Contents
September Meeting Recap
September Gallery
From the Handle Bars of the President
Seattle Meet and Greet
Road Captain Rumblings
Seattle Area Day Ride
Treasurer Ramblings
Club Finances
Portland Meet & Greet/Day Ride
50th Anniversary Road Rally
2020 Riding Classes
Calendar of Events
Member Birthdays
Meet & Greets
Reader’s Corner
Welcome
The Border Riders Motorcycle Club (BRMC) is an organized group of guys who like to ride and camp. Our membership spans the Pacific Northwest, with the greatest participation in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver B.C. We have one of the largest memberships of gay clubs in North America, and welcome like-minded guests to join us on our monthly club events and local activities during the riding months. Check the main page of the website at www.borderriders.com for additional information.
September Meeting Recap
This meeting had the best attendance we have had in a long time. Eighteen members and eight guests were present. The meeting was hosted by Richard A. and Chris L. They had lots of hors d’oeuvres and drinks. It was a great time for everybody who had been on the 50th Anniversary Rally to talk about their experiences. Of course, there was a lot of talk about, the rain that the riders experienced on the first days of the rally, but there was also a lot of positive talk about the Team Oregon class on the first day of the ride. And naturally, there was a lot of discussion about the ride itself, and how well it had been organized.
When the meeting was called to order, there wasn’t a lot business to do. The meeting start was delayed due to a bike breakdown and waiting for the rescue crew to return. The only votes taken were to open and close the meeting, and to approve the minutes of the two previous meetings. When Stan C. reported on the rally itself, he mentioned several things. First of all, he asked for people who have pictures of the rally to please forward them to him for the newsletter. He told those present that if they want to have a rally pin the cost is ten dollars and would be available in the gear store. He also said that the AMT class at the beginning of the rally was a shortened version of the AMT class. The full class will be offered in its entirety this coming summer. The last thing he did was to have a drawing among all those that rode at least one day on the Rally award for a $50 cash prize. The winners were Dan S., Chris T., Dennis H., and Blue B.
When the meeting was adjourned the 50th Anniversary Rally riders gathered for a picture and then the group went to Bob’s Burgers in Burlington for dinner. After dinner there was dessert and more conversation back at Chris and Richard’s home.
BRMC Group Photo September Club Meeting
September Gallery
Photos from members and guests from last month’s rides and adventures.
From the Handlebars of the President
Yikes! Another BRMC riding season has officially come and gone. The 2019 riding season was a good one beginning with our Annual Victoria Day Campout in May and concluding with the 50th Anniversary Rally in September.
I really wanted to do the whole Rally but unfortunately for several reasons I wasn’t able to. However, I was able to participate in the class that Team Oregon put on for us to kick off the Rally. On Friday I left work early and rode down to Beaverton, Oregon. Traffic yet again was awful and it took me over 5 hours to make the trip.
Weaving through the cones….where’s that next pair at?
Saturday morning I met up with the rest of the group for breakfast in Oregon City. Upon arriving in town we discovered that most of the main street was blocked off for an antique car show. At the end of the block was the entrance to the car show so as we ate breakfast we were able to watch the cars go by as they entered the show. I never knew a bunch of bikers could be such car enthusiasts. After breakfast we headed to Albany for the Team Oregon class. I rode as tail gunner for the group and it was nice seeing everyone ride as a large group for that distance. Everyone did a great job riding in formation.
One of the instructors showing Dale how the S curves are done!
I have been wanting to participate in one of the classes that Stan has arranged with Team Oregon so I was glad to finally have the opportunity. The class was great with three courses set up. The first was a double U-turn in a box, the second a cone weave pattern and the third a key-hole. They also added an S curve as well. It was a great opportunity to practice our turns and learn the “friction zone” with our clutch. I definitely need some more practice. As one of the instructors stated, have you been riding for 25 years or have you just been riding the same 1 year 25 times. As Dennis mentions below, we need to work to improve our riding skills. If you have not recently participated in a riding skills class, I would encourage you to consider doing one with next year. Either consider doing one that Stan coordinates for BRMC or find one on your own.
After the class, I headed back to Beaverton for the night. Sunday morning I woke up to rain. I met up with Todd M at Ridgefield and we rode north together. It rained pretty much all the way and the stretches where it wasn’t raining the road was very wet. Fortunately traffic was pretty good except for a bit of a slowdown through Tacoma. I was glad to be home and out of the rain.
The October meeting will be hosted by Doug H with assistance from Peter L at Doug’s home in Surrey, BC. Social time will be at 4:00 with dinner at 5:00 with the meeting following dinner. Doug and Peter are planning a ham dinner. Please be sure to register on the club website.
The November meeting will be a THanksgiving feast hosted by Stan and Alan at their home in West Linn, OR. Then in December we will be back at Chris and Richard’s outside Burlington, WA for our annual Holiday Party. Before you know it the year will be over and our Annual General Meeting will be upon us in January.
I am sad that the riding season is over. Though I will still be riding as often as possible to work and may get another couple rides in for fun. I did do a day ride this past Saturday up the Mountain Loop Highway and the fall chill was definitely in the air. Today I wore my fall/winter riding gear. I didn’t turn the heat on but the insulated coat and pants sure felt good this morning on my way to work.
I hope to see you at our upcoming meetings this fall. Remember to keep the shiny side up!
Jeff C
2019 President
Seattle Meet and Greet
The Seattle Meet and Greet on September 18th happened to fall in the midst of the 50th Anniversary Rally so some members that usually attend we out of town. We ended up with myself as the only member there along with Daniel, Ian, Ron and Tim. Ian just recently obtained his motorcycle endorsement and this was his first BRMC event. Daniel stopped by Backfire Moto before joining us at the Cuff. The guests all had questions about when the next Seattle area day ride would be happening. Thanks to everyone for showing up. I forgot to take a photo of the group. The next meet and greet will be on October 16th at 7:00 pm at the Cuff. Come out and join us.
Road Captain Rumblings
Another year of riding is in the record books. Was a good year – no major injuries and just a few dropped bikes and a little road rash on club events. We have great numbers in comparison to a lot of motorcyclists because of 2 reasons:
1) We do additional training and we push ourselves to improve.
2) We are experienced – we ride lots of miles. Those miles increase the risks, but also provide more experience.
The major job of the Road Captain is to arrange for campsite locations. There were 2 new ones to the mix – Bear Springs in Oregon and Lewis and Clark Trail State Park in Washington. Batting 50% on this one – Lewis and Clark was a must return because of the abundant riding opportunities. Won’t be next year, but definitely added to the go to list, maybe even get the ride into group campsite next time.
A few of us ride year-round and exercise out bikes on a regular basis. Some trust their bikes to battery tenders during the off season, but --- if the tender voltage is a drop too high it cooks the battery and actually shortens the life of the battery but makes for it start – at least right after off the charger. Best to take it off from time to time and take it out for a good ride
Seattle Area Day Ride
We missed having a September Day Ride, but will be having a day ride October 5th – Meet at Buzz Inn Steak House, 18960 US-2, right on Highway 2 in Monroe at 10am on Saturday. Weather permitting after breakfast we will explore the roads between Monroe and Arlington that aren’t Highway 2. Otherwise, just breakfast and head back to warm dry conditions.
Treasurer’s Ramblings
Club Finances & Such
Club finances are healthy. Account balances are where I expect them to be. Account Receivables are acceptable and our Liabilities are practically non-existent. Briefly, everything is fine.
Portland’s M&G & Day Ride
I’m calling on all Portland members to attend the October M&G. We have a new owner of the Eagle and he is very interested in making sure we want to be there so let’s show up and support him.
Portland’s next M&G will be Wednesday October 2nd, at the Eagle on Lombard at 7:00. I hope to see both “members” and guests this month.
Keep in mind that if you decide to go for a ride you can always reach out to the club by posting something on our FB page. Hopefully, you’ll get a response and have someone to ride with.
The Rally
I will be the first to admit, weather wasn’t what I hoped for. That said, we live in the PNW and if you’re going to ride, you need to be willing and ready to ride in the rain. Based on the feedback I have received; a good time was had by all.
The ride started out of Oregon City after breakfast. Those who attended breakfast were treated with hundreds of muscle cars setting up for a car show. It was a non-stop parade of eye candy, both muscle and muscle cars.
We rode in a very large group formation from breakfast to the Advanced Motorcycle Training class in Albany. Jeff C did a wonderful job as the gunner and everyone else rode like pros. We passed Mark B who was waiting on the highway on ramp to join us and he said it looked cool to see all the bikes in formation and that everyone was where they should be.
The class went off as scheduled and everyone was better at cornering when it was done. Only 2 bikes got dropped and while I won’t name names, I was one of them. Look where you want to go and damned if I didn’t look down on a slow & tight corner. The only damage sustained was my pride.
From there we rode in formation to Roseburg, checked in and headed out for dinner. The weather was wonderful, and everyone appeared to have a good time.
We made some changes to the route for Sunday due to forecasted lightening near the coast. A couple people did their own thing but a group of us rode up to Diamond Lake & Crater Lake for the day. To say we got wet on the way home would be an understatement.
It absolutely poured rain nonstop for the last 90 minutes or so. We had standing water on the road and poor visibility. After returning to the hotel we watched as Dale stood on the balcony and poured the water out of his boots. We all made it back to the hotel safe and sound. Some were laughing, come were complaining but it was a memorable day regardless.
By day 3 we started breaking up into smaller groups of similar riding styles. The daily rides went pretty much as were planned. Everybody made it to the hotel safely each night and we enjoyed the comrodery in the evenings.
A couple people dropped off and headed home or back to work after a couple days and others startedshowing up. On average we had about 10 bikes and rode in 2 or 3 groups. Some headed out early each morning while others wanted to sleep in a little. Some groups rode a little faster than others while some stopped at all the viewpoints. All in all, it was a ride your own ride and everyone seems to have done just that. The various scenery and wonderful roads made for a memorable trip. In total, we rode more than 20,000 miles without one accident.
I rode 2,120 miles and we had an average of 10 bikes = 21,200 miles. That’s how I came up with, “In total we rode more than 20,000 miles without one accident”. I think that’s pretty damn good and better than good when you consider the weather we had and how close we were riding to each other when in formation. Nice work people.
Unfortunately, we did have 5 mechanical issues. Dale C had clutch issues in Olympia on his way down to Oregon City was after much searching was able to find the right wrench in Olympia to adjust the clutch. Chris T blew out his back tire on the way to breakfast on the first day. He was able to get a tow to the dealer and caught up with us at the AMT Class. Blue picked up a screw with his front tire on the way to the class but luckily, was able to ride to the shop in Albany, get if replaced and was back on the rode in less than an hour. Blue was able to catch up with us at the AMT Class before it got started. I had a highway peg come loose and we had to pull over on the way to Diamond Lake to tighten it. And, Mark B had a carburetor issue just 10 minutes from the closing of the Rally.
Richard A and Alan H jumped in Richards truck and hustled to where Mark B had broke down. Meanwhile, Buck W & Bill L also jumped into action, hooked up a trailer and went to where Mark B was. By the time they got on site, the guys had decided they wouldn’t be able to get it going so they loaded up the bike and everybody made it in time for the meeting. The following day Leo drove up from Portland with a trailer & took Mark B and the bike home. If anyone says the BRMC Brotherhood is dead, I’d say “Like hell it is”.
All in all, I say it was a successful Rally. I thank everyone who came and I hope you all had a good time. This was a lot more work on the road than I expected and by Thursday I was exhausted. I got frustrated at one point and used the term “This is like herding cats”. That was an ongoing joke from that point forward, meow. After it was all over, the laughs, memories & comrodery made it all worthwhile.
BTW, Rally pins are available through the gear store for $10. David J did a fantastic job with the pins and I thank him for his effort. They are very nice, look sharp and are well made. I will have them at the October meeting.
Gallery 1 50th Anniversary Rally - more can be found on the website and another gallery will be featured next month.
Upcoming Motorcycle Class Schedule & Other Information
2020
For those of you who were not able to make it to the AMT class we did as part of the Rally, not all is lost.
Team Oregon and I are working out a deal for next summer. What we did with the Rally was a 2-hour taster of an 8-hour class. Team Oregon has agreed to break the (1) 8-hour class into (2) 4-hour classes and have both classes in one weekend. We will do 4 hours on some YTBD Saturday afternoon and 4 hours Sunday morning. This will allow people to ride in Saturday and home on Sunday. The location of this course will be in Gresham Oregon which is a nearby suburb to Portland.
I will announce the dates at the Banquet in February. Registration will open shortly thereafter so be ready. There are only 12 spots available for this class and it will surely fill up fast.
Due to the demand from Seattle and BC, I am also going to organize a class of some sort to happen in the Seattle area. I predict people from Portland & BC will converge on Seattle and I expect Seattle people to register enmass. The results, I expect this class in Seattle to fill up very fast. I will announce this date at the Banquet as well.
The last class I am looking for is a class on group riding and “group parking”. I love it when I see a group ride and they park like pros. While we aren’t horrible, I know we can do better, so stay tuned.
BTW, these motorcycle training events I put together are not a BRMC sanctioned event. This is just me organizing these classes because I keep getting request for it, I love them, and I learn something every time I go.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about anything I am dealing with, please feel encouraged to contact me & let us chat.
Sincerely,
Stan C
2019 Treasurer
2019 Calendar of Events
January 19 Annual General Meeting - Seattle, WA
February 16 Anniversary Banquet - Portland, OR
March 16 Club Meeting - Don W, Lynnwood, WA
April 20 Club Meeting - Dan S, Oakville, WA
May 17-20 Victoria Day Weekend Camp - Pine Flats Campground, Ardenvoir, WA
June 14-16 Bear Springs Group Campground, Maupin, OR
June 16 - BRMC rides in Portland Pride Parade
July19-21 Lewis & Clark Trail State Park, Dayton, WA
August 16-18, Willows Campground, Lillooet, BC
September 14-21 50th Anniversary Ride - OR, WA, BC
September 21 Club Meeting, Bellingham, WA
October 19 Club Meeting - Surrey, BC
November 16 Club Meeting - West Linn, OR
December 14 Holiday Party - Burlington, WA
Birthdays
We have 1 member with a birthday this month. Please take a moment to wish him a great day.
Randy W - 24th
Meet & Greets
BRMC members will be available for new and returning guys to connect and learn more about the club and opportunities to participate. If you are interested, check out when and where in the cities listed below. Also, in addition to the club's monthly events, local rides may be organized, weather permitting. To lean more, email the Road Captain for specific details, or to ensure a member to meet you, at captain@borderriders.com.
Portland: Meet & Greet - 1st Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Portland Eagle
Vancouver BC Meet & Greet - 2nd Wednesday of the month. 4 to 6 pm at The Met Hotel, New Westminster
Seattle: Meet & Greet - 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Cuff
Reader’s Corner
A place for you the reader, member or guest, to contribute. Tell us about your travels, adventures, mishaps, etc.
Nothing was shared by our members, guests, or readers this month. Please feel free to contribute for the next issue. The newsletter is published on the 1st of the month so get your info in.
Contributions of Photos & Stories
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com