2025 Winter Rally Program

Meal Schedule & Menu

Saturday Breakfast

8:00 AM - Dining Hall

Scrambled Eggs

Sausage

Hashbrown

Patty Grits

Cold Cereal

Fresh Cut Mixed Fruit

Milk

Orange Juice

Unsweet Tea

Sweet Tea

Hot Tea

Lemonade

Coffee

Friday Dinner

6:00 PM - Dining Hall

Salad Bar

Pasta With Marinara

Or Meat Sauce

Green Beans

Garlic Bread

Assorted Desserts

Friday & Saturday Lunch

11:00 AM - Rally Central Parking Lot Unsweet

Saturday Dinner

6:00 PM - Dining Hall

Salad Bar

Pulled Chicken

Pulled Pork

Baked Beans

Cole Slaw

Potato Salad

Garlic Texas Toast

BMWNEF Cake

Don’t Forget To Attend The SkyMed Breakfast Presentation In The Dining Hall

Saturday Morning - 9:00AM

Seminar Schedule

Friday Saturday

3:00 PM -

4:30 PMDave Sturgis Type 2 Diabetes (Seminar Room)

9:00 AM - Taylor Paloscio - SkyMed Medical Transport Service (Dining Hall) (Breakfast)

6:45 PM -

1:30 PMTom Nagle Southeast BDR Talk & Video (Dining Hall)

Jon Watkins The $3,000 Tire And Other Adventures In The Arctic Circle (Seminar Room)

2:15 PMTom Nagle Adv Bike Riding Positions Setting up your Adv Bike Adv Riding Gear (Courtyard)

Knut Wagner - Helite Helite Air Vest Systems (Dining Hall)

11:00 AM -

12:00 PM -

10:00 AMGunnar Heinemeyer Innovv Camera Systems (Seminar Room)

1:00 PM -

Effortless Moto Camping Awaits https://motocampnerd.com

2:00 PM -

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Dunlop Motorcycle Tires (Seminar Room)

David Woodburn “Basket case to a new, 1965 BMW in six weeks (tales of a recent restoration) ... and/or a questionand-answer session ... and/ or discussion about old BMWs.” (Seminar Room)

Alisa Clickenge Edelweiss Alps Tour (Seminar Room)

Dave Hart Crash Scene - What To Do (Seminar Room)

4:30 PMGreg Rice Riding To Mexico, Panama and Central America On An GSA and RT (Seminar Room)

Scott Acheson 2024 GS Trophy (Namibia) (Dining Hall) 3:00 PM -

6:45 PM -

Ian Feinberg (Keynote) Solo Utah Photo Adventure (Dining Hall)

Event Schedule

Off-road Skills & Ride

Friday & Saturday

Scott Acheson. Doug & Tami Bakke

4:00pm 9:00 am 11:00 am

Friday: Saturday: Saturday: SEE PAGE 28 FOR DETAILS SIGN UP AT RALLY REGISTRATION

Led Ride

Friday

09:00 AM - Mr. Chick

Bill Botkin

Rally Central Parking Leader: Meetup: Details: Route Map Page 44

AirHeads

Door Prize Drawing

Saturday

There will be a single door prize drawing for all prizes. The drawing will take place Saturday afternoon in the garage sale room. Winning numbers for each of the door prizes will be displayed, on a white board, in the garage sale room.

Door Prize

Winners Are

Required to collect their prizes before 5:00PM Saturday.

The Airheads will once again be attending, and hosting several activities at the Winter Rally. While they will again be primarily setup in the campground area of the rally, this year they will also host activities in the courtyard area of rally central.

State of National Club Meeting

Tech Tip Demos

General Q&A Session Airhead Bikes

David Woodburn - Roadside Tuning Tips

Ride-In Airhead Bike Show

Schedule To Be Posted At Camping Area Pavillion

Look Who’s Talking

Ian Feinberg

Film & TV Producer

Ian Feinberg is a retired award-winning film and television professional working for television stations and production companies with clients like Coca Cola, Home Depot, ESPN, Delta Airlines and more. He donated his time to charitable organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Make A Wish Foundation, Special Olympics and Atlanta Food Bank.

Passionate about both photography and riding, Ian has blended these interests by undertaking numerous expeditions. From traversing the Appalachian roads and trails to embarking on cross-country tours spanning Utah, Colorado, Montana,

Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and California, he has captured the essence of his experiences through his lens.

His presentation, “My Solo Utah Photography Adventure,” chronicles the challenges and triumphs of planning and managing a 5000-mile journey on a loaded bike through the captivating landscapes of Utah. Despite the challenges, a stifling case of nerves, and unexpected twists encountered on this grand journey, the pursuit of his passion for photography and exploration led to moments of incredible beauty and personal fulfillment.

Greg Rice

Greg’s riding resume is far too extensive to cover here. It would more than fill this entire publication. Highlights include 865,800 miles ridden, 90+ BBGs (1500 miles in 24hrs), 135,000+ BBG miles, 49,700 IBR miles (IBR is an 11 day crosscountry point collection rally), 237,550 Iron Butt Assoc. miles over 111 Iron Butt Assoc. rides.

Then there are the numerous international rides to destinations in Central & South America. There are very few people as qualified to present the planning, preparation, documentation, challenges and rewards of extreme long distance riding.

Even fewer are as qualified to present the steps necessary to prepare for, and handle in real time, the many challenges encountered during border crossings, and other encounters with international authorities.

Scott Acheson Long Distance Endurance Rider

During his presentation, Greg will do precisely that. He will share his experiences while riding BMW GSAs and RTs on multiple trips to Mexico, Panama and South America.

2024 U.S. GS Trophy Team

The BMW GS Trophy is an International Enduro Motorcycle Competition using BMW R1250 GS Trophy motorcycles.

In 2023, Scott Acheson earned a position on the U.S. Men’s GS Trophy Team by successfully competing in a series of qualifier events held in Greer, SC.

At last year’s winter rally Scott described his experiences while competing in the qualifier events - and - what he expected during the competition in Mamibia in September.

This year, Scott will present his experiences during the actual 2024 BMW GS Trophy Competition.

Alisa Clickenge EDELWEISS Alps Tour

Alisa is the North American booking agent for Edelweiss Bike Travel and recently returned from riding the Edelweiss Rome to Sicily Tour. One part travel documentary, the other is how-to. An expert in fly-and-ride adventures, Alisa can inspire even the most hesitant travelers to explore the world on two wheels.

Davis Hart

Crash Scene - What To Do

Davis’ motorcycling journey started early, led to motorcycle sales after high school, and enabled him to see the country, like most of us, on two wheels. Davis has since added holistic healthcare, combining medicine and faith, by working his way from ambulance service, to paramedic, to APRN in Primary Care.

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

A representative of Dunlop Motorcycle Tires will present and explain the various models of tires Dunlop offers to motorcyclists, the technology behind their design, and their performance characteristics. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn which tire is best suited to the type of riding they do.

Gunnar Heinemeyer

Innovv Camera System Features & Usage

Gunnar’s presentation will be about Innovv motorcycle dash & action camera and safety systems. He will go over the different systems and their features & capabilities. In short He will go over the Inovv bike mounted camera systems, helmet cam and blind spot monitor & rear collision warning system.

Tom Nagel - Motowayz

Southeast Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR)

Tom is a certified trainer with 37+ years of touring, off-road racing and training experience. He is also a BDR Ambassador and MotoQuest Guide. Tom returns again this year for another presentation of the opportunities and challenges offered by the many BDR routes across the country.

Taylor Paloscio - SkyMed

Medical Transportation Services - & So Much More

SkyMed will again deliver a comprehensive presentation of their medical transportation services. Several members of BMWNEF and rally participants in general have SkyMed coverage and happily relay stories praising the service SkyMed provides. No guarantees, however, SkyMed may offer a rally discount.

David Sturgis

Type 2 Diabetes

David frequently speaks at BMWNEF monthly club meetings on safety related topics. Many of his topics are related to the way a rider’s physical condition impact their abilities, and steps which can be taken to increase their safety. David will be addressing Type 2 Diabetes related effects, issues & safety steps.

Knut Wagner

Helite Air Vest Systems

Knut will present the various air vests and jackets Helite offers, the technology behind their design and their functionality. Attendees will be able to get answers to questions about their use, care, maintenance, air travel with vest cylinders, charging inertial systems and accidental discharge of lanyard systems.

Jon Watkins

The $3,000 Tire And Other Arctic Circle Adventures

Having not been given specifics about Jon’s prsentation we must surmise them from the title. This leaves us with two possible directions. Either a humorous series of unexpected incedents and how they happened - or - a “hold my beer” approach to the many challenges associated with riding to extreme destinations. We’ll just have to attend to find out.

David Woodburn

6 Week Restoration Of A 1965 BMW + Q&A

David will, once again, share some of his Barnsley Motor Works experience. This year’s topics include: “Basket case to a new, 1965 BMW in six weeks (tales of a recent restoration) ... and/ or a question-and-answer session ... and/or discussion about old BMWs.”

Backcountry Discovery Routes® (BDR®) is a non-profit advocacy organization that creates off-highway routes for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel. They have introduced a new route, with free GPS tracks, every year since 2010 (with the exception of 2021 due to the global pandemic).

Their work includes rider education, safety campaigns and promoting responsible travel for motorcyclists traveling in the back country.

Their volunteer organization works with agencies and land managers to keep trails and remote roads open for motorcycling.

Each route generates new tourism that delivers sustainable economic relief to less-advantaged rural communities. This creates local stakeholders who will help fight to keep access for dual-sport and adventure motorcycles in these incredible back country areas.

Tom Nagle will, once again, be speaking about Backcountry Discovery Routes, their opportunities, challenges and rewards. If this sounds like something that might interest you, PLEASE attend the Motowayz (Tom Nagle) seminar.

CURRENT BDR ROUTES

Oregon

Washington

Idaho

California North

California South

Nevada

Wyoming

Utah

Arizona

New Mexico

Colorado

North East

Mid-Atlantic West East

Big Bend Texas

Black Hills South Dakota

Chattahoochee Georgia

PA Wilds Pennsylvania

Red Desert Wyoming

Steens/Alvord Oregon

DEVELOPING

British Columbia

Michigan

Montana

South East BDR-X

Maggie Award

By Norm Nelson

The Maggie Award was created by Millie Stevenson and Alan Singer to celebrate the outstanding BMWNEF member for their volunteering contributions to the club.

My wife, Maggie Nelson, and I joined BMWNEF in 2001. Maggie was a tireless and selfless volunteer who also had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. She was at her best during the Winter Rally and after she was chosen as the Raffle Ticket Queen by all who worked with her, the Raffle Ticket gift area was always rocking with laughter and fun. Maggie never wanted adulation, she just joyfully loved helping people! Sadly, Maggie passed away on September 21, 2009. In 2010, and with great compassion and love for Maggie and the club…Millie and Alan decided to keep Maggie’s volunteering spirit alive by creating The Maggie Award for the best

BMWNEF Volunteer of each year. The Maggie Award does not have to be given each year but here is the list of those who have won the award, not necessarily in consecutive years.

PAST RECIPIENTS

2009 Howell and Nancy Winfree

2010 Jim And Millie Stevenson

2011 Bill and Valerie Robinson

2012 Larry and Jeanette Meeker

2013 Rich and Dot Molloy

2014 Wayne and Adele Givens

2015 Jim Niemi and Vicki Decker

2016 Chip and Cathy Kenyon

2017 Bill Peterson

2018 Bill and Ginny Botkin

2020 Jim and Ruth Allen

2021 Cecil and Nancy Broome

Visit Our Booth At The Rally

A Corner Of Jack’s Shop Seen From The Motorcycle Mezzanine

A Day With Jack Wells

by Steve Wishard

I have known Jack Wells for several years now. I have led several BMWNEF club rides that Jack joined and we have stayed in the same hotel at national rallies. I have attended bike shows, like Riding Into History, and run into Jack there. I’ve always enjoyed seeing Jack because he always

has an interesting story to tell. Stories about bikes. Finding bikes, buying bikes, restoring bikes, riding bikes. Stories about the events, the places, and the people he has encountered in his travels. He has certainly lived an adventurous life and he is showing no signs of slowing down.

Of course, when you get the stories one at a time, with spans of weeks or months between, in whatever order they come up, it’s difficult to get the big picture.

Over the same period of time I’ve also had many people tell me about his motorcycle collection. They talked about him bringing large trailers full of vintage motorcycles to shows and about the places he keeps many of them. Some would encourage me to ask Jack for a tour.

I’ve long wanted to see it all but never got around to asking.

When it was mentioned that BMW Singles might be featured at the rally and Jack might display one, I thought an article would go along nicely. So I asked and was given a wonderful tour. I got the whole story, in order, and saw an amazing motorcycle collection. What follows is, not all, but much, of what Jack graciously shared with me that day.

SW: How did you get started with motorcycles?

JW: I started with an ice cream Cushman scooter. It was a backwards trike with a box on the front. It had a little kickstart engine under a big ol’ bathtub thing with a cushion on it. Of course the cushion had worn out and had been replaced by a beach towel.

I bought it clandestinely for $5, which I had saved from mowing lawns, and kept it at my buddy Gerald’s farm. His older brother, Alan, had been a mechanic in the Coast Guard so he helped us get it running. Once he had gotten it going it always started and ran pretty good.

I was about 12 years old at the time. I would always try to have a couple of buddys along to help push when it got stuck, which happened frequently on the sand roads of Tybee Island.

SW: So your parents didn’t know you had it?

JW: No, cause, well - “can I have a motorcycle?” - NO! So of course I got one. LOL.

SW: Were you selling ice cream?

JW: No. The icebox lid was gone. It was just a worn-out thing that we were able to get running.

Anyway, that was the start of it.

A Bit of Background.

My visit with Jack, and the history of his motorcycling, is really 2 parallel histories. One in motorcycling and the other in aviation. I think it’s fair to say that aviation played a major role in Jack’s motorcycling. I might even go so far as to say that much of what Jack did with motorcycles may not have been possible without his work in aviation. As he told me while giving me a tour of his shop.

Most of the vintage BMWs were never sold in the U.S. So they simply weren’t sitting around in barns here like old Harleys were. You had to go to Europe to find them.

Over the next several minutes Jack explained that, around 1956, his father was a TWA pilot, contracted to Luftansa, to train their pilots to fly internationally in Lockheed Constellations. He was a check airman, who was one of a group of 12 from TWA, who went to Germany to do the training. He would frequently be gone for 2-3 weeks at a time and when school was out, Jack was able to travel with him. During those trips Jack was able to tour Germany along with the younger radio and navigation flight crew members who had cars.

Eventually, Jack finished school, including a couple of years of college, and then entered the Navy. Once there, he began flight training. While attending ground school he learned that a few of the other guys had motorcycles. One from California had a Harley Davidson KHK for sale. So Jack bought it. He had previously owned a Ducati Diana for about a month, but it never ran right, so he considers the KHK to be his second motorcycle and the real beginning of his motorcycling.

Jack stuck with the KHK and over the next few years, finished his 2 year hitch in the Navy, got married, then started flying cargo contracts for Seaboard & TransCaribbean, eventually flying military contracts to Vietnam.

BMWs

SW: So the Cushman ice cream scooter was your motorcycling start. That eventually evolved into riding a Harley for a period of time during your early flying days. How did you eventually get started with BMW motorcycles.

Jack’s 1984 R100 RT Last Edition - See 2023 Rally Program For The Bike’s Complete History

JW: Well, in early 1968 I had just started flying for Trans-Caribbean. A friend of mine found an R60/6 for a reasonable price. I think it had been banged up a bit because the forks were a different color than the bike. I bought that and Judy and I rode around on that until she eventually said she didn’t want to ride 2-up anymore. We’d go camping and the bike was really overloaded. So, we got Judy a Honda Trail 110 and she rode that around town to tennis and such.

During that period of time I also had some sidecars. An R60/2 with Steib or Jawa sidecar and a Jawa 350 Californian with the Velorex sidecar. I eventually traded the R60/6 for a 1984 R100 RT Last Edition.

SW: That’s the one that Joe Edelson won at Riding Into History which was on the cover of the 2023 Winter Rally Program.

JW: Right. Bill Robinson won it or bought it. A couple of other club members

had it and it eventually ended up being donated to Riding Into History by Mary Crawford. They raffled it off and Joe Edelson had the winning bid. So it is still owned by a club member.

Restoring & Collecting

SW: So you started riding BMWs back in the late 1960s. How did that turn into restoring and collecting?

JW: Well, it was just by chance in the mid to late 1970s. I had realized that I was interested in antique motorcycles when I happened to see an R26 laying on a scrap pile. It was in terrible shape but I had to have it. So I bought it for a couple hundred dollars.

I was based out of Chicago at the time so I took it all apart and built a crate to ship it back in. When I got it all packed it was in a box slightly larger than a standard footlocker. I put casters on one end and drawer handles on the other. I told the baggage folks it was crew luggage. I got

The 1959 R26 That Was The Beginning Of Jack’s Restorations And Collection

the “Yeah Right” looks but they loaded it and I got it home.

I was commuting to Chicago at the time but when I wasn’t flying I could go to Omaha and work on the R26. I was doing the restoration with my friend who had also been the guy who found the R60/6 for me. He painted it all and we worked on the restoration. I was no great mechanic and didn’t know much about it. I had a lot to learn but I managed. Once it was restored, I’d ride it around Jersey and get a lot of compliments. We did a little 2-up but the bike really wasn’t up to that task. We did, however, see that we would enjoy getting a little trailer to take some bikes around to shows. So that was the beginning of building up a small, so we thought, collection of bikes we could take around and show. A collection that would be made up of BMW singles.

BMW Singles

SW: So the R26 was the first single in the collection. Did you start working backward through the models or jump back to the R2 and start there?

JW: After the R26 I started with the R2. The first year of the R2, 1931, was the most significant one. It had an exposed open valve train. You could see the lifters going up and down. It ran nice and it was the ONLY BMW EVER to have an exposed valve train. They had side valves that you could see the valves opening but no lifter springs. They were all panheads.

The 1931 R2 single was actually the second model they made. They had previously made an R39 in 1925. I never did get one of those. I couldn’t find one for the longest time and when I did the guy wanter over $100k. I wasn’t playing that game.

It didn’t take long for Judy, and frankly myself, to realize that it wouldn’t be just an R2. It would be an R2, R2/2, /3, /4, and finally R2/5. I was able to collect all of those, however, the only one I didn’t keep in my collection was the R2/5. I had a couple of those but sold them off.

Following the R2/5 they skipped the R3 and produced several series of R4s, which I was able to collect. The 1934 R4 we looked at upstairs was the last model BMW produced with no tubing in the frame or forks. The frame and front suspension are all pressed steel components. In 1936 BMW went back and, for a single year, produced an R3. I was able to get an R3 but it was a very difficult restoration. The bike came out of Isreal. When I saw how rusty it was, I told the guy I got it from that the boat must have dragged it all the way. I refused the bike but he told me I could have it for my $700 deposit. Of course it probably cost $7k to restore it.

1938 BMW R20

After the R3 BMW went to the R20. Then they skipped the R21 & R22 and went to an R23. 1n 1949 they then produced the R24. They were not permitted to produce vehicles following WWII from 1945 thru 1949. Only the R24 was allowed. Most of the R24 production was based on R20 & R23 designs so the R24s were all pre-war technology. I ended up collecting all of these bikes as well, and that completed the pre-war singles collection.

The first post-war model was the R25. There were also R25/2 and R25/3 models. I was able to collect all 3 versions of the R25 series as well. Following the R25/3 BMW produced the R26 which was the model I had begun the collection with. So that completed my collection of vintage BMW Singles. The only 2 models not in my collection were the 1925 R39, which I was not able to locate/afford, and the R2/5 which I did have but decided to sell. At that point I had 20+ motorcycles in my collection.

EMW R35

One BMW single I forgot to mention is the R35. It was a pre-war bike which was very popular with the military, which purchased the bulk of them, but which later also became available as a civilian version. Only a handful of the BMW R35s ever made it to the west.

The R35 manufacturing facility was located in Eisenach, Germany, which is in what became the Russian zone after the war. So the Russians continued to produce

the R35 under the BMW brand. In 1950 BMW sued them to force them to change the name. In response they changed their name to Eisenacher Motorenwerk (EMW) and change the rondel to red & white instead of blue & white.

The eastern European countries didn’t have much money and the R35 could get the job done for them. I have one in the museum as a tribute to their ingenuity. They welded channel iron on it to be able to pull a sidecar and made their own sidecar frames. Then the rear wheels got all beat up and the spokes were bent, due to the weight, so they welded pie slice pieces of metal from the hub to the rim. So it has pie slices going around instead of spokes. I had bought it with the intention of restoring it. But then I thought that even though it came from a BMW factory, it’s not a BMW. So I just left it the way it was. The BMW museum displays it as a testament to individual’s ingenuity and the ability of a BMW to carry on under extreme circumstances.

SW: Where did you get the parts you needed for your restorations?

JW: If I needed parts I could go to rally vendor areas and hunt them up.

SW: Yeah. We were just at the Barber Vintage Festival and I said I thought you could build just about any old motorcycle you wanted, from scratch, and find all of the parts you needed right there.

JW: Yeah, especially Harley and Indian because they are American and there are lots of parts there for them. But the BMWs, when you go to the rallies here, you can very rarely find parts. Especially for models prior to the R26s & R27s.

SW: So at that point you had covered the vintage BMW singles. I know you never stop moving forward so, what was next?

JW: Actuallly, I continued to add R26s and R27s. They were easier to find because they were here in the states. Also, in the 1970s people weren’t really interested in 250cc motorcycles, so only collectors were after them. Their value has increased now, so depending on your restoration cost, you can get a return on your investment today.

Brough Superior & Vincent

After the BMW singles were done and we moved down here in 2002, I started seeing other bikes that I liked. I liked the Brough Superiors and Vincents. I had a Vincent Comet that I had bought down at the Daytona Beach auction when they had them at the armory.

The first Brough Superior I bought was an SS80. It was for sale in Mannheim Germany at the Mannheim Veterama. There was a guy there pushing this Brough Superior. I knew Broughs because some of the guys in the Vincent crowd had

1934 Brough Superior 1150 With A 1938

them. So I knew that this was the top of the heap. Of course I didn’t know that the SS100 was the top, not the SS80. However, the SS80 was still not an everyday machine. It was expensive as hell because all of his bikes were hand made for the particular customer.

The 1150s were made in batches with sidecars for the police. Not sidecars like the one upstairs but a plain sidecar which was easy to get in.

Anyway, every time the guy in Mannheim would push it without getting it going, he’d get more sweaty and angry and drop the price. So I finally told him that I would pay the lowest price he had said, however, he would have to take it back to Holland, crate it up and ship it to me in New Jersey. He agreed and eventually the bike showed up in Jersey and that was my first Brough.

I found my second Brough, the 1938 SS100, in the Brough Club News. It was down in Australia at Jack Graham’s Motorcycle Shop, which was the oldest

shop in Australia. So Judy and I took a month and went down to Australia to see the bike. When we got there everything looked good so I agreed to buy it. So Barry, Jack Graham’s son who had taken over the shop, got the bike packed up and took care of all the shipping and insurance paperwork and got it ready to go.

With the bike on the way, Judy and I rented a couple of motorcycles and spent a couple of weeks riding up and down the eastern coast of Australia from Cairns down to Brisbane and Sydney. It was a wonderful trip and everyone was very friendly and welcoming.

A couple of years later, Barry called and told me that there was a Brough Superior 1150 with a sidecar for sale down there. He said it had a pretty good price on it and wanted to know if I was interested. Well, I asked him to check it out for me, which he did, and based on Barry’s findings I purchased the 1150 and sidecar upstairs. The 1150 was the last one I bought. Now I’m in the selling mode.

I’m 83 now and I don’t want it to become a P.I.T.A. for my kids. I want to get things setup the way I want so it works out good for them. Besides, if I sell some things, I’ve got wonderful memories of all of them and there will still be several around. As you saw, I also have a pretty nice collection of British bikes.

SW: And the King Dick, the WWII military motorcycles and sidecars and, one of my favorites, the German Postal Service Sidecar.

JW: Right. The King Dick, the Vincents, the Brough Superiors, and the Velosettes.

SW: So at its peak, how many motorcycles were in your collection.

JW: Right around 100 at the peak. I don’t have that many now. The last count I did I was down to around 60.

SW: Jim says you have more than you keep saying because you have them stashed all over the country in museums or various stages of restoration.

JW: Yeah, I’ve got 2 in Chicago for restoration. I’ve got 2 Imperials at a friend’s place in Ohio. One is a ‘34 and the other is a ‘28. I’m trading him one for the restoration of the other. He also has one of my R25/2 or /3 bikes he is working on. There are a few more out and I have several at the BMW MOA Foundation Museum in Greer, SC.

SW: You have some at Barber don’t you?

JW: No. I never put any bikes at Barber. I bought the 2 bikes Norm Nelson rode in the Cannonballs a mile from there. Barber wouldn’t buy them so I went up and got them. We should have run the 500 the first time out. If we had, we would have won that one.

SW: When we were upstairs you showed me a German Postal Service Sidecar. That was one of my favorite items.

JW: I purchased the motorcycle with the belief that it had been used by the postal service. Once I had traced the serial numbers, etc. and had confirmed that it had in fact been used by their postal service, I reached out for information about the sidecar. They responded with a copy of the original blueprints. Their only condition was that I send them the information about how we produced ours, so they could build one as well. I sent them the information but don’t know if they ever built one of their own.

Jack & I wrapped up our time together discussing 1950s Volkswagens and old tractors he’s cleaning up in preparation for becoming yard-art. Of course we also came up with perfect solutions for one or two of the world’s problems. LOL

Jack was very gracious with his time and I came away with a much better understanding of him and his collection, even though I know it was only a tiny fraction of the full story. He is truly a unique individual with a life well lived and all of the memories that creates. I’ve been fortunate to spend time with him on several occasions. If you get an opportunity, I recommend you do it as well.

Don’t Forget To Attend The SkyMed Breakfast Presentation In The Dining Hall Saturday Morning - 9:00AM

BMWNEF Welcomes

Airheads Beemer Club

To The 2025 Winter Rally

by Steve Wishard

BMWNEF is excited to, once again, welcome the Airheads Beemer Club to the 2025 Winter Rally. Founded in 1991, the club was created to address a growing information gap due to BMW’s move away from air-cooled boxers. While it has, and does, certainly fill that role, over the years the club has always been a lot more.

In December of 1991 they produced their first newsletter (“Airmail”) and in Feb ‘93 they held their first rally called “Death Valley Rendezvous”. Today the club hosts and attends a wide variety of events all over the country. Rides, of course, Tech Days, Bike Shows, Swap Meets, and much more.

Oh, and don’t forget the community. You would have a very difficult time finding a more welcoming and supportive group of individuals. And, if you don’t happen to own an airhead BMW yourself, don’t let that stop you. Plenty of non-airhead riders frequent the Airhead Beemer Club events.

Airheads At The Rally

I expect that the Airheads will be creating an area on the rally grounds, and within that area you will likely witness many of the activities mentioned earlier.

So, if you want to see what it’s all about, the rally is your best opportunity. Stop by their area, introduce yourself as a newbie, make yourself at home, and you’ll receive a warm welcome.

Or, if you own an airhead and need help with an issue, or you are looking for a hard-to-find component, or you would like to see other airhead bikes, or you just want to hang out with folks who understand, you should definitely visit the Airhead Beemer Club at the rally.

Off-Road Tips & Techniques with Scott Acheson, Doug

and Tami Bakke

The team will cover skills to improve your off-road experience then take you on an offroad trail to test them out. Participants will gain new riding skills, have and opportunity to immediately apply them, and also get a chance to see areas of Camp Weed’s 520 acres that most never get to.

Plan to sign up upon arrival at the 2025 Winter Rally for one of three Off-road Tips and Techniques to improve your off-road skills

Friday: Saturday: Saturday: 4:00pm 9:00 am 11:00 am

Remember, you don’t have to have a BMW Motorcycle to attend

This is a free exercise provided by the club

BMW in MotoGP???

by Steve Wishard

I am once again registered for, and looking forward to, working as a MotoGP track marshal. The 2025 U.S. Grand Prix will be held March 28-30, at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.

Working the races is both a daunting and rewarding experience. For 3 days, the worker shuttle picks us up at the hotel at 4:30 AM and returns us to the hotel around 7:00 PM. Between those times we collect tabards & radios, get breakfast, arrive at our assigned stations before sunrise, spend the entire day communicating with race central and handling any motorcycle & rider needing assistance in our area, return gear, get dinner, and catch the shuttle back to the hotel. It’s cold as hell in the morning and can be quite warm at mid-day. But you will NEVER get a better view of bikes running 200+ mph. As a track marshal they are literally 50 feet in front of you with no obstructions.

As much as I have enjoyed working the MotoGP races the past few years, I was excited to learn that it - MIGHT - get even better in 2027.

BMW is reportedly exploring the possibility of entering MotoGP in 2027. The speculation follows comments from the new BMW Motorrad CEO which indicated that the company is evaluating a premier class racing effort.

In a related development, there are reports that BMW has acquired data from Suzuki’s final MotoGP season. Suzuki’s factory team, which withdrew from MotoGP after the 2022 season, had been the 2020 series champions. While this data could provide BMW with valuable insights, the significant regulation changes in 2027 will affect their applicability. Of course, the changes will affect every team and create a more level environment for a new BMW team to get started. Fingers Crossed...

Sweet AirBnB Alabama

by Steve Wishard

Just prior to her freshman year of high school my wife’s family moved to Jacksonville, Alabama. To say she wasn’t pleased would be a huge understatement. They had previously lived in Columbia, SC where she would have attended the largest high school in the state - andwould have been able to drive at 15. However, in time she came to enjoy her new home and friends, and has many wonderful memories.

When it came time to go to college, despite the fact that Jacksonville State was right there in town, she decided to go to Auburn University (AU). I wouldn’t learn of Auburn Unversity’s existance for another 7 years, but it has been a significant presence in my life ever since.

I don’t recall seeing anything in writing, or anything being said, but apparently there were several AU related provisions in the marriage agreement.

• I must adopt AU as my college and support it at all times.

• I must reject all things associated with the University of Alabama

• All of my offspring must attend AU

• I must support firing the coach if AU loses the Iron Bowl regardless of the overall W/L record

• I must acknowledge Aubie as the coolest mascot ever created

There are several other minor provisions, mostly related to opinions of other school’s fans, but they are too numerous and nuanced to fully describe here.

This is the point at which Wayne & Garth say PARTY ON to each other and then do their:

Do Da Lu Da Lu

Do Da Lu Da Lu

Do Da Lu Da Lu...

It’s now 35 years into the future, our daughter is now the one ready for college, and my wife is envoking the “All Of My Offspring” provision.

Initially we rented an apartment for our daughter to live in, however, we eventually did what many parents before, and since, have done. We bought a 4 bedroom college rental unit, stuffed our daughter and a few roommates in it and had the roommates help pay for it.

Most parents then sell the buildiing after graduation and get a nice return on their investment. We, however, decided to keep it as a game day place.

Then, in 2024, we decided to offer it as an AirBnB as well. So far that is going better than expected. We use it for a few games a year and it rents fairly frequently too large families or multiple couples attending events at AU.

While our use of the building has always been related to AU attendance and events, this summer I started to think that it might serve equally well as a motorcycling base of operations.

In all of my years of riding I’ve been all over the U.S, but never really explored Alabama. I knew it had a lot to offer and was very diverse. Arkansas like in the north and beach front in the south. However, my perception of central Alabama, where Auburn is located, was primarily based on the drive up from Florida. Specifically, the roads from Tifton, GA to Opelika, AL.

That 150 mile ride is initially frequent small towns. However, as you continue northwest you soon find yourself in pecan orchards and cotton fields. Still farther northwest you get several pleasant miles of rolling hills and sweeper turns, albeit on a 4 lane road. You’ll want to pick up the pace in that stretch but I don’t recommend it. Those small hills are frequently excellent speed traps. All in all, it’s a relaxing ride but not something you would travel there to do.

So, I was unsure about promoting the place as a motorcycling base. My concern was that all of the riding around Auburn would be like the ride to get there and

that all of the good Alabama riding was a couple of hours north or south. If so, that would make basing yourself in Auburn impractical. On the other hand, I’ve been around long enough to appreciate the ass/u/me reality of assumptions.

So, in October, I took a few Jacksonville, FL friends to try it out. Folks I’ve ridden with for years, who are good riders, and who easily adapt if things don’t go exactly as planned.

I wanted to be sure that we would have at least one good outcome so I timed the trip to attend Barber Vintage Festival rather than fall colors. You’re never really sure when the colors will peak. So with that

in mind, we planned to ride up to Auburn October 5th and return on the 13th. A nine day trip with seven days to explore what central Alabama has to offer.

Planning those seven days presented an interesting challenge. The group I was taking enjoy a good ride, but they also like to see interesting places along the way. If I could make that happen I would be well on my way to creating the seven rides I wanted to have in our AirBnB guidebook. I knew I wasn’t likely to get them all in one trip, but I should get a couple and learn enough to get the rest.

When I started planning the rides I decided to hedge my bets and plan several

long rides and several short rides. The longer rides would go north where I was confident I would get good results. The group I was taking could easily handle a 400 mile day if needed. Then I would alternate short and long ride days to avoid fatigue. If it turned out that the riding closer to Auburn was good, we could do more short days than long. Having extra rides of varying lengths would make it possible to adapt to what we were learning and how people felt.

With the trip dates and ride strategy decided. It was time to dig into the details. I needed to find interesting destinations and good motorcycling roads. I figured

In Front of the AirBnB, ready to explore another route

the roads were more important than the destinations so I started there. Not being one for reinventing the wheel, and being a member, I turned to the BMW Motorcycle Owners Of Alabama Club Website. I hoped they would have some rides and they DID NOT disappoint. They have rides in all areas of the state and they are identified by region. Focusing on the central region, I was able to map several routes.

• 29 Dreams

• Alabama 25

• Cheaha Skyway

• Tail of the Lizard

• Camp Creek Road

• Cottaquilla Road

• Pocahontas Road

• Smith Camp Road

• and many more...

Their site also has rides which span regions. The Central to Northeast region, 203 mile, Cheeseburger in Paradise Ride is one example. It will take several trips to explore them all. So my prospects of success are looking good. Now on to the destinations.

For those, I simply did google searches. Interesting places in Alabama. Once I had a list of possibilities I used google maps to find the ones which were located near the BMW Club’s routes. There were many to choose from. Here is what we ended up doing during this trip.

Majestic Caverns

Majestic Caverns is a show cave located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mtns in Childersburg, AL. It contains the largest accumulation of gem quality onyx in the U.S. and Mastodon bones were found in 1995 when creating the ramp cave entrance. There are several other attractions at the Majestic Caverns, most of which are geared to children. It would be a great place for a birthday party.

We rode different scenic routes to and from the caverns. Each was 95 miles and took approximately 2 hours to ride. We crossed Lake Martin at the south end going up and at the north end returning.

Cheaha State Park / Jacksonville AL

There were several reasons I planned this route and frankly it is one of my favorites.

• It runs a significant portion of the center of Talladega National Forest

• It includes Cheaha State Park and the Bald Rock overlook which is the highest point in Alabama

• It has beautiful forest roads and, at the north end, some great twisties.

• It stops in my wife’s high school home town, Jacksonville, AL, for lunch.

We again rode different routes up and back. Our route up was designed to enjoy the National Forest and State Park. Scenic with great motorcycle roads. The return route was more for reduced time due to the extended time caused by the twisties, the hike to the overlook, and multiple stops. 126 miles & just under 3 hours going up, 110 miles & just over 2 hours returning.

Little River Canyon / Desoto Falls

This is the ride I wouldn’t repeat, even without all of the issues. Yes, this was the day that the adaptability of the group really paid off. I had high hopes for this one. It included Little River Canyon Parkway (an ultra twisty road) along Little River Canyon Preserve (scenic overlooks), Desoto Falls, and Mentone, AL (a Gatlinburg TN like little town).

We were barely underway when things started to go wrong. I hadn’t realized that my GPS recalculated the route so we ended up going nearly to Birmingham when we should have been near the Georgia line. Then, a couple of miles before we entered the parkway we learned that our route took us up a road that actually had a sign saying motorcycles, and frankly everything but cars, couldn’t do it. So we had to double back and come in a different way. Once we got on the parkway the road was as expected but the scenery was reminicent of Tail of the Dragon, nonexistent due to overgrown trees. Desoto

Falls was primarily an overflow dam and all of the restaurants in Mentone were closed. Add the fact that the route was a 382 mile, 7 hour round trip and you have the makings of a less than stellar day. Oh well, stuff happens.

Planning a new strategy enroute

Momma G’s Troy AL

I call this ride Momma G’s Troy AL because that is where we stopped for lunch. However, it is really a slightly modified version of the Alabama BMW Club’s Montgomery/Troy Loop Ride. I modified it to stay east of Montgomery because I didn’t want city traffic.

The intention was to have a short, hopefully scenic, day following the Little River Canyon disappointment marathon. What I got was my second favorite ride of the entire trip and the big picture view of Alabama ride planning I had hoped for.

The route was a 183 mile, 4 hour loop around the east side of Montgomery, south to Troy, and looping east back up to Auburn through Tuskegee. Rolling hills, sweeper turns, farms, tree lined roads, and a very interesting dam on the Tallapoosa River in Tallassee. Some of the roads were a bit rough but still a great ride. I can’t wait to ride it again. I HAVE to get a photo of that dam.

Providence Canyon State Park

This destination was requested by one of the group. And, while it is actually located in Georgia, it is only 9 miles over

the state line and therefore mostly an Alabama ride. Providence Canyon State Park is home to Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”. Essentially, 150 foot deep gullies which were created by erosion as a result of poor farming practices in the 1800s. There are hiking trails throughout the canyon and, due to the steep canyon walls and coloring, there are numerous photographic opportunities.

I had separate going & returning routes planned for the ride. One leg was a short 72 mile, 90 minute ride. The other was a longer 142 mile, nearly 3 hour ride. I thought we’d do the short ride first so we could walk the canyon before the hot part of the day, then take the long way back to get an enjoyable ride. However, the canyon turned out to be a let-down and the temperature increased earlier than expected. So, everyone opted for BBQ in Lumpkin followed by a quick 82 mile, 90 minute return through Columbus.

The ride to the park had several stretches of very rough paved road. Something we have never seen before where they repaved the curves in the road and left the straight sections crumbling. Maybe they are trying to keep speeds down on those narrow roads.

Getting Lunch At 4-Way BBQ

Barber Vintage Festival

I imagine everyone is familiar with Barber Museum, the worlds largest accord-

ing to Guinness world records, Barber Motorsports Park, and the Annual Barber Vintage Festival. We decided to go on Friday thinking the locals would be working, planning to go on the weekend, so the crowd would be smaller. I don’t know if that was true but we were able to get around easily, so maybe.

Our 115 mile, slightly over 2 hour, route took us straight up & back on 280 so we could get there early and be home before dark. What an amazing facility and event.

Kowaliga Restaurant Lake Martin

For our last day before heading back to Florida we decided to keep it short and relaxing. After all, the various members of the group had 4,6 & 7 hour rides to get home. So we decided to circumnavigate Lake Martin and have lunch on the water at Kowaliga Restaurant. Other than having to alter our route due to a 5 mile stretch of gravel, it was the perfect way to end the trip. A beautiful ride and waterfront setting at the restaurant. Great facility, food & service. I can’t wait to return.

The restaurant was on the opposite side of the lake so our ride was 2 legs. A 65 mile, 1:40 ride to the restaurant and a 40 mile, 1 hour ride back. I can’t imagine a better finishing day.

What I Learned

As it turns out, Central Alabama has a lot to offer riders. It is every bit as interesting and beautiful as the northern area of the state. Just different. And that difference makes for an excellent mix of opportunities. Large elevation changes, expansive vistas, and tight twisties and switchbacks in the north. Rolling hills, fast sweepers, beautiful rural scenery, interesting destinations, and excellent food in the center. Oh, and don’t forget the gulf coast to the south, if you’d like to visit the world’s most beautiful beaches. AirBnB base of operations? Oh Yeah... This will work.

Auburn’s Hideaway AirBnB

Auburn’s Hideaway is the AirBnB described in the program article, Sweet AirBnB Alabama. Motorcycling guests who stay will find a motorcycle rides guidebook. The guidebook includes descriptions, maps, route download links and point of interest information for rides of varying lengths. Scan The QRCode to Learn More >>>

Bike Week Road Shots Motorcycle Photography

by Steve Wishard

We have all ridden the southeastern mountain roads. And we have mostly all been to a Bike Week or Biketoberfest in one state or another. So it is also likely that we have all had our photos taken as we rode the Ormond Loop or Tail of the Dragon or countless others. It is equally likely that many of us have purchased one or more of those photos.

I recently purchased a couple of these event photos, taken by Daytona Bike Week photographers, and was surprised by their poor quality. I photoshopped both of them in an effort to make them presentable, however, in the end neither could be made print quality. The only time I’ve used either of them is in the G310 GS article in this publication. The riding the scenic loop image is the one on the 310. The Main Street image on the GTL is okay but it took a lot of work.

Years ago I purchased a couple of photos from Killboy in North Carolina. Tail of the Dragon and Moonshiner 28. Those were very high quality images which now hang on my wall as aluminum prints. That is the level of quality I require for the photos I shoot. If not - why bother.

For simple road shots like the one above, I let the camera do a lot of the work and I take advantage of the superior optical quality of prime lenses (prime = single focal length not a zoom). I set the camera for continous focus, 1/2000 sec shutter speed, f/2, auto ISO and 12 frame a second shooting rate. Then when the bike passes, I hold the focus & shutter buttons and track the bike as it goes by. With a 50mm prime lens on a pro camera, you’re going to get several very high quality images. I also like to put something in the background to show where they were.

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Iron Horse Lodge

Kathy’s Touring Bags

MOA Foundation

Moto Camp Nerd

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Klim

MOA Foundation

Moto Camp Nerd

Tom Nolan

Sarasota HAP BMW Motorcycles

Sargent Seats

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Weisertechnik

Wolfman Luggage

Orange Lake - Mexican Lunch

Address:

Distance: Time:

Description:

212 E Screven St, Quitman, GA 31643

Out: 84 - Back: 72 - Total: 156

Out: 2:11 - Back: 1:44 _ Total: 3:55

Leader: Day/Time: Meetup:

N/A

N/A

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This ride will take you to Coyoacan Mexican Restaurant, in Quitman GA, via a variety of scenic and somewhat curvy paved roads. Along the way you will circle Orange Lake and likely see many areas of damaged trees & homes resulting from Hurricane Idalia, which crossed this route in late August 2023.

Mr Chick

Address:

Distance:

Time:

Description:

1125 38th Blvd NE, Cairo, GA 39828

Out: 113 - Back: 104 - Total: 217

Out: 2:46 - Back: 2:02 _ Total: 4:48

Leader: Day/Time: Meetup:

Bill Botkin Friday 09:00

Rally Central Parking Lot

This ride was submitted and will be led by rally attendee, Doug Bakke. He and his wife Tami will be leading those who wish to join on a mixed surface (paved and unpaved) route from Camp Weed to Mr Chick for lunch. Following lunch they will be taking a paved route back to Camp Weed to reduce travel time.

Swampy’s Lunch Ride

Address:

Distance:

Time:

Description:

19773 Pennsylvania Ave, Dunnellon, FL

Out: 116 - Back: 111 - Total: 227

Out: 2:49 - Back: 2:13 _ Total: 5:02

Leader: Day/Time: Meetup:

N/A

N/A

N/A

This ride will take you through some scenic rural twists and turns as you make your way to a riverside lunch at Swampy’s Bar & Grill. Swampy’s is located on the bank of the crystal clear Rainbow River. You might get to see the family of otters that reside there. You’ll surely see lots of people float past.

Wellborn Loop

Address:

Distance:

Time:

Description:

N/A

Out: 38 - Back: 0 - Total: 38

Out: 1:13 - Back: 0:00 _ Total: 1:13

Leader: Day/Time: Meetup:

N/A

N/A

N/A

This is a slow scenic loop ride which stays reasonably close to Camp Weed. Even at a leasurely pace riders can complete this ride in a portion of a morning. Riders should be aware that there are some short UNPAVED sections of the route.

White Springs Loop

Address:

Distance:

Time:

Description:

N/A

Out: 109 - Back: 0 - Total: 109

Out: 3:00 - Back: 0:00 _ Total: 3:00

Leader: Day/Time: Meetup:

N/A

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N/A

This is a scenic loop ride which stays reasonably close to Camp Weed. Riders should consider this to be a half-day ride.

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