the Hog Blog

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post a few days ago about taking European delivery of a new BMW motorcycle. The goal was to pick it up at the factory and tour for a while, then have it shipped home. Today I heard back from BMW Motorcycles North America with official word:

I went ahead and called Ride West BMW and spoke to Colonel Klink their sales associate, who firmly said that there was no option. I even asked if they know of 3rd parties that organize shipping, and he reinforced that if you buy a Euro-spec bike, you can't license it in the states due to ignition and exhaust system differences. I asked if he knew of touring companies with rental bikes just to see if I could get anything resembling helpfulness from him, but he didn't. In fact, he never even invited me in to look at a new bike at their shop. Disappointing.

So I'm going to start investigating Plan B(rutale).

I'm starting to cook up a little idea for a two-wheeled tour next year, and despite a fair bit of web research, I can't get good information on taking European delivery of a U.S.-specification motorcycle. Most of the information online seems to be no information at all. "I know nutzing!" is what most of the internet has to offer.

A few sites report that BMW used to have an official delivery program, but that it was canceled in 1993 due to lack of profitability from the few U.S. buyers wanting to do it. The latest official word that I have found says, "NO EUROPEAN DELIVERY FOR YOU!" per BMW's own site. They used to have a FAQ entry as follows:

How do I take European delivery?

Currently, U.S. specification BMW Motorcycles are not available for purchase anywhere outside of North America. If you're interested in touring through Europe, Africa, Mexico and other fabulous destinations on a BMW, contact www.edelweissbiketravel.com.

But that page has been removed and no longer appears on BMW's live site.

BMW North America does have a phone number for factory tours in Berlin and Munich. The greeting on that line addresses buyers taking advantage of the European delivery program, and has an email address (factory@bwmna.com) to email with questions. I've done this and am waiting to hear back. This makes it seem like it's possible to take delivery overseas if you know the right people to talk to.

2009 was far and away the biggest turnout in Tulip Ride history. In fact, just at our starting point we had more motorcycles that our entire trip last year! We left Redmond with over 60 motorcycles, and had 83 (our last official count; there were more) at the Tulalip Casino in Marysville.

The pack of bikes was so big that we attracted the local law enforcement: the Tulalip Tribal Police. It turned out to be a benefit to our ride, because they took me seriously when I asked for a police escort and shut down traffic between the casino and Marine View Drive so that we could keep our pack together. Sergeant Carlos of the TTP deserves a big thanks from all of the riders for making the escort happen and offering the same next year if we call ahead.

The weather for the ride was great: hazy overcast in the morning, and the sun broke through mid-day and made for a perfect ride down Whidbey Island. Temps were a little cooler than forecast, probably low- to mid-60s. Despite the crazy weather we've had this spring, we got to see flowers. Daffodils were most obvious, but we also managed to find one field with Tulips just starting to bloom. In a week they'll be even better.

Lunch was a crazy process, as we've come to expect from LaConner. We all got fed some good greasy food, and enjoyed great views from Deception Pass on the ride home. Here's some video from throughout the day:

And here's a set of photos on Flickr:

Almost a decade ago, before terms like "bailout" and "recession" were household words, a bunch of overworked Xbox employees decided to go for a spring motorcycle ride. We spent the day in Washington's beautiful Skagit Valley at the Tulip Festival. It turned out to be one of the nicest rides of the year, so we've invited our friends each year since.

The Tulip Ride has grown from a small group to include the greater Puget Sound community. Each April, we assemble our pack and spend a day riding through the fields of [supposedly] blooming flowers. As the pack has grown, so has has the fun had by everyone who comes along as a rider or passenger. To give you a sense for what a fun ride this can be, have a look at the ride recaps from 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005.

We're going to make this year's Tulip Ride the best ever. As always, this will be a diverse group of riders and bikes. We typically see everything from sport bikes to cruisers to freeway-capable scooters join us. Everyone is welcome to ride on the Tulip Ride!

Ride Logistics

• Date: Sunday, April 19th. We will ride in mostly dry weather, but if it's pouring rain we will postpone. Our backup date is April 25th. 
• 8:00-9:00 a.m. - Meet up at Xbox Headquarters (18500 NE Union Hill Road, Redmond). We're moving back here because the parking lot makes it much easier to assemble a lot of bikes than it is at local coffee shops.
• 9:00 - Depart Xbox Headquarters
• 9:45-10:00 - Arrive at the Tulalip Casino (10200 Quil Ceda Blvd, Tulalip). We park by the giant Orca fountains right in front. You can't miss it.
• 10:45 - Head up Marine View Drive to see the tulip fields blooming.
• About 1:00 p.m. or so - arrive in LaConner for lunch at the La Conner Pub & Eatery (702 South First Street). They are right on the water, and will have their patio cleared for 60+ hungry motorcyclists. This is a new eatery for the 2009 ride.
• 2:30-3:00 p.m. - depart for a ride down Highway 20 over Whidbey Island, taking the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry back to the mainland.

I've put a ride plan online along with a downloadable PDF version. It's a relaxed day so don't worry about the route. Just watch the pack and enjoy the scenery.

Giving Back

As always, the Tulip Ride strives to remind the community that bikers are some of the most charitable, socially responsible people on the plantet. This year, we're focusing our charity close to home: Northwest Harvest is Washington’s own statewide hunger relief agency. Northwest Harvest secures 18 million pounds of nutritious food each year for distribution to nearly 300 food programs across Washington State, serving 36 of Washington’s 39 counties. In today's economy, we can help people locally who truly need it.

Thanks to the artistic skills of Ryan Gunn, one of our riders and a lead designer for Microsoft's entertainment products, we have a great logo this year (pictured above). We've created an online store where you can buy merchandise with the Tulip Ride 2009 logo, from t-shirts to coffee mugs to stickers and more. 100% of the profits from these sales will be matched by corporate giving campaigns and donated to Northwest Harvest in the name of the 2009 Tulip Riders! 

Important Links

• Facebook event page for the 2009 Tulip Ride
• Tulip Ride highlights from 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2001
• Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
• Northwest Harvest
• Ride route plan
• Question? Email Jeff.

No matter what you ride and no matter what your skill level, the Tulip Ride will be a day of fun with good friends. We'd love to have you join us! We have a Facebook event page for RSVPs, or feel free to drop a comment here with your name and your ride and we'll keep an eye out for you on ride day.

When the tulips are bloomin' our engines are vroomin'

This morning, NPR’s Weekday segment was called, “Easy Riders: Motorcycle Culture in Seattle.” It’s all about local motorcycle culture and clubs. It gets a bit hokey because it jumps straight to outlaw club discussion, but all of the in-studio guests were very fun, very nice folks.

What was really funny to me is that at at 6:17 into the interview, I had to stop the playback because I heard a voice that sounded awfully familiar. And they were describing a bike that seemed familiar. Sure enough, the one of the program’s guests was none other than our own Bruce “Bling” Stanley, who they describe as a member of Jolly Roger Motorcycle Club of Seattle and semi–retired project manager and welding engineer. Bruce is also a good friend of our family, and he joins us on many of our group motorcycle rides. Here’s a shot of Bruce on his ‘08 Screamin’ Eagle Ultra Classic.

The program was pretty interesting, and NPR has made it available on demand. On the Weekday web page they have all formats for listening, or just click here for the MP3 version.

Thanks to Paul for pointing out this program!

Here are some video highlights of the day…

And here are a few shots from the iPhone throughout the day.

Music credits: Here Comes The Sun Again, by M. Ward and Tear Stained Eye, by Son Volt.