Welcome
The Border Riders Motorcycle Club (BRMC) is an organized group of guys who like to ride and camp. Our membership spans the Pacific Northwest, with the greatest participation in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver B.C. We have one of the largest memberships of gay clubs in North America, and welcome like-minded guests to join us on our monthly club events and local activities during the riding months. Check the main page of the website at http://borderriders.com for additional information.
November Club Meeting Recap
The November meeting was at the home of Kas C. and his partner Chris M. in Vancouver, Washington. Despite the fact that the weather was good that day, only one member took advantage of it to ride to the meeting. There was no way to miss Kas and Chris’ home. It was already beautifully decorated for the holiday season. People began arriving at about 3:30 that afternoon. There were a lot of conversations, and catching up between members and guests during the hour before the meeting. A crowd of nineteen members and nine guests was present.
Vice President, Dan S. called the meeting to order just minutes after five o’clock. Road Captain, Dennis H. told the club of the plans for the June run which will coincide with the Portland Pride parade like it did this year. Treasurer, Stan C. gave a very positive report about the financial standing of the club and the process of filing with the IRS for our non-profit status. He also talked about a couple of riding classes that he is planning which members are invited to join. These classes are not club sponsored. Since we had a quorum present, the members were able to approve the minutes from the last three meetings. The issue of quorum requirements and how it has limited our ability to do business was a topic of discussion. Voting for new members, and officers as well as the 50th Anniversary run were also discussed. The meeting closed exactly one hour later.
For dinner, Kas and Chris presented a true Thanksgiving banquet. The turkey was boned and baked by Allen H., the hosts prepared the mashed potatoes and turkey dressing, and the carrot salad was prepared by Chris L. The meal was topped off with an incredible choice of a variety of pies for dessert. Not only was the meal filling, but it was also delicious. Dessert was downright sinful!
After dinner, the conversations continued. Everyone gathered in the living room for a group picture. Also, we all had to go down to the garage to admire Kas’ new motorcycle. Later in the evening, a group of attendees went to Portland’s BRMC “Clubhouse,” the Eagle on Lombard, for more social time and drinks. Kas and Chris are thanked for the hospitality they showed by opening up their home for the dinner, meeting and socializing we experienced.
From the Handlebars of the President
November was a rather busy month and I am not sure where it went. Unfortunately I was not able to attend the November meeting. I had to attend a conference and class for work in San Diego the week before. As many of you know, I also do a ton of baking for the holidays and my having to be out of town interfered with my baking. As I had customers wanting cookies and fudge for Thanksgiving I had to stay home to bake.
As far as motorcycle riding, the weather is turning bad and I haven’t been able to ride much. I was still riding my bike to work up until the middle of the month. Now that the weather has turned toward the wet season I have not been riding. However, should we have a sunny day I will be riding to work.
Our year is coming to an end with only one club event left. I would encourage everyone to attend the Holiday Party on December 8th outside Burlington. Registration is open on the website.
I hope you all have a holly jolly holiday season. I will be heading to my parents in Montana on Christmas Eve and return in time for New Years. Please be safe during the Holidays.
Our 50th year is just around the corner. Stay tuned for information about the 50th Anniversary ride in September as well as other 50th Anniversary events during the year. As always if you have any questions or concerns regarding the club, please feel free to contact me.
Jeff C
Seattle’s Meet & Greet
On Wednesday, November 21st was the second Seattle Meet and Greet. Thanks to the efforts of Chris L we have been making an effort to have members present on the third Wednesday of the month for the club meet and greet. In October we had three members and one guest present. This month we had seven members and three guests present. The Cuff was under construction on the main floor and that portion of the bar was closed. The dance floor was closed. Most of us left after an hour as the next day was Thanksgiving. It was good to see such a turn out.
Road Captain Rumblings
Tis the season – not just for the holidays, but that time of year where we are thankful, but also to a time where we are retrospective of the past year. Looking back to the past year as a group – not just meaning club events - we had a very safe year. Don’t know of any occurrences of road rash or injuries to bikes or people. We as a group put many more miles on our bikes than average statistics yet and likely have a safer averages. This is in part due to the culture of who we ride with and things like Stan putting together events like training with Team Oregon. Most of us don’t put our bikes into hibernation on Labor Day and ride when we can which helps us stay current and proficient.
I’m thankful for the group of friends that we have, passionate about riding and able to socialize when we aren’t.
May you all have a great holiday season, paint up, rubber down and a new bike under the Christmas tree. Looking forward to a great 50th year.
Treasurer’s Report
I’ve been trying for 6 months to come up with a fun heading for my part of this newsletter. President Handlebars and RC Rumblings are so cool and “It’s T-Time” seems dorky. I want to be cool too, but I’m not a creative person, so I’d like some input from you creative types. Please, PLEASE e-mail me your suggestions. I need help.
I start with a HUGE compliment to Kas & Chris for being able to pull off the November event flawlessly. The food was wonderful & the timing was perfect. I think this might have been one of the very few times a “GUEST” hosted such a major event. Great job guys!
I’ll let you in on a little secret. As his friend and sponsor, I advised Kas not to take this on until he had been to a November meeting. I thought he needed to know what he was getting into, but he made it clear that it was important to him to give back to the club and he was going to do it anyway.
I also give a major sized compliment to Kas’s husband Chris for supporting him and helping him pull this off. Motorcycling & camping isn’t exactly Chris’s thing. He had no vested interest in this other than to help his husband Kas and help he did, WOW. Thank you very much Chris. You deserve and have my respect.
Last but not least, I send out a big thanks to Alan H & Chris L for helping Kas & Chris behind the scene. You gents are very skilled in the kitchen and you always impress me with everything you do. This was no exception. Thanks to you both.
Club Finances & Such
Our finances continue to be strong and we are in a wonderful position financially. We do not have any uncollected receivables and the only debt we have is related to the patch deposits. I expect to close the year without any changes to this standing. Kudos to the members for being fiscally responsible during the last 12 months.
With our finances up to date, I spent some time working with the IRS to secure our status as a Not-for-Profit “NFP” organization. The first time I called I spent 40 minutes on hold and was disconnected when the operator tried to pick up the call. The IRS calls this a “Courtesy Disconnect”. It sure doesn’t feel very courteous.
I called back and after another 40 minutes on hold I was able to reach a very seasoned and knowledgeable person. I am very excited to report, I have finally been successful at getting the IRS to accept our 2017 Tax Return as a NFP organization. Since we are technically still in the process of being approved it wasn’t an easy sell, but I found an understanding person in the NFP Approval Department and she was able to accept the return to keep us compliant while we go through the process of straightening this all out. Whew! The IRS has less than 90 days to make their decision, but I am hopeful we will get approved.
Portland’s November M&G and Day Ride
Portland only had 1 Meet & Greet “M&G” in November and it was a nice turnout. About 5 people showed up for a lively chat and a drink. Later that week, Jeff B and I decided the day ride should be a very scenic ride up to Vernonia OR which includes some fun twisties, a lot of them. It’s a wonderful ride to practice your cornering but as such, creates some challenges when riding with various skill levels and riding styles. No matter, we make it happen and everyone seems to enjoy themselves on day rides.
Unfortunately, the weather ended up being very cold the night before and it got below freezing along the desired route. With wet leaves on the road and shaded twisties, I made a safety-based decision and canceled the route. We still met for breakfast as planned and while there, we decided to ride north to Loves Leather. Leather shopping with 6 gay guys, what could possibly go wrong? To get some time on the bikes we took the long way riding from Beaverton to Oregon City and then out to Loves Leather.
We called it a day from there. I do know a couple guys weren’t done and went out on their own for a ride or took the long way home. Alan, Kas, Chris T & I didn’t have time and heading home from there. While it wasn’t the day we wanted, it was a fun day hanging out with everyone.
Don’t forget, Portland’s next M&G will be on Tuesday, December 4th at the Eagle on Lombard at 7:00. This will be the last M&G held on a Tuesday. Starting in January the M&G will be switched to Wednesday aligning itself with the M&G in BC & Seattle. There is also a new poster board about us hanging in the Eagle so come see us and it on Tuesday the 4th.
The day ride this month, December, will not occur on the Saturday following our M&G due to the holiday meeting in Burlington, OR. That said, some of us are looking at doing the Toy Run on Saturday, December 1st instead. Since you will likely be reading this newsletter after the 1st, I hope you saw the notice about the Toy Run on our FaceBook “FB” page and were able to attend. If you are not familiar with our FB page please contact me via e-mail, Treasurer@BorderRiders.com and let’s get you hooked up. The newsletter is only monthly, and the FB page is constantly updated making the FB page a great way to stay current throughout the month.
Treasurer’s Ramblings
The wet weather has finally arrived here in the PNW. While I’m happy to see the rain because we need the rain to keep everything green, I am sad to see it because it signaled the end of our dry/warm riding seasons. Did I just hear a collective boo? Anyway, since it’s time to put the bikes away until next season, I thought I would share the process I go through when I say, “I put the bike in storage”.
Somewhere near the end of the riding season, I try get the oil changed. I do this because I want the engine to be as clean and lubricated as possible on this inside and I want the manufacturers recommend oil for colder temperatures which may be different than the hotter months of summer. Also, the bike will likely not be run for a while and I don’t want any dirt to be allowed to exist in the engine and possibly cause pitting, damage or unnecessary wear.
The next thing I do is I wash the bike in a very detailed way. This means taking off all the easily removable components such as the seat, the saddle bags & the trunk. I have a quick release trunk on this bike otherwise I may try working around it.
I start washing all the places that are difficult to get to and I make sure there is no dirt left behind. I spend some time on the wheels (I hate doing wheels) and I scrub the tires. I use an old toothbrush and a little soap and hot water to clean the rough surfaces and hard to get to spots on the engine. I use a spray cleaner and a clay bar on the painted surfaces to remove any remaining debris before I start buffing and waxing. I use a buffing compound on all the scratches I have accumulated throughout the summer and I put a coat of wax on all the painted surfaces. I will add additional coats of wax throughout the winter and mostly when I am missing the bike and want to ride but can’t, so I wax. I use a chrome polish and tar remover on all the chrome (tar on chrome pipes are a PITA) and I put a coat of Amoral on all the leather. I reassemble the bike as I do all this since some things are easier to wax when they are attached to the bike.
A couple little secrets I’ve learned that may help you. When I am making my soap and water mixture, I use water as hot as I can get it and a good soap designed for automobiles. I don’t use dish soap because I’ve been told it will remove a wax coating. That said, my friend Kas has a beautiful Indian with a matt finish and he uses dish soap because he doesn’t have to worry about a shiny waxed surface on his bike. He has said dish soap will remove finger prints and works better on the unique challenges he faces with his matt finish.
Hmm, I guess this is a good place to put in some fine print. I am only saying this is what I do. I’m not telling you this is what you should do because there are all kinds of surfaces out there. You should do you a little research regarding your bike before you get started.
Another little secret is that I use the leaf blower to dry the bike after I wash it. I normally need to make a couple slow walks around the bike, but this will eventually get the bike dry enough to prevent most water spots. At the very least, it gets it dry enough to negate the need for more than 1 drying towel.
The last little trick is to use finger nail polish remover to get any sap or other stubborn stains off the bike. Please test the finger nail polish remover in an inconspicuous spot in case your paint doesn’t take well to it. I’ve been lucky so far. I am always nervous and pay very close attention when using finger nail polish as a cleaner so please be careful.
Once the bike is thoroughly cleaned and put back together, I plug it into a battery tender and put things on the seats to keep the cat from getting up there and using my leather seat as a scratching post. Yes, she did it once and I learned to cover it up. No, I didn’t kill her, and no, I didn’t declaw her although the thought may have crossed my mind. Cleaning the bike this way normally takes most of a day. Have fun
Closing Statement
I wish you all the best for this holiday season. I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events and if you should have any questions or comments, please feel encouraged to contact our President or myself directly. We will try our best to respond to you timely.
Sincerely,
Stan C
BRMC Treasurer
2019 Board of Directors
Officer positions are President, Vice President, Road Captain, Secretary, and Treasurer. Please give some thought to serving as an officer of the club. The following members were nominated at the October meeting:
President: Jeff C
Vice President: Dan S
Road Captain: Dennis H
Secretary: John D
Treasurer: Stan C
The final opportunity to nominate club officers for next year is at the December Holiday Party/Meeting. Elections will be conducted electronically by email. Members who are eligible to vote please be on the lookout for your ballot and vote prior to the Annual General Meeting.
Holiday Party - December 8th
This year our annual Holiday Party and white elephant gift exchange will be hosted by Chris L and Richard A at their place outside Burlington, WA. The date is December 8th. Detailed directions will be provided in the confirmation email. Group social time is at 3 pm, dinner at 6pm, followed by the gift exchange. Chicken Cordon Bleu with all the fixings will be prepared by Chris, Richard, Stan, Alan and Buck. Jeff will be providing the desserts.
Also, remember to bring a gift for exchange. Keep the value under $15. Both gag gifts (no pun intended) and fabulous gifts are encouraged. And, of course, festive holiday attire is encouraged.
Chris and Richard have invited members and guests to stay at their place. Please contact Chris L for arrangements as it is on a first come first serve basis. Also, Jeff C has a couple of sofas and lots of floor space if anyone wants to stay at his place.
Registration will close on Wednesday, December 5th at 9:00 pm. Be sure to register.
AGM - Annual General Meeting
The annual AGM will be held on January 19th at the Cuff Complex in Seattle. This is the time to renew club dues, elect officers for the coming year as well as conduct club business. Please remember that if your eligibility to vote has lapsed that you must attend two business meetings in order to be able to vote at the AGM. If you have questions about your eligibility to vote please contact the club secretary. Please watch your email for your ballot prior to the meeting.
Anniversary Banquet
It is not too early to start thinking about the Anniversary Banquet. Jeff B has taken on the task of helping plan and organize the banquet for the club. The banquet will be on February 16th to be held at the East Moreland Golf Course south of Portland.
Calendar of 2018 Events
January 20 Annual General Meeting – Seattle
February 17 Anniversary Banquet – Vancouver, BC
March 17 Club Meeting
April 21 Club Meeting
May 18-21 Victoria Day Weekend Camp
June 15-17 Milo McIver, Estacada, OR & Portland Pride
July 20-21 Evans Group, Kettle Falls, WA
August 17-20 Goldstream Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, BC
September 14-16 Bear Hollow Camp, Fossil, OR
October 20 Club Meeting, Vancouver BC
November 17 Club Meeting, Vancouver, WA
December 8 Holiday Party, Burlington, WA
Calendar of 2019 Events
January 19 Annual General Meeting - Seattle, WA
February 16th Anniversary Banquet - Portland, OR
Birthdays
We have 2 members with birthdays this month. Please take a moment to wish them a great day.
Marc L - Dec 2
Richard A - Dec 14
Meet & Greets
BRMC members will be available for new and returning guys to connect and learn more about the club and opportunities to participate. If you are interested, check out when and where in the cities listed below. Also, in addition to the club's monthly events, local rides may be organized, weather permitting. To lean more, email the Road Capatain for specific details, or to ensure a member to meet you, at captain@borderriders.com.
Portland: Meet & Greet - 1st Tuesday of the month, 7pm at The Portland Eagle
Seattle: Meet & Greet - 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7pm at The Cuff
Vancouver BC: Please contact the Road Captain for arrangements
Contributions of Photos & Stories
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com
