Day 65-66: Riding to Redmond - The BMW Annual Rally
65: Prineville, OR to Redmond for the Rally to Bend, OR
66: Bend, OR to Redmond for the Rally to Madras, OR
≈65 Miles | ≈2:00 Riding Time
It’s Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15, 2024, and it’s Day 65 - 66 of my cross country motorcycle trip.
It was a short, 20 mile ride to the rally, and I got there about 10 minutes before the doors opened. I paid my registration fees at got my “1st Timers” badge. There was a special drawing for 1st Timers at the rally and the badge was a great conversation-started. The rally-goers were very nice—usually commenting on the 1st Timer badge and saying “welcome.” One takeaway from the rally is just how welcoming everyone was. “Where are you from?, What route did you take to get here? Where are you going next?”
I walked around the grounds and was amazed at how many people were camping at the fairgrounds. I heard estimates of 5,000 to 20,000, and I have no reasonable guess as to how many folks actually attended.
When the exhibit hall opened, I went to check out the vendors. I’d guess there were about 100 vendors with everything from lights to luggage to earplugs to parts to touring companies to tires to jewelry and a massage station. Of course, I stopped by the Ilium Works booth, and looked at the footboards I’ve had my eye on. They make high-quality stuff, and it’s pretty easy to install. They agreed to sell me the demo set they had at the end of the show so they don’t have to ship them back. I picked them up at the end of the show, and installed them in the parking lot before heading out. I also bought a bag from Freeedom, a seat cushion from Wild-Ass Seats, and some new, Klim riding boots because mine were worn out. It was a successful hunting and gathering session.
Dinner at the Pour House Grill was good, and I met some nice folks there.
In the morning, I had a great chat with “the Daves,” and we swapped road stories and pictures for a while. One had done a tour in Columbia, while the other was telling us about his tour to Bhutan. That got me thinking about some future motorcycle touring…hmmm. Then, off to the rally for lunch, and to pick up my loot. I installed everything and got on the road.
It was cold and very windy, so I stopped at the Motel 6 in Madras, OR. There were several other folks from the rally there, and a bunch of Harley-Riders as well. We chatted bikes in the parking lot and, in turn, each of us discovered that Dominos Pizza was just about the only option for dinner. Had no trouble getting to sleep. I was exhausted.