June 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 of (May)
O’joy and celebration! Finally our first campout since COVID shut us down. Yes, it happened in the coastal area of Raymond Washington, in a wonderful little place called Bruceport County Park. 15 of our members and 7 guests were able to make it, and it was well worth it. It was great to see everyone in person again after so long.
The park is located about 11 miles from Raymond and sits high up on the coastal range overlooking the bay, beaches, and ocean. Unfortunately, it was overcast most of the time, so views were limited. Not to have our spirits diminished, it gave us plenty of opportunity to socialize among the tall trees and forested surroundings. Though cool, it did not rain, and we rejoiced.
Friday arrival guys either stayed at camp or headed out into town to grab some food. Saturday, we all chipped in for pizza, which was actually pretty good, after a fine time of day rides in all directions. Guys split up into groups and headed in pretty much any direction you can go from there. Riding was excellent, and there were no reports of close calls.
For some headed from or down to the Washington/Oregon border, Astoria and the bridge across the Columbia River was a highlight. Don W took some very cool 360 photos and live video, so check out his Facebook page if you want to see them, as they don’t work in the newsletter format.
Sunday we all packed up and headed back home by 10am. As the camp was reasonably close for most guys, a more casual departure and ride home was afforded, which was appreciated for the casual weekend that we all got to enjoy.
Looking forward to June’s campout in what is likely to be a much warmer setting in eastern Washington near Dayton.
…Dave J
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.
June 5th - Regional Day Rides - Follow us on Face-Book for last minute details.
June 5th - Rider Skills Practice Class - Details below.
June 6th - Advanced Braking Clinic - Details below.
June 6th - Dykes on Bikes Portland invited us to ride with them for their 2nd Annual Portland Pride Ride. Details can be found on our Face-Book page. If you will be joining us, let Stan C know with a reply on that FB post.
June 25th thru 27th - The June Campout & Club Meeting, Lewis & Clark Trail State Park Dayton, WA
Upcoming Birthdays
We have 5 members with a birthday in June. Be sure and help us make them feel special.
Iain M on June 8th
Ron L on June 17th
Ron V on June 20th
Mark B on June 28th
David F on June 28th
Meet & Greets
Due to Covid-19, the monthly M&Gs were canceled for this month.
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
Stan C Submitted
Have you ever wondered how the wind chill impacts the ambient temperature when you are out on the bike? I found this chart on CycleFish.com & thought it was interesting. I hope you do too.
Day Rides
BC’s Day Ride -No upcoming plans for day rides. Watch the newsletter and Facebook for updates.
Seattle’s Day Ride -There was no Seattle area day ride in May. Watch for emails or check Facebook for a day ride on Saturday June 5th. We know a few Seattle area riders will be in the Portland area for other events.
Portland’s Day Ride - There was no May day-ride in Portland.
Watch FB for last minute details about Portland’s upcoming Day Ride happening on Sunday June 6th. Dykes on Bikes have invited us to join them on their 2nd annual Portland Pride Ride. We will meet up at the Beaverton City Park before 12:45 and the ride start at 1:00. We will ride around Portland and end a couple hours later in Oregon City.
Contact Stan at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com for more information or view the post from 4/26 on our FB page.
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. The club restocked the store in February last year, only to not be able to meet up and have the products available. Long sleeved denim shirts, 1/4 zip sweatshirts and t-shirts are in stock. To place an order contact VicePresident@BorderRiders.com. All orders placed before 6/10/21 will be brought to the June Campout.
Motorcycle Training 2021 - YAHOO!!!!
Registration for ALL the upcoming BRMC/Team Oregon classes is open. To register, call Ronda at 541.737.9660. You will likely need to leave a message, but she will call you back. Their system is not set up for this kind of bulk buying so be patient. Ronda will need to charge you for each class as she registers you, so it does take a little longer than I expected. The good news is, the entire schedule is ala-cart so you can pick and choose which classes you want.
Each class has a limited number of openings and it is first registered, first reserved, so don’t delay registering. Once classes are full, I will keep a waiting list just in case someone can’t make it. You may e-mail me at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com to be placed on a waiting list.
The June classes were open to the public on April 20th. The August classes will be opened to the public in late June & the October classes will be open to the public in early September.
The Advanced Breaking Clinic scheduled for Sunday June 6th is full. If you want to attend this class you will want to contact Stan C and go on a waiting list. There are only a couple openings left for the Rider Skills Practice “RSP” class on Saturday June 5th. I expect them to fill up quickly so don’t delay registering.
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 CLASSES
June classes - There will be a social function for class attendees at Alan & Stan’s house on the evening of Saturday, June 5th. We will pass a hat to cover the cost of food. I will supply more details when we get closer.
August Classes – These classes occur on Monday the 23rd. We are hoping to have the August campout that same weekend. The intent is to have a group ride from the campout to Alan & Stan’s house on Sunday & a social function that evening. We will pass a hat to cover the cost of food. I will supply more details when we get closer.
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 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, June 5th is the Rider Skills Practice Class. This class will run from 12:45 to 5:30. This class is appropriate for an endorsed rider with 1+ years riding experience. This class is a great way to shake off the cobwebs acquired during the non-riding months of winter. This class permits 12 attendees & cost $99.
Sunday, June 6th (FULL) is the Advanced Braking Clinic. This class will run from 8:45 to 11:30. This class is appropriate for an endorsed rider with 1+ years riding experience. I have yet to take this class and I am really looking forward to it. This class permits 9 attendees & cost $79.
Monday, August 23rd is the Cornering Clinic & the Advanced Rider Techniques Class. Both classes take place on the go-cart track at Pat’s Acres in Canby.
The Cornering Clinic focuses solely on cornering skills. The Cornering Clinic is appropriate for an endorsed rider with 2+ years riding experience. The Cornering Clinic runs from 8:45 to 11:30. The class permits 18 attendees and cost $99. Successful completion of the ART class is required for this class.
Shortly after the Cornering Clinic is the Advanced Rider Techniques. The ART class provides riders expert instruction on the clean, smooth curves of a closed course. The ART class is appropriate for an endorsed rider with 2+ years riding experience. This class will run from 12:30 to 4:30. The class permits 18 attendees and cost $179.
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
Hey Everyone,
It was great to finally be able to camp out with the BRMC brothers in May. It was way too long since I had seen many in person. Chris L and I rode down together leaving my place at 10:00 Friday morning. We made two stops along the way. One in Lakewood, south of Tacoma for gas and to stretch our legs and look around at Eagle Leather. Our next stop was in Raymond for lunch at the Subway. We were the first to arrive in camp and after checking in with the campground host proceeded to select campsites and set up camp. That evening I accompanied Don and Dave J into the big town of South Bend to rustle up some dinner. After dinner a joyous time was had around the campfire. Thanks to Tom for bringing in firewood, snacks and bottled water. Tom headed back home that evening as he is still recuperating from his recent surgery.
The next day everyone headed out at various times in small groups to do day rides. Don and I ventured down to Long Beach and had lunch. don wanted to fly his drone over the beach but decided it was too windy. So we headed south to the bridge over the Columbia River to Astoria. We stopped just before the bridge and Don flew the drone. We then headed over the bridge to Astoria, took some photos and then headed back. Don mounted his 360 degree camera on his bike and filmed us crossing the bridge. We arrived back in camp just in time for the board meeting and membership meeting. This was followed by pizza and social time around the fire.
Sunday morning everyone broke camp and headed for home. Chris and I headed out around 8:30 and stopped in Lakewood again for gas. I had been thinking of getting a new helmet so we went back to Eagle Leather and I bought a new helmet. We then continued on home and had a safe ride.
It was a great weekend. The marine layer only burned off for a short while on Saturday so it stayed pretty cool. On Friday there was a bit of a breeze as well. Saturday morning found several guys complaining about being cold during the night. I was one of them.
I am looking forward to the June camp out at Dayton. While the group site isn’t fancy but rather is more on the cozy side it is a great location providing privacy for the group. The area also has a lot of good roads to ride. Hope to see you all there and in the meantime
…… keep the shiny side up!
Vice President Chatter
Howdy
Well it feels like summer has landed with all the sunshine and warmth we have had here over the last several weeks, too bad we did have that warm weather wasn’t with at the first campout of the season! The May campout was a lot of fun, it was good to finally meet Jenwoo and to see everyone face to face instead of ZOOM! While the nights were chilly, the day ride on highway 6 and the laughs around the fire made up for it! Big shout out to Tom for making the trip and getting us set up Friday night and to Jeff Booth for doing the pizza run.
I am looking forward to getting together in Dayton on 6/25, the weather should be good and the roads in the area are lots for fun with plenty of curves.
Be well, enjoy the weather and get out on two wheels!
Road Captain Rumblings
Weekend trips are back !!! Looking at Victoria Day weather if we had done our usual Pine Flats opening weekend, we would have had a fairly dry weekend, but a little damp around the edges.
I’m always concerned about booking campsites that we haven’t been to before; we’re able to judge the riding opportunities, but not really able to assess the campground experience until actually doing it. We had been at Bruceport before for a day ride, but not for an overnight. Another worry is booking a campsite so near our coast as rarely gets warm weather and can be dreary and drizzly. Riding opportunities are limited as a few highways, few county roads and lots of unpaved logging roads. While I wasn’t there reports indicate a good time for the first weekend event since September 2019.
Looking ahead to June 25-27 (Pride Weekend) – Lewis and Clark Trail State Park near Dayton, WA. The club was there a couple of years ago, so we have experienced the park before. We have the same large group site with a pit toilet and the showers are in the main part of the campground, unfortunately the group site within the main campground is hard to book. The location is a great starting point for fun riding through the Walla Walla Hills and locations like Palouse Falls. Rattlesnake Grade (Highway 129) with a food stop at the bottom at Boggan's Oasis is always a fun ride. Also, we can expect warm, even hot weather.
July - Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area near Meacham Oregon. So, in June we will be near the Lewis and Clark trail area, and in July we will be close to the dominant Oregon Trail area. This will be a new campground for us and is well equipped with showers and toilets. The area has abundant riding opportunities in northeastern Oregon that we don’t get to very often.
August and September are still up in the air. The two primary considerations are 1) waiting on border opening for potential trip to BC and 2) will we have an event where we are more self sufficient and do our own cooking similar to our opening weekend in May.
Keep the shiny side up!
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”.
It was so wonderful to see everyone at the May campout. I look forward to seeing even more people at the June campout in Dayton, WA.
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
The May run to Bruceport Campground has been a long time coming. The May meeting was celebratory. It was a real run, and campout! We actually took our first ride to a campground to stay for two nights in more than a year. For many of us the site of the campout was not new. Some of us had been there for a day ride last year. The site is pleasantly located on the east side of Willapa Bay with views of the Long Beach Peninsula across the water. The ride from Bruceport to the town of Long Beach is a pleasant ride with many good views of the bay, forests, and tide flats. The town is interesting, and has a lot of tourist attractions. I have promised myself that if we go to this site again in the near future, I will also go explore the Long Beach Peninsula maybe as far as going to Oysterville. Another trip from this campground that would be fun for us Washingtonians and Canadians would be to continue south on Highway 101 all the way to Astoria. My sincere thanks to both Dennis H. and Tom C. for
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 - Camp-out at TBD
September 17th thru 19th - Camp-out at TBD
October 16th - Club Meeting - TBD
November 20th - Club Meeting - TBD
December 11th - Club Holiday Party - TBD
Meet & Greets
(June M&G’s 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
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