My first big motorcycle rally was the BMW Rider Association’s “National” in 1998. I was a new member of the Yankee Beemers which was the local club tapped to put on the rally for the BMW RA.
The person who introduced me to the club had volunteered to help out with making and placing signs at the rally. I volunteered to be his helper. When I joined the club I thought the focus was on charitable works (think Shriners) so I wrote on the back of my membership application “I will volunteer for anything.” Helping out my friend with signs seemed like a good place to start. The first thing I did was reach out to another friend who owned and operated a large beer distribution business outside of Boston. I sent him the rally logo and the text for all the signs we would need and rather than paper plates and sharpie pens we had professionally produced laminated signs with the rally logo.
We determined it would be good to have a ladder which is difficult to bring on a motorcycle but it would fit nicely on the roof of my suburban. I brought the Suburban, ladder, tarps, coolers, lights, grills and just about anything I could think of that would make living on the ground with new friends more comfortable. By the end of the rally I was asked if I wanted to be President of the club which after being convinced they were serious I agreed to do.
This was in some ways a life changing event. I was handed the reins to a motorcycle club poised for incredible growth and was welcomed and guided by some incredible people who also happened to be incredible riders. In addition to the formal instruction I have received I’ve benefited from riding with and following former race champions, professional racers, dealer principals, moto-journalists and more. I’ve also been able to use my skills from managing professional sailing teams to put on rallies and tours with excellent results.
The goal of NYEMOTO is to provide motorcyclists with experiences. We offer riders from New England the opportunity to ride Colorado on their own motorcycle while only taking a week of vacation time and not missing a weekend of riding at home. We offer customized training for pavement, off road and adventure touring because training increases confidence which increases enjoyment. We host events, from the Minuteman 1000 to weekend excursions to cross country tours.
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