MotoDiscovery Mexico Tour and XV BMW

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Delightful
MotoDiscovery Mexico Tour and
XV BMW Convenícon de Moto Clubes México
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MotoDiscovery tour group, from left Kenneth Upchurch, Patrick Rourke, Stephen Mangold,
Victor Smart, Karl Heckman, Roger Kersch, Thomas Burge, Elaine Rourke and Skip Mascorro.
BMW OWNERS NEWS February 2012
By Mary Baker #121770
Photos by Elaine Rourke and Mary Baker
T
he MOTODISCOVERY
tour to attend the XV
anniversary of the
annual BMW Convenícon de
Moto Clubes México was an
adventure that introduced our
tour group to some fascinating
scenic, cultural and historical
highlights. This year the rally was
held in Durango, DUR, Mexico,
which put us near the birthplace of
Pancho Villa—one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals.
Skip Mascorro of MotoDiscovery delighted
in sharing the stories and escapades of Pancho
Villa. Skip and his associate Kenneth Upchurch
provided a wealth of information on the region.
The well-planned tour agenda included
spectacular scenery and roads, unique and
charming accommodations and excellent local
cuisine. A favorite highlight was riding the rim
of the Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre),
consisting of six distinct canyons in the Sierra
Tarahumara in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The overall canyon system is larger and portions are deeper than the Grand Canyon in
Arizona. The canyons were formed by six rivers which drain the western side of the Sierra
Tarahumara. The walls of the canyon are a copper/green color which is where the name
originates.
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The Spanish arrived in the Copper Canyon area in
the 17th century and encountered the indigenous locals
throughout Chihuahua. For the Spanish, Mexico was a
new land to explore for gold and silver. The Spanish named
the people they encountered “Tarahumara,” which is what the
indigenous people call themselves. When silver was discovered
by the Spaniards in the land of the Tarahumara tribe, they were
eventually forced off of the more desirable lands up into the canyon
cliffs. If you are lucky, you can catch a glimpse of the Tarahumara in the
cliffs.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS February 2012
Left Top to Bottom: Statue of Pancho Villa.
Hotel Gobernador in Durango.
On the road to Copper Canyon, Karl Heckman passes a
“roadside shrine,” one of many you see along roads in Mexico.
Top to Bottom: Copper Canyon • Lunch break • Paseo Constitucion in Durango.
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L-R Top to Bottom:
Street vendor
Church in Durango
Mariachi
Street pottery display
Lunch break
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BMW OWNERS NEWS February 2012
Above:
Virgin of Guadalupe
Chocolate Day of the Dead skeleton heads.
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Top to Bottom:
Skeleton street festival dancers
Mexican delights
Mariachi band
Opposite:
House altar for Dia de Muertos
The Rally
The XV Annual International BMW Rally of Mexico in
Durango, DUR, was held October 26–30, 2011. The Mexicans
know how to throw a party and they do so with great warmth
and style. The first day included registration and welcome
cocktails on Wednesday, with a parade, lunch and reception the
following day. Friday included a ride to the Devil’s Backbone
(Espinazo del Diablo) west on route 40 toward Mazatlan. The
road became known as the Devil’s Backbone from Mexican
legend that says when the Archangel Michael threw Satan out of
Heaven, his broken spine formed a jagged ridge that winds
across Mexico’s Sierra Madre.
The mountainous terrain that surrounds this serpentine road is
spectacular to see, if you aren’t too busy enjoying the road itself. It
was tempting to continue riding to the Pacific coast but that
would have taken over eight hours to reach Mazatlan through
increasingly tropical scenery and curvy roads. A mid-afternoon
lunch was held in Mexiquillo, approximately 87 miles from Durango.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS February 2012
That evening a street festival was held at
the Paseo Constitucion in Durango. The
streets were filled with revelers, and friends
and families congregated for the party that
lasted well into the night. Dance presentations with brightly colored costumes were
supported by mariachi bands playing in the
streets.
During October and prior to the Day
of the Dead (Dia de Muertos), local markets burst with preparatory activities and
playful skeleton imagery adorns storefronts
and home windows. The festival formally
begins on October 31st, when families pay honor to
their ancestors or deceased loved ones with the careful
and sometimes elaborate construction of an in-house altar.
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Top to Bottom:
Rally site
Closing ceremonies at the rally, one of three
door prize bikes given away.
Over the years, the altars have evolved
into objects of art, making this celebration
a true exhibition.
BMW Motor Clubs Mexico
The first BMW clubs started to show up in
Mexico during the 1990s. In 1996 the
BMW motorcycle club based in the city of
Cuernavaca, in the state of Morelos, organized the first BMW rally. The idea was to
bring Beemers together for the first time
to exchange riding experiences, routes
and bike parts that were scarce at the time.
The rally was a big success, with 100 members in attendance. It was at this time that
the need to create an association to promote “serious and responsible riding practice” as a main philosophy and to hold an
annual convention took root. The BMW
association was named Moto Club Nacional BMW–Mexico. The association started
with about four clubs and gradually more
joined as time went by. Every year the
Mesa Directiva or Board of Directors is
very active improving the organization,
establishing guide lines and promoting
regional rallies. In 2009 the name was
changed to the current one, BMW Moto
Clubs Mexico (BMM). Today 27 BMW
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BMW OWNERS NEWS February 2012
clubs by geographic area at www.bmwclubes.com. Each club has its own policies
and riding programs. The president of
BMM is elected every two years and the
current President is Axel Pettersson.
At the BMW Annual Convention in May,
BMM members vote on the best rally idea
presented by BMW candidate clubs interested in organizing it. They have a year and
a half to plan and organize it, with the help
of a complete and detailed rally manual.
This guideline manual is the product of
rally experience and has criteria, but allows
the organizer creative expression. Aside
from the rally activity, BMM has developed
many projects: an emergency travel directory, many member discounts from vendors of products and services, an ever
growing travel plans directory within Mexico and some international routes, and
starting this year a Hall of Fame to honor
two distinguished riders every two years for
their accomplishments in bringing added
value to the community. BMM is a recognized member of the International Council
of BMW Clubs since 2004 and until this
year was in the North America region. A
new Latin American Council has
emerged as a new region, and will be
a better option in giving BMW
organizations south of our border a stronger voice.
clubs with 800 members are under the
BMM’s umbrella and five new clubs will
probably appear by next year, bringing
membership close to one thousand.
Close to 8,000 BMW motorcycles are in
Mexico and the number will keep increasing due to the brand image and success.
Clubs range from between 15 to 60 members each with an average rider age of 42.
The 27 current clubs are based in 24 cities
in 19 of Mexico’s 32 states; you can see the
Above:
Closing ceremony at the rally.
Paseo Constitucion in Durango.
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