Motorcycles & Good Company

Two things I enjoy are riding motorcycles and meeting great people. I was thinking about what I wanted in the coming year. Riding more and doing more long trips was on the top of my list but I want to combine this with meeting and making new friends.

Back in my BMW days my room mate and I were listed in the BMW anonymous book. For those of you who have never heard of this, BMW Anonymous is a voluntary listing of individuals that would render aid, put a rider up for the night or who had a truck and would come get you in the event of a rare BMW breakdown. It seems that Americans didn't make much use of the listing but our European brothers (and sisters) did. We had some great evenings with house guests from all over the world.

The question is how to do this, both as a traveler on a VFR and as a host with two empty bed rooms? How do you welcome fellow motorcycle enthusiasts without getting murdered in the process by a VFR mounted serial killer?

 

Unfortunately you can't. I suppose a start would be by having a list on a site like this where fellow enthusiasts could look up and possibly even confirm before they leave, that there is someone in the town they are planning who could help out if need be. As a kid my dad was the go to guy in the small town we lived in, and I remember all manner of interesting people passing through our house in the middle of the night (in those days they had to throw stones on the roof to wake us up)
"It's better to die trusting than to live doubting" I don't live by this but if you really think about it, it makes sense.

 

Jim's reference is the BMW MOA (Motorcycle Owners of America) WIKI-GOOGLE ect.. Pre website stuff. There was a published magazine and the "Anonymous" part was a separate little booklet that was easilty stowed on the bikes somewhere. It contained simple codes designating what or who was available for what. There was also a clearing function.

All that is much different than a public website.

BMW functions can be fun especially in Canada where the anality is less than here in the states. On a general scale, BMW owners are more anal than VFR owners and much less anal than Harley owners. This includes harleydoods that are still paying off their bikes or thinking they can be re-sold for more than the original cost.

 

No one can assure the behavior of your guests. However, I have read about very successful experiences on the ADV board among others. For touring, post up your plans, when you will be in the area and ask for suggestions where to stay, what to see, etc. More often than not someone will volunteer were to stay or may even offer a place to camp or crash, not the MC kind, the sleep on the couch kind.

I've had members of other boards offer to lead me around and show me the "best" roads in the area and even offer a place to crash for the evening. I have also seen posts from the road where folks have broken down or need help and many forum members step with offers of trailers, place to store the MC, spare part or recommendations for reputable shops.

I think the key to success is being well known on the forum. Folks are more likely to respond to people they 'virtually know" than a first time poster with no history.

 

So true and more clannish and more, shall we say "individualistic", than BMW riders are the Moto Guzzi people. Their functions are a hoot.

 

I am not asking for a life without risk but I have found that riders, as a whole, present very little risk. In fact most of the distance riders I have known were reliable and considerate individuals. Very few drifters and vagabonds ride around the country on bikes (Harley riders excluded of course.) I am sure you are right. I am already a member here and on accessnorton.com but I was wondering if there were forums that are more "general travel" related that you would recommend?

 

Back in the 80's the AMA had the same thing that was called "Helping Hands". Still may be around today. You signed up to help riders that cross your area if they need it. All the info was put in to a pamphlet mail to all AMA members. I was part of it and carried the book on the bike. Never had any use for it though. Go figure.

 

I can't speak of other websites or forums that are around for couch surfing motorcyclists but I do have a suggestion. How's about a "sticky" that allows us to offer ourselves and our resources. Any offers to provide a landing spot can then be at the discression of the offering party. We have this on another moto board that I am a part of and it's a nice quick reference tool for route planning.

Mine would read like this :

Timmay, North Denver Suburbs, Have pickup truck for hauling, Garage for maint. with lift, Experienced mechanic, Bed available (must tolerate dogs), backyard camping too.


I have not met anyone on this board in the flesh but after a year of watching I certainly have an idea of who would get an open door....

 

Lots of couches here:

http://dartmouthharleyclub.com/


Big Jim would probably be very popular with the Dallas dudes.

 

The problem is most people use these things as a source of emergency information and so never use them. It would be nice if they were used as a resource for trip planning and meeting new friends. I don't know about you but the second best thing to actually riding is sharing the adventure with someone who is.

I like the "sticky" idea even if I am not too clear on it's function.

I think mine would read like this: Leonard, TX, 60 miles N.E. of Dallas, have pickup, can emergency haul, garage for maintenance, half assed mechanic available, bed available (must tolerate dogs & cats), backyard camping, beer, hospitality and bench racing available, must ride 1/2 mile on dirt road to get here.

 

Jim- A "Sticky" would be a thread that stays at the top of a given forum section. It needs to be set by a Moderator, I think making it a sticky in the Trips & Events would be the logical place to put it, seems to me.

 

I've had members of other boards offer to lead me around and show me the "best" roads in the area and even offer a place to crash for the evening.

 

If the mods here don't opt to get stuck with a sticky, the bike ads on Craigslist might work. I don't think Craig would bear any responsibility if someone got humped by a horde of harleydoods, so be careful out there.

 

^pretty good. It could be some crazy story that the entire world could hear aboot. CL psycho-motor-cyco killer invading VFR owners houses and doing some horrible act (you fill in the blank.)

I wana a nice Belgium Malinois this way, I would be alble so sleep on my belly withoot any fear of being violated. Gay link was a belly laugh fer sure...Where do you come up with that chit?

I offered my lift and my tools for a rider that was down here in South FL from up Norith and he never took me up on my offer, communicated later on, and he just kind of blew it off.

 

CL has some new stuff going so far, as some scams are concerned. New software or new staff?? Not a clue. The bogus bike and car ads don't seem to last long. Like the man said once, if it seems too good to be true it probably isn't, or is it is? LOL. Then there are those who might like being humped by some hairy harleydoods.. Most of those gay dudes on that list for starters.. Dudes in this context are of a specific or generally specific gender. The DOBs even though we might be targets of exclusionary chauvinism might not like even one lord in the horde..

Where do I get stuff like that? Google.. Bing is way too aggressive and full of ads popups and shit for sale that I will never want or buy and of late it looks like FOX news is their source of whats happening.

Before somebody
becomes informative and points out that Google tracks damn near everyone to some degree or other, It they (collectively) think that Microsoft doesn't they probably have two Harleys.. Also the gubbamint, I don't think is all that hot to listen in to recipe swaps on 1001 ways to cook oatmeal.

Google is as indepth as ya want. I got a book called "Google Hacks" with a real simple analogy in the first few pages that encapsulates basically how it works.

I hope if you get that dog she is a she doggy....Dogs that size are like the 800 lb gorillas. Thank The Gods there are few 800lb harleydoods with rear entry needs..

I was a BMW MOA member for years. Had the booklet under the seat in a Ziploc and never used it.

With all the shit that goes on with CL and the social engineering sites, what was a good idea may not be so good anymore.

 

Meeting guys at track days is an option too. There are 30 or so of us that get together to do 2 track days a year. From this all kinds of street rides with friends have grown. It all started with a few guys meeting at a Jennings track day long ago. Met some great guys and gals this way.

 

Orgies are fun too.