July 2024 Newsletter
Who We Are!
In case you were wondering, The Border Riders Motorcycle Club “BRMC” is a not-for-profit 501(c)(7), designed for gay men who like to ride motorcycles & who like to go camping on their motorcycles. Our membership spans the Pacific Northwest with the greatest participation in the Portland, Seattle, & Vancouver B.C. areas. We are one of the largest, & longest running gay motorcycle clubs in North America. We welcome like-minded guests to come meet us at our Meet & Greets, on our Day-Rides & with a Sponsoring BRMC Member, to our monthly meetings.
Table of Contents
All the news you need to know about the BRMC
June Camping Recap : By Lance D
Photos : By Dave J. et. al.
The Bruceport County Park Run and Team Oregon Classes in Astoria!
July Meet & Greets: Portland, BC, & Seattle, we see you, come see us!
Plus
Members’ Birthdays
The BRMC 2024 Calendar of Events
Non BRMC Motorcycle Events
Request for Pictures & Closing Comments
June 2024 Wynoochee Dam Tampico Campout
BRMC Campfire Photo June 2024
By: Half Sack
Camping in the western parts of the PNW in June is always a roll of the dice. The long range forecast for weeks looked good for a trip to Wynoochee Dam near Montesano WA. Sadly just a couple of days beforehand the club "sevened out" and it was going to be very wet. Plans needed to change. Thankfully the Seattle Meet and Greet was a few days before and many gathered to Meet, Greet and Change Plans. Multiple ideas were tossed about but the generous offer from the President to come to his place outside of Yakima was approved by all in attendance.
This place had everything, a stream, a large front yard for tents, sheds to sleep in, guest rooms, a beautiful kitchen, large dining room, flush toilets and even electricity for those that needed it. To top it all off it came with a gracious host. The Road Captain (in a clear attempt to distract from his choice of a rained out Olympic Peninsula) made many amazing handmade pizzas clearly laced with something to alter moods and wipe memories of bad camping choices.* We were all happy campers and any lingering animosity evaporated.
Saturday was for riding and multiple groups rolled out for adventures. Two groups headed out for the St John's Monastery and Bakery near Goldendale for yummy carbohydrate goodness. One group thought that was enough and rode back to the house/camp while the second group took advantage of the canyons and carved twisties all day. A third smaller group went west and explored the Yakima River Canyon. Once everyone had returned there was a fantastic dinner after which we gathered around the fire circle sharing stories of our exploits and bonded over biker camaraderie .
The Club and its guests never fail to impress me. We make the most of what we get and always a good time is had. What started as a last minute change of plans turned into such a wonderful weekend. And it is proof even if one rolls the dice and the number wasn't what one had hoped for, a win can still be had.
Thanks to our President, Road Captain and all who attended,
Half Sack
*Side note from your Road Captain: If I were to roofie you via delicious pizza, I would roofie myself as well. Why should I let you have all the fun?
BRMC Group Photo June 2024
June Photos
The 2024 BRMC July Campout and Fun Run
Hold on to your tube tops and surfboards because we're heading west for our July Campout and Fun Run. Just outside of the twin metropolises' of Raymond and South Bend is the gateway to Willapa Bay, The Bruceport County Park and Campground. Here, we will do the fine, fine things you've come to love and expect of a BRMC Campout, but this one holds so much more for those who registered for the Team Oregon Classes. Both the Campout and The classes are happening the same weekend.
That's right! This campout has two happenings in one... What would that be called? A duality?... No. A twin?... No. A Binary?... YES! At this Bi event, some will hang out at camp and do day rides, others will run down to the Astoria Regional Airport (AST) for the Team Oregon classes.
Now I know what's rolling around that head of yours. This Bi event has y'all in a fluster. What team am I? Am I on team camp? Am I on Team Oregon? What if I want to do both? Don't worry, Sparky. You're not the fist one confused at a Bi event.
Here's the rundown:
If'n y'all team camp, Go Register
If'n y'all Team Oregon, Go Register (Only one slot left as of press time)
If'n y'all wanna attend both, go register for both. Think of this Bi event is separate but equal.
If'n you wanna camp:
When: Friday July 19th - 21st
What to bring: Your tents and all the fun stuff you can Beverly Hillbilly on your bike. This is the Washington Coast during summer. It may be 90 degrees and sunny, it may be 42 and fogged in. It's a temperamental coast, but it's the only one we got.
If'n you wanna get classy:
What to bring: If you signed up for the class, Team Oregon will have sent you a laundry list of things, Bring them. I've seen people sent packing because they were wearing the wrong boots. Also, make sure your bike is in top working order. Again, I've seen people turned away because their throttle return wasn't fast enough.
If'n you wanna do both:
Then you have some logistics issues you will need to contend with.
The big one: The classes start at 12:45. That's not 12:45ish, that's 12:45. You should be there a bit earlier than that just to hedge your bets. The class is an hour away from camp and If you are late, they may not let you join.
The other big one (tee hee-hee): These classes are physically and mentally demanding. You will be doing things you may not be used to and these classes run the entire afternoon. You should have a good breakfast/lunch and be well hydrated. If you hop on that tarmac, it's 90 degrees, and all you had is a cup of coffee and a doughnut, you're not going to make it.
The third big one: Saturday night we have a meeting, The class ends at 5:30 and we will need to beat feet to get back, so when the class is finished, we're heading out.
If'n you find'in yourself a little Bi curious and you just wanna watch:
Feel free to come down to the class, take photos, and what not. You're welcome to check out the classes and see if it's something you would be interested in joining next year.
July 2024 Day Rides
Portland Day Ride
No Day-Rides Schedule due to the 4th of July Holiday. If anyone would like to do a spontaneous ride, use Facebook as this is our go to source for last minute information.
seattle day ride
The Seattle Day Ride for July was the Pride Parade. We were there, we broke the rules, they got used to it!
I know, I know… It hurts your head to think about. How can you have a July day ride in June!?!? Well, here’s the rundown, Sparky. Day rides are the first weekend of the month. In July, that’s the 4th of July weekend. The weekend where we watch the evening sky explode in a shower of freedom while I dope up my dogs. Everyone has plans that weekend and no one ever shows. What can I say? Come to Pride next year, as the kids say, it’s going to be neat!
Ride with Pride
They let them ride motorcycles?!?!
Holy Homos! What a fantastic day of being one of the cool kids zooming around downtown Seattle with your flags flapping while people on the sidelines cheer your efforts.
August 2024 Day Rides
This will be our annual “Convergence Ride” with Seattle an Portland meeting up together. Watch for details for meeting up to group rde out of Seattle or Portland. The destination is Ocean Shores for their Pride Festival (no parade)
July Meet & Greets
Portland M&G
On Wednesday, July 3rd, Portland area BRMC Members & guests will meet for dinner at 5:30 at the Kenton Station (8303 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217). We will then go to the Portland Eagle (835 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217) for a social hour starting at 7pm.
This is a great way to meet some club members, learn about the club, upcoming rides, and events.
We hope to see you there.
BC M&G
We are still looking for a member in BC to take the lead on this. Please let Dennis know if you are able do this.
Seattle M&G
This month’s Seattle area Meet and Greet is on Wednesday July 10th at Smarty Pants in Georgetown, 6017 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98108. Dinner if desired at 6pm, Meet and Greet officially starts at 7pm.
Seattle’s June Meet and Greet
Seattle’s June Meet and Greet was at Jules Maes and once again Seattle had a great turnout with 12 people attending, many on their bikes.
A Brothers Birthday
We have 8 members with a birthday in April. Be sure and help us make them feel special.
July 4th - Scott G
July 5th -Chris L
July 9th - Mark L
July 24th - Jeremy W
July 24th - Ryan S
July 26th - Dan S
July 30th - Darryl H
July30th - Todd M
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 News@BorderRiders.com
Keep in mind, you can write about a trip that happened over the summer. It’s doesn’t have to be something you did last month.
Happening Now, BRMC’s 2024 Advanced Motorcycle Skills Classes. The Team Oregon Road Riding Tactics and the Highway Speed Advanced Braking Clinic.
Well, it’s finally here & I am so freaking excited. The much-anticipated Highway Speed Advance Braking Clinic “HSABC”. YAHOOO
Team Oregon and & BRMC have been working on this class for several years & We couldn’t be more excited to finally see it come to fruition. Then to have 4 new faces attending these advanced classes is like icing on the cake. YAHOOO
The class is pretty much sold out but please double check our website. If it is sold out, contact Stan C at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com to be placed on the waiting list.
The class schedule is, the Road Riding Tactics “RRT” class on Saturday, July 20th from 1:00 to 5:30 & the Highway Speed Advanced Braking Clinic “HSABC” on Sunday, July 21st from 1:00 to 3:30.
The first class, Road Riding Tactics, is designed to improve your street skills. The course combines 9 riding exercises with skilled coaches & range-side discussions. Participants increase awareness of crash situations and how to avoid them. The riding exercises build precision and confidence with the skills riders use every day such as slow, tight turns, braking in a lean, quick lane changes, and negotiating faster curves. This class is a great annual review for intermediate & skilled riders.
The second class, the one you have all been waiting for, is the Highway Speed Advanced Braking Clinic “HSABC”. This class is designed to take us up to highway speeds and allow us to learn how to stop our bikes quickly & safely in a controlled setting. This class is intended for riders with at least 2 years’ experience and who have already taken the RRT or the Advanced Braking Clinic.
The “HSABC” is currently not part of the normal offerings by Team OR so you will not be able to find it on their website. This is something Team OR is offering to us as a special event.
BRMC has purchased & has exclusive rights to all 12 openings for both classes. We are offering these classes as a set & they will not be sold separately. Registration is still open & is available through the BRMC Website “only”. The cost for the set is $180. Once sold out, Stan C will start a wait list, just in case someone should need to cancel their reservation. All cancellations must go through Stan C.
In conjunction, these classes are on the same weekend as our July Campout. The campout is an hour away at Bruceport, County Park in Raymond WA.. Both classes will be held near the Astoria Airport in Astoria Oregon. Attending the campout is not required to attend the classes but we hope to see you at both events. We will ride from the campout to the classes in group formation.
Here is the fine print: You will use your bike. You will need to have a motorcycle endorsement on a current driver’s license. You must have current proof of insurance certificate (check your insurance card now), & your bike must be in road worthy/safe operating condition (check those tires). You will also need safety apparel such as boots that lace above the ankle, riding pants, jacket, gloves, & a DOT approved helmet.
If you have any questions about these classes or other motorcycle training, please contact Stan C at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com.
Gear Store
The Gear Store was open Victoria Day Weekend. The next time the gear store is open is the banquet next February. Reach out to VP Lance if there is something you want to make sure will be available so he can order it in for you.
From the Handlebars of the President
From what I know from long time members and personal experience the interest and membership ebbs and flows. Members and guests alike move, age out and some quit riding for a variety of reasons. When I first joined the club the Portland area was really strong, and Seattle was weak. Right now we have seen a lot of interest in the Seattle area with a little decline in Oregon. In Seattle we have had great turnouts for the Meet and Greets (which are more than just trying to attract new members, but an opportunity for members and guests to socialize), day rides, camping events and the recent Pride Parade. Our club will continue to thrive with your participation in any way you wish, it doesn’t just need to be the monthly camping trips. The classes by Team Oregon are another way to participate with the club and improve your skills.
Looking forward to seeing you at many of our upcoming events!
Dennis H.
2024 President
Vice President Chatter
Greetings from the VP desk!
Thanks to all that helped with making my biggest task as Vice President a success.
Warm regards,
Half Sack
Lance D.
2024 Vice President
Image for position only
Road Captain Rumblings
Wy-a-what-now?
First off, I want to send a massive "THANK YOU!" To our President and fearless leader, Dennis H. for allowing us the honor and privilege of sharing his new home with this lot. I want to thank him for being flexible enough to pivot at the last minute to consider options and come up with a solution.
Here's how it went down (in brief)
Your Jack-Ass Road Captain: "June sounds like a nice time to visit a coastal rainforest"
Nine months later
Your Jack-Ass Road Captain: (with what may or may not have been frantic crying) "But I don't want to camp in a thunderstorm... DENNIS!!!!"
President and Fearless Leader: "You should just come over to my place."
And done, the clouds lifted, the temperature rose, we made a meal plan, and all headed over the passes to the Palm Springs of the Pacific Northwest. It was a wonderful weekend.
Now we're here, staring down another campout. This time at Bruceport County Park and Campgrounds. It'll be July and it should be warmer than the last time we were there. We'll also be having this year's Team Oregon classes at the Astoria Regional Airport, so it promises to be a fun and full weekend.
Yeah, yeah... I know. Your Jack-Ass Road Captain says "...so it promises to be a fun and full weekend.", and you are right! It could be a weekend that rains hell fire upon the earth, but the only way you will know for sure is by joining us, so come ride with us!
Todd McN
2024 (Jack-Ass) Road Captain
Treasurer’s Ramblings
“Piggy Bank Looks Good”.
Finally, I will be at the July Campout. What a weekend this will be and I can’t wait.
Stan C
2024 Treasurer
Secretary Thoughts
2024 Calendar of Events
July 19th to the 21st - Bruceport Campout and Team Oregon Classes, WA & OR
July 20th - RSP Road Riding Tactics with Team OR - Astoria, OR.
July 21st - Highspeed Emergency Braking with Team Oregon - Astoria, OR.
August 3rd - “Convergence Ride”, OceanShores, WA.
August 16th to the 18th - Bonaparte Lake Run at Bonaparte Lake, WA
September 20th to the 22nd - Rainbow Falls State Park, WA
October 19th - Club Meeting - hosted by Dennis H and Dale C in Yakima, WA.
November 9th - Club Meeting - hosted by Todd McN and his amazing husband Christian B in Bremerton, WA.
December 14th - Holiday Party - hosted by Chris L and Richard A in Bow WA.
Monthly Meet & Greets
BRMC 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 following list of times & location. Watch our FB for last minutes details pr changes.
Portland: Meet & Greet - 1st Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Portland Eagle. Dinner together normally preceeds the actual M&G. Dinner location moves so watch our FB Page for last minute details.
Vancouver BC Meet & Greet - The club is looking for a host for this event, please contact Dennis if you are interested.
Seattle: Meet & Greet - 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6 pm at someplace new. Watch the newsletter, website or Facebook for exact location. We usually meet for dinner at 6pm.
Member & Guest Non-Sanctioned Day-Rides
In addition to the club's monthly M&Gs, local rides frequently happen on the 1st Saturday of every month. Additionally, members & guest going on an impromptu day-ride, or to some other activity, will post their plans on our FB page so others can tag along. Again, watch our FB page for last minutes details or changes.
To learn more about local event’s, impromptu events, or to check status on any event, check out our FB page or email the Road Captain at Captain@BorderRiders.com.
Hey, did you notice that trend? Yep, keep an eye on our FB page for last minute changes and details for all events.
Contributions of Photos & Stories
Please feel encouraged to send us your photos of our activities to News@BorderRiders.com
Also, if you do anything interesting outside the club, we’d love to hear about it. Send us a short story with some photos and we will try get it into the next newsletter. It doesn’t have to be motorcycle related to be interesting. We are very diverse.
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com