Our regular monthly club meeting for June will be held on Monday, June 13th, 6:30 p.m., Fishy Fishy Café in Southport. Here is your chance to sit on the Intercoastal Waterway, watch the boats go by, and enjoy some good seafood. Fishy Fishy is located on the boat harbor in Southport (GPS Coordinates: N33.91737 W78.02323).
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The planned dates and tentative locations for our club meetings from June through September are posted on our club calendar on Google. Each month's meeting date and location will continue to be posted on the club web site and be confirmed here in the monthly newsletter.
We had a good turn-out for our May meeting at Panera Bread at the Mayfaire Shoppng Complex in Wilmington. We were able to sit outside for dinner and enjoy wonderful Spring evening. For those of you who were unable to join us, you can view a few photos from the meeting on our Google Picasa web page.
June Ride-to-Eat
Our series of ride-to-eat events continues. Our next club ride-to-eat event is currently scheduled for Sunday, June 12, 2011 (weather permitting). This time, we will take a back road ride to Faison, NC for brunch at Southern Exposure Restaurant.
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UPDATE: We will depart from the Buy & Go Exxon on North College Road at 10:00 a.m. sharp. We have an 80 mile or so back road ride planned to Faison, where we will enjoy brunch at the Southern Exposure Restaurant. The ride routes are available in GPX format on our web site, under the File Downloads section.
Video-of-the Month
Here is a link to our video of the month. This month's contribution comes to us courtesy of CCBMW member Randy Rosebro and shows a spectacular save by racer Randy Mamola in a 1985 500GP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaQGI8GSVJM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6uEdhcTWzg&feature=related
Garmin GPS Maps Update
Breaking News! If you are a Garmin GPS user with a nuMaps subscription, Garmin has just released a new City Navigator North America map update (version 2012.10). This update is even larger than the previous updates, so if you are a Zumo 550 user, you will need to remove ALL non-essential file from your GPS receiver if you plan to load the maps for the entire lower 48 states. Doing so will leave almost no space on your Zumo (of course you can still load music, POIs, etc. on a SD flash-memory card). Allow about two hours for the download and installation process.
GPS Tip of the Month
Sometimes, while on a ride or an extended trip, you discover that you cannot remember how to use some infrequently used function on your GPS unit, and your GPS manual is at home. Or perhaps in different circumstances, you have stopped to fix a punctured tire and cannot remember how to actually use that fancy Stop-n-Go tire plugging kit you have in your emergency kit. Fortunately, if you are a GPS user, there may be an easy solution for these memory lapses!
Many GPS units now have the ability to store and display pictures. If you have access to a simple graphics editing program (for example, Paint.NET, which is a free download for Windows-based PC users) you can create "pictures" containing text instructions for the kind of infrequently performed on-the-road tasks that I just described.
To make one of the "reference pictures," simply create a blank (white background) picture corresponding to the resolution of your GPS unit (320 by 240 pixels for the Garmin Zumo 550, for example). Then use the text tool of the graphics program to add any text information you want include. I find the text fairly easy to read if I use a 20 to 24 point sized font. An example is shown below.
I have uploaded several examples, suitable for use by Garmin Zumo 550 users, on the CCBMW web site under the Download Files section. These examples include how to search without an address or intersection, duplicating a route, and how to look up the latitude and longitude coordinates for a waypoint you have loaded on your GPS unit. An example of one that I created and keep on my GPS is how to use the Stop-n-Go Tire Plugger (something I hope never to need to do).
I am certain you can think of some other clever uses for this type of information file for storing in your GPS unit. If you have a good idea, share it with your fellow club members, as a comment below in this newsletter. Better yet, send me files for loading on our web site under the Download Files section. Thanks!
BMW MOA International Rally
It is less than two months until this year's BWM MOA National Rally being held July 21-24, 2011, in Bloomsburg, PA [Google Map Link]. We have set up a Google Document where club members can indicate whether they are planning to attend, list their plans/schedule, post whether they are looking for a riding partner for the trip to Bloomsburg, etc. Access to the 2011 BMW MOA Rally Information Document is open to all club members, using your web browser [free Google account required to access]. I encourage all club members who are planning to attend to add their plans to this document, so your fellow club members can either ride with you or look you up at the rally.
Club Ride Event
Virginia International Raceway is hosting the 11th Annual Virginia Festival of Speed motorcycle racing on the weekend of June 18th and 19th. This Championship Cup Series (CCS) event is very affordable to attend -- ticket prices are approximately $10-$15 for only one-day (Saturday) and the two-day ticket is $15. This is a potential ride event, if there is interest by our club members (preferably a minimum of three or more participants). If any club members would be interested in participating, as a one-day, up-and-back ride, please contact Bill Murray at ccbmwridersclub@gmail.com.
Ride to Work Day 2011
Here is another reminder that the annual Ride to Work Day event is scheduled for June 20th. The purpose of these Ride to Work Day events is to advocate and support the use of motorcycles for transportation, and to provide information about transportation riding to motorcyclists and to the public. If you are interested in knowing more about the Ride to Work Day event, or want to obtain promotional materials for the event, head to http://www.ridetowork.org/. Georgia Mountain Rally Trip Report
by Tony and Jill Barcia
Georgia Mountain Rally 2011 - our first rally of the year in Hiawassee, GA. We had a beautiful ride to the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on Friday and had time to check out the vendors. Patagonia Motorcycle Shop of Knoxville, BA brought the new 1600 GLT and got to sit on it. Doesn't really feel any more comfortable than mine. The passenger seat was definitely not as comfortable as the old LT. No rides so couldn't tell much more. Ladies, there were rally t-shirts for women this year ... pink and purple, really nice! Friday night we took a 25 mile ride to Helen for dinner. Helen is a town in the mountains recreated as a Bavarian village, well worth the trip including good German food. Saturday was the poker run with lots of twisty mountain roads and beautiful scenery. Saturday night after a great steak dinner (cook your own) we were told this year was the best weather in 15 years (apparently this rally is known for lots of rain). Everyday sunny and high 70's, perfect riding weather.
Editor: Be sure to check out Tony and Jill's Georgia Mountain Rally photos in our Picasa Web Album.
BRR Trip Report
by Bill Murray
Fellow club members Paul Winter, Becky Hucks, Dick Williams, and I recently attended the Blue Ridge Rendezvous (BRR) event in Pikeville, Kentucky. BRR is an event organized by several members of the BMWSportTouring.com community. I have written and posted a trip report on my personal blog, along with some photos and maps.
by Bill Murray
Fellow club members Paul Winter, Becky Hucks, Dick Williams, and I recently attended the Blue Ridge Rendezvous (BRR) event in Pikeville, Kentucky. BRR is an event organized by several members of the BMWSportTouring.com community. I have written and posted a trip report on my personal blog, along with some photos and maps.
Unfortunately, this was the last BRR event being organized by the individuals who have been do this, but another BMWSportTouring.com community member is promising to start a new event beginning Spring 2012.
June SBK and MotoGP Events
More exciting World Superbike and MotoGP racing events are scheduled for broadcast on SpeedTV during the month of June. While subject to change, here are the broadcast dates and times for the events that SpeedTV currently has listed on their web site:
MotoGP
Catalunyan Grand Prix - June 5th, 8 a.m. (Live) and 5 p.m. (rebroadcast June 7th, 1 p.m.)
British Grand Prix - June 12th, 2 p.m. (rebroadcast June 15th, 4 a.m.)
June SBK and MotoGP Events
More exciting World Superbike and MotoGP racing events are scheduled for broadcast on SpeedTV during the month of June. While subject to change, here are the broadcast dates and times for the events that SpeedTV currently has listed on their web site:
MotoGP
Catalunyan Grand Prix - June 5th, 8 a.m. (Live) and 5 p.m. (rebroadcast June 7th, 1 p.m.)
British Grand Prix - June 12th, 2 p.m. (rebroadcast June 15th, 4 a.m.)
FIM Superbike
USA (Miller Motorsports in Salt Lake City) - May 30th, 5 and 6 p.m. (Races 1 and 2)
rebroadcast June 4th at 3 and 4 a.m.
rebroadcast June 4th at 3 and 4 a.m.
San Marino - June 12th, 3 and 4 p.m. (Races 1 and 2)
rebroadcast June 14th, 3 and 4 a.m.
rebroadcast June 14th, 3 and 4 a.m.
Spain - June 19th, 3 and 4 p.m. (Races 1 and 2)
