and I discuss her
concerns about Mexican workers cutting down the Guatemalan
trees and rainforest.
Kaz attended U of VA for an economics degree, 1992.
Photos courtesy of Ruth Kile
Sunday, 9 Feb 03
Breakfast with Larry and Julie and Doug Peterson. Doug
brings up the Montana Hooterites – which I think must be
people who are fans of Hooters, waitresses, chicken wings, etc.
Julie and Doug laugh uproariously, apparently these are a
religious sect, the Hutterites, sort of like the Amish. We joke
about the politically aware Hooterites, who defend their rights to
be tacky and politically incorrect as they enjoy voluptuous
young waitresses in orange hot pants. The NH Hotel in Sevilla
offers a great breakfast buffet including churros, chocolate,
shrimp, and dates.
Before we hit the road, I bang my knee running up the
marble steps in the hotel – my motorcycle boots are too long and
this happens . . . huge bump on my knee. I still have it as a
souvenir of the trip.
They lunched in Ubrique Spain at a restaurant known
for its “beautiful” fighting cocks!
Lunch in Alcala, a small mountainside town in Southern
Spain, at the Bar Cruz Campo which raises fighting cocks.
Beautiful birds. Weather is pleasant at 0 mph, chilly at riding
speed. At this stop I observe that my fabulous R1150R BMW
motorbike DOES NOT HAVE A BATTERY OUTLET TO
PLUG IN MY HEATED JACKET! The guides come look. It is
astonishing. I will have to keep warm the old fashioned way,
The IMT group leaves Gibraltar behind; on to Africa!
Monday, 10 Feb 03
We board the ferry without incident, our bikes are strapped
to the lower deck. Beautiful ride across the Gibralter Straight,
but fast – the ride takes about 40 minutes. Before we prepare for
the slow, bureaucratic, border crossing into Morocco, we stop in
Ceuta, the Spanish territory on the tip of the African Continent,
where we stock up, duty free, on bottled water, wine, fruit, and
candy (for children). Ceuta is the last European outpost before
Morocco. At the border crossing, no photos are allowed; a guard
intercepts Doug as he attempts to take a picture. After little more
than 90 minutes, filling out forms, waiting for approvals,
snacking on our salted almonds, muscatel grape raisins, bread,
cheese, we’re on our way through the potholes of Morocco.
We head west along the coast, ultimately turning toward
Tetuan. Many storks are nesting on a variety of old ruins and
buildings, huge nests which can weigh up to 500 lbs. I see a
crowd of donkeys parked in a lot – peoples’ transportation to the
(Ruth’s Road Trip, continued on page 9)
8
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
August 2005
(Ruth’s Road Trip, continued from page 8)
Photos courtesy of Ruth Kile
market. Men with small carpets walk to pray in an airy seaside
woods off the highway.
We lunch not far from Ceuta at a café on the Mediterranean
Sea, our first Moroccan meal and a foreshadowing of the format
of all future meals: multitudes of salad dishes, usually of tomato,
potato, eggplant, olives, beets, nicoise, followed by tajins of
delicious chicken or lamb or beef with lemon, prunes, apricots,
etc. Deserts are often oranges, which are better than any oranges
I’ve had to date, or flan. To drink, beer and mineral water, “with
or without gas” (the water, that is).
Good thing they had a truck with them to carry essential souvenirs!
On the hotel terrace, overlooking velvety green, but rough,
mountain vistas, I talk with Juan Carlos about how he learned
about the Morocco tour. A Guatemalan friend was traveling from
Colombia to Alaska and told Juan Carlos about the tour. Guatemalans must be adventurers. (Ruth’s Road Trip, continued in Sept)
Ruth, second from rt, was more interested in lunch than pictures!
Photos courtesy of Ruth Kile
After lunch we ride through the dry curves of the Rif
Mountains. We stop for coffee and the omnipresent Moroccan
hot tea with lots of sugar and mint (often a forest of mint is
crowded into your glass).
Ruth, on the right, offers an opinion on the locally produced crafts!
As we approach the mountain town of Chefchaouen, our
evening destination, more green emerges from the landscape. We
are still in the mountains, lots of little children wave to us on our
motorcycles. Chefchaouen is a beautiful white town located in
mountains famous for numerouos kif (hashish) forms.
I fight with our hotel desk clerk at the Hotel Parador, who
gives me a room then later tries to take my key back. I don’t let
him. I bring him up to the room, show him my bags already
sitting there, and he apologizes. He was trying to give the room
to a French woman. Julie and I head out to explore the medina,
the mountain village market – leather, dye pigments, desert
crystals (camel urine?), jelabas (Morrocan desert gowns).
August 2005
The group stopped for this shot of the Chefchaouen hillside.
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
9
10
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
August 2005
(Jim’s WV Ride, continued from page 7)
Photo by Jim Bade
Our last destination was Seneca Rocks, and we made it there
in just an hour. Took us three minutes to do the “Vacation”
power tour, and we were off to Yokum’s for lunch.
All BMWBMW members should get to know Seneca Rocks!
Photo by Jim Bade
Soon we were back to find me a sweatshirt, and happened
across a shop with a great sale, but no size XL.$69 sweatshirts
for $19.99.So I give the last large a try, and holy s***, it fits! It
pays off being 100 pounds less than Christmas, and now instead
of 3-4X, I’m wearing a LARGE!!!!!
Anyhow, we went back out in search of a place to watch the
fireworks, not easy since everyone was already there. Besides,
the fog was rolling in very thick, so I suggested a return to the
bar and get some prime seats, which we did.
3-4 drinks later, and a lot of noise from outside, and we
were ready to head back to the hotel. We wanted to get up fairly
early for the last day of riding.
Day three started beautiful. Excellent weather and cool, but
not cold, temps. After a breakfast in the hotel we were off and
running. First destination, Spruce Lake.
The ride was becoming almost boring, twist after twist after
twist, then followed by more twists!
The lake was Okay, but the ride to it was fun - 11 miles of
fairly easy dirt roads with just a little extra gravel to make my
GS squirrelly. This was my first trip off-road with the GS and I
wasn’t ready for how easily it was pushed around by a little
loose gravel. But by the time we got to the lake it was better. I
guess I just needed to get used to it.
Then it was six more miles to Spruce Knob, the highest
point in WV, though just 50 feet higher than Snow Mountain
according to my GPS.
Strange one-sided denuded trees probably caused by the
constant wind.
Photo by Jim Bade
Spruce Knob also provided us with the best roads that
contained no pavement that we had seen. A rutted, full of holes
back road to Route 33 that lasted just 12 miles, but had both
Mike and I laughing in our helmets as we descended. Then, a 7
mile twisty that was the best of the trip, and that’s saying a lot!
Apparently so was every other biker in the area, as it was
hopping with bikes, mostly cruisers, though we did see one
1200GS and two yellow V-stroms with Jesse Bags. ADV Riders?
Maybe, but they were too far away, and I was too lazy to go find
out.
After that it was a nice ride 220 miles home. Nice that is
until we hit the VA line and instantly were in traffic, then in
Harrisonburg we hit at the beginning of a parade that had me
detouring all over
town, and at one time
even going the wrong
way on a one way
road. A fact nicely
pointed out by the
female police officer.
Overall the trip
was absolutely incredible, 900 miles of
nirvana, and I will be
back again and again,
until I can find a job
there and move to
Redneck Country! Did
I mention the awesome
roads and nice people?
August 2005
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
11
Aside from your bike, your body’s your most valuable asset. We’ve got a
unique way to protect it. Butt Buffer is unlike any gel or air seat you’ve tried.
It’s a special polymer engineered to eliminate the aches and pains the can
make even the shortest ride seem endless. Available as either a top cushion in
a variety of fabrics, colors and designs or it can be professionally installed on a
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To find out more, or to order your Butt Buffer, call us toll free at 866-8595699 or visit our web site at www.buttbuffer.com .
Lap pr
ovides Quality Cyc
le care too
pro
Cycle
by Gerry Barton, #1622
In mid-May, I went to the DC DMV to renew the tags on my
two bikes and the Jeep Cherokee. All were due to expire in about
ten days and I needed to complete the process because I was
planning to leave a few days later to spend some time working on
the “Catskill Estate.”
Two of the vehicles were no problem, but the clerk said that
my 87 K100RS had no current inspection. I was sure that I had it
inspected a few months earlier, but he double checked and said,
"Nope, no record." I had the 79 R65 with me so I could not check
the sticker.
When I arrived at home the first thing I did was to check the
sticker on the K100. Yep, it was valid through February 2007.
But as I read closer the mystery was solved. The sticker said it
was for the 79 R65. Hmmm?
Early the next day, I rode the K-bike down to the inspection
station in Southwest DC. After much head scratching, they
decided to re-inspect the bike. Of course it did not pass. I had it
on the side stand and the inspector, who was a biker guy with
three bikes failed me because of a smoking exhaust, leaky front
fork, and front brake pads. My plea, "But there is this problem
with these bikes when they are on side stands," got me nowhere.
So, there I was with no time to really start to do the forks and
brakes. I figured it would take me about four hours just to get to
a dealer for the pads and fork oil. I did have new seals sitting on
the garage shelf waiting for me to put them in. About 4 PM on
Thursday afternoon, I called Lap, the owner of Quality Auto in
Alexandria. He said to bring it in first thing Friday morning.
I was there about 7:50 AM. Amazing ride from my home in
Northwest DC. I made almost every light in DC and VA. There
12
was almost no traffic and this was in commute time traffic. It
was a pleasure and learning experience to watch Lap do the
work. I’ve done fork seals about 4 times and it is always a
messy struggle. He had the bike up on a super steady lift and the
fender and wheel off in no time. As I watched, I learned several
new techniques. The first was that he used an air impact wrench
on the bottom bolt of the fork. The unit slides off without having
to remove the fork from the triple clamp. Second was the use of
a tool to set the new seal. Works much better than the shaved
hunk of wood that I made for the job. Third was that it is neat to
have a tank with grease remover to wash the parts in. My front
end is almost "Bill Shaw" clean now. Lap also asked if I wanted
gaiters. I said sure without even asking the price. This is rare for
me as I usually ponder these decisions for months.
There was a good bit of brake pad left on all four pads and
there was no way the inspector could see the pads without even
a flash light. The gaiters are an experience. I now know that my
forks are protected, but I did not expect the wheeze from them
when we hit a bump in the road.
So I was on the road again at noon. Down to the inspection
station and all passed. As I was waiting for the sticker, the guy
from the previous day saw the bike and said to the inspector in
my line, "Be sure to check the front forks." I assume that he
could not believe that I was back so fast.
I want to thank Lap for his excellent work and immediate
attention to my problem. I may never do my own fork seals
again. If you need quality work done on your bike, then try
Lap’s Quality Auto & Motorcycle Repair in Alexandria.
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
August 2005
Secretar
y’
s Repor
ts
Secretary’
y’s
Reports
by Phil Ager, pinch-hitting.
BMWBMW Board of Directors Meeting, 10Jul05
Board members present: B. Rutherford, P. Ager, J. Bade,
P. Fisher, and L. Rookard; M. Hassall and A. Largiadèr arrived
late.
Board members absent: B. Spittel, M. Enloe, M. Dysart,
E. Phelps, E. Smith, and T. Verrill.
Guests present: John & Jody Douglas, Chaz Fisher, and Frank
Cooper.
Billy called the 9:30 meeting to order at 9:50 am; he asked
John Douglas for an update on the Virginia Highway Clean-up
program. John said it’s much like the MD program with four
pick-ups required a year. Billy asked John to find out which
highways would be best to consider. John said he’d get the
information back to the BoD for final approval.
Without a quorum, initially, the board discussed changes to
the bylaws. Billy intends to streamline the BoD and overhaul the
election process (to 21st century standards). Discussions will
continue via email, but there is some urgency to get changes
hammered out and published in an upcoming BTS for the
membership to authorize.
Linda Rookard discussed Meetings & Events for the rest of
the year including a gala Holiday Party to be held at the Bolling
AFB Officer’s Club (no complaints permitted about not being at
a central location).
The Secretary apologized for her lack of focus on this club
(and asked to be impeached, only half-jokingly). It was suggested that Mrs. Hassall might make a good secretary…
Jim reported that he and his helpers moved three boxes of
old club items at the Square Route Rally last month. Jim is still
trying to move some of the old name tags ( send your requests to
mailto:sales@bmwbmw.org ).
Anton reported that there are some impromptu Tech
sessions organized via the message boards. He’ll have a cutaway
transmission for the next rally! And he thinks there are about
100 members signed up for the annual mileage contest (out of
over 450 full members – What can you say?).
Jim motioned to adjourn the meeting at 10:50 am; Pam
seconded.
August 2005
General Member
ship Meeting, 10J
ul05
Membership
10Jul05
Approximately 45 club members attended the monthly
membership meeting at the Hunter Motel in Newington, VA.
Club President, Billy Rutherford, called the meeting to order at
11:10 and asked any new members to identify themselves. Tod
Kingman, Patrick Jamet, Greg & Lynn Davis, Annalee Cardillo,
Rod Newton, and Francis Gundy all rose and spoke about their
current BMW bikes.
Linda Rookard, Meetings & Events chair, discussed the
upcoming club events including the Aug general meeting in
Severna Park, the club “picnic” in Clifton, VA in Sept, as well as
the Holiday Party on 17 Dec at the Bolling AFB Officer’s Club.
She added that RSVPs would be needed for the picnic and the
Holiday Party.
Pam Fisher, Safety chair mentioned she had some safety
supplies on-hand available for sale; Billy showed two inexpensive kits he bought at Wal-Mart. Having something at hand when
needed is better than nothing at all.
Jim Bade, Sales chair, said he has patches, pins and name
badges available. Send him an email at sales@bmwbmw.org if
you have questions. He then gave out several interesting door
prizes; the winners seemed pleased!
Bob Henig, who was happily in attendance on a new
K1200R, spoke about the current BMW philosophy. He said he
couldn’t offer specifics, but we can expect three new models to
be offered every year (not necessarily as exciting as an entirely
new machine). [ed. rmk: BMW RA reported on the T800/T600
vertical twins in their April On The Level.] Bob added that he’s
looking forward to visiting the BMW design studio this fall as a
participating dealer.
Billy then introduced Bruce Anker, of MotoDiscovery tours
and BMWBMW member to speak on their current tour plans for
2006. Bruce made a compelling argument to stay on our own
continent and visit our neighbor to the south which offers some
fabulous scenery as well as sweeping highways that are comparable to the best the Alps have to offer (ed. rmk: that’s really
saying something!) Prices are in the range of $2,995 (per
person) for a 15-day tour along the enclosed map (on Your
motorcycle, not that that’s a bad thing), $2,750 for a less-
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
(Secretary’s Rpt, continued on page 14)
13
MD Highwa
y Clean
up Repor
Highway
Cleanup
Reportt
by Nancy Oswald, #2451
(Secretary’s Rpt, continued from page 13)
Photo by Phil Ager
personal “vagabond” tour, or he’ll work with club members to
organize
a customized tour. Visit http://www.motodiscovery.com for
pictures and details; for further information, send questions to
mailto:info@motodiscovery.com
Maria Vandergucht reported that she only needs a few more
interested MD residents/members to be able to get BMWBMW
m/c vanity plates. Info is available in the online Forum, look for
mvscorpio: http://bmwbmw.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1552
Lastly, Linda Rookard mentioned that she’s again reserved
a small cabin at the Finger Lakes rally; there’s room for 12 on a
first come, first served basis.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned
at 1205.
Eleven club members hiked, sweated, stooped, picked, wiped
foreheads and drank a lot of water on Sunday, June 26th. Several
years ago, the club “adopted” a 2-mile stretch of 214 (Central Ave)
in Anne Arundel County. Seems the dedication waned over the
years, but was recently revitalized. John “Unity” Douglas spotted
the sign with “BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington” on it
while en route to a MD-RTE a few weeks ago. He posted on the
forum and he brought it up at a membership meeting. All agreed that
we needed to get our butts out there and get with the program!
Special thanks go to: John & Jody Douglas and Nancy Oswald, as
well as, Phil Ager, Don Catterton, Cheree Craze, Jim Craze (late
arrival, but a big help), Chaz & Pam Fisher, Ed Pfister, and Maria
Vandergucht. Altogether, a lot of trash was retrieved!
After a bit of online discussion, it was decided to meet in
Davidsonsville on Sunday at 10 AM. The state generously provided
fashionable hats & vests in neon, “legally blind” orange. We met at
the Country Mart on the corner of 214 and 424. Waivers to hold
“The State” harmless if we hurt ourselves were signed and collected
by the Trash Wench. We waited until after 10 and then headed to the
elementary school just west of the market as the half-way point of
our stretch of roadway.
The group split into teams of 2 or 3 and we fanned out on each
side of the road and in opposite directions collecting trash as we
went. Arguably, the most interesting find was a fairly new pitchfork.
Many members were interested in keeping it but since everyone was
on a bike, it was kind of hard to transport for most. In total, the
group collected 16 bags of trash in about 90 minutes. After we got
back to the bikes, changed clothes, drank copious amounts of water
and talked about what to do different next time, it was decided to get
some lunch. A neat place down the street - some kind of Irish pub was decided upon. Nine stinky BMW riders descended on the place
and were most grateful for the A/C. After 10 minutes, we were all
cold. Talk about being difficult to please!
Lessons learned - 10AM is too late to start in the summertime.
We need to get out there earlier. An evening pick up was suggested,
but in my opinion, it can still be pretty darn hot in the evening and
we’re more likely to have thunderstorms as well. I’d suggest meeting
earlier. 9AM would be better; 8AM would be ideal. Additionally,
our sign at the corner of 214 and 424 is in a FILTHY lot across from
the Country Mart. We should’ve had one or two people head straight
there and at least make the area around our sign look nice!!! But
Jody did a superhuman job on our first outing.
The club’s contract with Maryland commits us to four pick-ups
per year between April and October/early November. I’d like to get
back out there in August, maybe for the 8AM timeframe. At least
get a quick run down the road and get the big stuff. We can spend
more time getting the smaller stuff when the weather isn’t quite so
brutal. Again, thanks to each participant, and hope to have your
support later on. Watch the website/message board for the date.
The official BMWBMW MD state trash collectors get ready to go!
14
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
August 2005
BMWBMWPicnic in Clifton, VA.
by Linda Rookard, #431
The BMWBMW annual club picnic is going upscale in
beautiful historic Clifton, VA. The picnic will be held following the general membership meeting on Sunday, Sept. 11,
2005. The meeting and picnic will be at the Heart in Hand
Restaurant in Clifton. The general membership meeting will
start at 11 a.m., the picnic immediately after the meeting ends.
The Heart in Hand Restaurant is located at 7145 Main Street,
in the middle of Clifton, next to the railroad tracks.
The menu consists of a three-course meal:
Cup of Soup of the Day or House Salad
Your choice of entrée:
Petite Filet Mignon
Fresh Catch of the Day
Lemon Praline Chicken
Raspberry Chicken
Seafood Crepes
White Chocolate Mousse Cake, and
Coffee or Hot Tea
✁
The cost of this feast is $23 per person, which includes tax
and gratuity. To make your reservations, complete the reservation form or use the form on the BMWBMW web site. Send
the form with your check to Linda Rookard, Meetings &
Events Chair. Due to the Labor Day holiday, all reservations
must be received by Friday, 2 Sept.
Hope to see you there for some great food!
✁
✁
2005 Club Picnic - Registration Form
Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005 • Heart In Hand Restaurant, 7145 Main St., Clifton, VA 20124
General membership meeting at 11 a.m., picnic around noon-ish
❏ YES, I/WE WANT TO ATTEND THE PICNIC!
Enclosed is $ __________ for ___ adults ($23/person)
Send your check, payable to BMWBMW to
Linda Rookard
8057 Donegal Lane
Springfield, VA 22153
Ph: 703-451-6167
Please include SASE or your email address if you would like an acknowledgement of your registration.
DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS FRIDAY, SEPT. 2, 2005!
Name ______________________________________________ Email:__________________________________________
Name ______________________________________________ Email:__________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________ City __________________________ State ___ Zip _____
Telephone (H) ________________________________________(W)___________________________________________
I/we hereby waive, release, and hold harmless the BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington for any liability resulting from
damage, loss, or personal injury while attending the 2005 /Club Picnic. This waiver extends to my heirs, executors,
administrators, and assigns.
Signature __________________________________________ Date ___________________________________________
Signature __________________________________________ Date ___________________________________________
August 2005
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
15
MEMBERS’ MARKET
MO
TORCYCLES FOR SALE
MOT
03 Suzuki V-Strom DL1000. 2002
Motorcycle of the Year. Poor mans' GS.
5.6K mi. Givi matching bags & trunk.
Corbin seat. Throtlemeister. Tank bag.
Tall windshield. First $7,100! Call
George in PA. 717-658-4970 or
gyoungbmw@innernet.net (07/05)
01 Yamaha Virago 250. Bike is almost
brand new with only 1,350 mi. Comes
with windscreen, leather saddlebags and
cover. Excellent beginners bike; very
light, only 300 lbs. $3,000. Contact Viv
or Tom Turnbull at (410) 987-8842 or
thomas621@comcast.net (07/05)
00 K1200LT, champaign in color, 29K
miles. New tires and brake pads; PIAA
aux lights and low profile windshield.
Looks and runs great. Garage kept, driven
daily to work. $9,500 firm. Call Todd @
301-274-3599 anytime before 10pm.
Leave msg - I’ll return your call or
mailto:Cybortodd@aol.com (06/05)
94 K75RT, Silk Blue, 45K, second
owner, looks good, never down, ABS,
electric windshield, BMW Comfort Seat,
BMW hard side bags, BMW Multivario
tank bag, PIAA fog lights, maintained
according to BMW schedule by BMW
shops. $4,950, Alan Crosby, Arlington,
703 351-9654 or alancrosby@juno.com
(07/05)
02 Suzuki SV650, yellow, 17K, Givi side
bags (E42), Givi top bag (E52), Corban
seat, 2-Brothers slip-on muffler, Givi
windscreen(A750), tank bag, factory
service manual, dealer maintained.
$3,950, Alan Crosby, Arlington, 703 3519654 or alancrosby@juno.com (07/05)
87 K100RS, Pearl White, 22K mi (5,100
orig + 17K on new speedo), $4,200.00,
bags, Corbin seat with backrest moveable
front or rear, Aeroflow shield, heated
grips, C-bars and bar-backs, recent tires
and gel battery, new front brakes, new
fork seals and gaiters; Epics available,
woxof_2@msn.com, 202-363-0292 in
DC. (08/05)
86 R80G/S. Currently owned by Bob
Higdon who is the second owner (he
bought it in 1995 and I’m just helping
him sell it). Accessories include: Custom
painted black P-D tank (8.25g); Chromemoly sub-frame (by Al Vangura); Ohlins
shock; Givi saddlebag racks, top box
rack, and 4 bags; two seats; two
windscreens; Stain-N-Tune and stock
16
exhaust system; M.A.P. Engineering
305mm front brake rotor, and a host of
other goodies. Additionally, a $3,000
overhaul was done three years (30K miles)
ago which included a top end and complete mechanical and electrical inspection/
overhaul. Asking $5,500. Contact Bill
Shaw, armoredveh@aol.com or 703-8602434 (05/05)
79 R65, Champagne, 21,000 miles,
$3,000.00, Matching Lufty faring,
Reynolds rack, ugly top box but it works
and is easily removable, recent gel battery,
recent rear tire and front brakes with
caliper rebuild, EPics available,
woxof_2@msn.com 202-363-0292 in DC.
(08/05)
75 750 /6, Ready to part out - excellent
drivetrain, original R90 except for nearnew R75 top end; excellent tires and spoke
wheels; excellent gelcell battery; frame/
forks/etc./title; non-rusty tank, albeit
dinged and needing paint; carbs might
need cleaning; etc. Just N.E. of D.C.
301-699-8833, 9AM-9 PM, or
safety@davidelishapiro.com (08/05)
73 Suziki GT-185, 12,420 miles. Blue,
good condition, two stroke, was running
when stored in garage. Needs: tank degunked, tires. TLC, etc. A project bike for
you. $450. Epics available, 202-363-0292
in DC, or woxof_2@msn.com (08/05)
PAR
TS & GEAR FOR SALE
ARTS
Red full face Shoei helmet L, brand
new. Paid US $180 - sell for $70; Black
cordura Motorsport jacket with liner,
waterproof fits sz 40 - 44 worn 5 times,
paid over US 200 - sell for $70. Self
adjusting shock for K1100LT hardly
used. Bike was too tall; had to lower it.
US $100. Call George: 202 623-1839
from 9 to 4 or 301 963 2911 after work,
GEORGEA@iadb.org (08/05)
Nearly new, extra large, First Gear
Textile riding coat with all padding,
removable lining. lots of pockets. worn
three times and outgrown $100. Hardlyworn Shoei full face helmet, large,
black, excellent condition $75.00.
Call Bill, 410-987-8826 or email at
Mdrebels@AOL.com (06/05)
FirstGear Flightline pants, waist 36,
only worn once, list price $399.95,
offered at $245.00. Multivario tank bag
to fit K75/100/1100, no rain cover,
$125.00 or best offer. Call Bob @ W:
410 366-3323, H: 410 823-7458 or
rewdmd@att.net (05/05)
Motorcycle ToyBox - 2002 KZ
Sportster 26 ft travel trailer, Asking
$19,000.00/OBO. Haul your bike in
style and comfort. Holds upto 4 adults
and 2 bikes. This unit was used a few
times by non-smoking couple with no
kids. Has air, furnace, and 12ft garage.
More info and pictures from
Wilson_Hopkins@email.com (06/05)
COATS: River Road heavy leather (44)
$60; Belstaff all-season (XL), yellow,
breathable, very warm, $95; Fieldsheer
winter (XL), red, $30; Joe Rocket Meteor
4 (S), yellow and black, $60, Joe Rocket
Ballistic (L), blue, white, black ($20); Joe
Rocket mesh (M) yellow and black, yellow
$40; Fieldsheer (XS), black $40. PANTS:
Vanson heavy leather (38) $125; First
Gear mesh (34) with Gortex liner $55;
First Gear winter (34) $30; HarleyDavidson leather jeans (36) $55. HELMETS: Jarow Helmet X2, medium, silver,
flip-up chin bar, flip-down sunscreen, $95;
HJC Fuse (S) full, yellow graphics $45;
Nolan N100 (L) flip-up chin-bar, silver
$45; Vega (XS), full, chrome $20; Vega
shorty (M), white $15. BOOTS: BMW
all-season (43) Gortex liner $65; BMW
summer (43) mesh, $70. Spitfire universal
windscreen $25. BMW battery charger
$15. Alan Crosby, Arlington, 703 3519654 or alancrosby@juno.com (07/05)
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
Ad
ver
tising
Adver
vertising
Classified ads are free to BMWBMW
members and will run for two months.
Commercial vendors may contact the
editor for rates. We request that
display advertisements be submitted
electronically no later than the 10th of
the month preceding the month of
publication - INCLUDE Member Nbr!
Deadlines & Submissions
All submissions must be received by
the editor no later than the 10th day of
the month preceding the month of
publication (e.g., May 10 is the
deadline for June).
Please email all submissions to
editor@bmwbmw.org
If sending articles on diskettes or
CD-ROMs, mail to:
Philip Ager, Editor
Between the Spokes
P.O. Box 44735
Fort Washington, MD 20749-4735
August 2005
BREAKF
AST RIDES
BREAKFAST
CONT
ACTS & DIRECTIONS
CONTA
Battle
y Cyc
les
Battley
Cycles
7830 Airpark Park Road, Gaithersburg MD 20879. 301-948-4581. From I-270 take
Shady Grove Road east. At Muncaster Mill Shady Grove becomes Airpark Road. Go
straight another 2.1 miles. Battley’s is on the left.
Bob’
s BMW
Bob’s
10720 Guilford Road, Jessup MD 20794. 301-497-8949. From I-95 take Exit 38-A
east. Go about one mile and exit onto U.S. 1 north. Go to the first traffic light and turn
right onto Guilford Road. Bob’s is less than one mile on the right.
le Repair
Lap’s
Cycle
Lap’
s Quality Cyc
3021 Colvin Street, Alexandria VA 22314. 703-461-9404. From I-395, take Duke
Street east to a right turn onto Roth Street. Make another right onto Colvin. Lap’s is a
few doors down. From Old Town Alexandria, take Duke Street west to a left on Roth,
then same as above.
Mor
s BMW
Morton’
ton’s
ton’
5099A Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22408. 540-891-9844.
From I-95 south, take exit 126 to a traffic light at U.S. 1. Turn left (north) on U.S. 1,
go one mile to the light at Courthouse Road/Rt. 208. Make a left onto Courthouse
Road, then right at the next light into the parking lot at Morton’s BMW Motorcycles.
le
Speed’s
Cycle
Speed’
s Cyc
5820 Washington Blvd, Elkridge MD 21075. 410-379-0106. Take 95 North to Route
100 East. Take first exit to Route 1 North. Go approximately 3 miles. We are located
on the left just before Levering Avenue.
BMWBMW Ride-T
o-Eat’
s
Ride-To-Eat’
o-Eat’s
Ride-To-Eat’s (RTE) are informal gatherings of BMWBMW members who meet for
dinner. These gatherings are regularly scheduled for the first and third week of each
month and are always planned and announced on the club’s web message board.
Typically, the Virginia RTE is the first Wednesday and the Maryland RTE is the third
Thursday. The restaurant is always different and the dates occasionally change.
Additionally, impromptu ride to eats are always popping up. Interested?
Check out the message boards Events section and look for “Ride-To-Eat” or “RTE”.
BMWBMW breakfast rides are informal
gatherings of members who meet for
breakfast and ride afterward. Not all
members participate in the afterbreakfast rides, and many members like
to show up solely for the breakfast.
Interested? Show up early, look for
tables with motorcycle helmets, and
don’t be shy about introducing yourself!
If you’d like more information, or to
volunteer to lead a ride one weekend,
call the rides chairman.
Note: Schedules for breakfast rides are
not fixed in stone nor will a ride take
place if there is a club meeting or other
major event scheduled on that day.
Consult the message boards for late
breaking changes or announcements.
http://www.bmwbmw.org/forum/
Baltimore Breakfast Ride
1st Sunda
y, 8 a.m.
Sunday
Old Country Buffet, 2033 E. Joppa
Road, Parkville, MD 21234. 410-8823155. Directions: Satyr Hill shopping
center at Satyr Hill and Joppa roads,
across from the Home Depot at I-695 &
Perring Parkway. Jim Pellenbarg,
410-256-0970.
Mar
yland Breakfast Ride
Maryland
3r
d Sunda
y, 10 a.m.
3rd
Sunday
Treasurer’
s Status Repor
reasurer’s
Reportt
by Mark Dysart
The bank statement arrived today
(13July). We are in full balance and the
treasury balance is for real! I figured
out that about $4,000 of the difference
is in BTS ads from 2004 that were not
deposited until this year.
CURRENT BMWBMW ASSETS:
Cash and Bank Accounts: $14,137.00
CURRENT LIABILITIES: $
0.00
The only outstanding obligation I am
currently aware of, is that of Camp
WestMar (Square Route Rally), and I
have not heard from them yet.
August 2005
The Cozy Restaurant, 103 Frederick
Road, Thurmont, MD 21788. 301-2717373. Directions: Take I-270 north to
Frederick, MD and continue north on
U.S. 15. Take the first Thurmont exit.
Turn right at stop sign, then left at
traffic light. The restaurant is 1/4 mile
on your left.
Vir
ginia Breakfast Ride
Virginia
4th Sunda
y, 9 a.m.
Sunday
Town ‘N Country Restaurant, 5037 Lee
Highway, Warrenton, VA 20187. 540347-3614. Directions: Take I-66 west
to exit 43A (U.S. 29 south) toward
Gainesville/Warrenton. Follow U.S. 29
south for 6.5 miles. The restaurant is on
the left.
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
17
18
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
August 2005
CALEND
AR OF EVENTS
CALENDAR
Aug 12-14, 2005
http://www.carolinasbmwmoa.org
28th Dan’l Boone Rally, GPS: N36 15.54, W81 39.87. Rally fee: $30, $20 under 16, no pre-reg. Fee includes: 2 nts camping, pin to
1st 200. Info: John Olaskovsky 704-529-0748 or rally@carolinasbmwmoa.org
Aug 13, 2005
http://www.mdcompriders.com
AMA Moonlight Poker Run promoted by the MD Competition Riders. Sign up between 8:00pm 9:00pm at Speed's Cycle, 5820
Washington Blvd, Elkridge, MD. Contact Ed Phelps for more info, mailto:rides@bmwbmw.org
Aug 14, 2005
BMWBMW monthly General Membership meeting @ 11 a.m. at the Manhatten Beach Community clubhouse, 742 Dividing Rd,
Severna Park, MD 21146. Directions: From MD Rt. 50, take Rt. 2 (Ritchie Highway) north to Jones Station Rd and turn right (there
are Crown and BP gas stations at the intersection). Make an immediate left onto Manhatten Beach Rd. which runs behind the Crown
gas station. Follow this road approximately 1/2 mile, then make a left onto Dividing Rd. The clubhouse is on the left - set back from
the road - with a large gravel parking lot.
Aug 19-21, 2005
http://www.4windsbmw.org
39th Four Winds Rally, The longest continually held BMW Rally in the US! Our beautiful location: Redbank Valley Municipal Park,
2.5 mi NE of New Bethlehem, PA. 18 mi south of I-80 on Rt 28 (N 41º 00.94’, W 79º 17.52’). Registration: $35 adults, $25 kids
under 13. $10 day pass. No pre-reg. Info: Tom Primke 412-828-3413 or
tomprimke@juno.com
Sep 2-5, 2005
http://www.fingerlakesbmw.org
31st Finger Lakes Rally. Once again they’re at the Watkins Glen State Park Hidden Valley
Campgound, 3 mi west of the town at the end of Rte 329. Offers: 3 nights camping, 2
catered dinners. Sorry, no early arrivals, no pets & no campfires. $45 pre-registration by 8/
20, ($48 at gate); ages 6-15, $25 (gate $30); under 6 free. BMW riders & guests only…
Gate opens 10am Friday.
Sep 11, 2005 – Reser
vations required ffor
or picnic! See pg 15.
Reserv
BMWBMW monthly General Membership meeting @11 am and club “picnic” at 12:00
p.m. at the Heart in Hand restaurant at 7145 Main Street, Clifton, VA. Directions: From I66 in VA, take exit 55, Fairfax County Parkway (Rt. 7100) south. Turn right (west) on
Popes Head Road (Rt. 654). Where Popes Head dead ends, turn left (south) onto Clifton
Road (Rt. 645). Follow Clifton Road into Clifton. The restaurant is just past the railroad
tracks, on the left.
Sep 25, 2005
http://www.ride4kids.org
Annual Ride for Kids in Columbia, MD for all makes of motorcycles.
Oct 1-2, 2005
BMWBMW annual Oktoberfest at Camp West Mar. Details to follow.
Oct 6-9, 2005
http://www.bmwra.org/
33rd BMW RA International Rally, Shelbyville, Tennessee.
No
v 13, 2005
Nov
BMWBMW monthly General Membership meeting @ 11 a.m. at Battley Cycles,
Gaithersburg, MD. See Dealer Directions on pg 17.
Dec 17 2005 – Satur
da
y night – Reser
vations Required!
Saturda
day
Reserv
BMWBMW annual Holiday Party at Bolling AFB Officer’s Club. Details to follow. Note:
Because this is being held on a military installation, pre-registration is mandatory for
security purposes. No “walk-ins” will be accommodated. Be sure to plan ahead this year!
Note: Official BMWBMW events are preceded by “BMWBMW.” The events listed above can be either official BMWBMW events or events
unrelated to BMWBMW which historically have been of interest to our membership. For a complete list of motorcycle-related events
throughout the U.S. and Canada, please visit the club’s web site at http://www.bmwbmw.org.
August
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August 2005
Between the Spokes © 2005 BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington
19
BMW BIKERS OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON
Application for Membership/Change of Address
Please check appropriate box
G New Member G Renewal G Change of Address
❑ I decline a paper newsletter; I can read Between the Spokes on the club’s website!
Name ___________________________________________________________________
Associate ________________________________________________________________
Street ___________________________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP ____________________________________________________________
Occupation _______________________________________________________________
Phone Home (_____) ________________ Work (_____) __________________
E-mail: __________________________________________________________
BMW MOA Mbr# :___________
Age group:
G 16-25 G46-55
G 26-35 G56+
G 36-45
Referred to BMWBMW by:
MEMBERSHIP DUES
G
G
G
G
G
Regular Member
Associate Member
Rally
Rides
Safety
Technical
Internet
$20.00/year
$7.50/year
Dues may be paid for 1, 2, or 3 years. Associate members must reside at the same address
as the regular member. Associate members receive membership card, pin, and decal and have
voting privileges if age 16 or over, but do not receive separate newsletters or other mailings.
Make check payable to BMWBMW and send it with this form to:
Elsie Smith, PO Box 77, Olney, MD 20830-0077
10/1/2004
Between the Spokes
c/o Elsie Smith
P.O. Box 77
Olney, MD 20830-0077
#1 ______________________
#2 ______________________
#3 ______________________
Total miles on BMWs
BMW RA Mbr# : ____________
AMA Mbr# : ________________
I’m willing to help with the
following areas or committees:
G Government Affairs
G Membership
G Newsletter
G Sales
G Meetings & Events
Motorcycles
(Year, Model, Mileage)
FIRST CLASS