Epic Tales of BMWST

Last night I was reminded of one of the epic tales of BMWST, a minor matter of two erstwhile engineers trying to put a moto onto a trailer without first securing the trailer. It was actually before my time, but as I have heard the retelling, the trailer ended up across the street at the neighbor's place. I would never name FlyingFinn or azkaisr as the culprits of this misadventure, not I. LOL

The board is approaching 20 years of history. May 31st 1998 is the date Leslie proposed as the beginning in the ten year anniversary thread (see the archives). Let's start the party off right with your most strongest or most cherished memories.

Good idea Jan. I'm just gonna throw up a few pics because you know what a picture's worth and in some of these cases might even be a little more. I may have 'borrowed' a couple but am pretty sure I took them : )

The three amigos. I remember Jamie asking me why anyone would ever want to ride a motorcycle off the pavement..

On that day I couldn't come up with any good answers.

Some good memories there, Bill!

Since Bill brought up Halloween 2009, it must be time to repost this:

Talk about lining up the usual suspects!!!!

Pied Pipers on the way to West Virginia.

Some of my best BMWST memories.

My first Torrey was in May 2005. Dick Frantz volunteered to lead a batch of us newbies from SoCal. We met up in Barstow and flew, and I mean flew, from there to Hurricane, UT, where we spent the night. This was my first time riding with BMWSTers, I think, and I had no idea of the cruising speeds typical in this group, and had never ridden that fast! But Dick was a good leader and kept us all safe. And we sure heard some interesting stories that night! I've no idea how much was true.

Here's me, at the overlook in Zion:

and here's Dick, at the same spot but from the opposite angle:

Not exactly an epic tale, I suppose, but it sure changed my life!

I'd say the first UnRally back in '02 was pretty epic:

2007 spring Torrey was pretty epic for a lot of people, as it was an occasion for all to say goodbye to Gleno. This was the scene in front of the Chuckwagon on the morning of the ride up to the overlook on Sweeper Madness:

Agreed Mitch. 2007 Spring Torrey was pretty epic.

2007 Fall Torrey was a memorable time!

Sir Rodney and yours truly at the 2006 Un in Gunnison.

Tech Daze at Jamie & Leslie's in 2006, where we all learned how to bleed whizzy brakes:

At Spring Torrey in 2006, 8-12 of us did a run from Torrey out to the end of the pavement on the Burr Trail and back. As I recall, Howard led us out, at a blistering pace, and Nora led us back, at an equally blistering pace! Our fearless leaders at the Burr Trail overlook:

Jamie & Leslie had another Tech Daze in June 2007.

Here's one way you can recognize a house where a Tech Daze is being held:

People came to this event in San Diego from as far away as Phoenix, AZ!

RIght to left, Tom Roe, Dave Baker, Dave Bearden at 1st UN in Gunnison. 2002 I think.

That's a great shot John. That carries the feeling of what is was like to be around at that point. I wish I had made that first one in Gunnison. Mitch get's really starry eyed when he talks about it.

I was near the main entrance when the Chicagoland crew arrived. Wouldn't try to name all of them, but it was impressive. Later, we joined some of them at a hamburger shop in town. While we sat, eating a few locals showed off their stunt talents on their motos.

Some more memories:

Mitch

Cary and Laney. I think EB and wife with Karen Knapp, but not sure

DCB opening ceremony. Embarrassed to tell this story. A KOA person asked me to give DCB a message which I thought was, "The Mayor's broke down". I conveyed it thinking Gunnison's mayor was supposed to show up, but instead the message was about Marty Maier from Ohio having broken down on his way in. I think he lost a FD.

Lunch at Joe Cocker's place in Crawford, CO.

Do not remember names, but taken in Crede during a lunch stop.

No description needed. Had the fastest, red RT.

Big Mak and Jake (I think).

Nando, Hannabone. T.M. Roe

I was near the main entrance when the Chicagoland crew arrived. Wouldn't try to name all of them, but it was impressive.

I think the Chicagoland crew would be these guys (plus a few extra hoons thrown in for good measure):

And then I think this was the Cali crew:

Ouray IV?, pretty epic for Danny and I (the grapefruit league : ) A few more pics..

John, Thanks for posting again a bunch of shots I took at UN I. I will be expecting the royalty check by next week

That's a great shot John. That carries the feeling of what is was like to be around at that point. I wish I had made that first one in Gunnison. Mitch get's really starry eyed when he talks about it.

That Un was really something, but a month before that, we had a pretty cool thing too.

The California folks had held their first BMWST (back then, BMWRT) Tech Daze in '01. The rest of us were a little sluggish, but we soon caught on. In June '02 David Baker hosted a Tech Daze event - the "Tennessee Taste, Tech, and Trek" - for us folks in the eastern half of the country:

This was the first time most of us had seen each other in person. Just like the first Un, it was a great occasion to put faces to board names. Marty Mayer told us about an exchange with his young daughter the day before, in which he explained to her that he was traveling to a distant city to gather with a bunch of guys he only knew from the internet and had never met before in real life - so, you know, pretty much exactly the thing people tell their kids not to do. She was deeply suspicious and warned him that if anything didn't seem quite right he should just be prepared to get out of there on a moment's notice.

We spent the morning socializing and teaching/learning routine oilhead maintenance procedures:

In the afternoon we formed a brigade of R1100RTs, chasing Baker through the Tennessee countryside at Ludicrous Speed, punctuated with occasional breaks during which he would provide coaching on how we could avoid falling so damn far behind:

People who have only just joined BMWST sometime in the past few years see us as relatively diverse in our selection of bikes. There are a lot of people on GS bikes, GT bikes, and many different flavors of RT ranging from the old 1100s to the 1150s to the hexheads (in oil- and water-cooled formats). Back in '02, the 1150RT had only hit the market that spring, so there weren't many of them on the road yet, and so the membership was almost entirely composed of people riding the R1100RT:

(click on image to open a full-screen panoramic image in another window)

It was a really good day:

Mitch.... you forgot the quote of the year from that event.

"I can't be going this fast! I'm an accountant for god's sake!"

That was truly an Epic event. Thanks for sharing that....

John, Thanks for posting again a bunch of shots I took at UN I. I will be expecting the royalty check by next week

Sorry about that. I checked the properties of one of the photos to see it was taken by a Nikon - a camera I never owned. Probably downloaded them at the time as keepsakes.

 

Do not remember names, but taken in Crede during a lunch stop.

 

http://ranalletta.com/DSCF0085_JPG.jpg

 

John, that is OldRider on the right and I believe maybe Brian T on the left. Don't remember the gentlemens name in the rear

Many years of fun that included camping!

So far no cable boxes have been damaged. What's up with that?

So far no cable boxes have been damaged. What's up with that?

Perhaps the evidence has been destroyed. Or whoever's got it doesn't look in "Other Topics". Shouldn't this be in "Ride Tales"?

So far no cable boxes have been damaged. What's up with that?

 

 

Perhaps the evidence has been destroyed. Or whoever's got it doesn't look in "Other Topics". Shouldn't this be in "Ride Tales"?

Oh it's still around although involved snooping around in a bro's library to snag it. Besides the excellent vittles and awesome chefs that day..

there was a lot of bike swapping going on.

then things got a little weird..

four chicks, three wheels, beautiful day, what could go wrong : )

and they're off..

Cool, look at 'em go..oh no, wait no, turn right, TURN!.. dang this isn't gonna be good.. (everyone running after them).... luckily no womens or bikes were harmed (much).

Cable box, what cable box, we didn't see any cable boxes!

Later that day..

All's well that ends well, for the most part.

torrey tire change

no socks and a friend.

I'd forgotten that was a BMWST International event! This is the one where Francois didn't crash.

The lawless Lawman.

This is what happens when you try to drive off without paying in west Texas.

Johnlt's infamous Bib Bend.

Friendly bunch aren't they.

Just giving the ADV salute!

Friendly bunch aren't they.

 

Ahhhh..... the Floridians dropped in on Ouray. It seems as if the godmother of crime was there too, if I recall correctly.

Death Valley Daze 2007(my first) - In which Gleno called Leslie to sing Happy Birthday.

Bill, thanks. Saved me from digging.

Twas an interesting day.

Complete with water balloon barrages

Mark after Saddle Sore 1000 done entirely on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

.

And his partner for part of the Epic Ride.

BikeTurkeyfest

Dan, Calvin, Jacqueline, Marty.

Bounce at an El Paseo

The view from the saddle of,

The Most Epicest Tale of BMWST history

On the way to BRR '08. One guess for who's in the middle.

On the way to BRR '08. One guess for who's in the middle.

Hmmmmm.....Rumor has it that she is known as "The Dog Whisperer"

Shannie-Mae

One of 'Nando's Thanksgiving morning rides to Julian, for pie.

Jamie teaching the first 1st Responder class

The Clampetts at the top of Cedar Breaks on a really windy, cold, and fast Torrey ride.

It's been too long...

It's been too long...

This is a fantastic pic, thanks for posting.

I see Paul Mihalka on the right end there. I recently posted a few of his old racing pics in the "Soon we will be 20" thread. Since this thread is about epic tales, I want to share some links to more of Paul's material. Around Christmas 2007, Paul was laid up with a broken leg, so he started scanning his old pics and posting stories about his racing days. Here's what he shared:

The early beginnings

A ride tale - thirty years ago

Racing bikes in Vnezuela 195x

My racing Gilera and I

1953 South American Championship

I'm racing

Racing in Venezuela - 1954

It's been too long...

 

This is a fantastic pic, thanks for posting.

It has indeed been way too long....

Epic Tales...

For me, every UN I attended and one TechDaze.

UN-VI: Spending the night w/ FasterPill's parents on the ride home, check out the antiques in the garage behind us!

UN-VIII: Watching the sunrise from the top of Mt Washington with some friends.

Tech Daze & First Aid arranged by SamSar. (Note that the only one not paying attention is Jamie on the right. Les_is_More -- site owner at the time -- also made the trip, and is in the center, back)

Students practicing safe helmet removal, while others watch.

There are NO pics of the TechDaze part. Because nothing exciting happened. Really. Nothing to see folks, just move along.

Tragic that we have lost the linked images.