Riding and camping Northern California and beyond, since 1965!
New this year our monthly Board meetings will be held online via a web conference call.
2024
March 5, 7pm Virtually
April 9, 7pm Virtually
May 7, 7pm Virtually
June 4, 7pm Virtually
Virtual link sent upon request, email President@bmwnorcal.org
The 49er Rally is the BMW Motorcycle Club of Northern California's annual Memorial Day Weekend rally, with more than 50 years of tradition that predates the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America's (MOA) National Rally. This is one of the West’s premier BMW Rallies not to be missed!
As always, Rally goers can expect 4 nights of grassy tent camping, optional RV camping with water and electrical hook-ups, hot showers, cold drinks, great food, clinics, speakers, vendor displays, prize giveaways, and the camaraderie of lot of fantastic people from all over! Plus, this year your Saturday Dinner and beverages in our hospitality center are included for the early bird registrations! Check out the Event Website for more details on the Rally including our speaker lineup, entertainment options, daily events, food vendors and more!
Camp in Luxury
Improve your Skills
Show off your Skills
We have three riding competitions to challenge you. Back again this year is Dennis Godwin's famous GS Challenge course that will test all your skills. We have an Asphalt cone challenge that can put your SlowRide skills to the test. And be sure and participate in our every popular English Trials skills ride where the slowest rider with the fewest dabs wins.
Do Good-Support the Grapplers!
We are really excited to announce the Golden Grapplers wrestling club will be back in action serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Redbud room! Don't miss out on excellent meals while supporting the local wrestling team.
Preorder your custom beverage glass
New this year we are offering custom rally stainless pint glasses and wine glasses for entrance to our complimentary hospitality center. Get access to exclusive VIP service too and don't get stuck in a long line with wimpy 6 oz plastic cups! Without the custom beverage glass your beverages will be limited to 6oz pours. Pre Order on with your registration and save $5.
Early Bird Savings
Early Bird Registration Pricing is good thru April 30th and includes your Saturday dinner.
If you are a vendor or speaker (or would like to be) or have questions about the 49er Rally, please click here to email Kevin Coleman, the 2024 49er Chair.
The RawHyde training program brings their leading curriculum directly to you at the 49er in a scaled down version! We offer beginner and advanced level sessions on Friday and Saturday. Both courses start with training on the Fairgrounds starting at 8 AM then continue on a guided ride in the foothills in the afternoon.
Intro Course
The Intro Course is a scaled-down version of the 2-day Intro to Adventure training program offered at the Rawhyde facilities in California and Colorado. Riders with no past experience with riding off-road or those looking to significantly increase their comfort off-road will benefit tremendously from the skills taught during this course.
The course will cover the top five mistakes all street riders make in the dirt as well as teach you a series of "building-block" skills that will get you comfortable with the basics of riding the dirt roads of the world.
Topics covered include
Body position for effective off-road riding
Throttle, brake, and clutch techniques (requires more finesse than street riding).
Weight-shift techniques for steering.
Balance techniques
Turning technique using counterbalancing.
Obstacle avoidance.
How to control front and rear wheel skids.
Intermediate Course
The Intermediate/Advanced Course is a scaled-down version of the Next Step curriculum and is best for those that have some comfort riding off-road and understand the basics of counterbalancing, throttle, brake, and clutch control controls training program but what to refresh and hone those skills as well as develop them to the next level. This is a great class for riders who have already taken a beginner course and want to reinforce the learnings, eliminate bad habits and gain greater confidence riding off-road.
The course will include a refresher of important skills such as body position, counterbalancing, controlling front and rear wheel skids, and throttle brake and clutch control.
Narrow line riding. One of the most important skills on a motorcycle is “putting the bike where you want it”. This skill will be developed or enhanced with drills and exercises that focus on “holding the line” from actual trail riding scenarios to riding between parallel logs and other similar exercises.
High-speed braking and the basics of skid turning – many people are fearful of “locking up the brakes”, but if you know what to do skidding is a great way to either initiate or finish a turn.
We may also cover the following areas during the course in the morning or during the guided off-road ride in the afternoon
Hard acceleration technique on dirt and gravel.
Hill climbing & traction control.
Descending steep hills in a controlled manner.
How to recover from a stall on a steep hill.
How to turn around, fully loaded on a steep hill.
The cost of either program is $295 and includes 4 hours of instruction in the morning followed by a guided off-road ride that enables you to put your skills to use. At the end of the day, celebrate your accomplishments with a refreshment in the Hospitality Center.
Hey ladies, if you feel more comfortable learning riding skills in a female-centric environment taught by a woman, this is the class for you! Louise Powers has been teaching the ins and outs of GS riding skills since 2015. She and her crew will take you through a fun day meant to boost your adventure skills to the next level and help you gain confidence in riding in the wild! No matter your skill level in riding off the pavement you will build important skills and confidence to take your bike off the road.
The course will be offered Friday from 8 am to 12 noon followed by a guided tour to practice and develop your skills on an off-road trail. After the ride, celebrate with your course mates in our hospitality center.
The clinic is designed for female riders who have experience riding their motorcycle on the road and want to learn about or become more comfortable riding off-road. It will focus on four core elements—Balance, Braking, Clutch, and Throttle Control—which are critical to achieving nearly all you would ever want to accomplish on an Adventure Motorcycle. These fundamental elements are where your training will begin. Through a series of instruction, drills, and coaching, Louise and Shawn will hone, combine, and enhance these core elements, thereby building your skills AND confidence in an off-road environment.
You Can do More than you Think
Some of the most common feedback received from past participants include, “I can’t believe what I can do that I couldn’t do when I got here!” The building block structure in which students are taught ensures that fundamental elements needed for safe, effective riding are learned, practiced, and built upon. In this way, students often find themselves excelling in areas they thought outside their reach.
Your Instructors
Louise Powers BMW MOA Board member is a world-traveling Adventure Rider with tens of thousands of miles racked up on her bikes. And at under 5’ 4” tall, Louise has a unique understanding of what it takes to ride “big” adventure bikes (she owns and rides a BMW R 1250 GS HP!). Shawn Thomas is an Internationally Certified Off-Road Instructor with a passion for helping Adventure Riders be the best they can be.
Together, Louise and Shawn bring decades of experience teaching over 10,000 Adventure Riders worldwide. When you train with this team of Adventure Riders, you are in the hands of seasoned professionals who want to make you a better and more confident rider.
Commonly Asked Question
Everyone can improve your slow speed riding skills. Slow Ride Motorcycle training will be at the 49er providing their top notch Police Style Riding courses for improving your slow speed riding! Slow Ride's mission is advancing your rider skill level accomplished through focused coaching in a non-stressful learning environment
The courses are taught by instructors certified in police motorcycle instruction and are active or retired police motor officers with over 60 years of combined training experience and are well-versed in the field of motorcycle safety. Click here for more information on your instructors.
If you're a motorcyclist and you ride often, you've probably experienced a low-speed maneuvering issue at one time or another. More often than not, the failure to control a motorcycle when the speeds get under 12 miles per hour usually results in a drop or tip over. Think slow tight turns or weaving around an obstacle. If this describes YOU, then YOU need to attend our SLOW Ride Motorcycle Training course. The training teaches civilian riders the techniques used by police motorcycle officers in a non-stress, controlled environment. We don't use tall cones! This course will cover the proper use of the clutch, throttle, and rear brakes to balance of the motorcycle at low speeds. All of the techniques we use will be discussed, demonstrated, and then coached on a one-to-one basis.
We are offering the Intro Class in the morning and advanced class in the afternoon on both Friday and Saturday. Be sure and select the correct class on the registration page.
If you're a motorcyclist and you ride often, you've probably experienced a low-speed maneuvering issue at one time or another. More often than not, the failure to control a motorcycle when the speeds get under 12 miles per hour usually results in a drop or tip over. Think slow tight turns or weaving around an obstacle. If this describes YOU, then YOU need to attend our SLOW Ride Motorcycle Training course. This course teaches civilian riders the techniques used by police motorcycle officers in a non-stress, controlled environment. We don't use tall cones! The introductory course will cover the proper use of the clutch, throttle, and rear brakes to balance of the motorcycle at low speeds. All of the techniques we use will be discussed, demonstrated, and then coached on a one-to-one basis.
This course was designed for a more experienced rider that's looking to up their game, or for those riders that completed one of our introductory courses in the morning. During this phase of training, our instructors will take you through a step-by-step process that will help you master the low-speed maneuvering techniques needed for U-Turns, turns from a stop, and more. Each exercise will be discussed and demonstrated, then practiced in a non-stressful controlled environment.
Riders should bring a ball cap, sunscreen, plenty of water and must wear the following while operating their motorcycle on the range
Motorcycles will be inspected by the instructors prior to riding on the range. Please ensure that your motorcycle has good brakes, tires (properly inflated) and a good battery. Handlebars should not touch any portion of the rider when the wheel is at full lock (turned as far as it will go) in either direction. The rider must be able to smoothly operate the throttle and clutch.
After building your skills be sure and sign up for the BMW Norcal's Asphalt Trials Challenge on Saturday!
The BMW Cub of Northern California is headed to the BMW MOA National Rally in Redmond, Oregon! There will be outstanding riding opportunities in the surrounding area along with the great hospitality of the MOA rally.
Check out the the BMW MOA National Rally registration. The club signup is only so we keep track of who is planning to attend. You need to register for the National Rally at the Rally Website.
We will have a dedicated camping spot for the Club and working on other club activities and hospitality over the next year and will provide further details closer to the Rally. If you are planning to attend, let us know by signing up. While we won't have a club sponsored ride to the event given the diversity in schedules and routes people want to take, if you are looking for a riding partner or two, we can use the sign up list to help riders coordinate.
Uncle Toms Cabin was such a great time in 2023, we are coming back in 2024.
This is one campout you don't want to miss! The June election will be held at Uncle Tom's Cabin and we have the campground for two nights of camping and exploring. So come join us! Member registration is open now. Guest registration will open June 1.
Election
This is our annual election meeting and we have the President, Secretary, Historian, Treasurer are up for election this year. Tour Captain (still needs to be filled) So now is your opportunity to put your stamp on our club. These positions are really fun and there is plenty of support from the retiring board members. Email the Secretary if you have questions, are interested in running or want to nominate someone.
Dinner
The crowd pleasing Lechon is back on the menu for Saturday night ONLY along with all the fixings!
If you are planning to hang out at Uncle Tom's Cabin and want to enjoy a beverage or some snacks BRING CASH. They don't accept credit cards.
Entertainment
Live music always adds an extra layer of enjoyment to any gathering, especially when it's someone as talented as Owen Balduf! With Lechon and great music, it sounds like a recipe for a fantastic time. I'll definitely make sure to have my dancing shoes ready!
Ride
Group Ride will be on Saturday the 29thy. Start location and route - TBD. If you can help out by leading the ride the start location can be your choice.
Ride within your limits -you are responsible for yourself and your machine.
Ride Safe, See you at Camp!
This month's campout takes us South to Quaking Aspen Group Campground.
Quaking Aspen Campground is situated in the Giant Sequoia National Monument near numerous distinctive sequoia groves, including McIntyre Grove and Freeman Creek Grove, at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Some sites overlook a meadow. An amphitheater, vault toilets and picnic areas are provided.
The Sequoia National Forest, located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, takes its name from the giant sequoia, the world's largest tree, which grows in more than 30 groves on the Forest's lower slopes. The Forest comprises about 1.1 million acres, and elevations range from about 1,000 to 12,000 feet, creating precipitous canyons and mountain streams with spectacular waterfalls such as Salmon Creek Falls and Grizzly Falls.
Visitors can explore nearby sequoia groves. Bear Creek Grove has a trail that winds through the Belknap Complex along Bear Creek and the Tule River. The Freeman Creek Grove is also a popular destination. At 1,425 acres, this immense unlogged grove features several large sequoias, including the President George Bush Tree. There is fishing in area streams and the Tule River. For hiking, the Summit Trailhead is 10 miles north of the campground.
The Trail of 100 Giants is 10 miles away. Possible day trips include Dome Rock and the Needles rock formation and lookout.
The breakfast meet up location TBD.
Must be registered to attend the campout.
We moved the campout up an week to accommodate preparing for the Range Of Light
Registration will open up approx. 30 days before the campout
This Months campout brings us to the beautiful Lassen National Park. Registration will be limited to 50 participants. Unless you have a park pass or lifetime pass you WILL be charged an entrance fee to get into the park, regardless of campground reservation. Pets are NOT allowed on the trails and in camp they must be on a leash.
Couple things to consider before registering: There is NO Cell Service in the park * Possibly NO Drinking Water at the campground you MUST bringing your own * No Showers
Breakfast details sent with confirmation of registration.
This years Octoberfest will bring us to Manchester KOA. We will be hosting this event in collaboration with the Air Head Club. More details to follow.
In order to be confirmed for the dinner, you must be registered by TBD
The Group ride starts at TBD. Route sheets and files will be sent after registration.
All attendees MUST be registered. This includes Pillions and guests.
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BMW Club of Northern California is a 501(c) non-profit organization. PO Box PO Box 2472, Santa Clara, CA 95055