Nov. - Dec. 2013

ISSUE 193, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013
Hank Arriazola, Dan Nosal, and Ray Arriazola
Somewhere in Mexico
Prez Notes - Page 2
Club Calendar - Page 3
Christmas Party Flyer - Page 4
Mexico International BMW Rally-5-8
Kids and Bikes- Page 9
La Frontera del Llano Scenic Byway - Page 10-11
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
Page 2
Prez Notes
The club’s picnic at Raymond Russell Park in October was well-attended, with the usual suspects and
several new members showing up to brag about their
bikes and their rides, and to enjoy the quantities of
barbecue and fixin’s that participants wrangled up for
the event. Special thanks, as always, to Jackie and
Paul Mulhern, who handled the essential purchases
and organization for the event, but everyone who
brought a favorite dish or who helped schlep the
goodies into the pavilion deserves a grateful nod.
The season for big rallies is winding down, but the
best riding of the year is with us here in South Texas.
If you haven’t committed yet to the club’s ride to Alpine for the November 22 – 24 weekend, time is
short. Check with the Ramada Inn to see whether
there are still rooms available. If not, find rooms
where you can and join the ride from Castroville on
Friday. Our semi-annual Big Bend visits are always
among the best rides we do. If you haven’t been to
Marfa or Ft. Davis or Terlingua yet this year, this
would be a terrific opportunity to correct that misfortune.
have a business meeting and election of officers to entertain you. Please consider standing for election as
secretary so that Jerry Fansler can retire peacefully,
secure in the knowledge that his years of labor for the
club have left a legacy of well-ordered meeting notes
and recorded minutes. The work isn’t strenuous and, if
you have the necessary character defects, you might
even enjoy the company at planning meetings. If you
have questions about what is involved in serving, contact Jerry to discuss it, or let me or any of the officers
know and we’ll be glad to think it through with you.
If you have suggestions for club events or activities,
now is the time to present them. We try to settle on a
calendar for the club in early January, so your input
now would be timely and appreciated. If there are
places you think would make a good ride destination
or larger events you’d like the club to support during
the next year let us know. We’ll hope to see you out
on the road.
Gerard Lobosco
The Christmas Party is scheduled for December 8 at
the Old San Francisco Steakhouse. As usual, we’ll
SABMWRA
Officer Elections
Will take place at the annual Christmas Party
Eight December 2013
The positions of
Vice-President and Secretary
are up for election for two year terms
If you will not be present at the Christmas Party and wish to run for one of these offices or wish to nominate
someone for one of these position, please contact the club Secretary, Jerry Fansler prior to eight December.
Nominees must agree to run. Jerry’s contact info is on the last page.
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
Page 3
Club Calendar
Monthly social – We meet at 7pm at a different restaurant every month for good food and friendship.
NOTE – No social for December. The next social
will be in January 2014.
ty, dates not bolded are simply items of interest to
members.
May 29 –June 1 – BMWRA National Rally – Barber
Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama.
RIDES AND ACTIVITIES – This calendar does not
include every Thursday social and Sunday breakfast
ride. Events will be filled in as they are planned.
July 24 -27 – BMW MOA National Rally – Minn
State Fair Grounds, St. Paul, Minn.
Every Sunday there is an informal breakfast ride
(weather permitting). The destination for the Sunday
breakfast ride will be determined by participants unless previously announced via e-mail. The ride departs at 8:30 a.m. from the Starbuck’s at 1604 and
NW Military Hwy (Shavano Park).
2013 Events Calendar -Date in bold is a club activity, dates not bolded are simply items of interest to
members.
November
th
16 – Third Saturday ride – trash pickup on our
adopted roadway. We’ll meet at 9:30am at the adopted highway sign near the intersection of FM 473 and
FM 474. We should finish in about an hour then
we’ll figure out where to go for lunch
22-23rd – Alpine Art Walk Ride – We’ve blocked 15
rooms (more if we need them) at the Ramada Inn Alpine for Nov 22 & 23. $80.00 includes tax, if you tell
them you’re with the SABMWR. This includes dinner Friday eve, and breakfast Saturday and Sunday.
This the weekend of the Alpine Art Walk, which was
a lot of fun last year. Call 432-837-1100 and avoid
the rush. Go here to sign up if you are going http://
goo.gl/9qr4Lc . Go here to see who’s going http://
goo.gl/LG31EQ . As the date gets closer we will announce a group departure place, time, route, etc. Also, any planned activities while in Alpine.
Alpine Artwalk
If you are planning on going on the Alpine Artwalk
trip, we now have a member who will be taking a
cage (also known as an automobile). If you are interested in sharing the ride please contact Erin Lobosco at [email protected] for details.
The plan for the meeting place and time, the route,
and the lunch plans for the ride to Alpine will be
announced shortly in one of Paul Mulhern’s weekly
e-mails
Club Shirt Sales
8th – Sunday - Club Christmas Party at the Old San
Francisco Steakhouse. See details page 4
We’re trying to clean out our old t-shirt and
decal/patch inventory. The heather gray, w/
pocket, club anniversary t-shirts are going for
$8. Limited sizes all XL and above. We also
have a few of the 2011 Llano t-shirt available for
$4 each in large and medium only. Old club logo
patches and stickers are free for the asking. Once we get the old inventory out of the
way we can start talking new club shirts and decals. Contact Prez Gerard
([email protected]) if you are interested.
14th – Lone Star BMW/Triumph Christmas Open
House
http://bmwmoa.org/News/GeneralInterest/ArtMID/3167/
ArticleID/380/New-BMW-R1200RT-Unveiled.aspx
28th - Thanksgiving
December
2014 Events Calendar -Date in bold is a club activi-
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
Page 4
It’s Party Time!
What: SABMWRA Club Christmas party
When: Sunday, December 8th starting at 6 PM
Where: Old San Francisco Steak House, 10223 Sahara St., 210-342-2321
Reservations are required by Nov 28th. Watch for the email announcement with reservation instructions.
Schedule of events
6-7 PM – Open cash bar and socializing (beer $5, wine $6, liquor $7, soft drinks $1)
7-8 PM – Dinner
8-11 PM - Business meeting (including elections), gift exchange, more socializing
Dinner choices with member prices. Full payment for dinner due at the door. Cash or check only please.
Exact change appreciated.
Main entre choices – choose one per attendee
Chicken Poussin – Marinated airline Chicken breast (breast w/wing bone) stuffed w/boursin cheese & herbs
drizzled w/ roasted red pepper vinaigrette - $21
Almond Encrusted tilapia w/ lemon caper sauce - $21
Vegetarian entrée is marinated and char grilled Portobello mushroom stuffed w/spinach, herbs & cheese covered w/marinara sauce - $21
Petite beef filet (medium rare only) w/cherry demi glaze - $24
All entrees will include –
Holiday salad – mixed greens, cranberries, apples, walnuts, feta cheese w/balsamic vinaigrette
Duchess potatoes – balsamic caramelized onions w/blue cheese crumbles
Vegetable stack – carrots, zucchini & yellow squash
Dinner roll
Lemon pistachio crème brulee
Iced tea
We will be collecting gifts for donation to a children’s charity. Please do not wrap the gifts.
We will have a gift exchange for those interested. Max $25 motorcycle related gifts (alcohol is motorcycle
related) for exchange after dinner. You must bring a gift to participate.
Don’t forget you can pay your 2014 dues at the party.
Last day to RSVP is Nov 28th.
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
Page 5
XVII Annual BMW International Motorcycle Rally (Convencion)
Veracruz, Mexico, 02-06 Oct 2013, by Dan Nosal
Planning for the trip a few months in advance provided ample time to gather document to include original
copies of both the registration and title, a valid passport, Mexican motorcycle insurance (roughly $240
for 14 days) and a valid driver’s license. Strongly
recommend a last check of the title against the VIN
prior to leaving Mexico it WILL be visually checked
by Mexican border officials. Crossing the border at
Laredo proved a breeze as Hank Arriazola shepherded brother Ray and I through the process, before we
knew it we were making our way to Monterrey.
Stopping short of Monterrey for lunch, Hank asked
“Dan, are you ok with lane splitting?” Acknowledging I was familiar with the concept, I pondered quietGauging from the professional security presence of the ly, “How much lane splitting is Hank talking about?”
Hank’s final words to Rey and I as we walked out the
National Police it was apparent hosting the yearly
BMW rally is a source of pride for each Mexican state restaurant was to, “Keep close, don’t get separated”
which fortunately for the next 30-40 minutes we kept
and club fortunate to get the nod. To reiterate at no
Hank in sight, Ray toppling a construction marker at
time starting with the Laredo border crossing in route
speed, somehow stayed close enough not to get hopeto the rally and afterwards traveling as a trio to San
Miguel de Allende did we encounter a single bandito, lessly lost.
corrupt policemen, narcotrafficker or suspicious situaFor those who have not had the opportunity to ride in
tion; rather we were welcomed with open arms so
Mexico imagine city traffic much like a floating
much so that I’m looking forward for the next opporstream of rubber ducks bobbing their way through
tunity to return to Mexico in order to travel throughchoke points (without colliding), all somehow manout. Without a doubt there are dangerous places in
Mexico which are also found in many of our major US aging to come out the other end unscathed. It’s not
cities. Common sense, prior planning, good judgment pretty, but it works. The take away from the lane
splitting experience this; if a local turns on their left
and a smile go a long way.
turn signal, it is your signal to pass. Conversely if
you intend to pass based on their left turn signal, do
not/not flip on your left turn signal unless you are signaling the person behind you to pass! And never,
never pass on the right side. While I have no proof,
Hank may have used the ride through Monterrey as a
measurement tool to size up our riding skills ;-). And
although I mentioned we hung on Hank’s rear wheel,
trust me it’s because he let us. Hank knows Mexico
like the back of his hand and at any time is capable of
leaving this mere mortal in the dust.
For months leading up to the 2013 XVII International
BMW Motorcycle Convention, 02-06 Oct 2013, Veracruz, Mexico, I received dozens of dire warnings from
friends, fellow riders and co-workers on the imminent
dangers which lay ahead. To set the record straight,
all warning/concerns were taken into account discovering over a very short ten-day period those concerns
were proven unfounded and in some cases grossly exaggerated. All told border officials, local, state and
national police, rally organizers, hoteliers, restaurant
staff, local populace were courteous, exceptionally
welcoming and made the journey an absolute joy from
beginning to end.
After 400 or so miles Hank led us off secondary
roads to a less developed road winding through several dirt towns. It was at this point I thought to myself,
“Hank’s lost, big time.” Entering a small dirt town
Hank pulled over next to one of the tallest men I’d
ever seen on a motorcycle, but was encouraged the
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
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BMW International Motorcycle Rally Mexico
rider was on a BMW. Thinking he was asking for directions Hank and much taller rider led spun their
bikes around to Santa Engracia hacienda’s gate leading into a beautiful courtyard. Linking up with their
group we’d quickly number six, Hank, Ray, Jim
Schultz, Ralph, Howard and I each parking our bike
under the hacienda’s covered veranda.
After a quick shower it was “Beer-thirty” where we
were entertained by a bare-chested Jim Schultz joining
us after a dip in the Hacienda’s pool. Enjoying a cold
Victoria beer following a long riding day was just the
ticket. Prior to breaking for dinner one of the group
turned to Jim saying “Jim, you’ll need to cover up for
dinner.” For many of you familiar with Jim you can
bet he had a comeback. Wandering around the Hacienda was truly magical with part of the group adjourning to the billiards room replete with original armor
breast plates, swords and shields adorning the wall.
Dinner followed consisting of grilled chicken, rice,
frijoles, salad. All washed down by a second Victoria
beer. We were off to a good start.
rocky climb to our lodging for the night. Navigating
the roughly 200 miles of twisty, turning roads, with
more than its share of potholes and “tope’s” (speed
bumps) required us to pay close attention to the road.
At the end of the day Hank reported a small problem
with a fork seal. Rey and I both had our mud flaps
dangling off our back wheels. In the US we regard
speed bumps as a gentle reminder to, “please slow
down” while in the majority of small Mexican villages the sharp angle of each tope serves as a stern warning to, “SLOW DOWN NOW” No pun intended but
in hindsight there wasn’t time to become saddle sore
given all the time on the pegs. As with most journeys
there are odd occurrences. Ray and I saw a corpse
wrapped in dark green plastic bags propped up in the
back of a small pickup, a man holding it in place. If
that were not enough, thirty minutes later we rounded
one of the final curves of the day spotting half a dog,
yes half a dog, the front half to be precise, lying in
the road. Moments later Rey was hit by a huge black
bird sending feathers everywhere. Again, time for
beer-thirty.
After a quick rinse we headed to the Las Pozas, Xilitia, the creation of Edward James, an eccentric English poet and artist, patron of the Surrealist movement, its origins dating back to 1947. At its height in
the 1960’s to 1970’s, this extraordinary sculpture garden high in the Huastecan jungle was Edward
James’s “Surrealist Xanadu” employing hundreds of
masons, artisans and local craftsman. Dinner was
once again wonderful, the beer exceedingly refreshing given the hard riding day and high humidity.
Day three was a picnic in comparison ending our ride
in Tuxpan where the XVII International BMW MOThe next day, following breakfast, we agreed to inTO Convention officially kicked off. Registration
clude Howard in our group as Jim and Ralph made
was quick and easy, the hall buzzing with hundreds
their way to the airport to pick up Jim’s lovely wife,
of riders and vendors from across the motorcycle inGlenda. Again, we were off onto secondary roads
dustry. Flamenco dancers, lively conversation and a
coming across our first obstacle of the day, a washed
out road under repair. Slick, muddy, requiring of care- chance for Hank to reconnect with riders he’d met at
previous BMW Moto Convention’s in Mexico. The
ful finesse tracking down and up the slope all of us
next day following a leisurely breakfast we made our
managed to reach dry pavement without incident.
Wasting no time on the back roads we made good time way to the start point for the 10 am departure for Pato the Tropic of Cancer marker, a couple of pictures, a pantla. Entering Papantla, it appeared the entire city
quick bathroom break and off we went. Day two was turned out to greet us! Papantla is a small town with
a rich history, it draw is the nearby El Tajin archeolikely the toughest day on the back roads from the
logical site. Bikes lined Papantla’s beautiful plaza,
Hacienda to Vales finally making our way up the
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
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BMW International Motorcycle Rally Mexico
music played, vendors offering up their wares, time
for the official photo. Suffice it to say it is easy to
pick out Jim Schultz in the photo of +600 riders.
The highlights were many but few topped the beauty
and splendor of El Tajin. El Tajin was a political and
religious center for the Toonac civilization, many of
its buildings date from the early Post classic period
between AD 900 and 1150. At one time this city
spread over four square miles and had a population of
25,000. Of particular note is what was originally designated as a temple, the Pyramid of the Niches. The
Pyramid of the Niches has a niche for each day of the
year which historians believe each contained an offering. The, “ball court” has its own rituals such with
some of the losers become human sacrifices which
was considered an honorable way to die. A person
can easily spend two hours wandering the grounds
imagining what it was like hundreds of years ago.
Immediately outside the grounds stands a 100’ pole
from which an ancient Nahua and Totonac ritual is
performed by five men (voladors or flyers) who
climb to the top of the pole while one plays a haunting reed-pipe. Each carrying a long yellow rope to
the top where once all the voladors are seated on the
large square platform, the platform is carefully rotated to ensure each rope is symmetrically wound
around the pole Once complete and on cue, each
volador drops from the platform flying to the ground
slowly suspended by ropes tied to their ankles. Each
volador circles the pole 13 times before reaching the
ground making a total of 52 turns symbolizing the 52cycles of the Mesoamerican calendar. The central
pole represents the vertical connection between the
earth, the heavens above and the underworld below.
Given it was a hot and humid day we were pleased to
located a shaded area from which to watch the 30-45
minute ritual performance. Lots of photos, videos
and another great memory.
The next day was a 90 mile sprint to Veracruz with
an optional stop at the Goya vanilla factory. Enjoying my first sampling of Mexican vanilla was reason
enough to circle back into the line for one more. After leaving the vanilla factory the rally stopped for a
wonderful lunch under a sprawling white canopy at
the Hotel Torre Molino’s. It should be mentioned
that the lunches provided by the rally organizers were
first class events, no paper plates or plastic forks anywhere in sight. Attentive waiters circled ensuring all
glasses were full and that everything was just right.
We rolled into Veracruz around 4 pm, Hank, Rey and
I making our way to the Hotel Indigo Boca del Rio
located along the coast, very comfortable, the air conditioned rooms most welcome. Parking the bikes for
the day we headed for the Fiesta American Veracruz
to join the rally’s main body and were joined by Mike
and Veronica Voudouris of Austin for dinner. Mike
and Veronica are renowned for their high mileage
days evidenced by their one day return trip from Veracruz to Austin after the rally. I joked with Mike the
reason no one rides with him is they can’t keep up!
Great food, dinner conversation, after which Doug
Laird, Reno, NV joined us sharing his planning strategy for his “Around the World 2014” trip.
The final day of the rally was but another hot and
humid day, today’s destination the Mexican Naval
Academy. As this was the day of the closing ceremonies. There were lots of folks talking happy snaps
and planning their next adventure. Hundreds of naval
cadets mixed in with the rally participants eager to
provide a tour of their beautiful academy. More impressive was the 500 or so Mexican Naval cadets in
their bright white uniforms parading for the rally in
the Mexican Naval Academy’s parade field, truly a
sight and an honor. Our table included Jim Schultz,
his bride Glenda, Ralph, Howard, Mike and Veronica
and our naval cadet who’s name escapes me. The
Governor of Veracruz was in attendance, the atmosphere festive especially as the gift drawings kicked
off. Three bikes to include a 2013 R1200 GS and an
endless array of helmets, bags and other motorcycle
gear were given away.
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
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BMW International Motorcycle Rally Mexico
view of the heavens and a nearby church dome. The
fireworks continued late into the night which on one
level was soothing given the moment.
With the rally behind us, Hank, Ray and I pushed off
at 8 am for San Miguel de Allende. Trust me when I
tell you leaving the heat and humidity of the coast for
the cool air just across the mountains was truly refreshing and rejuvenating. Aaaaahhh… We could
not have picked a better day to roll into San Miguel
de Allende as it was the final day of an eight day festival celebrating the departure of a Mexican born officer, Ignacio Allende y Unzago who defected from
the Spanish Army to join forces with Father Miguel
Hidalgo y Costilla, the father of Mexican independence.
Unfortunately Hidalgo was defeated at the Battle of
the Caldreon Bridge on his march to retake Mexico
City in 1812 where after the leadership of the revolutionaries demanded Hidalgo be replaced; San Miguel’s Ignacio Allende taking his place. Seeking to
gather supplies on a march north to the US, Allende
was betrayed and ambushed at the Wells of Bajan,
the rest quite graphic, not suitable for SABMWRA
riders under 12 years of age.
On this eighth day celebrating its namesake we were
greeted by huge displays of spinning fireworks, thousands of people lined the cities beautiful square, music and celebration. San Miguel de Allende is home
to approximately, if not more than 2,000 American
expatriates to include; US doctors, educators, artists
and the like. Known for its rich history, cobble
stoned streets, tourists and artists, San Miguel is a
must-see-and-do, whether by motorcycle, car or air,
don’t miss it. As usual Hank knocked it out of the
park booking us into Hotel Posada de las Monjas, a
convent turned hotel. Hank and brother Ray stayed
in the Mother Superior’s room and I in what I imagined was room for wayward nuns complete with a
Early the next morning we headed into the city square
and beyond for breakfast, shopping and sightseeing.
All told I took around 300 pictures in less than 24
hours in San Miguel, lots to see and do. A final highlight was visiting Fabrica La Aurora which for 90
years produced the gamut of textile materials, the factory sounding its final whistle on 11 March 1991.
Today La Aurora is a contemporary art, furniture,
interior design, antiques, jewelry and linen store complete with a wonderful restaurant/coffee shop. We
were fortunate to meet Fabrica La Aurora’s owner/
operator who took the time to share the rich history of
the factory and what it meant to San Miguel de Allende. Allowing for roughly 2-3 hours touring Fabrica
La Aurora is well worth the time.
The return trip north was uneventful and relatively
quick given the excellent road conditions and the
ability to let our BMW motors unwind. A special
thanks to Hank Arriazola for arranging and guiding
us through the best ten days of this guy’s riding life.
A few tips before I close. Ensure your documents are
in order, don’t over pack, ensure your shocks are in
good working order and if possible, upgrade to a serviceable shock such as a set of Tourtech or Ohlins,
invest in steel rims (given aluminum alloy rims will
take a beating), remove the mud flap (or you’ll lose
it), prepare a travel wallet with the cash for the day
(store your primary wallet elsewhere), and listen to
warnings, but do not be deterred from riding through
Mexico. Once you do, you’ll yearn to get back.
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
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Kids and Bikes
Lauren Wolff
Daughter of Jeff Wolff
Lauren Wolff on the “Other Bike”
Daughter of Jeff Wolff
Harry Burney didn’t quite get the theme here, Kids
and bikes, but OK ...here to the upper left is Harry
circa 1957, with his sister Susan and to the right with
his K1300 in 2011. Same smile after all these years.
Paul Mulhern with Paul Jr. at Ft
Davis around 1992, on Paul Jr’s
first long trip. That’s Paul Sr’s
first BMW, a 1985 K100RT.
Paul Sr, Paul Jr, sounds like a
reality show to me
Top Picture by Jeff Wolff. Dr. Jeff is
still in the Army currently in Germany.
He may be getting out soon and coming
to Kerrville to work at the VA Hospital.
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
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La Frontera del Llano Scenic Byway And some alternate roads to Taos
by Paul and Jackie Mulhern
A couple of years back, on a ride to western Colorado, we discovered this ride. It’s a great “shortcut”
across northern New Mexico that takes you thru
some beautiful, and desolate, country side. And the
best part of the whole route, almost no traffic, just
you, the road and lots of cattle. There are a couple
of ways to get to the beginning of the byway just
outside Logan, NM, but we’ve always accessed it
from Clovis so I’ll start that way.
From Clovis head north on NM 209. This road cuts
thru some nice rolling countryside north of Clovis.
It’s pretty flat but not a lot of traffic. Once you hit
Grady you’ll want to head north on NM 469. The
signage and the road don’t exactly correspond to
each other so pay attention. NM 469 cuts thru
wheat country and one of the more interesting sites
is the old Wheatland school building (see pic) built
by the WPA in the late ‘30s, but now abandoned. It
sits in the middle of nowhere and you have to wonder what this area must have looked like back then.
Not far down the road you come upon a short section of very curvy road that goes thru the middle of
a wind farm just before it drops off of the plateau.
From there it’s a straight shot thru San Jon (at I 40)
and on to US 54. AT US 54 you want to turn right
towards Logan.
Wheatland School
When you reach Logan you will have travelled
about 80 miles since Clovis. The next gas station is
over 100 miles so it’s a good idea to get gas here
before proceeding. Just north of the gas station will
be the cutoff to NM 39 and the start of the La Fontera del Llano Scenic Byway.
The byway goes thru ranch country. The first hint
of what you are about to encounter is a sign just after the start of the byway that announces that the dirt
road to the left is the driveway to a large ranch (name I
don’t remember) and the headquarters is 35 miles
away! This section of 39 can be a rough road. It’s
pretty flat and there’s not much to see except fence
and cattle. Sometimes you will see large groups of
cattle all standing by the fence almost as if they’re
waiting for somebody to drive by just so they’ll have
something to look at. Along this section you will pass
the Gallegos Ranch, complete with its own church and
store. The church was originally built in the 1870’s
and rebuilt after a tornado around 1900. The church
and store are on private property so you can only see
them from the highway but it’s really a sight in the
middle of this desolate area.
Gallegos Ranch
Soon you come to the end of the Gallegos canyon and
climb up onto the escarpment again. There’s a nice
overlook at the top. Before too long you will come to
Mosquero, the county seat of Harding County. The
town is very small but all the building are decorated
with paintings of local life and all the people in the
paintings are the locals. There’s a nice park (with restrooms) next to the fire station. It’s worth an hour of
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
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La Frontera del Llano Scenic Byway And some alternate roads to Taos
Staying on NM 120 past Wagon Mound will take you
to Ocate. At Ocate you have two options. If you stay
on NM 120 it will take connect with NM 434 just
south of Angel Fire. But be aware about 10 miles of
NM 434 is unpaved.
The other option at Ocate is to turn left onto NM 442,
the Ojo Feliz Road (Happy Eye Road). This road takes
you thru some beautiful country with lots of curves
and elevation changes before it hits NM 518 about 5
miles south of Mora. Turn right here, towards Mora,
and you’ll be at Sipapu (site of the Land of Enchantment rally in September) in about 20 miles. Stay on
NM 518 for another 20 miles and you’ll come out in
Rancho De Taos.
So, if you’re looking for an alternate route with lots of
open country, beautiful scenery and very little traffic
try this route the next time you find yourself headed
into northern New Mexico.
your time to stop and look around. As you can see
from the pictures it is a very neat little place.
From here to the end of the byway, where NM 39
connects with US 412, is another 45 miles. Once
past Roy the road gets pretty straight and boring. If
you turn left at US 412 it’s about 5 miles into
Springer on US 25. From Springer on US 25 it’s
about 60 miles to Raton.
But, if you are going toward Taos, you will want to
cut off of NM 39 at Roy (about 20 miles past Mosquero) onto NM 120, also called the Wagon Mound
Highway. This route takes you across the Canadian
River. There’s a nice overlook and the road down to
the river and back up the other side is a great ride.
From here it’s about 20 miles to Wagon Mound on
US 25. This is the last gas till Mora (about 50
miles) so fill up here if you’re low.
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
Page 12
Editor Note: Attached below in its entirety is the club Constitution. Most recent changes where to the term of
office for club officers, which is now two years. The Club Constitution is provided here for your awareness.
Recommendations for changes/updates may be discussed during the club business portion of the annual
Christmas party
ARTICLES OF CONSTITUTI0N
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
1.0 GENERAL
1.1
NAME:
The name of this organization shall be SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION,
which, in this document, shall be referred to as SABMWRA.
1.2
PURPOSE:
The purpose of SABMWRA shall be to own, operate and maintain a local BMW Motorcycle
enthusiasts club exclusively for the pleasure, recreation, safety, information and furtherance of goals and interests of club and it's members.
1.3
PUBLICATION OF THE ORGANIZATION:
The official publication of SABMWRA shall consist of a monthly newsletter.
1.4
REMUNERATION:
No Officer, elected or appointed, shall receive remuneration of any kind for his or her services to SABMWRA.
1.5
REIMBURSEMENT:
Officers, elected or appointed and/or other individuals directed by the Officers to serve
SABMWRA in any capacity that requires out-of -pocket expenses may be reimbursed these
expenses.
2.0 MEMBERS
2.1
INDIVIDUAL:
Membership in SABMWRA shall be open to any individual who expresses an interest in
BMW Motorcycles and interested in is furthering the purpose of SABMWRA.
2.2
DUES:
The Membership shall establish the rate of dues subject to annual review at the request of
the OFFICERS.
2.3
OTHER MEMBERSHIPS:
Memberships other than Individual, such as Honorary, Lifetime or Business shall be established, and dues assessed by the Officers on an individual basis, subject to the approval of
a majority of the members present at the time of decision.
2.4
VOTING RIGHTS
Individual Members; including Lifetime, shall be eligible to vote in SABMWRA business
matters and elections. Each member shall be entitled to one vote so long as current
membership records and/or is evidenced by club dues receipts of SABMWRA.
2.5
TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
An Individual Membership, or Other Membership may be terminated if the member falls
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
Page 13
in arrears in payment of dues. Membership may also be terminated by a unanimous
vote of the Officers, elected and appointed, and a unanimous vote of Individual and
Lifetime Members present.
2.6
REFUSAL OF MEMBERSHIP
Any individual or business whose membership in SABMWRA would, in the opinion of
the Officers, elected and appointed, be undesirable, may be refused membership by a
unanimous vote of the Officers.
3.0 OFFICERS
3.1
OFFICERS, ELECTION, TERMS
The Elected Officers of the SABMWRA shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. All Officers shall be Individual Members of SABMWRA and shall
be elected to a two year term by the General Membership in balloting by mail. All shall
serve until their respective successors are elected. The president and treasurer shall be
elected on alternate years from the vice president and secretary so that all officers will serve a
two year term and each subsequent election would only involve electing two officers at a time.
3.2
PRESIDENT
The President shall preside over all formal meetings of SABMWRA, shall appoint all
committees and perform such other duties as the General Membership shall request.
The President shall be empowered to appoint an Individual Member to fulfill the term of
any vacant office.
3.3
VICE-PRESIDENT
The Vice-President shall execute the powers and duties of the President during the absence or incapacity of the President and shall assume the Presidency in case of a vacancy.
3.4
SECRETARY
The Secretary shall be responsib1e for the minutes of all General Membership Meetings and for Officers Meetings as required. The Secretary shall be responsible for communicating all necessary matters to the SABMWRA Newsletter for publication therein
and for handling such correspondence and duties as the General Membership or the
President may assign.
3.5
TREASURER
The Treasurer is the keeper of the financial books of SABMWRA. He or she has, with
the approval of the General Membership, custody and control over all monies, funds
and negotiable
assets of the organization. The Treasurer shall
present monthly
reports summarizing assets, treasury money and net worth and distribute said reports
to the Officers of SABMWRA. Quarterly summaries of these same reports shall be
presented in person or by proxy at a General Membership Meeting and made available
to the News 1etter for publication. All checks and receipts and all SABMWRA financial
transactions shall be supervised by the Treasurer. All SABMWRA checks shall be
signed by the Treasurer or appointed agent. The Treasurer shall supervise the receipts
of all funds either dues, event proceeds or advertising donations. The Treasurer shall
perform such functions as the General Membership directs. The Treasurer shall cause
the disbursement of funds as approved by the Officers or General Membership and
shall assure the timely satisfaction of SABMWRA debts and obligations.
3.6
APPOINTED OFFICERS
The Newsletter Editor shall be an Officer appointed by the Elected Officers and empowered with the same voting privileges as said Officers. The President may appoint
an Individual Member to fill a vacant office for the remainder of a term. The Appointed
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
Page 14
Officer shall be empowered with all privileges of the office.
3.7
REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Whenever the interests of SABMWRA shall best be served by the removal of an Officer prior to term expiration, such Officer may be removed by a unanimous vote of the
General Membership.
4.0 ELECTIONS
4.1
GENERAL
The General Membership shall nominate and elect the President, the vice-President,
the Secretary and the Treasurer.
4.2
JUDGE
The SABMWRA Secretary shall serve as Election Judge, maintain the ballot count ,
and ascertain the validity of each ballot cast. The Newsletter editor will confirm or dispute the final count.
4.3
NOMINATIONS
The General Membership shall nominate SABMWRA Individual Member to each officer
position. Additionally, an Individual Member may nominate his or herself. The Election
Judge shall ascertain that all the candidates for office would be willing to serve if elected.
4.4
BALLOTING
Ballots shall appear in the December edition of the SABMWRA Newsletter. Individual and
Lifetime Members must return their completed ballots to the designated address post marked no later than December 31 to be declared valid, Winners will be announced to the
General Membership in the January issue of the SABMWRA Newsletter.
5.0 MEMBERSHIP ACTIONS
5.1
POWERS
The powers of the Individual and Lifetime Member of SABMWRA shall be the nomination
and election of all officers, the voting on amendments to the ARTICLES OF CONSTITUTION; and the expression of views on stated issues at all General Membership Meetings
and/or Officers Meetings attended.
5.2
COMMITTEES:
Standing or special committees may be established by the President for the purpose of
study, investigation or development of matters of concern to SABMWRA.
5.3
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
General Membership meetings shall be conducted on a quarterly basis, but may be called
at any time by the Officers of SABMWRA. Majority rules applies to Individual Members
present.
5.4
Blank
5.5
OVERRIDING ACTION OF THE OF FICERS
The General Membership may override any SABMWRA Officers by a majority vote of the
entire voting membership of SABMWRA.
5.6
AMENDMENTS
A motion to amend the SABMWRA ARTICLES OF CONSTITUTION may not be voted upon for a period of sixty (60) days following the motion. The Secretary shall cause such a
motion to be published in the SABMWRA Newsletter no less than thirty (30) days prior to
the taking of any vote.
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
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Page 15
SAN ANTONIO BMW RIDERS ASSOCIATION
SA BMW RA
P.O. Box 15143
San Antonio, TX 78212
WWW.SABMWRA.ORG
Club dues are $12 single,
$18 w/associate(s).
President
Gerard Lobosco
(210) 349-1039
[email protected]
Vice President
David Greenlees
(830)-336-2992
[email protected]
Secretary
Jerry Fansler
(210) 842-0807
[email protected]
Treasurer
John Goetsch
(210) 281-1275
[email protected]
Ridemeister
Chuck Wetzel
(210) 410-5353
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Dave Hoover
(210) 401-9980
[email protected]
Editor Notes
Another year is rapidly approaching an end. I hope all of your
summer riding has been safe and you have been enriched by the
places you have visited and by the people you have met. Lucky
for us, our riding season doesn’t end with the arrival of Fall and
Winter. Please continue to ride safely, and go places you haven’t gone to before. Life is too short for staying home.
Are you coming to the annual club Christmas party? I hope you
take the opportunity to share some time and a meal with old and
new friends. Remember, the vice-president and secretary positions are up for vote. David Greenlees has agreed to stay another
two year term, but we will be electing a new club secretary .
Thanks to Jerry Fansler for his support to the club these last couple of years.
Take a look at the club Constitution in this edition of the newsletter. The officers are considering an update and wanted to give
the membership a copy to study before any call to change is
made.
Thanks to Dan Nosal and Paul Mulhern for their articles. Articles on your travels is why we have a newsletter. Keep them
coming.
Blanco BeeMerWerkes
In The Heart Of The Hill Country
Steve Henson
(512)413-5662
[email protected]
Call For an Appointment
The San Antonio BMW Riders Newsletter is
published bi-monthly solely for the use of its
members.
Any copying and/or duplicating is acceptable
provided it is not done for profit.
Classified ads are free to members Please call
or e-mail the ads to the editor. Advertising
rates for businesses are:
One year - 6 issues
Business Card $ 50.00
Quarter Page $100.00
Half page
$190.00
Full Page
$350.00
Page 16
Hank Arriazola
201 N Commerce, Dilley Texas 78017
(830) 963-1203 [email protected]