2007_04 Beemer Bulletin

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The B
April 2007
BMW Club of Houston, Ltd
BMW MOA #12
BMW National Rallies
BMW RA
International Rally
BMW RA #287
Since 1967
On Any Given Sunday
By Mark Ittleman
June 7-10, 2007
Biltmore Estate
Asheville, NC
For more information: www.bmwra.org/rally/
BMW MOA
International Rally
July 12-15, 2007
Washington County Fair Pk
West Bend, WI
For more information: www.bmwmoa.org/rally/
Start making your plans now
to attend one or both of
these annual events.
Contact Klaus Seeger
[email protected]
if you will organize a group ride
to one of these rallies
Club
T
here’s something
about riders
that’s got to begin a
trip with a Texas-sized
breakfast. This time it
was held at the quaint
Star Café in Crosby.
The walls of the place
Ken Webb, Charlie Storer and Beverly Ruffin find it hard
are covered with
signed portraits of old to make up their minds on breakfast
and newer Hollywood
movie stars, antique jukeboxes and a funky old-fashioned soda fountain.
The service and food were as good as the old-timey Texas ambience.
Floyd Crow, Ken Webb, Beverly Ruffin, Mike Loomis, Les Rhodes,
Charlie Storer, and I arrived at 8:30 and only an hour later we were on
the road. Floyd expertly led the troop through Dayton, Liberty, Kenefic,
Shepherd, Camilla, Lake Livingston, Leggett, Colmesneil, Ducette,
Woodville and, finally, Jasper, Texas.
(Continued on page 6)
Officers
Treasurer &
Web Master
Sergeant-at-Arms
Newsletter Editor
Janice Yeager
Mike Doyle
Beverly Ruffin
[email protected]
[email protected]
President &
[email protected]
Dealer Liaison
Ignacio Flores
[email protected]
Vice President
Secretary
Klaus Seeger
Charlie Storer
Historian
[email protected]
Diane Cox
[email protected]
[email protected]
Page 2
BMW Club of Houston
Time Keeps Slipping Away
Calendar of Club Events
Minute by Minute
by Charlie Storer
Breakfast with the Beemers ~ Every Sunday
Two locations:
Goode Company Taqueria ~ 4902 Kirby Drive at Westpark
Denny’s Restaurant ~ FM 1960 @ Highway 290
Breakfast at 8:00 AM with rides often starting around 9:00 AM
For the minutes of the April Business Meeting,
contact Charlie Storer at [email protected]
Social Gathering ~ Every Thursday
Hickory Hollow Restaurant ~ 101 Heights Blvd. ~ 7PM
The Monthly Club Ride is Back!
Business Meeting ~ Second Thursday Every Month
Hickory Hollow Restaurant ~ 101 Heights Blvd. ~ 7PM
April 2007
4—6
Annual RIDE THE 3’s, Leakey TX (details on pg 6)
4—6
17TH GEORGIA MOUNTAIN RALLY, Bald
Mountain Park in Hiawassee, GA bmwmoga.info
10
Monthly Business Meeting (Hickory Hollow)
18—20 BMOA New Ulm Rally, New Ulm,
www.bmoaonline.com
Star Café
FM 2100 just 2.7 miles south of FM1960
GPS Coordinates: 29.988N 95.090W
Show up by 8am for breakfast be ready to
ride promptly at 9am. Route instructions will be available for those who want to program their GPS's.
Leader Bill Ballard will be in front of the Pack on
this nice and easy 150-mile route along the back
roads to the lunch stop at
18—20 NATURAL STATE RALLY Morrilton, AR
[email protected]
24—27 19TH ROCKET CITY RALLY, Ditto Landing,
Huntsville, AL. www.bmwmoal.org.
the Brenham Airport Café.
Upcoming event:
June, 2007
7—10 BMW RA International Rally
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
www.bmwra.org
8—10 RED EARTH RALLY LITE, Red Rock Canyon
Park, Hinton, Oklahoma.
8—10 BEST OF COLORADO and UTAH
GYPSY RIDE, www.beehive-beemers.org.
Monthly Business Meeting (Hickory Hollow)
July, 2007
Monthly Business Meeting (Hickory Hollow)
12—15 BMW MOA International Rally
Washington County Fair Park
West Bend, WI: www.bmwmoa.org
18
So mark your
calendar for
on the east side of the highway
May, 2007
12
on the last Sunday of every month
Sunday, April 29
20—22 Texas National BMW Rally Lake Belton, TX
Cedar Ridge Park (details on pg 6)
14
Maybe he’ll make the newsletter deadline next month!
8th Annual
100,000 Foot
Motorcycle Ride
August 4, 2007
Registration is OPEN and limited. Ride begins
and ends in Denver and is approximately 500
miles over 10 mountain passes totaling more
than 100,000 feet!
Registration includes commemorative 2007 ride
pin, embroidered patch, continental breakfast,
catered lunch and dinner, door prizes during or
after dinner, and commemorative ride tee-shirt!
For more information and to register:
http://www.coloradobeemers.com/
Annual Ride to Work Day
To hook up with a local group, contact Beverly:
[email protected]
For details on these and other events,
visit the club website at www.bmwclub.org
April 2007
BMW Club of Houston
Page 3
April 2007
Page 4
BMW Club of Houston
April 2007
BMW Club of Houston
Page 5
Point…Counterpoint: More on Motels!
Additional contributions to February’s Point…Counterpoint
topic: Camping vs. Motels. Here are two more pro-motel opinions:
John Long speaks:
have and spent many years towards my profession, I can afford a
motel. I have always understood I like a life of comforts and I
worked very hard for many years to afford the privilege of owning
a truck, to pull a trailer, to carry fine motorcycles to nice areas so I
can stay in a motel.
David Beverly speaks:
I think usually as a kid your mind gets set
I can honestly say I did not like camping
against something. I can’t speculate where
even as a cub scout and a boy scout. Yes, it
my aversion comes from since I remember
was very different and exciting at moments
the camping experiences with my parents as
but the long uncomfortable nights lying on
fun. Maybe I’m just not as adventurous as
the ground just did not appeal to me.
others. Here are some of the down sides of
We have a classic story in my family.
camping in my opinion:
My father had gone on a camp out with my
I don’t like my evenings to end after a long day
scout troop and we of course did all the
of riding by having to pitch a tent and set up
proper camping preparation “by the numbers.” We had a good
camp.
tent, it was properly set up, the equipment was dry and the
It
takes
more work to look for a camping location vs. coming into town and
sleeping bags were appropriate for the temperature we were
heading
for the Marriott on Main Street.
expecting. My father awoke in the middle of the night to find me
I
have
trouble
sleeping with mosquitoes buzzing around my head
just watching him sleep. "How come you are not sleeping,
(remembrances
of my time in the Air Force).
John?" my father asked. "I am afraid someone your age will get
I don’t like to look like a bag lady going down the road with “stuff” tied to
cold and die out here," was my response to my father who, at
the back of my bike (but a trailer is ok).
that time, was in his mid thirties.
We like a warm or cool location to unpack our “stuff” at the end of each
Perhaps this was the nidus for my family buying, first, travel
day and leave it out until we repack the next day.
trailers and, later, very large recreational vehicles to travel in and
Clean sheets are a plus, not to mention a shower at the end of the day.
"camp." I was fortunate that when I started my own family and
Walking to a restaurant for dinner and breakfast next morning is easier.
we would travel on vacation, I was able to take my Dad’s enorBetter immunity to the changing weather.
mous RV from Houston to wherever, and travel like a turtle
A few years ago we bought a tent in order to participate in campwith all we wanted and needed within our moving shell.
outs with one of the motorcycle groups we’re part of. We enjoyed
I will admit openly and without shame I love my comforts. I
the time around the campfire and listening to stories but didn’t
refer to a temperature-controlled room, a reasonably good bed
realize that we were the evening entertainment when we left a light
with clean linens, a bathroom within the same immediate area,
on in the tent as we undressed for bed. We now enjoy stories at
and lots of hot water.
the restaurant, motel porch or parking lot and make sure the
Did I fail to mention my down pillows? Yes, when Sandra
drapes are pulled before we get ready for bed.
and I travel, whether in the state of Texas or abroad, we take
four of our favorite down pillows. Our nest of down pillows makes almost any bed and any room a hospitable
place to spend a good sleeping night.
Geez John, I thought we were talking about motorcycle travels! Ok, again, without shame, I will admit that we
generally trailer our bikes to where we will ride. I feel it is
rare that the roads to where we intend to concentrate our
riding, like Big Bend, the Hill Country, the Davis Mountains, are of enough interest to traverse these areas on a
bike. I wish to concentrate my energies and efforts and my
time in the area of greatest beauty and excitement. I do
not feel Interstate 10 or Highway 90 merit my energies
that I wish to expend once I get to the area of riding I am
most excited about.
I am a very practical and safety conscious rider. You
can imagine how fragile my professional life as a plastic
surgeon exists while riding on a motorcycle. I wish to limit
my dangers to the parts of the ride that are of most interOver 50 members from the Texas BMW clubs in Austin, DFW, Dallas and Houston gathered on Saturday, March 24 for the third annual multi-club rendezvous at the
est to me. I also wish to be fresh and energized from a
Old Store in Westphalia, Texas. Houston members participating in the ride: Jim
nice night’s sleep when I take to the road. I see a good
night of rest in a motel and a safe day of riding to be com- Knight, Bill Treadway, Mark Ittleman, Jeff Johnson, John Redford, Dave & David
McConnachie, Robert K. Graulty, Floyd Crow, Ron Goodall, Dorothy Goodall, Richplimentary.
Finally, also without shame because I work hard for what I ard Markle, Les Rhodes, Hi Bice, Klaus Seeger, and Beverly Ruffin.
April 2007
Page 6
BMW Club of Houston
Riding to Eat
(Continued from page 1)
We stopped in Jasper for a buffet
lunch. That’s “all you can eat,” but
they knew we were bikers on the road
and knew they had to crank up the
ovens! Chicken fried steak, fried
catfish, mashed potatoes and every
carbohydrate I can think of.
Mmmmmm good! And for dessert,
scrumptious pies, and cobblers of
every kind!
We took some extra time out for
photos, and I managed to get a great Riders pose in the parking lot outside the lunch spot in Jasper. From the left, Mike Loomis,
Ken Webb, Beverly Ruffin, Les Rhodes, Charlie Storer, Leader Floyd Crow and writer Mark
group shop of the gang.
Ittleman (down in front).
For those of us for whom nature is da
bomb, we got to see different sorts of hawks, Longhorns and other wild creatures that are safer on the “blue
highways” and back roads we explored. I certainly appreciated the lower speeds you chose for those of us who
were interested in the fauna and flora of East Texas and the Piney Woods.
Great thanks go out to Floyd for planning the route and the ride. Floyd is planning another awesome ride in the
near future. I think everybody in the club knows we are so fortunate to have such a great and knowledgeable rider
in our group. Three cheers for Floyd Crow and his great planning for a terrific ride and eats!
TEXAS NATIONAL BMW RALLY
Friday thru Sunday, April 20—22
Lake Belton, Cedar Ridge Park at the Turkey Roost Group Camping area,
10 miles west of Temple, Texas, off TX Hwy. 36.
A no frills camping rally organized by the BMW motorcycle clubs of Texas. No registration fee
Ride the 3’s
May 4-6, 2007
It’s just a few short weeks until we will be in Leakey, Texas at The Frio
Canyon Lodge for the annual Ride The 3’s weekend.
If you have not made plans to attend—do it now.
For lodging in and around Leakey: www.hill-country-visitor.com.
We recommend Camp Live Oak (830-232-4152)
www.campliveoak.com tell them you’re with the BMW Club!
This is a fun weekend riding on the best scenic roads in the Hill Country. Send an email to Floyd Crow ([email protected]) by
Wednesday, May 2 if you are going and want to join in the Saturday
evening meal.
The group meal on Saturday evening is at The Frio Canyon
Lodge and RSVP by May 2 only.
It’s not too late to make your plans to join us in Leakey for some great
riding in Hill Country. Here is a list of a lodging options in the area:
- Frio Springs Lodges
- Clearwater Ranch & Resort
- Frio Pecan Farm Log Cabins & RV Park
- River Haven Cabins on the Frio
April 2007
phone: 830-232-4174
phone: 830-232-6686
phone: 877-832-0674
phone: 830 232 5400
BMW Club of Houston
Page 7
April 2007
April 2007
BMW Club of Houston, Ltd.
P.O. Box 7542
Houston, TX 77270-7542
Interim Editor: Beverly Ruffin
Phone: 713-942-9901
E-mail: [email protected]
We’re on the Web!
http://www.bmwclub.org
It’s not the destination …
it’s the ride
April 30 is the deadline for the May 2007 Beemer Bulletin
Classified Ads
2001 K1200RS Marrakesh Red, 12k miles, heated grips, ABS, Cee Bailey windshield (plus stock, if desired), Throttlemeister
throttle lock cruise control, System side cases, PIAA lights all maintenance up to date, ready to go, asking $7495. This is the
last year for the non-linked brakes, w/o servo assist. Please email for pics if interested. One owner, garage kept, Pearland.
Contact Larry at [email protected] or 281 216-4399 (4/07)
2002 BMW K1200LTC Titan Silver, Heated Seat, Heated Grips, HID headlight, Additional PIAA driving and fog lights (2
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Miles. Garage kept, Pearland. Great Condition $8995 obo. Contact Larry at [email protected] or 281 216-4399 (4/07)
2004 R1200CL. Silver. 7,000 miles. $10,500 Contact Wayne: [email protected] or 281-455-6843. (4/07)
Parts from BMW R1150GS: Seat-$150 . Final Drive unit (abs) w/3500 miles-$300. System cases with locks and keys-$250.
System Case Mounting Brackets-$50. All items + shipping (or pick it up locally). Pearland. Contact Larry at
[email protected] or 713 272-2830. (4/07)
Misc Clothing: First Gear Kilimanjaro all weather jacket
and Hypertex pants, Black. Jacket has never been worn,
pants worn once. Jacket size Large. Pants 36W 32L. Both
items will fit up to a 200 pound person. $300 set, or Jacket
$200, Pants $100. AeroStich Darien Kanetsu heated jacket.
Reversible Black/Blue Heats well. Size large. $100. Contact
Floyd at, flyncrowflyncrow@ yahoo.com or 409 866 2920.
(4/07)
Annual Advertising Rates for Display Ads
Business Card ~ $100
1/4 page ~ $200
1/2 page ~ $300
Full Page ~ $400
Monthly Rates for Display Ads are available upon request
Classified Advertising is free to Houston BMW club members.
Non-members may advertise BMW motorcycle items only.
All classified ads run for 3 issues unless renewed.