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Guide to Epic Rides During the 2022 National Rally, Sept 29-Oct 2, in NC’s Smoky Mountains

Is it a surprise that this summer clocked the nation’s third hottest July on record? We bet you’re tired of riding in the unrelenting summer heat. Roasting at sun-drenched rallies, speeding along asphalt that seems to sizzle, vented gear and hydro-cooling vests barely helping at all, sweat dripping in all the wrong places, and distressingly swampy spots forming in “unmentionable” nether regions. Whew. Fall is now in our sights, though, and you deserve some epic riding in cooler mountain temps! Attend the...

September 1, 2022By BlogComments OffRead more...

A Special Note About the Game of Roads National Rally and COVID-19

Hello everyone, Rally planning is complete and all that's left is the details. If you're like me, you're getting the bags out, making a list and checking it twice! I hope everyone has great weather and little traffic on the way to the Game of Roads in Waynesville. On a serious note, I want to talk with you about the elephant in the room, or rather COVID-19. We all want it to go away so we can resume a normal life but...

August 5, 2021By Blog, RallyComments OffRead more...

Beach’s Grand Prize at the Game of Roads

Beach's Motorcycle Adventures is a long-time supporter of the BMW Riders Association and are once again donating the Grand Prize for our National Rally - a two-week European motorcycle tour. The tour includes: All hotels in a shared double room All breakfasts Most dinners Unlimited use of a BMW motorcycle from Beach’s fleet Everything that makes Beach’s tours simply magical! Does not include Airfare Lunches Daily expenses Gasoline Alcoholic drinks Anything not listed in “includes” above Please stop by the Beach's booth at...

July 12, 2021By Blog, RallyComments OffRead more...

Chat with Travis Wyman – May 2021

Watch the video and hear about Travis' great weekend at the MotoAmerica races at Road Atlanta. Travis is a columnist for BMW Riders Association On The Level magazine and through his columns we've read about the challenges and struggle associated with pursuing your dreams. This weekend's results were hard-won. https://youtu.be/nOXPjsJbaao

May 15, 2021By BlogComments OffRead more...

Motorrad in MotoAmerica 2020

See what the BMW Motorrad road racers are up to in the 2020 MotoAmerica Series. Featuring: Travis Wyman/Travis Wyman Racing Josh Herrin/Scheibe Racing Jeremy Coffey/Speedmonkey Racing Alex Arango/TopPro Jeremy Cook/Dead Presidents Racing Steve Weir/Weir Everywhere Racing Steve Scheibe/Scheibe Racing (more…)

October 8, 2020By BlogComments OffRead more...

BMW Riders Association Announces Free Admission for First Responders and Nurses to the 2020 National Rally

By a unanimous decision, the BMW Riders Association Board of Directors has voted to give nurses and first responders free admission to the club’s 2020 National Rally as a way of thanking them for their efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Board member Al Olme came up with the idea,” says BMW RA President Sibley Poland, “and the rest of the board quickly got behind it.” For his part, Al Olme says, “BMW Riders Association members are a tight...

June 24, 2020By Blog, RallyComments OffRead more...

Outside the Lines

“I’m scared.” The daunting hills of the ravine lay mere feet away as mottled rocks and boulders dot the hillsides like splattered paint. To my side, cliffs cascade down and away, dried trees and shrubs dangle dangerously, held merely by remnants of once marvelous roots. The environment is eerily quiet — lifeless, even. No chirping birds, barking dogs, or cars flying by, just the low whistle of my breathing and the nearly silent “thud” of my heartbeat. I lean to my...

May 12, 2020By Blog0 CommentsRead more...

Riding in the Time of Coronavirus

“I’m 60, have no health issues and I am a nurse. Should I take my extended motorcycle trip?” Risk Management You prepare for months, review maps, buy essential equipment and then pack. Soon, you hope to be on the road for your three to six months trip. Sadly, Coronavirus is likely to have extended influence on your trip. There will be decisions to make about the safety of travel, about whom you travel with, and whether you should travel this season at...

April 23, 2020By BlogComments OffRead more...

The Art and Science of Detailing A Motorcycle

When I joined the BMW community over 25 years ago, I quickly established a reputation in the local BMW club as having the cleanest bike with the fewest miles. It seemed that monster miles and clean motorcycles were mutually exclusive and, conversely, that there definitely was a correlation between the odometer reading and the cleanliness…or lack thereof… of a bike. I eventually decided to silence the critics by earning entry into the Iron Butt Association by completing an IBA SaddleSore (1,000...

April 17, 2020By BlogComments OffRead more...

In This Moment

An hour or so out of Sedona, Arizona, the red rock ridgelines provide a natural border to the sharpest and clearest blue sky I can remember. Purple wildflowers announce spring in the high desert, and the cool morning air delivers their sweet fragrance, stimulating dormant parts of my technology-anaesthetized senses. My physical body is doing what it was designed to do, embracing the low temperature by pumping extra blood (adrenaline, perhaps?), and the high is clean and the dialogue honest....

November 20, 2019By Blog, 0 CommentsRead more...

Budget Beemer: R 1150 RS

I’ve had nine BMWs since 1976, eight of them were bought new. Currently, I have a 2016 R 1200 RS still under warranty and I’ve almost never been a guy to have more than one bike in my garage. But in June, I flew to Sacramento, California to buy a 2004 R 1150 RS with 57,000 miles on it—my first used BMW and exactly the same color as the one I bought new in 2004. I kept asking people if...

November 6, 2019By Blog, Comments OffRead more...

BMW Riders Association Announces Date and Location of 2020 Rally

The BMW Riders Association is pleased to announce that they've selected the Smoky Mountain Event Center in North Carolina (formerly known as the Haywood Country Fairgrounds) as the location of the 2020 National Rally. Located about 30 minutes west of Asheville, North Carolina, the rally will be close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Tail of the Dragon, the Rattler, and so many other epic roads. The date of the rally is September 17-20, 2020. Mark your calendars!

October 12, 2019By Blog, RallyComments OffRead more...

Budget Beemer: F 650 CS

[This story first appeared in the March-April issue of "On the Level"] As a mentor to several (now avid) motorcyclists, I know that the issue of which bike to recommend to the new or re-entry rider is of paramount importance. This is the vehicle which will either cultivate a rider’s passion or crush it. There are several BMW models which would make fine choices – but nothing fits the bill like the F 650 CS, an often-overlooked oddball that was produced...

September 11, 2019By Blog0 CommentsRead more...