May 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 &/or on our Day-Rides.
Welcome to May
It's May and it's time to kick off to riding season. The weather is shifting into high gear and the Victoria Day Run is only a couple of weeks away. We have some great day rides planned for the multi-day campout, so don't be afraid to bring your motorcycle
Table of Contents
All the news you need to know about the BRMC
April 2024 Meeting Recap : By Ron S.
Photos : By Dave J.
May 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
April 2024 Club Meeting
BRMC Group Photo APR 2024
By Ron S.
The April meeting was held at the now-former home of Kas C. and Chris M. in Vancouver, WA. (Farewell, Knotty Pines! Okay I didn’t catch the actual name of their subdivision, now a moo point.) Scattered showers and cool spring temperatures warded off riding for most of us but a couple of die-hard members made the trek on two wheels, including intrepid photographer Dave J.
We started at 4pm with a nice social hour including tasty snacks and conversation, then moved on to the club meeting at 5pm. VP Lance circulated the Victoria Day duty roster. Former Secretary Justin W. filled in for current secretary Tom C. on recording duties with Watson as crowd wrangler and entertainment. During the meeting, Victoria Day details were finalized and the Seattle Meet and Greet day was changed to the second Wednesday of each month with rotating locations. It was decided that the club should offer a vegetarian selection for V-Day Saturday dinner for those who celebrate vegetation. Be sure to select that during registration if desired.
Dinner was a delicious Tex-Mex feast of jumbo burritos and taco salads with cookies and ice cream for dessert.
You should join us for Victoria Day Weekend!
-Ron S.
April Photos
Victoria Day Weekend 2024
The BRMC 2024 Victoria Day Weekend Campout is May 15-20 at Pine Flats Campground (USFS) near Ardenvoir, WA.
Registration opens on Sunday 4/28 and closes on Wednesday 5/15. Early Bird registration 4/28-5/1 is $10 off.
VICTORIA DAY RUN
Once again the Victoria Day Campout will be the kickoff event to the riding season. As in previous years, this celebration takes place at the Pine Flats Campground, located near Ardenvoir, Washington and managed by the US Forest Service. This location has become a beloved spot for us and an excellent starting point for day trips around central Washington.
As in previous years, we will transport a complete kitchen to the site and offer dinner on Friday night, breakfast Saturday morning, a barbecue dinner Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning. The registration fee covers these meals, campsite, and if permitted, firewood.
All vehicles are welcome at this event, so don't hesitate to invite your member-sponsored non-riding relatives and friends. If you need to bring a large tent that won't fit on your bike, one of our support vehicles can transport it for you. However, we ask that you refrain from bringing RVs as they are not allowed at the campout. Although cages are permitted, we are a motorcycle club and would love to see bikers on bikes. Lastly, please note that this is a no-pets event.
There are 2 significant changes for this year to be mindful of:
1. We will not have a generator onsite, so if you need to charge your phone or cpap batteries make sure you are able to do it from your car or motorcycle.
2. We will not be renting chairs this year – we will set up the canopies over the existing long table for dining. If you want to sit on something other than the logs around the campfire bring a camp chair.
The Victoria Day Run officially opens on Friday, May 17th, but many attendees like to arrive a day early and help with setup. If you're planning to arrive on Thursday and lend a hand, we sincerely appreciate it! We will begin unloading the storage locker at 3:00 PM on Thursday to give early riders an opportunity to stop by and support the crew before heading to the campsite. The storage locker is located at S&S Mini Storage, 14909 Hwy 97-A, Entiat, WA 98822. If the gate is closed when you arrive, just honk your horn and someone will open it for you.
For those on a budget, Early Bird Registration offers a $10 discount. This option opens on Sunday, April 28th and will close at 11:59pm on Wednesday, May 1st. The Regular Registration will open on Thursday, May 2nd at 8:00 am and will close at midnight on Wednesday, May 15th. This year, the regular registration fees are $170 for US Members, $124 USD for Canadian Members, $180 for US Guests (sponsors required), and $131 USD for Canadian Guests (sponsors required). We hope this pricing structure accommodates a range of budgets and allows more people to join us for a fun-filled weekend. Register Now!
MENU
FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER
Beef & veggie burgers, bratwurst, assorted chips, salads, cookies, soda, & bottles water.
SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST
Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, fresh fruit salad, granola with milk, OJ, apple juice, cranberry juice, coffee, tea, cocoa.
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER
Beef strip loin, chicken or vegetarian entree with sautéed mushrooms, grilled rosemary & garlic roasted red potatoes, grilled mixed fresh vegetables, Caesar salad, dinner rolls & butter, cake, soda, & bottled water.
SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST
Your choice of breakfast burrito or oatmeal, fresh fruit salad. Juices, coffee, tea, cocoa.
SUNDAY DINNER: FOR THOSE STAYING OVER
Leftovers! Last year, that was more steak, so…
THE DUTY ROSTER
The VD Team has put together the duty roster and have streamlined this to minimize the number of shifts needed. The Vice President will be in contact with those who sign up to attend to fill spots on the roster. The sign-up sheet will also be at camp to sign up for any remaining unfilled spots.
SUPPORT VEHICLES
Oh, the complexities of camping on a motorcycle. How are you supposed to get your yurt and wood stove to camp? Guh! Fear not, we have you covered with our official team of BRMC Tactical Support Vehicles. If you need it hauled, we can get it there within reason. We’ll truck it if it can fit in a 20 gallon tote or smaller.
SEA DROP OFF
Contact captain@borderriders.com for more information.
PDX DROP OFF
Contact captain@borderriders.com for more information.
You can register here, and we will see you there!
May 2024 Day Rides
Portland Day Ride
Saturday May 4, meeting location TBD, may be cancelled due to weather. Watch this space and/or the club Facebook page for more information.
seattle day ride
Saturday May 4, meet at 9:30am for breakfast at Corina Bakery, 602 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma WA 98402. Kickstands up at 10:30, riding to the west through Pierce, Mason, Grays Harbor and Thurston Counties. Watch this space and/or the club Facebook page for weather cancellation.
May Meet & Greets
Portland M&G
On Wednesday, May 1, we will meet for dinner at 5:30 at Kenton Station (8303 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217). We will then move over to the Portland Eagle (835 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217) for a social hour starting at 7pm. We hope to see you there! It is a great way to learn about the club and meet some of the guys. Check it out!
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 (NEW DAY!)
The May Meet & Greet is on Wednesday May 8 at Lumber Yard Bar in White Center, 6pm. 9630 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106. Should be good riding weather!
A Brothers Birthday
We have 4 members with a birthday in April. Be sure and help us make them feel special.
May 4th - Roy S.
May 11th - Kas C.
May 16th - Jeff C.
May 27th - Michael C.
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.
Team Oregon Road Riding Tactics and Highway Speed Advanced Braking Clinic Motorcycle Classes
Classes are almost full, register now! (As of 4/26 there are only 2 spots left.)
The 2024 schedule has been confirmed and we got what we wanted. We will start off with the Road Riding Tactics “RRT” on Saturday, July 20th & Highway Speed Advanced Braking Clinic “HSABC” on Sunday, July 21st. This is the same weekend as our July Campout which, not so coincidentally, is near the Oregon Coast & the location of these classes. Both classes will be held near Astoria Oregon. Attending the campout is not required to attend the classes but we hope to see you at both.
These classes are being offered as a set. Registration is open & will be available through the BRMC Website “only”, & the cost for the set is $180. There are only 12 openings so they should fill up fast. Once full, I will run a small list of people who want to be notified if someone should decide to cancel their reservation. All cancellations must go through Stan.
The first class, Road Riding Tactics, is designed to improve your street skills. You will ride your own bike & wear your own protective gear during the exercises. The course combines 9 riding exercises with 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 class starts at 1 p.m. and last 4½ hours.
The second class, the one you’ve 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.
The regular Advanced Braking Clinic “ABC” is one of best classes anyone could take & this class expands on the skills acquired in the regular ABC. The skills acquired in the ABC are one of the 9 lessons in the RRT class. Yep, this was intentional. This weekend is all about improving your daily skills and mastering your braking skills & both slow speeds & highway speeds.
This class is intended for riders with at least 2 years’ experience and who have already taken the RRT or Advanced Braking Clinic. The class starts at 1 p.m. and lasts 2½ hours. 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.
Here is the fine print: You will need to have a motorcycle endorsement, be able to prove you have motorcycle insurance, & your bike must be in road worthy/safe operating condition.
If you have any questions about these classes or motorcycle training in general, please contact Dennis at president@borderriders.com.
Gear Store
The Gear Store will open on Friday and Saturday of Victoria Day Weekend. Feel encouraged to reach out to VP Lance if there is something you want to make sure will be available at the event so he can order it in for you.
From the Handlebars of the President
Our first event of the riding season is rapidly approaching. I want to thank the board for the work in setting up our 55th Annual Victoria Day Run. But even more I want to thank those attending in advance for all their efforts in making this a successful event. Because of the remote location this is the only run of the year that relies on group participation to be a success. Sign up with Lance for several of the duty roster tasks – it is more than just performing the tasks; it is an opportunity to share time with other participants.
I look forward to seeing everyone there and hope for a dry weekend!
Dennis H.
2024 President
Vice President Chatter
Greetings from the VP desk!
I’m activity planning for VD continues as well as personal preparation of camping gear. Only a few weeks before our camping season starts. I hope to see you all there. .
Warm regards,
One Sack
Lance D.
2024 Vice President
Have you seen this man?
Road Captain Rumblings
Victoria Day… Weekend?… Week?
I’m not sure I fully appreciate the concept of the Victoria Day Weekend. At issue is not the concept of a day set aside for a long passed Queen of a European country who’s time enshrined puritanism, religious fundamentalism and horrific child labor practices. My concern is the timeline. The “Weekend” of “Victoria Day Weekend”.
We have the campsite starting in the afternoon on Wednesday through to the afternoon the following Monday. To my count that makes five full 24 hour cycles. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language defines the weekend as “The last part of the week, typically from Friday evening through Sunday evening, but sometimes including other adjacent days, especially when seen as a time of leisure or recreation.” That’s a clear two days with (maybe) a Monday thrown in as holiday. I argue the title of Victoria Day Weekend no longer fits with the reality! We’re closer to a week than just its end.
In recognition of this, I would like attendees to know that I will arrive on Wednesday to secure the campsite. If you decide to join me on that Wednesday, I will have a kitchen set up and in honor of the English roots of the week’s namesake, I will be preparing for dinner that has been called “England’s National Dish”. I will prepare Chicken Tikka Masala, Saffron Rice, and Naan Bread. If you are going to be there Wednesday, I would like to extend an invitation to join me for dinner.
See you all there!
Todd McN
2024 Road Captain
Treasurer’s Ramblings
Secretary Thoughts
2024 Calendar of Events
May 15th to the 20th - Victoria Day Campout - Pine Flats near Ardenvior, WA.
June 14th to the 16th - Wynoochee Dam Run, Coho Campground at Wynoochee Lake, WA
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 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 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