Motorcycle training. All the gear all the time.

Just Riding Through... 

All Signs Point to Ride West's Parking Lot! 

Hartmut Pauls and Martina Gauss. They embarked from Washington D.C. on May 3^rd and traversed the United States by a southern route. They wanted to come north, but had to wait, and wait, and wait some more for the weather to cooperate and make mountain passes -passable. From Ride West they were off to Vancouver B.C.  At that point Martina and her BMW F 650 GS will fly home to Germany, while Hartmut intends to ship himself and his BMW F 800 GS to Korea, and then on to Vladivostok, Mongolia, Ulan Bator, and a tour of several of the "stans" (former parts of the USSR). He will eventually reach Turkey, and then Budapest, where Martin and her 650 will rejoin him for their ride home. 

Hartmut and his wife Martina live in Germany, and spent some time with us on their "Take The Wrong Way Home" ride.  Click Here to follow their progress -  if you can read German! Best wishes to them both for a wonderful trip!

Meet Christian. He spent some time visiting with us at Ride West on June 16^th - one tiny moment segment of the two and half years he has spent on the road! Riding his BMW R 1200 GS named "Mustang Joe," Christian left his home in Quebec in December of 2008 and has been riding since. He has spent a lot of time on South America, and he and Mustang Joe have covered 60,000 miles together - so far!

Tech Tip Of The Month

Plan Ahead for Service  

With all the hustle and bustle of summer finally upon us, it can be difficult to stay on top of all the details of day to day, let alone plan ahead. However, planning ahead could make all the difference in whether or not our summer riding is enjoyable. 

Making sure our cycles are tuned and won't need tires or brake pads in the middle of nowhere will keep us on the road rather than sitting at some repair facility waiting for an opening (or worse, paying for a long tow, and then doing that). Check your BMW over thoroughly, or let the shop at Ride West do so, and avoid pitfalls later.  If you find that there is something that needs addressing when you're away from home, it's best to call ahead and give a heads-up to the nearest dealer (before showing up).

Prior to leaving on an adventure, pack your cycle and drive around a bit to see if changes need to be made to your set up. The more you think about your trip before you leave, the less you'll have to worry on the road, which will free your mind for enjoying the ride! 

Mark Eddy

Service Manager

What's New In The Parts Department?

"Clearance Center" - Now Open for Business! 

Sale Sale Sale! - It's been a long time coming, but you may have noticed we've sectioned off part of our showroom for one purpose only:  For awesome deals and great sale prices!  Next time you're in, check out our new Clearance Center where you'll find anything from brake rotors to riding pants, windscreens to tank bags, nuts and bolts, electrical stuff, used gear, you name it!  With new items being added all the time, our new Clearance Center will become a "destination" that will always be worth a look.  You'll find awesome sale prices anywhere from 25% to 80% off on a wide variety of great stuff that's just been here a bit too long and needs to go!  And we'll keep marking stuff down until it's all gone. 

This permanent addition to our shop will undoubtedly help you find great items and awesome deals, but will also help us keep more of the fast moving items you want in stock, all the time!  And, if you find something in the Clearance Center that you still can't justify spending the cash on, just ask us how we can make the deal even more attractive by bundling sale items!

New and Noteworthy Products 

RIGID LED Lighting Kits - These may be the end-all, be-all, and the future of auxiliary motorcycle lighting as we know it.  We just received our first shipment of these well built, high output LED kits and have them up on our display (bring your sunglasses!).   As it turns out, LED's are super reliable, efficient, intense, and the perfect solution for today's Powersports vehicles.

Rigid has 3 main kits to choose from $200.00 on up, providing anywhere from 1300 to 2880 Lumens per light (a new LED Maglite is about 114, FYI). They include the Dually (4 x LED's in each), The Dually 2 (6 x LED's in each), and the ridiculously awesome dual 4" kit (8 x LED's per LED).  All three kits put out more light than most traditional bulbs and are super efficient.  For example, the super high output D2 uses only 28 watts per light, much less than even a set of PIAA 510's!  All this translates into more usable power for your other accessories (like heated gear).  All Rigid kits are offered in a spot driving pattern, fog pattern, or a combination of both.  You can also get them in amber!  Stop buy and check them out!

Scorpion EXO-500 Helmet - Scorpions latest entry into the full face helmet market is an immediate success.  This helmet simply has all the features that you could ask for - drop down sun visor (optional amber lens!), removable interior, interchangeable cheek pads, ample venting and the "pump" fitment system.  All this comes at a very reasonable asking price.   They fit a bit on the small size and not quite as oval as an Arai or Shoei.  But for the price, if it fits you, it's worth every penny.

Moose Racing Pelican Cases - F800GS - Here's a great versatile luggage kit for your F80GS or F650GS Twin.  The new Moose Racing BMW rack accommodates matching Pelican Cases, incorporates quick releases for the panniers, and includes a super sturdy top rack to strap (or bolt) on whatever you need to carry.  The Pelican cases are lightweight and sturdy, and offer a clean looking luggage alternative that can be carried with you when you leave the bike.  In stock now

Jeff Conlin - Parts Manager

Bill Niwa - Apparel & Accessories Manager

(206) 527-5511

parts@ridewest.com 

apparel@ridewest.com 

A Message From Our Owners

A Visit from an Old Friend 

Dick Bruce came to visit us at the dealership the other day.  He had a book on the history of BMW that he wanted to present to us, because over the years he has become more than a customer; he has become a friend.  It doesn't matter that the book is written in French, it was the thought that counts.  Dick is 98 years old, and although he had his grandson drive him here, he got out of the car and entered the building under his own power. 

We first met Dick about 15 years ago, when the dealership was in the old funky building in the Greenlake area.  Our sales manager at the time asked us if we would mind delivering a new bike to a customer in the SeaTac area.  So we loaded it up on the trailer and off we went.  But the address was wrong, or at least it seemed to be.  When we found the place it was a retirement community tucked down in a residential area.  Thinking that we had written the address incorrectly we drove past and on down the street.  We would have called the shop to confirm the address, but this was when cell phones looked like bricks and were about as heavy.  As we drove back up the street  we saw a guy standing about a block within the retirement community  waving frantically at us. We drove down to see what the problem was and Dick Bruce introduced himself to us.  He was 85 years old and we were delivering his brand new R1200C BMW Cruiser to him.  His wife came out and said "I wish he would not do these things".

Dick rode the bike several times to Montana and throughout the Northwest over the next several years, and we saw him occasionally when he would stop by the shop, quite often during the bi-yearly Bike Swaps that we hold.  He came in yesterday, a spry 98 plus years old, and said that he decided to finally sell his beloved BMW as he was just not able to ride it anymore.  He gave up riding to stay by his wife's side as she was failing.  He rode a couple of times after she died and realized that it was time to sell. 

Before he left the showroom he he said he wanted to take one last look at all of the new models, and as we left him he and his grandson were admiring a new S1000RR.  We wouldn't be surprised to find him in here next week with a down payment.  We have commented many times before that it is the customers that make this business particularly fun, and Dick Bruce is certainly one of those customers.  What an inspiration! 

Ann and Keith Thye