What You Missed...  

We had an energizing series of seminars in March on a wide variety of topics. Although our seminar series is winding down for this year, many of these topics will be of interest to you, so keep a close eye on them for a seminar next year!

March 1st - Touring South Africa We hosted Abel Abenhorst of "Abel's African Adventures" for this seminar documenting with a slides with captions and music description of an exciting 9 day motorcycle tour of South Africa. Local Greg Baumann led the session. The scenery, roads, adventures, culture, and music were all eye-popping, and Abel's next tour will be in 2013, so watch for the announcement of dates and costs!

March 8th - Sound Rider! Magazine's Sasquatch Ride Tom Mehren went over the preparation and operation of this annual 5 day dual sport ride. Check Here if you would like to be included in this summer's edition of this adventure.

March 15th - 2Fast Track Days and Track Schools Mark DeGross of 2Fast went over what a track day is and what a track school is, and why you want to attend at least one of each. A bonus was the presence of Chris Johnson of Washington Motorcycle Safety Training, and out of this session came the special offer from us for three different track day schools. (see the article on Ride West Track Day Support)

March 22nd - How to Build Your "Kit" Brett Tkacs of Puget Sound Safety is one of the premiere instructors in this area. He and RJ, (one of his employees and instructors) go off for an annual tour of the back areas of Baja. Over the years they have developed a comprehensive knowledge of what works and what does not for dual sport and adventure riding, and they are both now called upon by manufacturers to help test and develop new products. In this class they reviewed everything from "the basics" on up to quite advanced products, and discussed with those in attendance products brought for their evaluation.

March 31st - Boss Your Bike David Hough, member of the AMA Hall of Fame, is the most well-known motorcycle safety author in the world. In this seminar he presented a lot of detailed information on what parts of your body affect what aspects of your motorcycle's operation, and presented a series of exercises designed to make sure that on a ride, you are in charge of what the bike is doing!  

Some of these events are repeats or we have more like them! So keep an eye out for more like them coming up by checking the Ride West Events Calendar where we keep all of the events we host and/or attend. If you are looking to use our facility for a motorcycle related class or seminar contact David Preston, the events manager at team@ridewest.com. 

Safety Corner 

Bret Tkacs - It's Never Too Late to Change:

 

I love riding and want to do it for as long as I possibly can. The oldest student I ever had come to me to learn to ride was Frank at 98 years old! In recent years my riding has been dominated by Adventure riding which is more physically demanding than street riding but can be arguably more fulfilling as well. It is these two realizations that bring me to the topic of personal health.

I know we all hear about how we should eat better and exercise more and it is more common than not that our Doctors are telling us to lose some weight, eat better and exercise. Have you ever considered how better health improves your riding experience and makes you safer? As a professional riding instructor you would think I should be writing about coming to take a riding class (which I do believe) but it is amazing how many riders I have trained that are not limited by their talent of skills but by their health or lack of.

This year I have moved into the over 40 categories and it has become evident that youth is no longer going to compensate for the abuse I do to my body with poor living habits. I have always been somewhat health conscious but in recent years I have let my work and life style interfere with making this a true priority. [Read More]

Tech Tip Of The Month

Happy Spring Everyone!  

This month I wanted to give you some more hints and tips for your pre-ride checks. A couple of questions come up around the shop about how the best way to check your brake pads or tire life is. On most BMW's they have made it pretty easy to check your pad life, it varies from bike to bike but they were designed in a way to be visible and checkable. This is the same for tires, tiny wear bars a manufactured into the tire giving a reference point for gauging how much rubber is left.  

If you still have your owners manual kicking around it would have the model specific procedure to check your brake pad life or you could just swing by the shop and we could show you exactly where to look. Oil level still seems to be a hot subject as well, make sure your motorcycle is at running temperature to get the best level reading. And if your motorcycle feels a little funny or different on your ride, trust your instinct and get it looked at.  

I recently had a customer swing by on a Saturday saying his motorcycle just felt a little weird today, after a quick inspection we found that his front wheel bearing had failed. The situation could have been disastrous, but thanks to his decision to just swing by and have us take a look, we replaced a couple bearings and he was off safely. Keep your wits about you and stay safe.     

Mark Eddy

Service Manager

Parts Department
What's New in Parts and Apparel? 

New Stuff - Spring is here and we've got some great new offerings by Touratech, Heidenau, Schuberth, Ortlieb, BMW Rider's Apparel, Rev'it!, AltRider, Sena, Yoshimura, Redverz and more...

Parts and Apparel Swap is Saturday May 12th! - We'll be accepting consignments for our semi-annual Parts and Apparel Swap starting May 1 - May 11, so mark you calendars, check your garage, closets, panniers and anywhere else you may have stashed some motorcycle gear you aren't using. Turn it into cash this May!

Featured Products

BMW Rider's Apparel - The all new BMW TourShell is finally here! This true 4-season suit of armor is heads and tails above the rest when it comes to functionality, protection, fit and style. It starts with a highly abrasion resistant waterproof shell (with a bonded waterproof membrane), then adds the latest and most effective impact absorbing armor (BMW NP) and finishes with a modern looking, wearable inner liner that doubles as a jacket. The new TourShell comes in both men's and women's sizing, including men's tall and women's petite!

Another great new addition is to the spring lineup is BMW's new SportDry Boots. Similar in protection to the over-the-top Double R race boots, complete with toe sliders and ankle support. But this version is fully waterproof via the GORETEX insert. All this adds up to a seriously aggressive, 4-season sport rider boot suitable for the street or track.

A few more items you won't want to miss - The new Summer 3 Pant (new colors and more comfortable) and Women's ProTouring 2 (adds 1 ½" of height to the rider!).

Schuberth S2 Full Face is Almost here! - The Schuberth C3 has been a runaway success and now offered in a unique Globe graphic, in very limited quantities I might add. But here's the bigger news: The next big thing on the way is the brand new S2 full face helmet (sometime later in April we're told), complete with some of the same big features as the C3, including the drop down sun visor, anti-fog face shield insert, and an optional Bluetooth neck roll, all in a super quiet sport touring / road racing lid.   Pre-order yours today! The first colors will be black and flat black.

Bluetooth Headsets - Speaking of helmets, you've probably thought about wiring up your own lid for our modern day world of mobile communication.   Stop by and check out the latest Bluetooth headsets by Sena and Scala and enjoy true wireless freedom! Whether you want to stream stereo music from your new iPhone, hear turn by turn directions from your Bluetooth enabled GPS, receive that important business phone call on the go, or communicate wirelessly to your passenger or other rider, it's all possible with the latest wave of modern motorcycle headset technology. With extended battery life, simplicity of setup and installation, and multiple simultaneous Bluetooth connections, today's headsets are simple to use, highly versatile and more affordable than ever!  

Redverz Gear Expedition Tent - #1 Motorcycle Tent. Winner of RiDE Magazine's "Recommended" Award for Best Motorcyle Tent - We're now your premier Redverz tent dealer! 

As far as we're concerned, this is the end-all, be-all of motorcycling tents. It's versatile, practical and of a high quality construction. Redverz Gear put the comfort back into camping with the Expedition Tent, and the new Series II Expedition Tent adds to the appeal of the original design which shelters riders, motorbikes and gear in comfort, out of the elements and under one roof.  

New Rev'it! Gear is here! - If you haven't seen the new Rev'it! offerings for 2012, stop by for a tour of the all new Horizon Suit, Ignition 2 Jacket, Spectrum and Ladies Indigo Jackets, RSR Gloves, and more. One of the hottest jackets we've seen to date is the Horizon. With its waterproof shell, quality fit and finish, removable thermal insert and patented VCS Aquadefense Ventilation System, it's the perfect northwest commuter and one of the best values on the market today (also available in Hi-Viz!). Add the matching Horizon pant and you're ready for any weather condition.    

Did you know?

We are your local source for All Things Touratech! - Remember, whether you buy it here or from Touratech, it's always the same price! One of the nicest looking cases we've seen (especially in black) is the Zega Pro Panniers. These super strong aluminum panniers compliment any R12GS, F800 GS or R1200R. When you need big storage and rugged protection, Touratech Zega Pro sets the pace for durability and style. We'll also be adding various other Touratech goodies throughout the month for your F800GS and R1200GS.

We work on all brands of motorcycles! - Love your Honda, Kawasaki or Ducati but your local dealer is either too far away or doesn't meet your specific needs? We've partnered with local OEM suppliers and aftermarket vendors enabling us to source all your aftermarket, OEM and routine maintenance items, for whatever you ride.   Need an oil change on your GSXR? How about tires for your KTM? Let us know what you have and how we can service all your motorcycling needs.

Ask MotoAdventureGal NEW! 
Alisa Clickenger 

Dear MotoAdventureGal:I feel like I have hit a plateau with my riding skills. What do I do to take my riding to the next level?
 
MotoAdventureGal Says:  Good Question! I found myself in the same place about four years ago. I realized that I would have to get out of my comfort zone if I wanted to get better...and taking a motorcycle training course is a great way to do that. The two options, as I saw them, were doing to dirt riding or to the track. I chose dirt. Riding off-road opened a whole new world of skills for me, and has enabled me to get to some beautiful and remote places I couldn't ever get to on a street bike. Riding off-road also helped me work with my traction on the pavement by teaching me about the lack of traction off-road. It also gave me the skills I needed to ride solo to South America. Ask your dealer about local off-road (also called dual-sport) training, and where the best place to take a track day is.  You might just see me on the track now-I'm ready to take my riding to the next level again.    

About MotoAdventureGal:  

Alisa Clickenger is MotoAdventureGal. On a motorcycle she's crossed the USA multiple times, ridden up to Alaska, all over Europe, and traveled solo to Argentina in 2009. She rides and writes for a living, and leads a women's motorcycle tour that teaches and empowers women to tour in groups or alone. 

A Message From Our Owners

Big Plans for Ride West BMW 

In early March we had an opportunity to do a little traveling (not by motorcycle this time, unfortunately) and ended up staying in several different locations and climates.  It occurred to us, as our travels continued, that a pattern was developing with a number of different, but related, accidents and circumstances. 

The first incident that caught our attention involved a scuba diver in Hawaii.  The newspaper reported that he got caught in an outgoing tide and was swept out to sea to a point where he lost sight of land.  He was an experienced diver, as it was his hobby for most of his adult life. Fortunately, he was prepared.  He had with him some sort of flotation device that he was able to inflate in case just such an incident should befall him.  In addition to this, he carried with him a waterproof flashlight.  After ten hours lost at sea, paddling around with his swim fins and goggles, he was able to signal a Coast Guard helicopter in the dark of night that had been dispatched to find him. He survived.

A couple of days later we read about a group of back country skiers that got caught in an avalanche.  A few of the skiers were able to beat the rumbling snow, but several did not.  Two perished.  The one that was safely uncovered from the snow was a gal that happened to deploy a safety balloon that experienced people carry for these types of situations.  They found her and she survived.

Several days after that we were in a state that does not have a helmet law for motorcyclists.  Over the course of two weeks we read about several motorcycle accidents (don't really know what the problem was ---perhaps they needed more training. In most cases they were in fact doing something stupid) and in every instance the riders that had a helmet on survived and those that did not, did not. 

The pattern was set.  Regardless of the activity, those that were prepared from a safety standpoint lived; those that were not prepared died.  And it got us to thinking about our store.  We sell a lot of safety gear, most of it the best you can buy.  And these things have a purpose.  The right helmet, boots, jacket and pants with padding, loud horns and of course, the safest motorcycles on the planet cost money.  You can buy some of this equipment in a cheaper form, but do you really want to?  From two people that have been there, done it, seen that, and experienced the value of having the right safety motorcycle gear save your life---buy the best.  It may save your life as well sometime.

Ann and Keith Thye

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