BMW Club of Houston
Minutes of the meeting February 01, 2020
A. Call to Order and Announcements -
Jerry Matson, President, called the meeting order at 10:20am at the Spaghetti Western Restaurant.
Newer members were recognized which included Bill Smith, Collin Hughes and Al Sinopoli.
B. Reports from Officers/New Officer Introductions -
1. President - Jerry Matson: Announced that this meeting was going to be about planning and idea sharing for riding Alaska in 2020 or near future.
2. VP and Rally Meister - Fernando Aguirre: Gave Rally update. Rally is set for November 6-8, 2020 with more details later.
3. Secretary - Position vacant
4. Treasurer -presented the report for January
5. RideMeister - Tarek Gaza: Not present, On 450 mile Club Ride to National Forests
C. Introductions
Jerry introduced a guest vendor, David Jones from Safety on Two Wheels. David presented the following information:
1. Basic training to be held at Lone Star College/Tomball
2. Adventure training to include beginners course near US290 @ West Road, as well as more advanced training at the Sterling Ranch in Willis
3. Touring Adventures: Touratech Rally in Washington State June 25-28. His company is offering fly in transport packages for $950. Contact him for more details at: https://safetyontwowheels.org/
D. Upcoming Events
1. MOA Rally in Great Falls, MT
June 25-28, 2020, register before Feb 15 to receive a discount on registration fees.
2. Club Rally 2020
November 6-8, 2020, VP Fernando advised more detail to follow
3. Tech Day
Mike suggested either late April or early May for the next Tech Day at his place in Pearland
E. Presentation
Alaska Trip Planning. A roundtable type discussion was conducted with many ideas from those members that have made the ride to Alaska.
1. Mary Ellen: Buy and use the Milepost book. A useful travel guide with routes, excursions, lodging, food, etc.
2. Kevin: Plan ahead for tires
3. Go with a travel companion if possible, making sure your partner is compatible. [Jerry: Differing opinions on this, some recommend riding solo. See the club forums for more discussion.]
4. Kevin: Avoid large group travel, more problems with travel arrangements, food stops, etc.
5. Kevin: Traveling alone is fine and in fact often better as you meet more people and can share with locals
6. Kevin: You will most likely only do this trip once in your life, allow time for side trips and sightseeing.
7. Kevin: Keep packing to a minimum
8. Some essentials are tools, mosquito net, 100% DEET spray and minimal clothing
9. There is a good REI in Fairbanks for items needing replaced or added
10. Make sure to have good rain gear and heated clothing, expect it to be cold and wet
11. Kevin: The bike is not that important as long as it in mechanically sound and you are familiar with the ride
12. Not very many motorcycle dealers so planned ahead for tire changes and other maintenance.
13. Many nice campgrounds and usually not a problem getting a site
14. Stay at the University of Alaska dorms in Fairbanks, inexpensive and comfortable
15. Carry extra fuel if possible, especially if traveling to Prudhoe Bay
16. Jerry: The trip is not dangerous, but the consequences of a mistake can be extreme
17. Jerry: Carry your bike title in case of an emergency situation arises
18. Jerry: Develop a packing list and test out loading ahead of the actual trip
19. Jerry: Consider a disposable bike that if something does happen you can sell it and fly home
20. Develop and maintain a proper mindset, do not sweat the small stuff attitude
21. Watch for wildlife, especially moose
22. Know and practice basic bike repair skills, changing tires, chain repair, etc.
23, Plan, but do not overplan, have fun and be flexible, you are there for an adventure
23. Plan non-riding days off to decompress and recuperate
24. Remember it doesn’t get dark and you can push your riding to dangerous limits
25. Manage a schedule of rest, food and recreation
26. Document your trip with videos and cameras
27. Adventure Rider forum (advrider.com) is a good resource that has information from those who have made the trip
28. Costs are in the $3.000 to $4,000 range, but depend on your hotels, side trips, food choices, etc.
29. Do not forget your passport!
30. Suggested tools include Motion Pro tire tools, multimeter, hand tools that are bike specific
31. Carry a spare tire tube in case your tubeless tire can not be plugged
32. Watch YouTube videos on repairs, tire changing and other basic repairs
33. Use a GPS locator like Spot or Garmin InReach and sign up for the service
A couple of suggested things not to miss:
“Dust to Dawson” meet up on the summer solstice every June 21 in Dawson City
Plan to ride the Cassiar Highway
Marty: Plan to stop in Hyder, AK on the way up. That way, if something goes wrong, you can at least say you made it to Alaska. (Google Map)
Consider taking the ferry south on the return trip.
[Jerry created a new forum on the club website just for Alaska-related information.]
Moses gave a brief demonstration on some tech items including a mini drone with camera, a garmin to phone adapter device and GPS locators
F. Member & General Announcements
.
James Brown advised the group that member David McQueen was in a motorcycle accident on January 30. David broke 5 ribs, but is doing fine.
G. 50/50 Drawing
N/A for this meeting
Meeting adjourned at 12:01PM
Attendance: 33