May 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 (April)
This month we welcomed back our President, Jeff C. who at our last two meetings was swamped with work at his bank with distributing Recovery Funds. Unlike the March meeting, this meeting was more normal in length, just two minutes short of an hour. The main business the we considered was if we should have a somewhat normal Victoria Day campout at Pine Flats. The discussion revolved around how we would be able to feed ourselves if we didn’t have a kitchen. Since the Pine Flats campground is so distant from sources of prepared food the members decided that this year’s “VD” run wouldn’t take place at Pine Flats. That leaves the Road Captain with the job of finding a different more accessible site.
Aside from this major decision, a good portion of our time was spent making jokes and having fun. Stan C. gave a report on the motorcycle training classes that he is working on with Team Oregon. You can find descriptions of these classes printed in this newsletter as well as the April newsletter.
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.
May 14th thru 16th - Camping Seasons Kickoff - The 1st campout of the year is at Bruceport County Park outside South Bend, WA. Contact Jeff C at President@BorderRiders.com or Stan C at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com if you are a 1st time guest or a guest who needs a sponsor. We will be happy to hook you up. Register via the club website.
May 15th - BRMC Meeting - An actual, real live meeting. Yahoo!
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 4 members with a birthday in May. Be sure and help us make them feel special.
Roy S on May 4th
Kas C on May 11th
Jeff C on May 16th
Michael C on May 27th
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 -No day ride in the works for for May 1st , weather looks marginal. Watch for emails or FB for updates.
Portland’s Day Ride - There was no April day-ride in Portland. Watch FB for last minute details about May & June Day Rides.
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 5/10/21 will be brought to the May 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,
Here it is May already. The month that we normally kick off our riding season with out big Victoria Day Weekend Campout at Pine Flats. Due to the uncertainty of things with COVID the club decided not to have the Victoria Day Campout this year. One of the big issues was how to prepare and serve food safely. So at this point, we are planning a weekend campout at Bruceport County Park in May. This weekend will be modified somewhat from our regular weekend campouts. We ask that everyone that attends to be fully vaccinated and we will not be doing a group dinner. In fact we encourage everyone to be cautious in their activities that weekend.
At this time, many counties in Oregon have been moved backward in their phases of reopening and it appears the same may be true in Washington. We are hopeful, that with the campsite being in one of the more rural counties that we will be able to camp. But as always please stay tuned.
I have been late in getting the bike out this year. I hope to finally get it out this week and start riding. Between work and other things I just haven’t had the time or felt like getting it out.
…… keep the shiny side up!
Vice President Chatter
Happy Spring All
The April meeting was productive and it was good see everyone! Thanks to those who joined the meeting and shared their perspective about the June campout and the need to rethink the event. So many unknowns with Covid and state restrictions. A big shout out to Dennis for being a sport and finding us a new location for the June campout.
I really don’t have much to report or share but looking forward to seeing folks at the May gathering.
Hope to see you there!
Road Captain Rumblings
It is amazing that I’m finally able to plan weekend trips once again rather than scheduling and cancelling over and over. We have 2 really great trips on the books right now for May and June.
May 14-16 - Bruceport County Park near Raymond, WA. This site is a new one for camping but the club did a day ride there last year when Portland and Seattle met there for a social distancing lunch. They don’t have a group campsite, but have the group shelter and a series of campsites in a row. There is a shower in the restroom close by. It is essentially halfway between Seattle and Portland. Day ride opportunities include coastal places like Westport, Ocean Shores and Long Beach. There are plenty of opportunities for people that want to get off the paved roads as well. We will not be doing a group dinner at a restaurant on Saturday night as we normally would, instead bring back dinner and join together at the group shelter.
June 25-27 (Pride Weekend) – Lewis and Clark Trail State Park near Dayton, WA. This is a change from what was previously scheduled as the club decided at the April meeting not to do Pine Flats at this time. The club was there a couple of years ago. We have a large group site with a pit toilet and the showers are in the main part of the campground. The location is a great starting point for fun riding through the Walla Walla hills and Rattlesnake Grade (Highway 129) with a food stop at the bottom at Boggan's Oasis is always a fun ride.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join in the riding – I have a “frozen shoulder” (adhesive capsulitis) and won’t be riding for the foreseeable future.
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”.
What a wonderful virtual meeting our April meeting was. I really appreciate the respect and flow of valuable information that came out of that process. A huge thank you to Don W for hosting these virtual meetings.
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 at the May meeting.
Secretary Thoughts
As I wrote in the April Meeting Recap our rides are not getting more like normal. Since we will not be doing a run to Pine Flats it looks like most of our rides are going to be pretty simple. After we made our Pine Flats decision, our Road Captain, Dennis H, stated that it is a possibility that a run could be held to the property of one of our members. There is more news to come about how we are going to try to have runs during this pandemic. It is nowhere near normal since we cannot ride with our Canadian brothers and probably won’t be able to do so for some time to come. The one positive note is that many of us have been vaccinated. That does not mean that we can stop being safe. With that, I am sending you all a long, loving, virtual hug.
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 24th thru 27th - Lewis and Clark Trail State Park near Dayton WA
July 16th thru 18th - Camp-out at TBD
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
(May 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