December 2012 Newsletter

December Club Meeting

Our annual holiday club meeting will be held once again at The Harp Restaurant on Monday, December 10th, at 6:30 p.m.

A reservation has already been made for our group.  However, to ensure adequate seating for the group, please provide a RSVP (if you are planning on attending) no later than Wednesday, December 5th responding via email at ccbmwridersclub@gmail.com.

The Harp Restaurant is located at 1423 South 3rd Street, Wilmington, NC [GPS coordinates N34.21701, W77.94342].

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November 2012 Newsletter

With the pleasant temperatures and beautiful fall colors, October is one of our best months of the year for motorcycle riding in this area.  I hope all of you getting a chance to enjoy some time in the saddle.  There is a lot to cover in this edition of our newsletter, so without further ado:

Winter Meeting Schedule

Starting with November, we are switching to our "Winter meeting schedule."  We make this change so everyone can enjoy riding to our club meetings during daylight hours, and hopefully when the weather is bit warmer.  We will make an exception to the winter schedule for our December club meeting, which you can read about later in this newsletter.

November Club Meeting 

The November club meeting will be held on Saturday, November 10th, 12 Noon, at Ducati's Pizzeria & Trattoria, 960 Cipriana Dr. in Myrtle Beach, SC.  GPS coordinates for Ducati's Pizzeria are N33.76089 W78.81461.

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For a long time, we have wanted to schedule a club meeting near Myrtle Beach, to accomodate our loyal members who frequently make the ride to Wilmington for our meetings.  Club member Marty Schmitz offered us the suggestion for using Ducati's Pizzeria in Myrtle Beach, and it provides a great excuse for our Wilmington members to enjoy a ride this month.

If the weather forecast is not favorable, please monitor your email, in case it becomes necessary to postpone the meeting (hopefully not!).

For those interested in riding together to Myrtle Beach, we will meet at BP/Convenience Store located at the entrance to Magnolia Greens in Leland.  We will depart at 10:30 a.m.

2012 Blue Ridge Parkway Ride

On October 10-12, 2012, I enjoyed another trip to the North Carolina mountains with my regular riding buddies, and fellow club members, Ed O'Neil and Dick Williams, to enjoy the Fall colors.  This trip came on the heels of a four-day trip to attend the Fall Appalachian Riding Tour (FART) Rally in Maggie Valley on October 4-7, 2012.

Prior to the trip, at our October club meeting, Bob Thomson mentioned that he had a back road route for riding from Wilmington to the Meadows of Dan area in Virginia, which was close to our destination for the first day of the trip.  Bob shared a GPS file with me, and it turned to be a great route for the ride.  We used U.S. 421, along with some back roads, to ride to Greensboro.  There, we stopped at Carolina BMW to say hello to the owner, Jason Emmert.

Afterwards, we headed northwestward on Highways 68, 65, 89, and 8, stopping along the way at Hanging Rock State Park to collect a photo for the club's NC State Park Challenge Ride.

As we closed in on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we passed a field that full of ripe pumpkins.  We had to stop for a couple of photos.

Our final destination for the day was Grassy Creek Cabooses.  Grassy Creek Cabooses is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway about five miles north of Fancy Gap, Virginia.  The owner has set up three railroad cabooses as cabins.  

The accommodations were cute and comfortable.  

We made a quick trip down the Parkway to eat dinner at the Lakeview Restaurant at Fancy Gap, and then headed back to the cabooses for the night.

The second day started out as brisk 34 degree morning.  We stopped for breakfast at the Lakeview Restaurant at Fancy Gap, before continuing our ride along the Parkway.

The Fall colors were amazing, especially in the area around Boone and the Lynn Cove viaduct.

We stopped for lunch at the Little Switzerland Café .

Afterwards, we took a quick detour to ride "The Diamondback," a triangle formed by Highways 226A, 226, and the Parkway.  Highway 226A, in particular, is an especially twisty series of switchbacks.  It's a road worthy of a side trip, if you are in the area.

Of course, there were more stops along the parkway, to enjoy the Fall scenery.

We continued our ride along the Parkway, stopping at BMW Asheville late in the afternoon.  This dealership opened about one and half years ago, and the showroom looks outstanding.

Afterwards, we returned to the Parkway, riding down to Highway 276 and our staying the second evening in Brevard, NC.

On the morning of the third and final day of our trip, we rode Highway 276 through Caesars Head State Park in South Carolina, on our way to visit Touring Sport BMW in Greenville, SC.  The section of Highway 276 through Caesars Head State Park is another fine series of twisting switchbacks that is worth a visit (the park is beautiful too).

Touring Sport BMW is another motorcycling enthusiast's destination that is worth stopping for a visit.

After visiting Touring Sport BMW, we made our way back to Wilmington, mainly using Highway 9 across South Carolina.  It was a great 950 mile trip with Ed O'Neil and Dick Williams.

Additional pictures from our trip, and maps showing our ride route, can be viewed in my Picasa web album.

Trip Report: FART 2012

FART 2012 (the Fall Appalachian Riding Tour) was held on October 4-7, 2012, in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.  FART 2012 (the first FART) is the Fall counterpart to the Spring HeleN Back event, both organized by Ken Insley, a member of the BMWSportTouring.com web discussion board.

I shared the ride to and from FART with fellow club members Paul Winter and Becky Hucks.  After meeting Paul and Becky at the Highway 211/74 overpass, we rode Highway 74 to Polkton and used Highway 218 to bypass the usual traffic slow-down in Monroe.  Then we used I-285 around Charlotte, I-85 and US 64 westward, and then I-26 north to Asheville.  At Hendersonville, we headed up to the Blue Ridge Parkway via Highway 276 and enjoyed riding the parkway to Maggie Valley.

The Fall 2012 FART was held at the Jonathan Creek Inn.  When we arrived, we were greeted with a festive, fall display.

Based on my casual count of bikes in the parking lot, I would estimate that FART was attended by sixty riders (more or less,).  A few FART attendees stayed in other nearby hotels and/or campgrounds.

During FART, I was able to share some riding time with riding companions from Florida whom I had met at past Blue Ridge Rendezvous and and El Paseo events (the predecessors to FART and HeleN Back).  This riding group included some of my riding companions from my summer ride in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona.

The riding during FART was spectacular, especially the leaves, which were beginning to change color.  

The weather was wonderful and afforded us two days of "vigorous" riding.

The first day's ride included a stop at the General Store at Deal's Gap.

The second day's ride included a stop in Hot Springs, where we saw a group of adventure riders preparing to head out into the wilderness.

The weekend's weather was great, the Fall colors were beautiful, and the views along the Blue Ridge Parkway were spectacular.

Early Sunday morning, we had T-storms pass through Maggie Valley.  Fortunately, by the time Paul, Beck, and I departed, the rain had stopped and all we had to contend with was road spray.  We were fortunate enough to arrive home about an hour before T-storms developed in Wilmington.

FART, and it's Spring counterpart, HeleN Back, are great events and encourage you to try to attend one of these at some point.  Watch the BMWSportTouring.com web forum for announcements of these future events.

You can enjoy more of my photos from FART via two Google Picasa albums (my group riding album and some general FART event photos).

October 2012 Newsletter

October Club Meeting 

The October club meeting will be held on Monday, October 8th, 6:30 p.m., at PTs Olde Fashion Grille, 1437 Military Cutoff Road, in Wilmington, NC 28401.  The GPS coordinates for PTs Grille are N34.22530 W77.82960.



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Let's take advantage of the beautiful Fall weather and enjoy dinner outside on the patio at PT's Grill.  Be sure to bring your jacket or sweater!

September Meeting

We enjoyed a welcome break from the summer heat and had a great turnout for our September 10th club meeting at Fishy Fishy Cafe.  Here are a couple of photos from the meeting.

Oktoberfest Party

Speaking of October, club member Becky Hucks is inviting all club members to an Oktoberfest party at her home near Supply, NC.  The party will be on Saturday, October 20th (rain date Sunday, October 21st), from 12 Noon until approximately 4 p.m..

Becky Hucks has a beautiful back yard that overlooks the Lockwood Folly River.  She is planning a cookout, and club members Tony Barcia and Jerry Dockery have offered to be the Grillmeisters for us.  Paul Winter is planning to have bratwurst shipped in for the event, from an "undisclosed midwest location."  Iced tea will be available, and everyone is welcome to bring a supply of their own favorite "Oktoberfest beverage."

All club members are invited, and everyone will receive another invitation via email.  RSVPs are being requested, well in advance, to allow Becky and Paul to gauge how much food to prepare.  If you are planning on attending, please send your RSVP to ccbmwridersclub@gmail.com no later than Sunday, October 7th.

Becky lives in a gated community, and everyone coming to the Oktoberfest Party will be sent another email, in advance of the party, with the gate access code.

This will be a great event, and we hope you will be able to come!

Club Member Passes

Club member George Martin passed away on September 11, 2012, in an RV accident near Sedalia, Missouri.  Britt Motorsports held a memorial service for George on Saturday, September 22nd.  Their announcement photo includes a great photo of George "Doc Wobblin" Martin with his dog.

Al Curtner, a member of the Christan Motorcyclists Association shared some great photos from George's memorial service.  You can view the pictures at Al's Flickr site.

Progressive International Motorcycle Shows 

Last month we told you about the 2012-2013 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows.  Since then, BMW is offering a discount on show tickets if you are purchasing online.  Use the promo code BMWRIDERS when you buy your ticket to receive a $3 discount on the single day price ($10 versus $13). Remember, the Atlanta show is coming on November 2-4, 2012.

2012 BMW MOA Mileage Contest 

This year's BMW MOA Mileage Contest will be coming to a close at midnight on October 14th, 2012.  The 2012 Mileage Ending Form has not yet been posted online, but will be linked to this article once it becomes available.  If you are a BMW MOA member and participating in this year's contest, bring your mileage form to the Oktoberfest Party on October 21st, or to our November club meeting for signing.  (The form must be signed by two active BMW MOA members, of by our club officer.)

BMW MOA Anonymous Book Updates 

The BMW MOA is working on their update for the 2012 BMW Owners Anonymous Book.  They are asking for all BMW MOA owners to review and provide changes to their contact information.  You can do this by sending the changes to them via email, as anonymous@bmwmoa.org.  Updates must be submitted by November 1st.

GPS Updates (aka Tip-of-the-Month) 

Last month, we mentioned two new firmware updates for the Garmin Montana GPS.  Unfortunately, both updates turned out to be beggy.  The good news is that Garmin has released another firmware update, and this one seems to have fixed the previous bugs while not introducing any significant new ones.  You can obtain the latest firmware by using the Garmin WebUpdater program.

Garmin has also released an update of their POI Loader program.  If you are not familiar with POIs (Points of Interest), these are collections of locations, like Waypoints, that you can store on your GPS and which do not count against the number of Waypoints that can be stored on your GPS.  POI Loader is Garmin's software for loading POIs on your GPS.  You can download the free POI Loader software from the Garmin web site.

Montana GPS Owners -- Garmin's firmware v4.60 is now available.  Unlike versions 4.20 and 4.40, this one appears to be pretty stable.  Use the WebUpdater program to install this version to your Montana GPS.

BMW Sales Figures 

According to an article on the BMW MOA web site, BMW sold more motorcycles during the month of August than ever in a month, and is on track for a record motorcycle sales year.  You may be interested in reading this short online article.

Water-Cooled Boxer 

According to the BMW MOA, BMW Motorrad is scheduled to unveil the new water-cooled R1200GS on October 2nd.  Check the BMW MOA web site after the announcement, to get the details.  The November BMW Owners News will reported provide further details, as well.

Until next month, ride safely and ride far!

September 2012 Newsletter

September Club Meeting 

We will be holding our next monthly club meeting on Monday, September 10th, 6:30 p.m., at Fishy Fishy Cafe, 106 Yacht Basin Street in Southport.


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I hope everyone will take advantage of the slightly cooler weather to come join us for some good seafood, some great conversation, and a pleasant view on the Intercoastal Waterway.

CCBMW Octoberfest Event 

CCBMW member Becky Hucks is inviting our club members to her home in the Lockwood Folly area for an Octoberfest party during the afternoon on Saturday, October 20th.  Club member Jill Barcia is helping Becky co-host the event.

Lunch will include German-styled food, and a grill will be available if you wish to do your own.  Plan to bring your own German beverage, or enjoy sweet tea on the deck.  Kayaks and boat rides up the Folly will also be available.  The rain date will be Sunday, October 21st.

If you are planning on attending, we need you to provide an RSVP to help Becky and Jill with their planning for this event.  Also, Becky's home is located in a gated community, so your RSVP is needed so we can send you the gate code.  Please send your RSVP to ccbmwridersclub@gmail.com.

We will probably arrange for a group meet-up and ride to Becky's house, from the Wilmington area.  Details on this will be announced later.

I hope you will will be able to join us for this Oktoberfest celebration!

2012-2013 International Motorcycle Shows 

The schedule for the Progressive 2012-2013 International Motorcycle Shows has been announced.  The first show will be coming to Atlanta, Georgia on November 2-4, 2012.  Other shows that will be "close" to our area include the Washington, DC show, scheduled for January 4-6, 2013, and the last show for the 2012-2013 calendar scheduled for February 22-24, 2013, in Charlotte.

Visit the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows web site for more information, or to purchase advance tickets.

New BMW R1200GS 

An August 30th BMW press release has announced the upcoming debut of the next BMW R 1200 GS in October:

BMW Motorrad press conference at INTERMOT 2012. Announcement of BMW R 1200 GS successor model world premiere.

30.08.2012Munich. Several new BMW Motorrad products will see their trade fair premiere at this year's INTERMOT in Cologne from October 3rd - 7th 2012, including the new BMW F 700 GS and the new BMW HP4.

BMW Motorrad will also be presenting a world premiere:

the successor model to the BMW R 1200 GS

The "BMW GS" concept has embodied riding pleasure and the desire for adventure for over 30 years. The unique integrated concept of the big travel enduro bike with boxer engine, complete with its authentic charm and a powerful, high-torque engine, is loved by legions of motorcycle fans all over the world. BMW now begins a whole new chapter in GS history: the most popular travel enduro in the world has been brought to perfection.

 We therefore cordially invite all press representatives who will be attending the INTERMOT press day to come to the BMW Motorrad press conference.

on Tuesday October 2nd 2012 from 10 am to 11 am at the BMW Motorrad stand in Hall 6

Klassik K Kampout Trip Report 

Tony and Jill Barcia attended the Klassik K Kampout rally on July 13-15 at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground in Cruso, NC. Jill provided us with this trip report.

It is a motorcycle only campground and the owners live on the campground year round. There is a separate kitchen near the camping areas and breakfast and dinner is available for campers on Friday and Saturday nights. There are cabins as well as tent camping along the Pigeon River. Parking is available for cars at the entrance to the campground.

The rally was run by Greg and Debbie Hund of Klassik K Riders #347. The rally is very casual and there is no fee for the rally, you only pay for the camping (tent or cabin) and meals. The campground is right next to the Blue Ridge and Maggie Valley is 1/2 hour away. A great place to visit in Maggie Valley is Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum. We met the owner Dale Walksler when he came back from riding one of the vintage bikes around the property. All of the motorcycles in the museum are in running condition and Dale and his staff were firing up some of the old bikes inside the museum. The bikes were mostly Harley's and Indians but he also had a lot of prototype and one-off bikes that we never heard of. We saw an all electric Harley Davidson from the 1940's. Plan to spend at least half a day and then on the way back to the motorcycle campground stop in Bethel, NC at the diner (can't miss it ... its the only one) for some great BBQ.

Saturday evening all the Klassic K's are lined up for some pictures and then there are closing ceremonies and a raffle. A major contributor was the Greenville South Carolina BMW shop who rode three Klassic K bikes to the rally. The rally ended with a bonfire and making new friends and talking about motorcycles. The ride home was about 6 hours.

GPS Updates (aka GPS Tip of the Month) 

If you are a Garmin nuMaps subscriber, we have some good news.  Garmin has just released their latest  updated City Navigator North America map set (version 2013.2).  If you are a nuMaps subscriber, visit MyGarmin.com to download your update.

If you are a Garmin Montana owner, there have been two recent firmware updates for the Montana - Versions 4.30 and 4.40.  However, be forewarned there are reports of minor issues with both versions, so proceed with updating your Montana at your own risk.

And finally, Garmin has released BaseCamp Version 4.0.1.  You can download the new BaseCamp from the Garmin website.  With each release of the BaseCamp software, Garmin has made BaseCamp create a new data library by importing your routes, tracks, and waypoints from your existing data library.  Remember to back up your existing BaseCamp Library (under the File | Backup menu) BEFORE you install the new BaseCamp version.


Until next month, ride safely and ride far!

August 2012 Newsletter

August Club Meeting

Our next club meeting will be held on Monday, August 13th, 6:30 p.m., at at Two Guys Grille Waterford, 2013 Olde Regent Way , in Leland (GPS coordinates N34.21820 W 78.01964). This is the Two Guys Grill  in the Harris-Teeter shopping center located at the entrance to the Waterford subdivision.

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I hope you will brave the summer heat and come joins us!

TAT Trip-in-Progress Report

Fellow club member Elmer Hayes is currently riding westward on his BMW sidecar rig, doing the Trans America Trail (TAT).

Elmer writes terrific trip reports, and you can read about his adventures thus far (and see a lot of great photos) on the ADVRider.com website.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=702350&highlight=abenteuerfahrer&page=7

Elmer has wrapped up his TAT ride now (I will not say where) and is now on his way home.

Trip Reports

Speaking of trip reports, I know a few of you attended the BMW MOA International Rally in Sedalia, or perhaps the BMW RA National Rally in Copper Canyon, Colorado.  If so, please send us a trip report and/or photo links to share with your fellow club members.

GPS Workshop

We held another GPS workshop at the Brunswick Forest Port City Java location on June 30th to help club members with their GPS hardware and software questions.  I quickly had five indicate that they wanted to participate, and had several others who had schedule conflicts say that they would like to participate in another, future session.

I am looking at potential dates for another workshop in late August or September, so if you are interested in participating, please send me an email now so I can determine when might be a a good date for the session.

2013 BMWs

BMW has announced the colors for their 2013 model line-up.  You can read all about it at Visordown.com.

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/new-bmws-for-2013/20976.html

GPS Tip-of-the-Month

We have two GPS tips this month.

Tip #1:  Garmin has released a Beta version of their BaseCamp mapping software.  If you are a BaseCamp user, this is a good way to evaluate some of the features being added to the next version of BaseCamp.  You can download the BaseCamp v4 Beta from the following web address:

http://developer.garmin.com/apps/BC/BaseCamp_4.0.0.0_Beta.exe

The Mac version can be downloaded from here:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=5839

You can install version 4 and run it in parallel with your existing BaseCamp installation.  During installation, the v4 Beta will convert and duplicate your existing BaseCamp data library.  One word of caution – the v4 data library is NOT backwards compatible with the v3.x BaseCamp software, so if you do any trip planning in Version 4, just be aware that you cannot directly access that information using Version 3 (although you can always export to a GPX file and import the data back into Version 3).

Tip #2:  Garmin Maps 101 -- In honor of our recent GPS workshop, I thought it might be helpful to share some information about mapping for Garmin's GPS units.  This Wikispaces page provides a great summary of the Garmin's mapping software, maps types, map names (on many, but not all, of their units), map storage capacity.  The page is part of a web site that focuses on the Garmin Montana GPS, but most of this information on maps is generic and can be really useful when you are trying to understand and decipher some of the jargon.

Video-of-the-Month

This month's video-of-the-month features a complete lap at the 2012 Isle of Mann TT from the cockpit of a BMW S1000RR.  This footage is amazing!  It really gives you a sense of the challenges (and dangers) of the world's most famous race on public roads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pGE-J7Uepg