Vol. 2 - Issue 9
September 2011

Team Ride West Journal 
Greetings!
 

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If you enjoy the "Ride West" experience in purchasing a bike, dealing with our fine Service Department, shopping for Apparel, Gear, and Parts, and/or taking part in our many Team Ride West activities - here is your chance to show it! 

 

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And thank you!
I. ABTOR Evolution

For the past 8 years many of us have enjoyed something other than the famed "Oyster Run," this year scheduled for September 25th. The Oyster Run is the largest single day motorcycle event in this state, where thousands and thousands of motorcycles descend on Anacortes. Seeking to avoid the crowds, we have enjoyed a scenic romp over on the peninsula. We call this ride the ABTOR, an acronym for "Anywhere But The Oyster Run."

 

This year the ABTOR was threatened, if you will, by a new event - a large off-site demo day using all of our and South Sound's demos. We've been trying to get this scheduled all summer, and due to many other factors, September 25th was the only date that would work. To that end I announced the demo ride to the folks at our Team Ride West dinner August 16th that would take place instead of the ABTOR.  

 

BUT...

 

And then....   We discovered we would probably not have very many demos by September 25th, as they are being sold! So - back to the future, and back to ABTOR IX on Sunday, September 25th.   This is a scenic tour of the Tahuya Forest region south of Bremerton, and a wonderful ride. Stay tuned for further details at we approach the 25th.

 

Having said (all) that, there's nothing wrong with attending the Oyster Run, and if you've never done so you might find it an interesting experience. 15,000 or more motorcycles (most but not all V-twin cruisers), a LOT of noise and crowding, but also the excitement of a BIG event. You make the call!

  
II. Demo Ride Evolution

The Sunday demo rides were a new idea this year, and after putting on 6 of them I think we can state they have been successful. We have sold a few new BMWs directly as a result of the rides (which is, after all, our core business) but we have also introduced several dozen people to BMWs as a brand, or to models of BMW that they have been curious about and may be aiming to purchase down the road. To that end, I am sure the program will be continued next year, possibly kicking off with a huge off-site gala in the spring of 2012 involving all the demos from both Ride West and South Sound, if we can surmount a myriad of logistical hurdles.

 

III. New Bike Essentials List

There are a few things that every rider needs to start the journey off right. Ride West has put together a list of our very best sellers that we think are the essential "must have" items for every new bike owner. There are some products here you will use every day, and others only in the case of an emergency, but together, this collection of "New Bike Essentials" will enhance your riding experience and make owning your new bike the best experience it can be. Some are BMW specific, and others are a must for any brand.

1 x Quart of Original BMW Engine Oil (for top-off during break-in)

1 x 33.8 oz. Bottle of BMW Vehicle Shampoo

1 x 16.9 oz. Bottle of BMW Express Wax Detailer

1 x First Aid Road Care Kit by BMW

1 x Battery Charger by BMW or Optimate (Can-Bus Ready)

1 x All-Weather Motorcycle Cover or Dust Cover by BMW

1 x Electronic Tire Gauge by BMW

1 x Cruz Tools BMW Deluxe Tool Kit

1 x Fuel System Cleaner with Techron by BMW

1 x Stop and Go Tire Repair and Patch Kit with Co2

1 x Bungee Net / Cargo Net by Bike Master

1 x Ultimate Softness Earplug Pack

1 x Microfiber Cleaning / Polishing Towel by Bike Master

1 x Mad Maps Get Out of Town - Seattle Edition

1 x Plexus Plastic Polish and Windshield Cleaner

1 x 7 oz. PJ1 Blue Label Chain Lube (F800GS, F800R, F650/G650GS)

Make sure to ask your salesperson for the "New Bike Essentials Kit" and get the most out of your new motorcycle!

 

IV. Close Out and Clearance Center!

Next time you're in the store, meander over to the "customer lounge" area and check out the new "Closeout and Clearance Center." Just as the name implies - lots of cool stuff and VERY attractive prices!

 

Clearance Center 

 

V. TRW Events Calendar

Please check the www.ridewest.com web site frequently for changes.

 

Saturday 9/10 - Team Ride West ride @ 9am - New Route!

Sunday 9/11 - WSBMWR Breakfast Meeting - Gig Harbor 

Friday 9/16 - A.S.S. by PSS @ 8am - Pacific Raceways

Saturday 9/17 - Maintenance 1 ($95 @ 9am - Club Room

Tuesday 9/20 - Team Ride West dinner @ 6:30pm - Café Veloce

Saturday 9/24- PSS Maintenance 2 ($150) @ 9am - Club Room

Sunday 9/25 - ABTOR IX @ 10am - Edmonds Ferry  

Saturday 10/8 - Team Ride West Ride @ 9am - Snohomish Airport 

 

VI. What We Ride...

A new member asked a couple of weeks ago if non-BMWs were welcome in Team Ride West. Fer sure! That started me on a bit of research of the membership list. On the day I did the research we had 649 members. Keep in mind that many folks who are members do not attend the rides, as they choose not to or live in another state or country. In addition, some members own multiple bikes, from two to two dozen. At the moment, the 649 members own roughly 715 motorcycles (data is not exact for a few members with collections) and of that, 67% are BMW and 33% other. What that information means is not at all clear to me, but it is interesting!

 
VII. Motorcycle and Product Tests

Rev'it! boots. I have been very happy with the last THREE pairs of boots I have purchased, so perhaps this is one area of motorcycle gear that has pretty much stabilized. I wore a pair of Sidis for years and still have them, but over time they became a little tight - either shrinking with use or because my feet are extending with age!   They were followed by a pair of Alpine Stars that went in the other direction. They were getting a bit loose and sloppy for fit, and when I noticed a hole in the heel (!) I had the good excuse we all seek to get more stuff!

 

My new Rev-it! boots fit perfectly and are totally and completely waterproof. The lower half of each side closes with a zipper, and the upper half with the ubiquitous Velcro. I have put over two thousand miles on them in just a couple of weeks, and with my BMW high tech socks on, my feet are warm, dry, and happy! Happy feet make for a happy day.

 

Available at Ride West, of course, as well as the BMW brand boots - but we did not have the proper size for me in stock of the BMW boots and I needed new boots that day!

 

VIII. You, Me, You-Tube, We..Etc.

We have our own Team Ride West web site page on the Ride West site. Go to www.ridewest.com and locate the Team Ride West page. There you'll find lots of information, links to ride videos and slide shows from past adventures.

 

One of the best (short) rides in the state is the famed Mosquito Lake Road. It heads off to the right about 50 yards past the (very) small town of Acme north of Sedro Wooley on Highway 9. If you have never seen it, I made a video on our ride to Mt. Baker a few weeks ago and divided it into two halves.   The first one goes from Acme to a one lane bridge - and note the 180 degree down hill decreasing radius corner near the end!

 

http://contour.com/stories/team-ride-west-mosquito-lake-road-1st-half--2

 

And here is the 2nd half of Mosquito Lake Road

 

http://contour.com/stories/team-ride-west-mosquito-lake-road-2nd-half--3 

TRW Goes to Mt. Baker
TRW Goes to Mt. Baker
IX. Pithy Words to Ride By...

There's no guarantee of how much you will learn by taking any of the plethora of riding classes offered in our area. The only guarantee is how much you will learn if you do not.

 

Here are web sites of providers we work with, and with a little surfing you will find many outstanding opportunities to learn. Better yet, if you purchase a new BMW at the conclusion of your class, we will reimburse you for the tuition! See our Sales Department for details.

 

The Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Safety, Puget Sound Safety, Peninsula Motorcycle Education, and Washington Motorcycle Safety Training web sites are listed alphabetically. We recommend all of them!

 

http://www.pmre.net/

http://www.pnwmotorcyclesafety.com/

http://www.pugetsoundsafety.com/

http://gowmst.com/

          
TRWLogo3
In This Issue
I. All Hands on Deck - ABTOR yes, no, and then Yes!
II. Demo Rides - A 2011 Success, and Probably for 2012 as well
III. New Bike Essentials - How Much of This do You Have?
IV. Close Out and Clearance Center - NEW!
V. Team Ride West Events Calendar - Lots of Great Rides Left!
VI. So Who are We Anyway? - Because You Asked
VII. Products Tests - Rev'It! Boots
VIII. You Tube VHoldR Videos - Where Everyone is Famous
IX. Pithy Words to Inspire - Or Not
X. Team Ride West Ride - Making the Most of a Shorter Summer
XI. Pictures at an Exhibition - How to Farkle a BMW F800GS
XII. Dinner Details - Yumm
XIII. Dinner Details - Yumm
XIV. What Makes Ride West Different - Stuff You Need to Know
XV. Team Ride West Procedures - Rules for Rides
X. Rides Past and Present

The latter half of July brought great weather (mostly) and great events, We had the WSBMWR state rally in Republic, and then the Rally In The Gorge in Stevenson, and many Team Ride West members attended one or the other or both. I have listed only the people who were riding in my group, just to be accurate. Then to begin August we had the annual ride to Mt. Baker, and on the 28th we put on Demo Day #6. Here is SOME of what happened at each event!

 

WSBMWR     July 21st - 24th   It is probably not a surprise this year that thunder, rain, and lightning visited the intrepid campers. That was after an adventure near Republic when Wil Wen's Kawasaki suffered a catastrophic leak in a radiator hose - which allowed us to receive some aid from heroes within WSBMWR as well as some of the good citizens of Republic. First off - here are some of the people who went!

 

1. Dave Preston - BMW K 1300 S

2. Will Wen - Kawasaki ZX 6R

3. Brian Lee - BMW F 800 GS

4. Bob Fullerton  - BMW K 1200 GT    

5. Lee Stewart - BMW R 1200 RT

6. Mehrdad Azarpay - BMW F 650 GS

7. Dionne Haroutunian - BMW F 650 GS

8. Pat Cordell  - Yamaha R-1

9. Erik Pollard - BMW F 800 GS

10. Craig Salkeld - BMW F 650 GS

 

The first night storm left Wayne Gran's favorite tent a bit (literally) the worse for wear. As he has used this tent for over 40 years and for all of his many adventures, Wayne was quite attached to it. By Sunday morning he had worked through at least a couple of stages of grieving, and Ron Phillips and I gathered at a trash can at 6am and hummed "Taps" while Wayne consigned his tent to history.

 

Some tents are more waterproof than others

We had the usual terrific time at the Rally In The Gorge - with a terrific menu of seminars, talks, and all sorts of rides both street and dual sport, I think it is neat to see the street and dirt folks spilt off into groups in the morning and then come back and sit around sharing their adventures in the evening. Everyone seemed to enjoy the "Harvey and Dave" door prize shows - although I think Harvey and I enjoy them more than anyone. Some of the jokes we tell are funny only to us!

 

Team Ride West to Rally in The Gorge July 27th, 2011

1. Dave Preston - BMW K 1300 S

2. Lee Stewart  - BMW R 1200 RT

3. Paul Bullard - BMW R 1200 GS

4. Mike Judkins - BMW R1200RT

5. Brian Hardy -  BMW S 1000 RR

6. Harvey Gilkerson - Yamaha FZ-1

7. Mike Doll - Honda Goldwing, BMW F 800 GS

 

Chris Johnson of WMST and some of the instructors who work with him put on a cornering clinic at Rowena Curves. Participants - over 30 of them - rode to the area in three groups - each with a leader and a sweep. Then came some instruction, and then some practice. All of this was provided for free and Ride West paid for the bridge tolls and the lunch! Just for an extra touch of safety, Rick Wallace, a highly experience EMT, stationed himself in the middle of the corners and was ready to assist. The instruction must have been well-administered and well-learned, as Rick had nada to do all day.

 

 

Students listen attentively to instructor Chris Johnson before putting his lessons to excellent use

 

In the picture below, Lee Stewart demonstrates Rowena Curves. The advantage of this area for instructors (and photographers) is a large pull-out parking lot with a walkway and stone wall overlooking the curves. You can bask in the sun and watch motorcyclists attacking multiple corners on the way down and back up.


Lee Stewart shows off his BMW R1200RT at Rowena Curves


The last picture was taken on Saturday and is from a vantage point high above the Columbia River with Mt. Hood glistening in the background.

 

The Rally In The Gorge is one of the very few such events that assumes you have a brain and can read and think, and therefore there are large blocks of time presented with choices, but no real organization. Harvey and Lee and I used Saturday for a wonderful ride on remote back roads - some of which we took unintentionally.   By the end of the day we had covered 250 scenic miles with thousands of views like the one shown. Awesome stuff.

 

In this picture, Harvey is getting ready to unpack his seriously high tech camera and take some pictures of a pair of vultures perched on the limb of a tree - 100 feet below us.



Team Ride West ride August 6th - Off to Mt. Baker!

We had several things working in our favor:

  1. The weather was absolutely perfect
  2. Seafair kept a lot of people in Seattle
  3. The road past the ski lodge up to the little lake opened only the previous day - even though the lake was still under a dozen feet of snow.

All in all, a fabulous day of riding. Videos of the famous Mosquito Lake Road are at the end of the newsletter, as well a You Tube slide show and video of the entire ride. Thanks to Dave Green for some of the pictures. Here are the lucky 17 who enjoyed the day.

 

1. Dave Preston - BMW K 1300 S

2. Mark Pickerill -Triumph Tiger

3. Clayton Stevens - BMW K 1200 LT

4. Anand Namasivayam - BMW F 800 GS

5. Marv Travis - Kawasaki ZX 14

6. Brian Hardy - BMW S 1000RR

7. Bent Kierkegaard - BMW K 1600 GT

8. Harvey Gilkerson - Yamaha FZ - 1

9. Dave Flowers - KTM

10. Mike Judkins - BMW R1200RT

11. Bob Larsen - Triumph Speed Triple

12. Bob Fullerton - BMW K 1200 GT

13. Jeff DeBruyn - Honda CBR929RR

14. Dave Green - BMW K 1300 GT

15. Matt Glugla - BMW 1150 RT

16. Jim Walker - Triumph Tiger 1050

17. Tom Klein - Kawasaki ZX 14
XI. A Picture is Worth...

 

Ride West BMW General Manager Dave Swezey uses his own bike to show you how you can "farkle" your BMW F 800 GS!

 
XII. Anorak's Corner

An "anorak" is a British slang term referring to someone who gets far too hung up on minor details and will walk up to you at a show and tell you that the pinstriping on your freshly restored classic car is not quite the right shade of green, etc. People who spend all their mental effort on the details and lose track of the meaning, in other words. So in that spirit...

 

Did you know that Team Ride West has Operating Procedures? You might wonder why a club with no dues and no officers and no budget needs them, but I find them handy as a foundation for our actions, and I do consult them once in awhile. We're going to print sections of the Operating Procedures in our newsletter on a continually rotating basis so I am not the only one who knows what our actions are based on. To that end, if you see anything here that you want to question or perhaps modify or suggest an alternative for - please do so?

 

Team Ride West Motorcycle Club Procedures

 

Preamble: 

The Team Ride West Motorcycle Club is sponsored by Ride West BMW. It welcomes all riders of all brands of street motorcycles, and exists to promote the enjoyment and use of motorcycles, and the sport of motorcycling. Team Ride West events may include group rides, dinners, event attendance, seminars, show displays, charity work, and other activities. Team Ride West promotes safe riding practices, and strives at all times to provide family-oriented activities in non-political atmosphere.

 

Article I:                                                                                                    SPONSORSHIP

Team Ride West is sponsored and owned by Ride West BMW, which reserves the right to cancel at any time Team Ride West activities or Team Ride West membership of individuals or groups is the activities are found to conflict with the standards for personal and group behavior held by Ride West BMW are not upheld. Ride West BMW management may at any time alter, negate, or ask to be reconsidered any Team Ride West program, action, or event.

 

Article II:                                                                                                            MEMBERSHIP

Ride West BMW reserves the right to deny or cancel membership to individuals. Team Ride West members are expected to portray motorcycling and Ride West BMW in a positive and respectful manner at all times.

 

Article III:                                                                                                          CHARITABLE WORK

Team Ride West members may choose to put on charitable events, either as a club or in conjunction with a Ride West BMW charitable event.

 

 

XIII. Dinner at Cafe Veloce

We enjoy a fine time and great food at Café Veloce for our club monthly dinners. "Our" night is the 3rd Tuesday of each month. We're in the "club" room in inclement weather and on the deck when the sun shines.

 

This month's Team Ride West Club Dinner will be Tuesday, June 21st.

Cafe Veloce is located in the Totem Lake mall area north of Kirkland and south of the Bothell/Woodinville I-405 exits.

 

Directions to Cafe Veloce:

 

Heading north on I-405 take exit 20B (NE 124th St) and then the ramp to Totem Lake Blvd. You will go through the traffic light to 120th Ave and Café Veloce is to the right just past the auto parts store.

Heading south on I-405 take exit 20 (NE 124th St) and turn left on NE 124th Street. You will go through two traffic lights and then take a left on Totem Lake Blvd. Into the right lane, and right at 120th Ave to the restaurant.

 

XIV. The Ride West Difference

Say you're chatting with friends about the varied events and rides you're enjoying with Team Ride West.  Say further that these friends ask you, "What makes Ride West different?"   When you find yourself in that situation, here are concepts we would thank you for putting across - the "Magnificent Seven."

 

1. With Team Ride West, more rides, dinners, and events than anyone else.

2. More in-store sales, swap meets, seminars, classes, etc. than anyone else.

3. Ability to purchase insurance for your bike, home, and auto - all in-house.

4. More demo bikes than anyone else.

5. Encouragement to take longer demo rides than any one else.

6. Service Department capable and happy to work on any brand.

7. Wide assortment of used bikes of all brands.

 

Remember, when you send in a new customer who purchases a new BMW and mentions your name BEFORE the deal is done YOU get a $200 gift card

 

XV. TRW "Concept" Rides

Team Ride West rides are referred to as "concept rides" because route and destination changes may evolve during the day depending on the wishes of those on the ride, the weather, and events of interest we may find along the way. The initial route directions will be sent out by e-mail a few days prior to the ride, but it is not required that everyone on the ride follow the same route or reach the same destination!

 

Here are the guidelines that we follow:

 

  1. Arrive at the start of the ride (usually Ride West BMW) with a full tank of fuel and funds for fuel, food, and other expenses during the day.
  2. Sign in and receive the printed instructions if needed. (Pause - if you do not have both a motorcycle endorsement on your license and insurance on your motorcycle, we ask that you wait until you do to ride with us.)
  3. Be VERY careful as we turn out of the Ride West parking lot onto 16th. Cars can and sometimes do turn left from Lake City Way onto 16th - potentially at a lethal speed.
  4. Once on the ride, find a group to ride with of 3 to 5 bikes - based on friends, model, experience, style of riding, and/or desired pace.
  5. Allow LOTS of space around you - front, side, and rear. Do not "tailgate."
  6. At major intersections that involve a turn, make sure the person behind you (in your group) has seen the turn before you accelerate away.
  7. RIDE AT YOUR OWN PACE - always.
  8. Pass on the left - well over the centerline. Do not pass on the right - EVER, under any circumstances barring dire emergency.
  9. Use hand/foot signals as needed. There's no required guide to these.
  10. On the way home, once past the final group fuel stop, it's every person for him/her self. You may drop off at your exit or street without the need to let the entire group know - but mentioning your intent at the final stop is a nice gesture.
  11. Other groups of motorcycles? - pass them very carefully with lots of room.