Don't call them 'bikers:' BMW fans gather in Redmond

By Bill Roberson, KATU.com Producer Published: Jul 20, 2010 at 9:30 AM PST Last Updated: Jul 20, 2010 at 12:05 PM PST
Don't call them 'bikers:' BMW fans gather in Redmond
A BMW rider keeps cool with a decidedly non-aerodynamic accessory while riding around the rally site in Redmond. All photos by Bill Roberson.

For a photo gallery from the rally, click on the GALLERY tab above.

REDMOND, Ore. - They came by the thousands, steel wheels rolling, helmets on (with stereo speakers and Bluetooth for their cell phones) and VISA cards at the ready.

Hollister revisited? Hardly. For this group of bikers, er, motorcyclists, there was no deafening rolling thunder.

The BMW Motorcycle Owners Association's (BMWMOA) big annual United States rally was in Redmond, Ore., this past weekend, and if you listened very carefully, you might have heard the soft tud-tud-tud of a vintage bike going by - but that's about it.

Beginning last Wednesday, Redmond rolled out a big welcome for over 6,100 rally attendees, who arrived on over 3,000 of the high-tech and precision-built German motorcycles famous for their longevity and durability. Hotels throughout the area were sold out.

Many riders camped on the sprawling grounds of the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond.

Riders arrived on motorbikes ranging from still-running vintage motorbikes almost 80 years old up to the most powerful mass-produced motorcycle you can buy, the new 172-horsepower S1000RR.

And of course, everything in between, including sidecar rigs and luxurious touring bikes with every modern convenience including fuel injection, GPS, ABS, adjustable suspension and heated... everything.  Some bikes were also towing trailers.

Rally riders had a wide range of ways to enjoy the area, including daily rides showing off the local Cascade scenery, live music, food vendors, slow-speed competitions, riding seminars, a dramatic display of stunt riding and dozens of vendors.

And there was no shortage of cold beer to cool off from the warm Central Oregon summer weather, which touched 90 degrees at times.

This year also marked the 30-year anniversary of the release of a key BMW line of motorcycles, known as the "GS." These overbuilt, oversized dirt bikes have become the gold standard in adventure touring, which can include off-road riding.

BMW GS-series bikes co-starred in two popular programs chronicling the adventures of movie stars Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor as they piloted the big bikes around the world "backwards" and then again from England to the tip of southern Africa.

Such is the battle-tested reputation of the GS models that an "anti-concourse" display event was held. Bikes were disqualified if they were too clean, among other reasons.

The youngest rider to attend the rally by riding their BMW to Oregon was 15. The oldest was 90. A few riders were injured when two motorcycles collided near Redmond and another rider hit a deer. No arrests or disorderly conduct were reported by police.

The 2011 BMWMOA rally will he held in Pennsylvania.