September 2021 Newsletter
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 (August)
Charliehorse Ranch, Molalla, Oregon
This month’s campout was hosted at Dave’s Charliehorse Ranch out near Molalla, Oregon, which is about an hour south of Portland. 22 guys made it with 3 members having to bag it, which makes for 12 guests and 10 members in the breakdown. It was long rides for those up around Seattle and places far, but the weather was not horrible and traffic manageable for the most part. Amazingly for August, the heat wave broke for this weekend and we were all treated to cooler overcast skies and a drenching rainstorm the first night on Friday. It was noted the weather forecast was for less than 1% chance of rain, so, yeah… now we all know what that feels like.
As fires were not permitted in the area due to the high flammability of the forest in which the campout was located, and not to mention the still fresh vivid memories of last year’s fires in the area, a propane fire was safely deployed during the evening for us to huddle around under a canopy of hanging courtyard light strings. Dinner on Friday served up a pile of Papa Murphy pizzas and various appetizers. As everyone already had a long day, bed time was soon to come and the sound of crickets mixed with the snores of the camp settled into the night.
The Silver Falls Riders
The new day found everything pretty wet as it rained a bunch that night, but the forecast indicated things would begin to dry out for the remainder of the weekend. We all moved into the large shop onsite for morning coffee and breakfast goodies. Plans were afoot for various rides in the area with some headed south to Silver Falls State Park (always a highlight), and others checking out future campsite opportunities to the north. Others took short rides or stayed at camp just to relax and enjoy the area.
Saturday’s dinner was a production that began early in the afternoon. The BBQ was fired up and burgers and brats began their transformation into tasty dinner sandwiches. Kudos to all the guys who stepped up and helped out in food prep, cooking, and serving. Quite the spontaneous effort! Before dinner, we held our executive and member meetings to discuss all things needing discussing. Afterwards came the group photo with all our 20 bikes lined up, then time to chow down. The hot tub was open, and later in the evening many of us jumped in for a nice soak. As the evening wore on, we all settled into our beds for the night to ready for the next day’s ride home.
Sunday morning brought on another fine day, starting with another 60-cup pot of coffee and pastry goodies. While some of the long ride guys packed and headed out, many stayed to help clean up the site and get everything necessary to host a gathering of this size put back into its proper place. By the afternoon, there was no sign at the Ranch that anything had happened there that weekend, and Dave took a nap.
Some guys stayed in the area for Monday’s Team Oregon motorcycle safety training classes held at Pat’s Acres in Canby, Oregon. More on that later in this newsletter.
…Dave J
Group photo 2021 Molalla Oregon
Monthly Gallery
Photos from members and guests from last month’s rides and adventures (or stolen from Facebook pages due to a lack of submissions). No photos were submitted this month.
Upcoming Events
Respectfully, please complete your 1st & 2nd vaccination 2 weeks prior to attending any “live” club event.
September 1st - Portland Meet & Greet, Eagle, Portland
September 4th - Portland and Seattle area day rides
September 8th - BC Meet & Greet
September 15th - Seattle Meet & Greet, The Cuff, Seattle
September 17th to 19th - Campout & Club Meeting, Goldendale, WA
October 2nd - Portland and Seattle area day rides
October 6th - Portland Meet & Greet, Eagle, Portland
October 13th - BC Meet & Greet
October 16th - Monthly membership meeting, West Linn, OR
October 20th - Seattle Meet & Greet, The Cuff, Seattle
September Campout: Goldendale, Washington
Brooks Memorial State Park, Goldendale, WA. The group site has 2 vault toilets (sorry, no flush toilets in the group area) We’ll see how the road noise is as right along Highway 97. Coffee, pastries and deli are close by at St John's Monastery & Bakery, with other food 12 miles away in Goldendale. The group site also claims to have a volleyball net which could be fun. There are several fun roads to ride in the area including the Bickleton “Highway” and the always exciting Klickitat Canyon.
Board Nominations
As most of you are aware, board nomination are done at the October, November and December meetings with the elections held at the Annual General Membership meeting in January. At this time several of the current board members have indicated a desire to retire from the board. Please give some thought to your ability to serve your fellow club members by serving for a term on the board. Each board position is for a term of one year.
Membership Nomination
Guests that desire to become a member of BRMC must be sponsored or nominated for membership by any charter, active or disabled member. A motion to nominate for membership must be made at any club meeting by the sponsor. Guests are encouraged to ride with the club for a year in order to get to know the club members before they are nominated for membership. Election of new members occurs at the Annual General Membership meeting in January. If you are a guest and would like to be considered for membership please feel free to reach out to a club member and inquire about sponsorship.
Upcoming Birthdays
We have 2 members with a birthday in September. Be sure and help us make them feel special.
Kevin S - September 5th
Jeff B - September 28th
Meet & Greets
Portland’s August Meet & Greet was well attended by Members Blue B, Jeff B, Stan C, & guests Larry B, & Ryan C. An interesting conversation about the clubs demographics was interrupted by a handsome cager interested in one of the attendees at our table. “Doesn’t that picture on the wall remind you of sperm? It does me.”, was his opening line.
The September Meet & Greet will be held on Wednesday, September 1st at the Eagle on Lombard at 7pm. It’ll be interesting to see if this cager shows up again.
Seattle’s August Meet & Greet was well attended and the Cuff only had the patio open (which now has a solid roof over part of it). - need to bring proof of vaccination to get in. September’s meet and greet is Wednesday September 15th. If you choose to join for dinner it will be at Regent Bakery and Cafe (Chinese fare) 1404 E. Pine at 6 pm followed by going to the Cuff at 7pm.
Reader’s Corner
A place for you, the reader, member and/or guest, to contribute.
Tell us about your travels, adventures, mishaps, etc.
To contribute, send your story & pictures to President@BorderRiders.com
The Gratification of Delayed Entry
By Todd M
Stan C. and I arrived early at Pat's Acres Racing Complex. A go-kart track just outside the city limits of Canby, Oregon. We pulled up in line with the others who had arrived before, parked in a standard side by side formation that seems intuitive to all motorcyclists. I dismounted my bike and removed my helmet and gloves. I said some pleasantries to the Team Oregon instructors and the other riders. I turned and looked out over the course and my stomach did a sharp anxiety flip as I tried to visualize the reality of throwing my bike around those curves. I'm not sure "curve" is the right word. Curves are rounded and smooth and bring to mind something gentle and flowing. I feel "point" is a better description, dagger-like and sharp, jagged with an edge that descends in radius. The anxiety I was feeling were those pointed corners piercing my gut. I surveyed the first corner, rolling to the left in an almost complete circle, becoming increasingly tighter before cutting right to a hairpin that doubled back upon itself. I could see it, hear it, feel it... the wheels breaking loose, the bike falling, pinning my leg, pounding my hip on the blacktop, my shoulder, my head, sliding and grinding in a blur of metal, leather, plastic, and flesh. Landing in a heap of what once was individual elements of human and motorcycle but inertia, impact, and stupid decisions have forced molecules to fuse to a thing that can only be described as mass. Whatever this day had in store for me, I knew it would be a challenging test of my skills and comfort. I turned away from the track and looked at Stan. I smiled.
I have crashed motorcycles three times in my life, once on a 2003 Triumph Bonneville and twice on my 2005 Softail Springer. Two of those crashes (one triumph , one springer) happened while cornering. Riding the Bonneville I went off the road somewhere between Glenwood and B Z Corner in Washington State on the highway that bears the name of those two towns. I was younger at the time, though not too young and I blamed the descending radius curve, the gravel on the shoulder, the road conditions, the shifting wind, the sun in my eyes, and the rotation of the planet. I was willing to blame anything except my inabilities.
I crashed the Harley Davidson on August 6th, 2019 coming back from the Las Maracas Mexican Restaurant in Raymond Washington after a Border Riders group ride. Raymond was a convenient location where Oregon and Washington could easily meet for the day. I went down somewhere north of Pe Ell, on a nondescript two lane going faster than the weight of the bike would allow while target fixating on the gravel edge... I'm sorry, let me stop right there. I seem to be blaming the weight of my bike and the gravel edge for my inabilities. See what I mean about blaming anything except myself? Let me rephrase that ...I went down somewhere north of Pe Ell, on a nondescript two lane going faster than MY SKILLS WOULD ALLOW.
At the go-kart track the instructors had finished signing people in and we began going over safety measures and track procedures, Susan, aka: Mom, had brought home made cookies. The instructors checked the bikes for road worthiness then preformed a demonstration of braking, finding your mark, leveling your throttle, finding your line, looking through the corner, and gently accelerating out of the turn. After that, we were up for a ride around the track.
The group played follow the leader with one of the instructors. Our goal was to shadow their line with our wheels, observe the path they chose, turn our heads where they turned theirs, lean our bikes where they leaned theirs. Once around the track, the instructor waved the person behind forward and the next would pull up to ape the instructor for a lap.
Stan was in front of me as the instructor waved him forward having just completed his lap. I pulled in line and did my best to keep the plotted path. As though the instructor was daring fate and the devil to teach me a lesson in blindly following a leader, we approached the first curve. The instructor kept the bike in a straight line for what seemed a prolonged length. During this time they applied the brake, adjusted the throttle, and leaned the bike at a point uncomfortably close to the outer edge of the curve. I did not keep in the instructor's track as the limited corners and hyper-focus of previous crashes came flashing in my mind. I turned early in the first corner. I came out the other end, wide, and nowhere near the line of the instructor. I shook the sharp imagery of the past from my head as I approached the next corner.
Again, the instructor delayed cornering until the last moment. I took a breath and held it. I applied my bake, adjusted my speed, turned my head, picked my target,and fell in to the curve in the same line as my instructor. I did not go wide and managed to keep in line, though my eyes were glancing at the edge of the blacktop. Target fixation is my Achilles' heel. I exhaled as we approached the third corner, I was right in line and allowed the easy flow of following to take hold. I did not cut early, I did not target fixate, I managed to brake, look, and lean with the instructor. An even throttle held tight as I calmly inhaled. It was starting to make sense.
Life is always much more complicated when making decisions for one's self. After a brief break and discussion recounting our failures and successes, it was time to practice. I entered the track with Stan in front of me. The first time around without an instructor, I took it slow and gave Stan some room. I was fully aware that no amount of blaming the corner, the gravel, the moon, and the stars would keep me from crashing, but finding a target, picking a proper line, delaying entry, looking, leaning, and smooth on the throttle, would. But when, where, how... these decisions would be my own, pass or fail.
By the end of the first lap I was feeling my confidence. I started hanging off the bike in corners and testing my limits. I could feel the anxiety turning to adrenaline as I became more aggressive with the throttle and lean angle. I must have been pretty hot on Stan's tail because the beginning of the third lap he waved me past. I took off and caught up with some sport bikes. I was keeping speed with them and we were going a pretty good tick, but I kept finding I was in need of slowing down. They were cutting the corner early and going wide while I was delaying my entry in to the apex. I found myself needing to brake when coming out of corners in an effort to not overtake the bikes ahead of me. As I rounded the last corner behind a dirge of bikes something in my mind told me to pull off through the staging area. At the reentry point at the end of the staging area, I waited out the slower bikes riding in mass. After a length of empty track I saw a rider rounding the last corner. This was it, this was my opportunity to set my pace and see what my bike and I could do.
I pushed myself around that track, each straightaway a little faster, each corner a little tighter, each lean a little further until it happened. I heard it before I felt it. It sounded distant and as if coming from somewhere beyond myself. A little at first, the sound growing as the vibration quickly worked it's way in to my boot, tingling my left foot. Metal scraping on pavement, the last audible warning before everything becomes Technicolor. As I rounded the corner, the toe of my boot pressing the vibrating peg so as not to catch on the blurred pavement. A metallic line left in the blacktop, a tattoo of my efforts. I gradually gave the bike some throttle as I straightened and took off laughing, my foot feeling the ghost whispers of the previous moment. I found I was no longer fixating on the edge of the road, I was no longer running wide in corners. I was hitting my target, delaying my apex and grinding my pegs. I have owned my Triumph Thruxton 1200 for three years and I have never come close to maxing out the lean angle. The gratification of delaying my entry paid off. With a Cheshire grin and an evil eye staring down the next corner, something burbled up from deep inside me. A slow primal chant crossed my lips as I found myself repeating "again... again... again..."
Day Rides
BC’s Day Ride -No upcoming plans for day rides. Watch the newsletter and Facebook for updates.
Seattle’s Day Ride -Saturday September 4th , will be doing a yet to be determined ride. Watch for an email during the week for details.
Portland’s Day Ride -
Portland resumed our monthly day ride with the August day ride. Members Dave J, Alan H, & Stan C meet up with guests Larry B, & Ryan C for a ride around Clackamas County. We had lunch in Mt Angel at the Mt Angel Sausage Company and it seemed everyone was pleased with what they had.
The September day ride will occur on Saturday, September 4th. Details will be posted on our Face-Book page once known. You could also come to the Meet & Greet on Wednesday September 1st if you have some ideas as to where to go. That is where we will plan the day ride.
Gear Store
Is your BRMC gear looking tired? Do you need a new hat or club shirt? The gear store is fully stocked and available for purchase. To place an order or inquire as to a particular item, contact the club VP by e-mailing him at VicePresident@BorderRiders.com. All orders placed before 9/11 will be brought to the September Campout..
Motorcycle Training 2021 - YAHOO!!!!
Registration for final BRMC/Team Oregon class is now open to the public. To register, you will go through Team Oregon’s web-site and follow normal procedures.
The final class of the 2021 riding season is the Precision Maneuvering Class series 1 & 2. Register today if you are interested. The last openings will go very fast now that they are open to the public.
I would like to give a HUGE shoutout to Team Oregon’s very own “Rocking Ronda” for all her hard work & for taking such good care of us. The reason there were no major glitches is because Rocking Ronda caught them and got them resolved before they became an issue and sometimes before I knew about them. THANK YOU ROCKING RONDA. We hope you will take care of us again for the upcoming 2022 classes.
Wait, am I already talking about 2022 Motorcycle Classes? Yes I am. Pat H with Team Oregon and I are already talking about 2022 & I have some very exciting announcements coming up. I can’t wait to talk about them but we are still working out the details, so I must wait.
OTHER NOTES:
Cancelation Policy – Team Oregon has a cancelation policy of 30 days prior to the class with a full refund. Instead of canceling, please contact me first and let me see if I can sell your reservation to someone on the waiting list. If not, then we can cancel.
THE FINAL CLASS
October Classes – The weekend of the October classes is also the weekend of the club meeting which Alan & Stan are hosting. The cost of dinner will be a part of the registration for the meeting. There will be a social function Saturday night as part of the meeting. I will supply more details when we get closer.
When You Register for any class, please send Stan C a quick e-mail letting him know which class or classes you have registered for. Send this to Treasurer@BorderRiders.com. This will allow him to keep a head count and will allow him to make sure you are kept current of any extracurricular activities happening that weekend.
Wait List - Each class has a limited number of openings and it is first registered, first reserved, so don’t delay registering. Once classes are full, Stan C will keep a Wait List just in case someone can’t make it. You may e-mail Stan at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com to be placed on the Wait List.
THE CLASS SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 16th is the Precision Maneuvering Clinic #1. The PMC-1 is appropriate for an endorsed rider with 2+ years riding experience. This series will teach attendees how to use the clutch, throttle & brake to smoothly handle challenging maneuvers. This class will run from 8:45 to 1:45. The class permits 9 attendees and cost $99.
Sunday October 17th is the Precision Maneuvering Clinic #2. The PMC-2 is appropriate for an endorsed rider with 2+ years riding experience who have completed PMC-1. The PMC-2 class will start where we left off the day before and continue expanding our slow speed skills. This class will run from 8:45 to 1:45. The class permits 9 attendees and cost $99.
REGISTER NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
From the Handlebars of the President
The campout at the Charlie Horse Ranch was another great BRMC weekend. I rode down with Lance and we had a good ride and arrived around 4:30 Friday afternoon. After getting camp set up the evening was spent visiting shortly before retiring for the night a light rain began to fall. A light rain fell off and on all night. Fortunately my tent stayed dry with the exception of one small area where my helmet was pressing against the tent wall.
Saturday I stayed in camp while others ventured off. I was able to take a nap and relax as well as visit with others that stayed in camp. We had a board meeting and then the membership meeting. The membership meeting was short and sweet. Dave and crew fixed an awesome meal that was enjoyed by all. We had a couple of new guests at camp as well as new vehicles. We had one guest that definitely travelled the most miles to attend. Don from North Carolina rode cross country in order to join us. Don heard about the club several years ago and had been in contact with several members of the club over the years. Don camped with us and then met up with his husband in Seattle for a few days before heading cross country for home. His husband flew out to meet him.
Sunday morning we packed up and were on the road about 9:00. Lance, Don from NC, Chris and I rode back together. Well that is until shortly after the first gas stop Chris blew past us. We had rain through the Portland area on I-205 but no rain after that. It was on the chilly side and I was chilled by the time I got home. We all had a safe ride.
I can’t believe that the camping season is already drawing to an end with out final camp out of the year at Brooks Memorial State Park. It has been unfortunate that the border has remained closed and our Canadian members have not been able to join us. In October we will be back to our regular membership meetings. Hope that you all can make it to Brooks Memorial State Park.
…… keep the shiny side up!
Vice President Chatter
Hello,
With regards to Vice President duties, I haven’t much to report. Things are operating smoothly & quietly.
Be well and I hope you are finding the time to get out on two wheels!
Road Captain Rumblings
Hats off to Dave for hosting the August run, his place worked very well for the group we had including hot showers and most meals on site.
I’m working on the schedule of runs for next year. If anyone has any special requests please email me.
Everyday is a good day to ride!
Treasurer’s Ramblings
All amounts owed to us have been collected. All the bills I am aware of have been paid. All our account balances are where I expect them to be. Briefly stated, “Piggy Bank Be Balanced”.
Please feel encouraged to reach out to me if you have any questions. Otherwise, stay safe, stay healthy and I look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Secretary Thoughts
Well, I will begin with another apology for not showing up at a club camping trip. This time it was the August run to Molalla, OR. From what I saw in the pictures posted on line, it was well attended by about twenty members and guests. Thanks to Dave Jackson for hosting the crowd on his property. My excuse for not going? a last minute cancelation of boarding for my fourteen year old canine companion, Abby. In any case, I have taken steps to prepare for the September run. I hope to see all of you, my brothers, at least one more time before camping season is over. In the meantime, be safe, and keep the rubber side down. I hope to see you all soon.
2021 Calendar of Events
January 16th - Annual General Meeting - Virtual
February 20th - Anniversary Banquet - Virtual
March 20th - Club Meeting - Virtual
April 17th - Club Meeting - Virtual
May 14th thru 16th - Camp-out Bruceport County Park near Raymond WA
June 25th thru 27th - Lewis and Clark Trail State Park near Dayton WA
July 16th thru 18th - Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area, Meacham, OR
August 20th thru 22nd - Charlie Horse Ranch in Molalla, OR.
September 17th thru 19th - Brooks Memorial State Park, Goldendale, WA
October 16th - Club Meeting - TBD
November 20th - Club Meeting - TBD
December 11th - Club Holiday Party - TBD
Meet & Greets
(M&G’s resumed in August)
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
If you know of an upcoming motorcycle event or something of interest that we might want to attend, please send the information to News@BorderRiders.com and we will be sure to get it added to the newsletter.
Contributions of Photos & Stories
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com