BMW Motorrad Days USA - October 6-8 @ Barber

[Visian]

As seen on Facebook… 100 Years of Make Life a Ride.

I hope they take my suggestion and do Saturday night drag races on pit road, Think Glemseck 101

I also hope that we combine our own planned Motorradfest event with this new BMW NA event, it would make for a better show with more reach & exposure.

Ian

Ps -> on the way back to Heidelberg from Norway, I rode my Honda to the Berlin version of this event. It was sorta corporate-y, not exactly my speed.

 

[HSVPhil]

Must’ve lost your razor in customs, eh, Vis?

I’m guessing you’ll stop by Barber’s Vintage Swap Meet & the 100th Motorradfest celebrations in Leeds, AL in October...
https://www.barbermuseum.org/barber-vintage-festival/event-schedule/

I expect we’ll be camping out in the upper Lot D, with the NAVMC folks (and all the Intergalactic Conclave of Crusty Slugs).

Stop by and say HEY!.



Meanwhile, keep the rubber side down!

Happy Trails whenever U can - Ciao!
HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen
USAF-Ret'd — & — USN-Ret’d
'75 R90S ————— '82 R100CS
’09 KLX250S ——— ’08 CRF230L
'14 K-GT ————— '16 R1200RS
’05 Vespa 200L

 

[adamchandler]

I’ll be there but my baby comes 2 weeks later so I’m going to plan on camping and not book a hotel that I can’t cancel because she goes into labor early.

 

[Visian]

Must’ve lost your razor in customs, eh, Vis?

I’m guessing you’ll stop by Barber’s Vintage Swap Meet & the 100th Motorradfest celebrations in Leeds, AL in October...
https://www.barbermuseum.org/barber-vintage-festival/event-schedule/

I expect we’ll be camping out in the upper Lot D, with the NAVMC folks (and all the Intergalactic Conclave of Crusty Slugs).

Stop by and say HEY!.

Perhaps a bit too much on the viking beard, eh? fwiw, I did actually shave before going to the event (I did look a lot rougher after 5 weeks on the road).

It appears that the BMW event is at the Barber event... for years I've thought they should do that, and been supported by the MOA. The Ducati club puts on a hospitality area there, and of course, I always stopped in to hang out with the Alabeemers.

Alas, this event has gotten way too big for me... I could deal with it better when I could get press and photo passes...

Ian

 

[rangerreece]

I'll be there.

I'm looking forward to Barber, as usual. I'll be volunteering with Doc Stickle, they have me on the shuttle team, so if you see the me I may be up front behind the wheel.

 

[Visian]

I'll be volunteering with Doc Stickle....

Well, there is trouble!

Please tell him hello from me, and that I miss our beemer breakfasts.

 

[HSVPhil]

Maybe, if U asked nicely, the MOA would find U a Photographer’s Pass so U can get a few more splendid photos published in the ON...

A very nice selection of M/C pix, Vis.

 

[rangerreece]

Well, there is trouble!

Please tell him hello from me, and that I miss our beemer breakfasts.

Wilco!

 

[themarkhor]

Any extra room for a tent?

Would anyone happen to have extra space for a bike and a tent this year that was able to secure a camping spot? I'd love to attend this year, but was late on the jump when the event went on sale. Happy to split the cost with someone, or provide any food/beverages needed.

 

[tsconver]

Me and a friend are heading down. Will be in the toyhauler.

 

[Visian]

Me and a friend are heading down. Will be in the toyhauler.

I click the LIKE button on this post!

 

[truckerdave]

I wonder if this is really a big deal like it says on the BMW Motorrad site. I see hardly and mention of it here. I'll be there as i was already planning on going to the Vintage Fest anyway. I got the 20% discount code for tickets, guess i'll see if it works when i get there Friday.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

I wonder if this is really a big deal like it says on the BMW Motorrad site. I see hardly and mention of it here. I'll be there as i was already planning on going to the Vintage Fest anyway. I got the 20% discount code for tickets, guess i'll see if it works when i get there Friday.

...and now that's it's history, it ("big deal") certainly wasn't.

Nice, but from the 100th standpoint... ho-hum.

 

[rangerreece]

Some pictures from the first Motorrad Days Americas.

 

[Omega Man]

Thanks Reece,
Always good to have pictures of an event.

OM

 

[20774]

Found this link to the very same MKM BMW:

https://sodo-moto.com/listings/krauser/

 

[oldcamper]

An original MKM but it doesn’t have the four valve heads?

 

[20774]

An original MKM but it doesn’t have the four valve heads?

I agree...should have.

 

[Wkoppa]

Had a pretty good time at the festival.

Did not plan on going until tech at BMW of Grand Rapids showed me extensive list of activities from Barber. Thanks Nick.

Threw on a new tire and off I went.

Had the chance to listen to stories from Kevin Cameron, John Owens, David Aldana and Steve McLaughlin. David needs to write a book.

The vendor area was good but probably not as big as OA National. Got to sit on new 1300 GS. This could be an incredible financial mistake on my part. Will see.

BMW representation was very good.

Swap meet area was huge. Numerous vendors with bikes and parts I liked in the day. Somebody said there were over 500. Don't know how many acres, maybe 200?

Paddock was great. There are people racing creations you would never expect to be on the track.

Museum needs to be done slowly. Something like 900 bikes.

The festival is one of the few gatherings that gives me a fix close to the old show circuit that got killed off by the Covid virus.

My added benefit is that US 127 starts four miles from our house, Northern Michigan, ends on Signal Mountain just north east of Birmingham. Something for everyone.

One of the attendees said they have an Indy car event (maybe in April) that he said needs to be tried at least once.

I will be back next year.

Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
#71,449

 

[HSVPhil]

One of the attendees said they have an Indy car event (maybe in April) that he said needs to be tried at least once.

I will be back next year.

Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI

Glad U took your Tech’s advice and visited Leeds AL, Wayne! Don’t know what 2024 will be like, but it does change some from year to year. There were 7 M/C vendor test fleets (below our camping spot in Lot D: BMW, CFMoto, Ducati, Indian, KTM, Royal Enfield, & Yamaha). Last year they only had BMW with just R-18s, Indian, & KTM. It would help everyone if more M/Cs were sold to Younger & Newer Riders.

View of the Fleet of 18-wheelers.


Teach McNeil’s fleet of demonstration BMWs: 310, Bagger, and S1000RR.


View of the Noon unveiling of the R1300GS in North ‘Merica on 6Oct23.


A Twin Turbo R-18 “TT” on display on Friday! Cooler than that Rainbow art project.


View of Reg Pridmore’s R90S; I was down there at the ’76 Daytona 200 on my ’75 R90S...


View of some other “classic BMWs” after a modest rain shower on Fri.


A 193? BMW Vintage Cannonball racer on display. Another form of extreme competition...


A beautiful vintage Airhead hack I admired in the big swap meet.


Another splendid example of a 1924 Henderson parked near our campsite.


A pretty cool Honda Mini-Trail 'sport bike' we saw near us {maybe a 350 or 500cc motor}.


A view of the 1000cc sidecars on the track awaiting the launch (maybe 12 sidecars actually raced).


We will likely be there again in 2024 with our FB:NAVMC buddies; It really is a spectacle not to be missed!

https://www.barbermuseum.org/monthly-events/

Happy Trails whenever U can - Ciao!
HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen
USAF-Ret'd — & — USN-Ret’d
'75 R90S ————— '82 R100CS
’09 KLX250S ——— ’08 CRF230L
'14 K16GT ———— '16 R1200RS
’05 Vespa 200L