Ride Coronavirus SAFE!
Contents
Welcome
Monthly Recap
Monthly Pictures
Upcoming Events (2 months)
Members Birthday’s
Meet & Greet Update, (Portland, BC, & Seattle)
Club Business
Reader’s Corner
Day Rides
The latest news regarding rider skill enhancement classes
Officer Reports
The BRMC 2020 Calendar of Events
Non BRMC Motorcycle Events
Request for pictures & closing comments.
Welcome
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. We welcome like-minded guests to come meet us at our monthly Meet & Greets and to join us at one of our club events and our local activities.
Check out our website. We are very proud of it. www.borderriders.com
Monthly Recap (March)
The entire planet is in turmoil as the coronavirus runs its course through the populations of the world. BRMC has done its best to help minimize the impact by canceling all gatherings until it is otherwise safe to get back together again. Our monthly club meeting was not held, as well as our meet and greets. Stay safe, everyone.
Monthly Gallery
Photos from members and guests from last month’s rides and adventures.
Dave J kicks in with basic survival skills - Bread making 101.
Chris L in isolation at home.
Don W and Jorge B on other adventures
Stan C and Alan H social distancing at the coast
And wow, there was this… Joe C and Minh P get married! Congrats, guys!!!
Marc L and David O get married! Congratulations, guys!
Upcoming Events
April
Wednesday 4/1- Portland Meet & Greet @ the Eagle from 7 to 8 pm. Cancelled
Saturday 4/4 - Day Ride, see our F.B. page for regional details. Cancelled
Wednesday 4/8 - BC Meet & Greet @ the Met Hotel New Westminster 4 to 6 pm. Cancelled
Wednesday 4/15 - Seattle Meet & Greet @ the Cuff from 7 to 8 pm. Cancelled
Saturday 4/18 –April Meeting, Oakville, WA from 4 to 8 pm. Cancelled
Saturday 4/25 – Northwest Motorcycle Classic Vintage Motorcycle Expo, Lynden, WA 10 am to 3 pm Cancelled
I HATE YOU COVID-19
May
Saturday 5/2 - Day Rides. Watch our F.B. Page for regional details.
Wednesday 5/6 - Portland Meet & Greet @ the Eagle from 7 to 8 pm.
Wednesday 5/13 - BC Meet & Greet @ the Met Hotel New Westminster 4 to 6 pm.
Thursday 5/14 to Monday 5/18 - 51st Annual Victoria Day Weekend Run & Camp-out @ Pine Flats Campground, WA.
Wednesday 5/20 - Seattle Meet & Greet @ the Cuff from 7 to 8 pm.
Upcoming Birthdays
We have 4 members that have a birthdays in April. Take and moment and wish them a great day!
Dale C - 29-APR
Tom C - 23 APR
Dennis H - 11 APR
Jason Wyatt - 3 APR
Meet & Greets
Portland held the monthly M&G at the Eagle. A special thanks to members Blue & Jeff B for supporting the club & hosting it. In attendance were guests Andrew, Chris T, Gabe, and a new guest, Adam. I didn’t get to attend but I’ll look forward to meeting Adam and seeing everyone at the next one. Thank you all for supporting the club.
BC M&G ……..
The Seattle Meet and Greet in March was one of the first of many things to be cancelled by Covid-19. April is already cancelled on our end, Looking forward to things being better in May.
Club Business
At this time we are unsure of club events for May. We are still hopeful that we can have Victoria Day Weekend Camp Out but as time passes it is looking less likely that we will be able to. Some public events are being cancelled for June and the board is still evaluating what we may do in June.
Border Riders Motorcycle club
51st Annual Victoria Day Weekend Run
May 14 - 18, 2020
Ardenvoir, WA, Pine Flats Campground
BRMC has hosted the riding season kickoff each year for 50 years on Victoria Day weekend. We are hoping to hold our annual run, our 51st, again at at the US Forest Service Pine Flats Campground near Ardenvoir, Washington. We are still hopeful that we can hold this event the middle of May but we may have to cancel this year. This primitive campground is fully reserved for BRMC, where seclusion and privacy is a feature of this central base camp for day rides throughout the central Washington area.
We truck in a full kitchen to provide breakfast and dinner meals for the weekend. This event also allows 4 wheel vehicles (except RVs), so you can bring your non-riding partner or friends as well as that tent that is too large for your bike (but really, we are a motorcycle club, so at least try to rough it out).
We expect a good group that always has a great weekend. All vehicles (except RVs) welcome, no pets. Registration will be delayed this year until we get closer to event. Please keep a watch on the website and emails announcing if we have to cancel.
Reader’s Corner
A place for you, the reader, member or guest, to contribute.
Tell us about your travels, adventures, mishaps, etc.
To contribute send your story & pictures to President@BorderRiders.com
Tom's Little Mid-winter Adventure
I had been looking around for something to replace the Kawasaki KLR 650 - one of my co-workers approached me about selling it, said he'd always wanted it. I was looking for something that would be more comfortable riding on the highway to runs but still be able to handle gravel roads easily, something with tubeless tires that could be field-repaired easily if I pick up a nail, is genuinely reliable, is big enough to fit me yet a manageable size. A BMW GS would seem ideal, but they take complexity to a high level, combined with a thin dealer network and high prices. I've had several BMW boxers, and I liked them - that flat twin has a lot of character. I was reading reviews, watching videos, visiting dealers and sitting on bikes. I almost bought a used BMW F800 before the North Seattle BMW dealer closed.
I looked at Yamaha SuperT's, Honda Africa Twins, Moto Guzzi's, Triumphs, KTM's - but they all felt too big, too top heavy, with too little dealer support and too complex. The midsize bikes seemed too high-strung, or just didn't have the character I was looking for. Motorcycles are such a personal thing!
Strangely, I felt attracted to the Honda NC-series. NC stands for New Concept, and it does end up being sort of a cross between a motorcycle with some scooter-think. It's half of a Honda Fit engine, literally, laid almost flat for low center of gravity. The fuel tank is under the seat for the same reason. It has the full-size ergonomics of an ADV bike, but isn't trying to be a serious dirt bike. There are lots of videos on YouTube of guys taking them on some pretty hairy dirt roads, and a memorable series where a Ukranian guy and his girlfriend living in Germany ride their NC along much of the Silk Road. They're noted for their reliability, and are good value, at around $8k new. I visited some Honda dealers, sat on them, did more research ... and decided I didn't want a new one, but a lightly used one. I looked on Craigslist locally, missed several, and most had too many miles or nice ones were too close in price to a new one. I increased my search area to include Oregon, then Idaho, then California, then Arizona - and there was a 2012 NC700X with 6,200 miles in Tucson. It already had some things I would want to add - an aftermarket skid plate, hard (Honda) bags, a (Honda) trunk, and almost new street/dirt tires. But Tucson - 1,600 miles away! Shipping a motorcycle is expensive, and I would still want to see it before I bought it. And it had the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT - automatic), which I never thought I'd be interested in, but had read some interesting reviews about. I called the owner in Tucson - a retired school teacher from Kansas City, Missouri, long-time motorcyclist who spends the winters in Tucson, and was leaving the next week to move back to Kansas City. I thought - what the heck, and booked a cheap last-minute ticket on an AlaskaAir flight to Tucson for $200.
I landed on Tuesday, February 25th at about 3pm in sunny but not overly warm Tucson, and the schoolteacher met me at the airport. I had carried on my Aerostitch overpants, a big sweater, t-shirts and underwear, some tools, and my helmet and gloves, and wore my Aerostitch jacket. The bike actually had some additional things installed that he hadn't mentioned in the Craigslist ad, like factory heated handgrips and a USB powerport, a new battery, and a recent full service. We exchanged money there in the parking lot and signed papers, then took off toward Phoenix. It's about a two-hour trip, and that gave me a chance to get to know the bike a little bit. I got off the freeway and tried some gravel roads, and was really entertained by the transmission. The newer NC's have a boost to 750cc, but the earlier ones are actually 670cc - which felt fine. Very economical, as everyone had said. And big enough without being too big.
I was going to drop in on some old college friends who lived in Phoenix, since I had their address but not a current phone number, so I Google-mapped myself to their address - a gated community with a a security guard! I had to talk the security guard into letting me in. He did, eventually, so I knocked on their front door, in the dark, unannounced. It was like we'd talked just yesterday - some friendships are like that. They reminded me that it had been 27 (!) years since we last saw each other. I spent the night on a big reclining chair in their living room, and after breakfast took to the road toward Palm Springs.
I had texted Dave Eckert and Robbie, who said to come on over as there was a bedroom available. It was a nice ride through Saguaro cactus covered hills and lots of sunshine, about five hours. Dave and Robbie have a neat house high on the hill in Cathedral City, overlooking the Coachella Valley. There's a big swimming pool and numerous orange, tangerine, lemon and grapefruit trees, all with sweet fruit. There were a couple of guys from Santa Cruz who were going to stay a week, who arrived shortly after I did. It was really a fun visit, very sociable. Truly fine hosts! That was Wednesday - my good weather window was predicted to last until Saturday, so I had to get over the Siskiyous between California and Oregon by then, or divert over to the coast (and add another couple days) and by then it would be wet.
I wanted the trip, quick though it would be, to be as scenic as possible and avoid major Interstates and big cities like Los Angeles. So I headed north through the Morongo Valley, past Yucca Valley to Lucerne Valley, to Victorville then past Edwards Air Base, through Mojave, and on to Bakersfield where I got on old Hwy 99, which is preferable to I-5 - it's much more scenic and has much more of the old California feel, yet still a divided highway that efficiently gets you north. That was Thursday. I was really enjoying the dry desert air and almost 70 degree temperatures of the southern portion, and the transition into the Central Valley as I went north. The bike ran flawlessly, and at 75-80 miles per hour I was still getting almost 60 mpg. I had read in owner reviews that the saddle was hard and uncomfortable - yes! And without crash bars and forward pegs, there wasn't much place to stretch out. I made it to Modesto that night and was totally done - it was a long day.
I watched the Weather Channel in the motel room, and the weather change was coming in a little earlier than expected. I had breakfast, then pushed on through Sacramento rush hour traffic and north through Red Bluff, Redding and Yreka and on into the Siskiyous - which is a surprisingly long stretch of mountain highway. But the sun was out, and very scenic. It felt like a real accomplishment to crest the 4,300' Siskiyou Summit - I had made my objective! The front came through at about 4pm with 40mph side winds, a twenty degree drop in temperature, and lots of clouds. I got as far as Cottage Grove, south of Eugene, and that was enough for the day, when it started raining. Soaking in the tub in the room felt better than any fancy resort would have. That was Friday.
Saturday was wet and much cooler, so I put on all the clothes I'd brought, and had the heated grips on 'high'. Intense showers were followed by drier stretches, and I breezed up I-205 to get around Portland Saturday traffic. At Chehalis on I-5 it actually snowed on me - a mix of rain and snow - and felt like it had to be near freezing. I even thought about getting a motel room ... but I was close to home, so I just pushed through. I stopped at a bakery on Harstine Island (north of Shelton) and got some feeling back, and was home by about 4pm. It was epic!
Videos along the way and afterward:
Day Rides
Portland’s March Day Ride - Blue scheduled a day ride for the Portland people but mother nature had other plans. Temperatures dropped below freezing and snow was forecast. Oh well, we appreciate the effort Blue.
BC’s Day Ride -
Seattle’s Day Ride - A day ride was not held in March, weather was very marginal. Extended forecast for April looks 50-50, but cancelled. Get out and ride even if not a group.
For details about this month’s day ride, please visit our Facebook page and seek out details for your area.
Motorcycle Training Opportunities
One of the instructors showing Dale how the S curves are done!
For those of you who were not able to make it to the Advanced Motorcycle Training class we did as part of the Rally, not all is lost.
Team Oregon and I have worked out a deal whereby Team Oregon is going to bring the entire 8-hour class to Portland, and we just purchased the whole thing. No outsiders, just us.
To make the class less physically demanding, Team Oregon has agreed to break the (1) 8-hour class into (2) 4-hour classes. Both classes will happen the same weekend to make it easier on those who will travel into Portland to take the class. The classes will be held in North Portland on August 29th & 30th, 2020.
The 1st class will be held on August 29th from 12:30 to 5:30. This will be slow cornering, u-turns, and weaving. This is what you watch when you watch those police rodeos. I’d love to put together a team to challenge them someday.
The dreaded Cone Weave.
The 2nd class will be on Sunday, August 30th, from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Sunday will wrap up day 1 and move onto group riding and group parking. Yeah, finally we will be able to look like pros when we go out to dinner at the camp-outs.
There are 9 available spots for this class and all spots will go for $200 each. Registration for this event will only be available through the BRMC website. It’ll be just like any other BRMC event only with limited availability. There will be an announcement regarding registration at the meeting prior to any announcement in the newsletter. This will sell out fast so be ready to register as soon as it becomes available.
This class will be in additional to all the other events that will happen in 2020 including the camp out in August.
Also, due to the demand from Seattle and BC, I will try schedule a class of some type, likely a rider review class, to happen in the Seattle area earlier in the summer. I predict people from Portland & BC will converge on Seattle and I expect Seattle people to register en mass. The results, I expect this class in Seattle to fill up very fast as well. I will announce the date for this class in the same manner as I will the Advanced Motorcycle Training class.
BTW, these motorcycle training events I put together are normally 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 these motorcycle training opportunities, please send me an e-mail and let us chat. Treasurer@BorderRiders.com
From the Handlebars of the President
The past few weeks have been interesting and we have come to learn new terms. Shelter at home. Social distancing. We are definitely experiencing different times right now. The club decided to cancel April events prior to the orders to stay home. And now that we have to stay home we are uncertain when we can again host club events.
Events in May are questionable at this time. We may have to cancel our annual Victoria Day Weekend. Some events for June are even being cancelled. The Portland Pride Parade and Waterfront Festival have been cancelled this year. A decision on whether the Seattle Pride Parade will happen will be decided on April 27th. The club has been approved to ride in the Seattle Pride Parade and I am looking forward to the possibility.
By working for a local bank I am still going into work. Many at work are now working at two other locations. And many others are working from home. Where normally there are over 100 people in the building now there are fewer than 20 most days. With the passage of the CARE Act and the economic relief that is being offered I have been working extra hours. This past week I managed to end up with over 38 hours of over time.
I hope that each of you are taking care of your self and staying home and staying healthy. I am looking forward to the time we can again gather as a club.
…… keep the shiny side up!
Vice President Chatter
Greetings Everyone- What crazy times we are in. I hope everyone is staying healthy and productive while you are stuck in your homes. I believe we will come out of this with a new perspective on the world, how we treat one another, and our environment.
I have been keeping myself busy by working and planning for VD. I do so hoping that we will not need to cancel this event too. The biggest change for this is that we are looking into using 5-gallon water bottles in place of single use water bottles. What this will mean to you, is that everyone will need to bring their own reusable/refillable water bottle. As I said, “times are changing” and we need to change with them. There are also some small changes coming with the menu. We will be experimenting with some different appetizers for Saturday’s Social Hour and Sunday’s breakfast. More to come regarding this as we get closer to the event. Well that’s my brief update for this month’s newsletter. Be well and take care. Don’t forget to stay in touch with your BRMC Brothers as we all could use some extra socializing during these times. Phone numbers can be found in the members only section of the website on the Roster. I hope to see ya’ll very soon.
Alan
Road Captain Rumblings
We have never seen anything like Covid-19 in our lifetimes. Totally messing up all of our daily lives. I’m still working as “essential” and loving the traffic - I’m convinced the existing traffic volumes are what our roads were originally designed for.
It appears that motorcycle shops are “essential” businesses as they fall under the automotive repair category and are open. Riding our bikes is essential to our mental well being, and an activity where most of us are able to maintain our “social distance.” It may be a good opportunity to get any maintenance done as many people may expect them to be closed.
If you’re able to get out and group ride problem is going to be places to eat and ice cream. Many places aren’t set up for take-out. Time to look at the old days and figure out how many miles it takes to warm a foil wrapped Poor Boy sandwich tucked by your pistons and be hot but not cremated.
Stay healthy, and hoping to see you all soon.
Treasurer’s Ramblings
What a hectic tax season this became. COVID-19 caused all kinds of changes to due dates and payment dates and how it impacts this or that and who….
I’ve had to shut down my business from in person meetings to phone conferences, Face-Time and USPS mail & that additional cost is dipping into my profit / play money. Getting to visit with my clients is the part of my job I like the most and I’m not allowed to do it this year which bothers me more than the lost margin. The only advantage I saw was the ability to limit my OT to less than 60 hrs a week and the ability to take our Anniversary weekend off. Well, that and having Alan working from home. I just can’t get enough of that guy & being able to have lunch together everyday has been wonderful.
I wasn’t going to be able to attend the March meeting but I was still saddened when I learned we had to cancel it. For those who registered & paid for the March meeting, your payment has been refunded. If you don’t see the refund let me know and I will look into it.
Let us all hope COVID-19 doesn’t impact the VD Camp-out. That would be tragic.
If you have any question, comments, or suggestions about anything I am dealing with, please feel encouraged to contact me directly & let us chat.
2020 Calendar of Events
January 18th - Annual General Meeting - Seattle, WA
February 15th - Anniversary Banquet - Seattle, WA
March 21st - Hosted Club Meeting - Michael C home - Seattle, WA
April 18th - Hosted Club Meeting - Dan S home - Oakville, WA - Cancelled
May 15th thru 18th - Victoria Day Camp-out - Pine Flats Campground, Ardenvoir, WA
June 14th - BRMC rides in the Portland Pride Parade - Cancelled
June 26th thru 28th - Camp-out at TBD Campsite (Seattle Area)
June 27th - BRMC Booth at Capitol Hill Pride Festival in Seattle, WA
June 28th - BRMC rides in the Seattle Pride Parade
July 17th thru 19th - Camp-out at Squamish Valley Campground, about an hour north of Vancouver and an hour south of Whistler BC
August 14th thru 16th - Camp-out at Union Creek, near Phillips Lake between Sumpter and Baker Oregon
August 29th & 30th - 2-day Advanced Motorcycle Training in Portland, OR
September 18th thru 20th - Camp-South Grandy Lake by Concrete WA
October 17th - Hosted Club Meeting - TBD Location
November 14th - Hosted Club Meeting - TBD Location
December 12th - Holiday Party - TBD Location
Meet & Greets
(April’s M&G have been canceled due to COVID-19)
B.R.M.C. members will be available for interested individuals to meet and learn more about the club and how to get involved. For locations and times, check out the cities listed below for your area. Also, in addition to the club's monthly events, local rides may be organized, weather permitting. To lean more about local event’s, check out our F.B. page or email the Road Captain 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
Non-BRMC Motorcycle Events
To enter a bike to show or sell or additional information email marcuscc@comcast.net
Contributions of Photos & Stories
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com