The Ridin’ to Redmond National Rally takes place June 13-16, 2024, in Redmond, Oregon. Registration for the National is open now and costs $89 for members and $129 for non-members. To register for the Rally and shirt bundle for only $99, visit rally.bmwmoa.org or call the membership team at (864) 438-0962.

Once registered, shirts will be available for pickup at the MOA merchandise trailer at the rally.

Through a partnership with Beemer Bonanza Sweepstakes, MOA members and guests who purchase a three-day rally admission will automatically be entered in the nightly drawings for each motorcycle. Members who purchase day passes or cannot attend the event can purchase tickets online at bmwmoa.org/bonanza or at the Beemer Bonanza Sweepstakes display at the Rally. Tickets for the fundraiser are available beginning April 1st for $25 or five tickets for $100.

The three nights of giveaways in Redmond are the kick-off to the Beemer Bonanza Sweepstakes, a new charity fundraiser to benefit the BMW MOA Foundation and Motorcycle Relief Project. In addition to the Beemer Bonanza Sweepstakes at the Rally, the Grand Prize of the next fundraiser to benefit the MOA Foundation and Motorcycle Relief Project will include a 2024 BMW X7 M60i SUV, an 18RR Gray Wolf Black Label Toy Hauler, and a choice of a new BMW motorcycle.

To purchase tickets in the Beemer Bonanaza Sweepstakes and qualify to Win an M in Redmond, visit bmwmoa.org/bonanza.

When renewing, please submit a photo of yourself in uniform or in service if your Service's policies and regulations allow it. We’ll publish a selection of photos and recognize MOA members who serve and make riding BMW motorcycles possible for all of us!

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO

MOA member Brian Hinton (#135269) had an idea last year for a new way to store motorcycle gear that would be sturdy, functional and even a little elegant—the Helmet Head. It’s even patent pending! He sent me a prototype for feedback, and I refused to return it to him, because yeah, it’s that great of an idea, backed up by excellent execution.

The Helmet Head mounts directly to a wall, and because it’s made of 3/16” carbon steel and a bit hefty, you’ll want to mount it to a stud (which gives you an excuse to go buy a tool, as stud finders work pretty well these days). The mounting bolts look big, but they’re unobtrusive once installed properly. Installation was a breeze, though I took my time and used a level to make sure I got the unit installed perfectly vertical. I made sure to drill guide holes so the stud didn’t splinter, something I consider important when working with wood.

The graceful curve of the helmet holder makes it easy to mount any helmet—simply put your helmet on the holder like you would put it on your head, with a slight front-to-back rocking motion and then slide it gently into place. Leaving the face shield open promotes air circulation, and I found the interior of my sweaty helmet dry the next day without exception, something that didn’t always happen with the Helmet Hitch, as that unit puts the entire neck ring of your helmet flat against the wall and cuts down on airflow (and incidentally, can over time leave black smudges on the wall).

The hooks hanging from the horizontal bar of the Helmet Head allow hanging jackets, pants or gloves—rider’s choice—and you won’t worry about anything happening to even your heaviest leather jacket, as the steel hooks are securely fitted to the bar. Even though I’d like the hooks to be ever so slightly larger, I can easily hang my riding jacket on one side and my insulating layers on the other side. Slightly larger hooks would make things a little speedier for me, but this is a personal preference, not a slam on Brian’s design. Larger hooks would probably look weird in context given the smooth design of the unit.

With its laser-cut preciseness, hand-bent curve and powder-coated durability, the Helmet Head will look good no matter where it’s mounted—house, garage, shed, workshop, wherever. That, plus its made-in-the-USA bulletproof construction, make it a great purchase for any rider. With a secure mount into the studs, you’ll get years of easy, elegant service from your Helmet Head—both now and when the patent comes through.

Find out more about Helmet Head at helmethead.net. Pricing is $109 for just the helmet storage, $119 for helmet storage with jacket hooks. For a limited time, use the discount code BMWMOA when you check out online for a 10% discount.

Through a special arrangement with the MOA, every purchase made at a BMW Motorrad dealer based in the United States or online at shopbmwmotorcycles.com can qualify for the rebate. Purchasers must be an MOA member at the time of purchase and submit documentation within 60 days of the purchase date to support the claim.

In this streamlined process, no participation or agreement from the selling retailer is necessary. Claims for rebate will be managed by the MOA and members are free to support the dealer of their choice where Original BMW parts, gear and accessories are available. The rebate is currently scheduled for the remainder of 2024 but can be withdrawn at any time.

Claims for qualifying purchases can be submitted below and will be processed within 60 days for payment to the MOA member.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• BMW Motorrad Original Apparel, Original Accessories, Original Parts, Original Classic Parts, Original Service Parts, and Replacement OEM Parts purchased in store at an authorized BMW Motorrad Dealership or online at shopbmwmotorcycles.com and receive 10% back.
• Offer excludes all new motorcycle sales, bicycles, shipping, tax, services, labor and/or additional dealer charges.
• Complete the online claim form and provide your original BMW Dealer invoice.
• Claims must be submitted within 60 days of invoice date to qualify for rebate.
  
• 10% discount payout is based on the total invoiced retail price of products invoiced at the time of checkout.
• Offer valid for purchases at BMW Motorrad dealers in the United States.
• Offer not valid on merchandise purchased prior to April 1, 2023 and cannot be combined with any other offer, discount, or promotion.
• Incomplete submissions will not be accepted or fulfilled.
• Rebate is paid by BMW MOA check.
• Please allow 60 days to receive your rebate check.
• BMW of North America reserves the right to modify or discontinue this offer at any time without notice.
• VALIDITY OF OFFER: Offer valid for purchases made at US BMW Motorrad retailers only. Offer is void where taxed, restricted or prohibited by law. Offer is valid only for BMW Motorcycle Owners of America Members (MOA) with a valid MOA membership at the time of purchasing eligible BMW Motorrad Original Apparel, Original Accessories, Original Parts, Original Classic Parts, Original Service Parts, and Replacement OEM Parts in accordance with the terms herein. ©2023 BMW of North America. The BMW trademarks are registered trademarks.

Since the 2023 Grand Coddiwomple has now officially finished, we can announce the winner of this year’s contest. That winner is Bob Fulton! Bob finished with a grand total of 23,300 points! Congratulations, Bob! In second place was Terence Hamill, with 20,100 points, and in third was last year’s winner, Sharron Zoyhofski, coming in with 19,600 points.

Congratulations to those who made US 50 feel a little less lonely this year and rode all the way from Maryland to California. There were six of you who accomplished this feat, and you will be getting an additional certificate to document this achievement! Great Job!!

1. Sharron Zoyhofski
2. Douglas Olin
3. Bob Fulton
4. Jerry Gilbert
5. Neil Hejny
6. Larry Troutman Sr

Also, The Ridge Line challenge proved to be quite a challenge to a lot of riders who attempted to get to all 25 sites on Skyline Drive and The Blue Ridge Parkway! However, only 9 riders managed to get all of them! Congratulations! You will be getting a certificate to commemorate this achievement!

1. Sharron Zoyhofski
2. Michael Papp
3. Sean Alabaster
4. Bob Fulton
5. Jay Shannon
6. Sid Bordelon
7. Timojhen Mark
8. Larry Troutman Sr
9. John Smith

Everyone else who has finished with the qualifying score of 300 points will receive a certificate of completion along with a commemorative pin with this year's Coddiwomple logo on it. In addition, the MOA has graciously obtained donations for us to have a prize drawing. In appreciation of squirrels everywhere, the following people have been randomly selected and won the following prizes:

Cool and interesting numbers

• We received a total of 10,348 submissions. That’s a lot of photos that were submitted and judged.
• Of the 389 riders who registered, 169 finished the contest with the 300 minimum points needed.
• The challenge with the most submissions was The Count to Fifty challenge, with 4,070 submissions. You all took no prisoners with this challenge, that’s for sure! It was very popular!

Everybody had some grand travels this year! We enjoyed looking at them through your camera lenses. It was good getting caught up with those of you who returned to Coddiwomple with us again!

A big thank you to all the volunteers that helped this year. We truly couldn't have done this without all of you. Thank you for all the hours spent looking at photos, managing emails, and the like. You honestly had no idea what you were getting yourself into when you answered the call, and we appreciate it that you stayed around once you did!

We are looking forward to having all of you participate again next year. Registration will open on Groundhog’s Day February 2, 2024, and the event will start at midnight on April Fool's Day, April 1, 2024, and end at midnight on Halloween, October 31, 2024.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email coddiwomple@bmwmoa.org.

Sincerely,
The Grand Coddiwomple Committee

Here’s the list of finishers for this year’s Grand Coddiwomple:

Flag #, Rider, Total Points
51, Bob Fulton, 23300
24, Terence Hamill, 20100
1, Sharron Zoyhofski, 19600
28, Douglas Olin, 17700
116, Jay Shannon, 16550
40, John Frick, 15550
26, Jane Bixby, 15200
123, Neil Hejny, 14750
53, Jerry Gilbert, 14400
255, Larry Troutman Sr, 13550
202, Sid Bordelon, 12150
256, John Smith, 11900
20, Michael Papp, 11400
54, Richard and Tammy Peebles, 10350
60, Roy Jackson, 10300
35, John Gehlenborg, 10200
66, Jeffery Foster, 9100
165, Paul Ackerman, 9000
21, Sean Alabaster, 8550
78, Wayne Edkin, 8200
94, Mitchell Miller, 8100
239, Garland Mattingly, 8050
115, Johannus Moolenschot, 8050
73, Jeffrey Kramer, 8000
322, Greg Camp, 7900
10, Larry Bloomenkranz, 7800
346, Galen Reinholt, 7500
79, Brian Ellis, 7350
228, Joe Timmins, 7000
119, Geoffrey Wizgird, 6350
152, Mary Begley, 6300
37, David Graves, 6150
4, Steven Marsolek, 6150
260, Gary Miller, 6100
108, Martin Benson, 6050
120, Jeffrey Green, 5950
74, Rick Harvey, 5850
142, Robin Hyde, 5750
257, Eduardo Martinez, 5600
81, Gene Vanessendelft, 5600
89, Paul Hawthorne, 5450
339, Jim Kerr, 5400
46, Michiael ROC ROC Shannon, 5400
211, Timojhen Mark, 5350
392, Ed Pedi, 5350
338, Brian Worsley, 5200
32, Ken Johnson, 5100
42, Brian Burdette, 5100
329, Kathryn Smith, 5050
109, Charles Coons, 5050
110, Annette Schroeder, 5050
140, Bill Edwards, 5000
323, Brian Merrifield, 5000
246, Brett Gorham, 5000
350, Randy Bornhorst, 4650
95, Michael McKaskle, 4400
5, Martin Lewis, 4300
261, Elisa Ivanich, 4300
86, Doug Meloche, 3700
44, Randy Bishop, 3600
212, Stanley McPartland, 3600
25, Rich Sichler, 3150
27, Bill Stranahan, 3150
3, Michael Blotzer, 3000
271, Bob Owen, 3000
375, James Spencer, 2950
61, Tim Argo, 2850
12, Anthony Ignasiak, 2850
6, Thomas Tacke, 2500
56, Albert Wolff, 2300
59, Martin Mondock, 2300
96, Jeffry Smith, 2250
97, Tom Wilmotte, 2200
30, Edward Gullo, 2150
353, Tami Bakke , 2100
136, Guy Wallace, 2000
69, Tim Seawel, 1950
234, Stephen Abell, 1850
17, Don Wreyford, 1850
326, Brian Muir, 1850
127, Hank Pfister, 1800
342, James Bowen, 1700
269, Chet Hepburn, 1550
316, Garrett Wright, 1500
321, James Sidlofsky, 1500
184, Jorn Velaers, 1500
217, Amer Khan, 1400
291, A.C. Almarode, 1300
22, Peter Mikolaitis, 1250
135, Mark Bartreau , 1250
8, Thomas Noble, 1200
103, William Caskey, 1200
118, Bill Van den Noort, 1200
92, Nat Peplinski, 1150
328, Terry Church, 1150
332, Ed Miller, 1100
156, Steve & Melissa Reeves, 1100
16, Carl Schultes, 1050
301, Victor Cruz, 1050
2, Wes Fleming, 1000
244, Jeffrey Harbaugh, 1000
279, David Schklar, 950
64, David Post, 900
240, Thomas Jerdon, 850
62, David Davis, 800
132, Charles Banks, 700
294, Gary Allmond, 700
137, Russ Ristine, 700
88, Scott Leinen , 650
52, Timothy Schwartz , 650
355, John Wayne , 650
312, Michael Makowski, 650
65, Michael Nielsen, 600
38, Richard Russell, 600
401, Mark Tuggle, 600
164, Stanley Cheeseman, 600
39, Meg Russell, 600
134, Larry Burns, 600
87, Nicola Place, 600
121, Ryan Lanci, 550
374, Kenneth Finley, 500
309, Curtis Lenderman, 500
133, Anita Hawk, 500
254, Ric Magrath, 450
285, Mitchell Pearson, 450
201, Nicholas Stokes, 450
236, Daniel Yorkston, 400
58, Jeffrey Severson, 400
295, Malcolm Weatherbie, 400
224, John Riopko, 350
216, Mark Pomerinke, 350
76, Josh Pava, 350
104, Brent Starry, 350
238, Michael Cornett, 350
146, Jeff Martin, 350
41, Bill Walker, 350
377, Kevin Backs, 350
90, Paul Stanford, 350
128, James Burger, 350
112, BJ Herman, 350
155, Glenn Scott, 350
233, John Crittenden, 350
45, Mark Rickards, 350
241, Erin Hoxie, 350
396, Cole Mills, 350
270, Dan Heffern, 300
404, Jospeh Payne, 300
302, Don Edmonds, 300
209, Rich Barnhart , 300
394, Rodney Anderson, 300

Although a  popular benefit of the MOA’s Roadside Protection program, member feedback indicates there is room for improvement in the claims process. Accordingly, the MOA has elected to directly administer the Tire Hazard Protection program rather than outsourcing to a third party.  The MOA Board of Directors believe this change will dramatically improve member satisfaction with the reimbursement claim process.

Changes in the administration of the program will not affect the towing benefits or service network currently provided by NationSafe Driver. For roadside towing or assistance, members should contact NationSafe Driver at (866) 454-4260. Members who have the MOA’s Platinum coverage including tire hazard protection will find an online submission form at bmwmoa.org/tire to submit claim.  

Beginning January 1, NationSafe Driver will no longer accept tire reimbursement claims and will inform the member they do not have tire hazard coverage through NationSafe Driver. All questions concerning the tire protection plans should be directed to the MOA’s Membership Team at (864) 438-0962.

Along with the change to the administration of the tire reimbursement claim process, the MOA is launching a stand-alone Tire Hazard Protection policy. MOA members can now purchase the Tire Hazard Protection without roadside towing benefits. The Tire Hazard Protection plan allows for two tire replacements per year for damage caused by roadside hazards. Coverage for the Tire Hazard Protection plan is $50 per year for MOA members and $79 per year for the general public. 

Over the years, Norm has owned four BMWs: a 1970 R 75/5, a 1976 R 90 S, a 1987 K 100 RS, and his current ride, a 2001 K 1200 RS. All purchased new. He's also got an R nineT on the way!

Through the years, Norm has ridden in 45 states, parts of Canada, six countries in Europe and New Zealand.

Norm Phoenix (right) with MOA Secretary Chad Garcia.

Norm joined the Chicago Region BMW Owners Association in late 1970 and the BMW MOA in 1972; to this day, he remains active with both. In the Chicago club, Norm has served as president, secretary, treasurer and director. Since leaving that board, he has been an active member of Chitech, the club’s technical committee, serving four years as its chairman and many more as assistant chairman.

“I can’t be active in an organization without giving something back in time and effort,” Norm said.

During the 1970s, Norm co-authored a series of articles for BMW Owners News titled “BMW Electrics.” He has presented technical seminars at National Rallies on tune-up procedures and troubleshooting the Airhead charging system. Norm has also volunteered at many National Rallies, assisting with Registration or Tally and Awards. Most recently, Norm has been the Committee Chair for Pioneer Events.

In the 36 years Norm worked as an electrical engineer, he moved around to five different companies in the Chicago area. As a result, he spent most of those years with just two weeks of vacation. BMW MOA National Rallies provided the theme and destination for many of those vacations. Norm said he relishes his involvement with both his Chicago club and the BMW MOA as much now as I did when it all began back in the ‘70s. 

Few other members of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America have exhibited a higher level of dedication and support to our membership and the BMW marque than Norm Phoenix.

BMW has many fans and friends, and some of them are quite extraordinary. Their personal commitment goes far beyond the call of duty. For this reason, BMW acknowledges their commitment as passionate ambassadors of the BMW brand by
awarding them the title of Friend of the Marque. The only requirement is that the person should be a member of a recognized BMW club, such as the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.

One of the highest honors in the BMW community, only a small number of BMW MOA members have ever received this award. The title is so prestigious that there are fewer Friends of the Marque than there are former U.S. presidents.

Tourstart is a web and app solution where users can instantly see a tour on both platforms. In addition, users can transfer routes to the BMW Connected app or download a .gpx file to share with fellow riders. Tourstart Transfer software is also available for easy transfer to any other GPS device. No matter how you prefer to create a route, the new app contains an option to meet your needs.

To claim your free access to the web and app, go to tourstart.org/pro and use the voucher code MOA24x. (The voucher code box is in the lower right portion of the screen below the Terms & Conditions box). All tours previously created in the Tourstart app are available in the new version and the creators of Tourstart are available to help users by email at jap@tourstart.org.

Enjoy the twisted rides!

VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE

Step-by-step advanced rider training did not exist before Keith Code began his first one-on-one courses in 1976. Keith is credited with breaking the sport down into its essential components and bringing real understanding to riders in all categories. His books, videos and schools were the first to make that knowledge available to everyone. His step-by-step approach will make sense to you. Each skill builds on the last and creates a complete package of control and confidence.

The School’s Levels are done in order, one through four. Each of the first three Levels presents five precise technical riding skills. Each Level can be completed in one day. You will be blown away by what you accomplish in Level I alone.

Training at California Superbike School can qualify for a Paul Bachorz Safety Training Grant offered by the BMW MOA Foundation. To qualify for a $250 training grant, MOA members should apply online in advance of the training date. The BMW MOA Foundation will review the applicants and provide instruction for reimbursement. In 2023, over $80,000 in training grants were approved for rider skill development. More information can be found online at bmwmoaf.org.

One of the highest honors in the BMW community, only a small number of BMW MOA members have received this award. Ray Zimmerman (#3297) of New Market, Alabama, is the latest BMW MOA member to receive this distinction, based not only on his long history with BMW motorcycles, but with the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America as well. 

Ray Zimmerman (right), with Ted Moyer, who is the current Executive Director of the MOA.

Ray was 15 years old when a neighborhood friend gave him his first motorcycle ride on a 1965 Honda Dream, and he was hooked immediately. A few years later, Ray bought his own bike, a 1971 Honda CL350 and put many miles on that Honda. But after a year and a half, Ray began searching for something new, something better.

Ray’s search took him to many dealerships near his Alabama home, but while looking at a Kawasaki in the showroom of a multi-line shop, he saw his first BMW motorcycle in person. Ray left the shop that day with a new interest in BMW motorcycles. After researching the brand, he began looking at them more closely and was taken aback by the high level of engineering built into the bikes. After one test ride, he realized he had to have one and was soon the owner of a brand new 1973½ R 75 /5. With that bike, Ray began riding seriously and started taking multi-day trips with it. Soon after, Ray joined both the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Alabama and a newly formed organization, the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.

Two years after buying that bike, Ray and his wife Lorra took a cross-country trip from their home in Alabama and spent the next two weeks riding to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and then to Denver, Colorado, before riding back home. It was the couple’s first of many long-distance trips together. Enjoying spending time riding together soon became a passion for Ray and his wife, and the couple began riding to BMW Club rallies, their first being the Four Winds BMW Riders Club in western Pennsylvania. 

“I was so excited attending that first rally,” Ray said. 

While they lay in their tent, Ray recalls his wife asking him just after midnight, “You know what you forgot to do yesterday?” With a puzzled look on his face Ray asked what it was. “Wish me a happy birthday,” Lorra said.

Describing himself as “always one unable to say no,” Ray’s volunteer service with the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Alabama has included serving the as their newsletter editor, treasurer and president. 

From his first R 75/5, Ray’s next BMW was another R 75, but this time a newer /7 model and over the years, nine other BMW motorcycles followed including a 1965 R 69S, a 1993 K 1100 RS, a 1999 R 1100 RT, a 1976 R 90S, a 2001 K 1200 LT, an R 100 RS, an R 1100 S, an R 80 /7 and a 2004 R 1150 RS. BMW motorcycles have taken Ray to all of the lower 48 United States and to many rallies. Ray is also a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor and enjoys seeing other riders operate their favorite motorcycle safely while enjoying the freedom of two wheels.

Professionally, Ray’s career included more than 30 years in the United States Army in both active and reserve assignments before retiring with the rank of Colonel in 2000. 

Ray has also been named a BMW MOA Ambassador. Ambassadors are highly experienced and capable members chosen by their MOA peers for their ability to promote the BMW MOA and foster a sense of camaraderie among our members. Serving as official representatives of the MOA at various functions, Ambassadors also act as emissaries for the BMW MOA in their communities and while on the road. To date, fewer than 250 of the more than 26,000 BMW MOA members have received this commendation.

Around the time of Ray’s retirement from the Army in 2000, the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America was looking for their first Executive Director. After an Executive Search committee examined more than 30 candidates, with his experience as a long-time BMW rider, years of work in management and planning, Ray was chosen to lead the BMW MOA.

As he had in his other jobs, Ray hit the ground running and began riding across the country visiting BMW dealerships and BMW MOA Chartered Clubs and attending their rallies. When he began with the organization, the BMW MOA had a membership of 32,000 members and over the next eight years, through the hard work of the club and under Ray’s leadership, membership numbers of the club topped 40,000 as he managed a budget of more than 3.2 million dollars.

During his tenure with the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, Ray began to streamline club operations and oversaw the moving of club headquarters to a new location in St. Louis. Ray organized and began hosting an annual BMW MOA open house, attracting riders as far away as California, Florida and Texas while offering food and refreshments. A local BMW dealership brought motorcycles by to offer test rides, and door prizes were offered to attendees. Ray was also a frequent contributor to BMW Owners News, and over his tenure worked hard to strengthen the club’s relationship with BMW Motorrad in both New Jersey and Germany.

Of all of the jobs he held over his long career, Ray says his work as BMW MOA Executive Director was the most demanding, and though he worked long hours, he said it was the best job he ever had because he was able to do what he truly loved.

Congratulations to Ray Zimmerman and his deserving recognition as a “Friend of the Marque.”

The BMW Motorcycle Owners of America fall Board of Directors meeting will be held Saturday, October 28, 2023, at the BMW CCA Foundation’s BMW Motorcycles–A Century of Innovation display in Greer, South Carolina. This special collection of BMW motorcycles celebrates BMW’s 100-year history in the motorcycle industry and features more than 50 exceptional motorcycles, including the M 1000 RR.

BMW MOA directors will be available to all BMW MOA members during the scheduled open session of the meeting, beginning at 1p.m. on Saturday until the exhibit closes at 4 p.m. All BMW MOA members are welcome to experience and enjoy this special exhibit alongside their elected officials.RSVP is requested below if you plan to attend.

The BMW CCA Foundation is located at 190 Manatee Court, Greer, South Carolina. For more information about the museum or the exhibit, visit or call (864) 329-1919. Refreshments and special gifts for MOA members in attendance will be provided.

2024 Dates

April 5

April 25

May 17

SEPTEMBER 27

October 25

November 15

Limited to only 14 participants, this full day of rider training will encompass both on and off-road skill development using BMW Performance Center facilities, motorcycles and instructors. This unique opportunity includes two nights lodging at the Greenville Marriott Hotel with a Thursday night "Meet and Greet" and introductory session at the BMW MOA Campus. Friday features a full day of both on- and off-road training with breakfast, lunch and an evening dinner. Transportation between the hotel and the Performance Center facility, a special Premier event polo shirt, and the use of a Performance Center BMW motorcycle are also provided.

Riders may choose to use their personal motorcycles for this training opportunity but will assume all risk and responsibility for any damage. This program provides a $200 grant from the MOA Foundation on completion of the weekend

If you want to improve your on-road skills and get a solid introduction to off-road riding, this training is for you. On-road training includes slow rides, trial stops, a city course, emergency stops, obstacles avoidance and braking. The off-road section gives you a flavor of a slow ride on dirt, the slalom course, how to tackle washboard ruts, emergency stops and an intro to hills if the time allows. 

The MOA Premier Training event costs $1,595 per person and includes:

• Thursday and Friday night lodging at the Greenville Marriott with Friday breakfast
• Thursday night “Meet and Greet” at the BMW MOA Campus
• One full day of training with the use of a BMW Performance Center motorcycle
• Friday lunch at the BMW Performance Center
• Friday evening dinner at a favorite Greenville restaurant
• Transportation between the hotel and BMW Performance Center on both days
• A Special Premier Event polo shirt
• Shuttle to the Greenville airport

 

The $1,595 price point represents a great opportunity to receive quality training at a significantly reduced cost. Availability for this unique event is sure to fill quickly, so don't delay in registering. 

Champion Habits: The Core Curriculum is an online, immersive two-wheeled vehicle dynamics course. On the street or on the track, motorcycles simply work best when given the correct inputs – as engineered by the expert riders who designed them. Learn the techniques, mindsets, and approaches of the best riders in the world and ride safer, faster.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHAMPU

Topics covered in the 40 hour course include

• mental approach
• grip
• weight transfer
• speed and direction
• inputs and controls
• engineering
• fork travel
• rear brake
• body position
• street riding considerations
• vital points
• ergonomics
• learning a new track or road
• obstacle avoidance
• car practice drills

Led by Nick Ienatsch and Chris Peris, Champions Riding School has been the premiere motorcycle training program in the United States since 2008. Their approach to instruction in this sport is simply asking “what are the best riders in the world doing to survive and thrive on two wheels?” These lessons pare passed on to students, developing safer riders, faster. The curriculum is constantly evaluated and tweaked as the sport progresses, ensuring that classes teach best practices and not outdated methodology.

New riders will find that the techniques and lessons presented in ChampU will establish a solid, logical, understandable base to carry them safely through their riding careers. For veteran riders, the course confirms and fine-tunes skills, while introducing next steps that become more and more important as speeds rise or conditions worsen.

BMW MOA members can registER for the special price of $39.95 on the ChampU website. Upon completion of the online curriculum, the MOA member's information will be automatically forwarded to the BMW MOA Foundation for reimbursement of the $39.95 registration fee. MOA members should allow 6-8 weeks from the completion date to receive their rebate payment. Rebate payment DOES require successful completion of the course and a current MOA membership! MOA members can check the status of their rebate payments by emailing info@bmwmoaf.org.

A thank you to our candidates Brian, Doug, Roc, Chad, Charles, Mike and Steve for entering the running. I look forward to personally thanking you at a future MOA event. Another thank you for the MOA members who lead our election committee: Muriel Farrington, Don Hamblin and John Gamel.

2023’s election was conducted by an independent third party. All votes were reviewed for any fraudulent behavior like double-voting and no votes were thrown out following this review. The MOA received paper votes from a handful of members but over 99% of the votes were received electronically. 703 members opened the email where we requested they vote but did not. This is an important metric to share and we want to address this head on next year to get everyone who sees the message to vote. In total, 9% of our members voted in this election. This is down from 2021 but still much higher than the turnout when ballots were all done with paper and snail mail.

Without further ado, serving a three-year term, these individuals garnered the most votes and will be seated on your MOA Board of Directors at the National Rally in June. Please join me in congratulating them. You will be able to meet all of them in person at the Open Session Board Meeting at the rally.

• Brian Dutcher (Incumbent)
• Roc Shannon (Incumbent)
• Doug Peters (Incumbent)
• Steve Pelletier
• Chad Garcia

Mr. Mike Secor and Mr. Charles Buchanan IV each received thousands of votes but not enough to be seated as board members. I hope both of you will consider running again in the future.

The five individuals named above will join Phil Stalboerger, Adam Chandler, Louise Powers and Kelly Kurtz as your 2023 Board of Directors.

Ed's winning number is selected beginning at the 11:45 mark.

Nearly 7,000 tickets were sold in the 2023 Completely Vintage raffle. The net effect of the fundraiser is over $70,000 in training benefits to MOA members through the BMW MOA Foundation. Every member who purchases a ticket makes this possible.

Stay tuned for our next fundraiser that culminates at the National Rally in Doswell, Virginia where three motorcycles will be up for grabs!

2022 Winner's List

2023 Dates

March 24

April 14 

SEPTEMBER 29

October 27

November 17

Limited to only 14 participants, this full day of rider training will encompass both on and off-road skill development using BMW Performance Center facilities, motorcycles and instructors. This unique opportunity includes two nights lodging at the Greenville Marriott Hotel with a Thursday night "Meet and Greet" and introductory session at the BMW MOA Campus. Friday features a full day of both on- and off-road training with breakfast, lunch and an evening dinner. Transportation between the hotel and the Performance Center facility, a special Premier event polo shirt, and the use of a Performance Center BMW motorcycle are also provided.

Riders may choose to use their personal motorcycles for this training opportunity but will assume all risk and responsibility for any damage. This program does provide a $200 grant from the MOA Foundation on completion of the weekend

If you want to improve your on-road skills and get a solid introduction to off-road riding, this training is for you. On-road training includes slow rides & trial stops, a city course, emergency stops, obstacles avoidance and braking. The off-road section gives you a flavor of a slow ride on dirt, the slalom course, how to tackle washboard ruts, emergency stops and an intro to hills if the time allows. 

The MOA Premier Training event costs $1,495 per person and includes:

• Thursday and Friday night lodging at the Greenville Marriott with Friday breakfast
• Thursday night “Meet and Greet” at the BMW MOA Campus
• One full day of training with the use of a BMW Performance Center motorcycle
• Friday lunch at the BMW Performance Center
• Friday evening dinner at a favorite Greenville restaurant
• Transportation between the hotel and BMW Performance Center on both days
• A Special Premier Event polo shirt
• Shuttle to the Greenville airport

 

The $1,495 price point represents a great opportunity to receive quality training at a significantly reduced cost. Availability for this unique event is sure to fill quickly, so don't delay in registering. 

We had seven riders attain the bonus points, while others attempted to get them but missed by getting confused by what was wanted. Two points that spring immediately to mind are: Point #4 in Pontiac, Illinois, confused riders by which mural was it that we wanted there (*SPOILERS* - It was the one that was on the Old City Hall that was clearly marked in Google Maps) and some were confused by The Famous Wagon Wheel restaurant, located in Needles, California, on Route 66, when what we asked for was “The Famous Wagon in Needles California” (Point #37). This was a city limits sign that is not hard to miss when you are on your way into or out of Needles on Route 66. “What was the most popular challenge this year?” is what I hear you thinking. Well, that challenge would be “The Titans Among Us” challenge with 2,856 total submissions! Whew! That’s a lot of giants to look at!

A new scoring and submission system along with a web portal were introduced to Grand Coddiwomple riders this year that enabled them to keep track of all their submissions. This portal not only displayed the submissions status, but also the rider's running score. The scoring system also emailed updates about the submission status, including the judges’ comments when the submission was rejected. Riders loved this real-time feedback since it allowed them to circle back to get a better submission photo when they were close by.

The Grand Coddiwomple staff provided answers to questions that were emailed to the Grand Coddiwomple Central Email inbox. These questions ranged from “Why do you consider Santa Claus to be religious?” to “Does a giant skeleton count as a giant human?” We also provided tech support when there were problems with the portal login or questions about a submission’s status or why a submission was rejected.

A random prize drawing will be held on January 21, 2023 (Squirrel Appreciation Day). Stay tuned to the BMW MOA Facebook page for the announcement. Thank you to our staff of BMW MOA volunteers without whom this fun event would not be possible.

The top 10 point scorers were (in order): Sharon Zoyhofski (37,400 points), John Gehlenborg (25,250), David Graves (18,100), Bob Fulton (14,850), Greg Camp (13,900), Neil Heiny (12,450), Michael Papp (9,700), Terence Hamill (9,050), Robin Hyde (9,050), and Jeffery Foster (8,650). A complete list of all finishers and their points was emailed to participants.

The 2023 BMW MOA Grand Coddiwomple will open for registration on February 2nd, 2023. This will be the third installment of this wonderful scavenger hunt/excuse to ride contest. The contest will run from April 1 to October 31, 2023.

New challenges and updated rules await you if you choose to participate this year! Reading comprehension is very important so read the rules and challenges carefully! The theme for this year will be The Fiftieth to commemorate the BMW MOA 50th Rally being held in Richmond Virginia.

The BMW MOA Grand Coddiwomple staff hopes you will enjoy the challenges this year and looks forward to seeing all the photos submitted! We also want to thank those who participated in 2022 and those who will be in 2023.

Registration will be on the BMW MOA website at bmwmoa.org/coddiwomple.

The nomination process is straightforward and only requires a few things. Find out all about the process, plus a rundown of the deadlines and the entire election process, by visiting the This Year's Board Election page. Please note you must be signed in to the MOA site to view the page.

Although we're still enjoying a perfect Indian summer, we are making plans for 2023. As of today our full program for next is online and bookable! And thus you can book all European motorcycle tours from the 2023 program with a €200 or $250 discount until 31 October 2022 now, just use the online booking code: EBB2023.

Meanwhile the brand-new 2023 brochure filled with all tours and information you need to know about Edelweiss Bike Travel is on its way to you! If you haven't signed up yet, click on the button below to either order your free print version or if you'd rather have a digital version you can of course download it directly from our website.

We want to surprise you with several new tours for next season.

The scouting Dubai & Oman tour, which was successfully carried out in 2022, has been added to our program. And another pearl in the Middle East has made our program—Adventure Saudi Arabia and Jordan—which includes the most fascinating highlights like Petra and Wadi Rum. Check out Adventure Dubai & Oman and Adventure Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Talking about adventure, in cooperation with Touratech, we'll offer the first guided off-road Adventure Country Tracks (ACT) Tour in the Pyrenees.

What about riding a Vespa and explore Vienna and the gentle surroundings in lower Austria? Then you should definitely check out the Vienna Tour by Scooter!

No matter if you want to discover the highest passes of the Alps, rugged Iceland, the Tibetan high grounds or the beauty of Asia and Africa by motorcycle, we are convinced you should be able to find a tour that will make your dreams come true.

As you can see, the entire Edelweiss team is going full throttle to provide you with an unforgettable touring experience! We would love to hear what you think of our brand new brochure & program, or if you have any questions, feel free to contact us! We look forward to being on the road with you again and enjoy the magic side of life!