May 23, 2010… It’s been a long and busy week between work and working on my BMW. The work week ended Saturday and the progress on the beemer is great. It should be road ready this week. The weather for the coming week is calling for a more summer like temperatures, that would be welcome. I’ve ridden in to work and still need that layer of insulation for the early morning but not on the way home. The heated gear will probably be resting on the rack till fall. The last breakfast had a great turnout with 25 people present. We couldn’t ask for a better time and day for the ride that went to Baldwin for the Blessing. Read Bill H.’s reports along with the Lakeshore Blessing and the Mini Rally. The June calendar will have a full schedule for you to pick and choose from. I know that there are lots of things going on this time of year with graduations, weddings and numerous family events, that we don’t always get to make some of the biking events. So if you miss out on one that you’ve gone to for a number of years, try a new one, something local or just go out and pick up one of the destinations.
Do the ride……….enjoy the time………and be safe.
Speaking of rides, club member Chip Hurley is the chairperson for the ALS Rock and Rumble Charity Run to be held on Saturday, June 26th. See the particulars in the last of the page section. If you could make this it would be greatly appreciated.
Go through that closet and if you have items you no longer need or use and would like to sell, call me at 616-340-4440,or email wmbmwriders@charter.net , and I’ll list it in the Member Want Ads.
The next breakfast/meeting will be on June 13th, at 9am.A ride is scheduled to the Vintage Motorcycle Show at the Gilmore Museum, departing at 10:30 am.

PREMISE for the CLUB: There are a number of local riders who would like to get together with other riders once in a while. Most everyone is “busy”, so a local club is not intended to be the focal point of anyone’s social life.
The CLUB’S GOAL: To provide an occasional opportunity for area riders to get together for conversation and to ride with other BMW enthusiasts.

CLUB EVENT DATES TO REMEMBER:
BREAKFAST/MEETINGS: All Breakfast/Meetings are held on the second Sunday of the month unless otherwise notified. We meet at 9:00 AM at: NEW BEGINNINGS RESTAURANT, 4735 Lake Michigan Dr., Standale, Mi. They are ¼ mile west of Wilson Ave. Their phone number is 616-735-4902.
Upcoming dates: June 13, 2010 (2nd Sunday), July 11, 2010( 2nd Sunday).

CLUB RIDES: There is a ride scheduled for June 13th, to the Vintage Motorcycle Show at the Gilmore Museum, after the breakfast. Stay tuned for the rest of the 2010 schedule.

MICHIGAN DESTINATIONS 2010: Well here it is…….. we will be making those places that we use to give us a rest in between our journey to destinations, our destinations this year. What you ask is he talking about? Well, I was pondering over the state map from 2009 and it was staring me right in the face. The cover of the map had the answer to my question of where to go. Michigan Roadside Parks and Scenic Turnouts will be the stops for this year. I have picked out five of them as required and you will also have to add two more of your own choosing.

CLUB NEWSLETTER: Mailed or emailed on a monthly basis. If you have any concerns or contributions you may contact me, William Dirkmaat at: 11801 Hoskins NE, Cedar Springs, MI. 49319. Phone: 616-263-9110, cell-616-340-4440 or wmbmwriders@charter.net

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST: Please note that you may obtain more information in the BMW MOA ON and BMW RA OTL magazines for some of these events. More local events can be found posted on the bulletin board at the shop.

May 29, 2010, Old Iron Bridge Motorcycle Show, Allegan, MI., 8:00AM to 3:30PM, for details www.oldironbridgemotorcycleshow.com
July 15–18, 2010; 38th BMW MOA National Rally, Redmond, Oregon. www.bmwmoa.org
July 29-August 1, 2010; BMW RA National Rally, Pownal, Vermont. www.bmwra.org

BMWTCD Presents: Vintage Motorcycle Days
August 14 & 15, 2010 Grounds open daily at 9:00 AM
At Jim Reinert’s Farm
5105 W. Grand River Rd
Owosso Mi 48867
(Northeast of Lansing MI)
GPS coordinates: N42 53.134 W84 15.671

Details:
*This event is open to everyone. No cost to attend or show your vintage motorcycles. This will be a non-judged show. All brands are welcome.

*Preregistering show motorcycles is not required but encouraged to reserve a space. Email your name, motorcycle specifics and picture to: vintagemotorcycledays@gmail.com

*Free onsite camping available to everyone on a first come basis. Sleepy Hollow State campground (517) 651-6217 and hotels in Owosso are nearby lodging alternatives.

*You can call Jim Reinert directly if you have any unique or special needs. Call Jim at (517) 651-6427.

*Volunteers are needed to help set up, traffic management, registration, etc. If interested please send an email to vintagemotorcycledays@gmail.com

*Bring out your vintage stuff. Invite your friends. This will be a great party.

CLUB T-SHIRTS and SWEATSHIRTS:

The available shirts and sweatshirts are as follows:

T-Shirts:

ASH
blue & red print / no pocket; 3 – Lg @ $8.50 ea, 9 – XL @ $8.50 ea
blue & red print / with pocket; 3 – XL @ $9.50 ea

BLACK
white print / no pocket; 3 – XL @$8.50 ea
white print / with pocket; 2 – XL @ $9.50 ea

WHITE
blue & red print / no pocket; 1 – Sm @ $8.50 ea

Sweatshirts:

ASH
blue & red print; 3 – Lg @ $16.00 ea, 5– XL @ $16.00 ea

BLACK
white print; 3 – XL @ $16.00 ea

Call Bill D. at 616-263-9110, or 616-340-4440 if you would like to have one of these.

Lakeshore Blessing of the Bikes, April 25, 2010………………………………………..…….by Bill Hankinson
As always, I watch the weather before any upcoming bike event, as riding in the rain isn’t a whole lot of fun for any biker that I know of. The Lakeshore Blessing has not been blessed with the best weather over its history either. Living only a mile away from the fairgrounds gives me an advantage in timing my arrival depending on what the weatherman tells me. This year he is predicting rain showers, now showers are something that a motorcyclist can put up with. I checked the radar plot and it showed that we should have a dry spell from about 1:00PM to 2:30PM, and the blessing is at 2:00PM. So off I go at 1:00PM to join up with all the bikers from West Michigan and get blessed. I arrive at the fairgrounds and there is no line for admission, so I breeze right in and am directed to my parking spot. Immediately I can see that there is not a large crowd here today. I took a stroll around the grounds looking for any acquaintances and saw none except Blane Kamp at the BMW-GR location. As I circled around to the blessing site I counted approximately 200 bikes in attendance, 8 BMW’s including mine, and the rain started, not hard but definitely wet. The local newspaper reported attendance at about 1200, must have been a lot that came and left before the blessing. At about 1:45PM the prizewinners were announced and I didn’t win any of those either. The Blessing was done promptly at 2:00PM and the grounds were pretty much clear of bikes by 2:30PM. I arrived back home at about that time, put the bike in the garage, hung my gloves up to dry and it quit raining for the rest of the afternoon. There have been some really nice, warm, dry Lakeshore Blessings in the past and there will be again in the future, I’m sure. The organizers are going to move it to the first weekend in May next year, not that that will assure them of dry, warm weather as those who have attended the Mini Rally in the past can testify.

More Random Musings… May 2010………………………………………..…….by Bill Hankinson
What a difference just a month makes, most trees and bushes are leafed out and it is greener than green out on the highways and bi-ways. It has also been a bit warmer but wetter this past month. Hopefully you all have been able to get the bikes out and put some miles on them, getting back in the groove and honing your riding skills for another season. If you are planning on attending the MOA Rally in Redmond this year, they are hosting a Leadership Summit on July 14th, Wednesday, the day before the official Rally opening. Three of our members attended this event last year at Johnson City and found it to be a worthwhile event. We have two members signed up for this year and there is one opening left. You should contact the MOA directly if you are interested. You can call Beth Cooper at 636-394-7277 or email her at memassoc@bmwmoa.org. There will also be a number of Rider Education opportunities at the Rally, workshops, rider courses, and others, see your ON magazine for more details and registration if required. There is also a Rally Charity Club Challenge again this year and it is the Sparrow Clubs of Bend, Oregon. The Sparrow Clubs support children who have either life threatening illnesses or chronic disabilities. The challenge is $100.00 from each chartered club. If you would like to join in, we will take up a collection at the next two breakfast/meetings or you can mail a check to our treasurer, Bill Dirkmaat, with Charity Challenge in the memo field. The club will match the funds collected up to $100.00 total.

By now everyone has consulted their Michigan map and duped out the locations of all those Roadside Parks and Scenic Turnouts for the Michigan Destinations this year. I haven’t personally captured any as yet but they are in the plan for my summer riding and I hope they are in yours too. Participating is always fun and you will be surprised at some of the places it will take you.

Looking ahead, things that you and your motorcycle will enjoy;
May 29, Old Iron Bridge Motorcycle Show, Allegan, MI., 8:00AM to 3:30PM, for details www.oldironbridgemotorcycleshow.com
June 6, Lansing Demo Days, contact BMW-GR for details
June 12, BMW-GR Open House, 9:00AM to 3:00PM,with guest Arlene Liska
June 13, WMBMWR breakfast and ride, Vintage Motorcycle Show, Gilmore Museum

Historical Note: Gas, May 5, 2009 $2.159/gal
Thought for the Month: According to my best recollection, I don’t remember.

Breakfast/Meeting,May 16, 2010…………………………………………………………by Bill Dirkmaat
The day promises to be good, I still need a layer for warmth and leave a bit earlier so I can gas up before I hit the road. I pull into the parking lot and see some other bikers parked there. I think that there is a group meeting for breakfast and then will also be heading out to Baldwin, much like what our agenda is. I was plenty early as I even beat Mike H. He shows up shortly and we head inside. A cup of coffee is welcomed. We watch as the others start to pull in and join us. We have a large turnout today. Joining Mike and I are; Bill Hankinson, Todd Voss and his son Jeff, Gordy Hankinson and Donna Seinko, David Wilson, Allan Dewey, Roger and Marie Bonga, Bob Swanson, Jerry Arnett, Bill and Virginia Lane, Homer and Kathy Teitsma, Jim Weber, Larry Schwallier and Kristy Hollingsworth, Alan Cunningham, Randy and Laura Nellis, and Phil and Roxanne Nellis. A grand total of 25 hungry, hearty souls. We have a great time catching up and filling up. The sun is working it’s magic as we eat and soon enough we all venture out to the parking lot for some tire kicking and getting ready for the ride. I am passing on the ride today but do watch as Bill H. rounds up the group and lines them up. Soon they are ready to roll. Bill heads them out for the day’s ride. I hung around and talked with Larry and Kristy and Bill and Virginia who also had other commitments for the day.
We will next meet on Sunday June 13, 2010 at 9am for the breakfast/meeting and the ride to follow will be going to the Vintage Motorcycle Show, at the Gilmore Museum. The ride departs at 10:30 am. Come join us for one or both.

May Ride-Baldwin Blessing of the Bikes.…………………………………………………………….by Bill Hankinson
It’s another beautiful day for a ride. As we exit the restaurant the sun is shining and the temps are in the 50’s. We have a large group going on the ride this morning. We get ourselves organized and sorted out and ready to ride, the line up consists of Bill Hankinson, taking the lead, followed by Allan Dewey, Jerry Arnett, Todd & Jeff Voss, Jim Weber, Alan Cunningham, Bob Swanson, Roger Bonga, Marie Bonga, Dave Wilson, Rusty Schwander, Debra Renou, Randy; Laura Nellis and taking the tail, Phil; Roxanne Nellis, fourteen bikes and seventeen riders. We are off, threading our way around the populated areas as well as we can, but inevitably we do catch a couple traffic lights but keep our column together. Our route takes us pretty much due north through western Kent county, passing through Kent City where we paused again to get our group all back together and we couldn’t help but notice the large group of squids at the gas station there. We were glad we weren’t riding with these guys buzzing around us. We continue north and into Newaygo County, dodging around the lakes and coming into Newaygo from the east, along the river, to our rest stop. All the necessities are taken care of and we are back on the road in 20 minutes, a new record for a pit stop. We continue north, crossing the river and then bear off to the east again, and paralleling M-37 but with a whole lot less traffic. We pass to the east of White Cloud continuing north into Lake County. We re-join M-37 at Bitely, and the traffic really picks up, our route keeps us on M-37 for only four miles and then we turn east again, avoiding the stop and go traffic. We arrive at the airport at 12:35, right on schedule, and experienced little or no hassle getting in. There are a lot of bikes here today!!! The award are announced, the oldest male rider was 92, oldest female rider was 74. The longest distance rider was Ellen Gavit from Portland, OR., who is a friend of our own Jim Weber, a fellow rally rat he says. The” Rolling Thunder” group had a nice ceremony honoring POW and MIA’s just before the blessing. The blessing was done by the local priest, his first time, and was done at about 1:30 and resulted in the traditional revving of the engines which contributed to my hearing deficit. The exodus starts almost immediately and our group decides to wait it out and by 2:30 the field had cleared and exiting was relatively easy. We all found our own way home, as I mentioned at the start, another beautiful day.

FOR SALE: Belstaff Avalon Jacket  size large with zip out liner. Blue, silver, black.  Jacket is like new $100.00.  Too big for me. Bob Swanson    Call 1-616-430-2079  or e-mail at bswan248@comcast.net

June 6, Lansing Demo Days, contact BMW-GR for details
June 12, BMW-GR Open House, 9:00AM to 3:00PM,with guest Arlene Liska

The last of the page;

* A hearty WELCOME aboard to new members: Kharay C. Moore of Dimondale, MI

*ALS Rock & Rumble

Saturday, June 26, 2010

2nd Annual Rock n Rumble Charity Poker Run

Self guided poker run.
Proceeds to benefit The ALS Association Michigan Chapter.

When: Saturday, June 26, 2010
Where: Starting at Hot Rod Harley in Muskegon
Registration Fee: Motorcycle Driver - $20.00
Motorcycle Passenger - $10.00

Registration/Check-in: 10:00 to 11:00am
Last card drawn at Hot Rod at 2:00 pm Ending location: Hot Rod Harley for lunch (included in registration fee), prizes, 50/50, and raffles. 1st prize is a $250 Hot Rod Gift Certificate.

Prize for best and worst hand. Rain or shine. Event is sponsored by Muskegon HOG Chapter and Hot Rod H-D

Concert: TBA

*I spotted a flying Homer this past Wednesday. As I swayed my arms back and forth he waved back to me. Sunday I made a run for some ink for the printer, as I was out of black ink, and stopped in to see Homer on my way back home. He is doing great and feeling wonderful. He did verify that it was him in the sky that day.

* This is Monday now and I am getting in the last few words before printing. I hope that you all appreciate the warm spell, just remember back a few months when the white stuff was floating around, and I don’t mean the cottonwood fluffies. We sometimes forget back a while and just wish for the moment. Well, the moment is now and make the most of it. Do stay hydrated and take pauses as needed. Please be safe in your travels and hope to see you soon.

Bill Dirkmaat, 11801 Hoskins NE, Cedar Springs, MI. 49319.
Phone: 616-263-9110, cell-616-340-4440 or wmbmwriders@charter.net