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Iron Horse Camping and Riding Weekend

19 members and friends made it to Iron Horse and enjoyed perfect weather all weekend.  The early mornings were nice and cool in the low to mid 60s which made a great start to our riding days.  After a hearty breakfast and allowing the fog to lift, we grouped off into various sized groups and headed out for the day.  Popular destinations were the “Tail of the Dragon”, Chilhowee, Tellico Plains Bakery, Cherohala Skyway, and many more.  Everyone made it back to Iron Horse before dinner. 

With the exception of “The Dragon” on Saturday, the roads were not very busy.  The leaves on the trees were just starting to change colors the closer you rode to the mountain tops.  Sleeping was excellent after a hard day of riding as the temperatures dipped down in the low 50s.

Iron Horse made for an excellent base camp for the weekend.  They renewed their support of BMWNEF by providing an award certificate to be given out at the 2025 Winter Rally.

No bikes or riders were harmed during our shenanigans. 😛

 

Slideshow
2025 Iron Horse Weekend

                                                                                      3rd Quarter Social 

We had a great time at Whitey's Fish Camp on Fleming Island.  The service and the food was top notch.   The plan was to sit outside on the waterfront, but it was just a little too warm for us so the restaurant moved us indoors.

If you have not been to Whitey's, please go.  It's a great place for great seafood and atmosphere.

A great time was had by all.  Please plan on attending our Fourth Quarter Social coming up in a few months.





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                                                                                      OFF-ROAD 101 

Following Sunday's monthly meeting, five riders led by Scott Acheson entered the Belmore State Forest trails, not far away from Camp Blanding, for the club's inagural Off-Road 101 ride. Cloud cover kept temperatures comfortable. The trails were well defined, hard packed, with occassional puddles, and in places some thick slippery mud left over from previous recent rains. The group did a stellar job of managing many of the complexities. Because there's always one in the crowd, the club VP demonstrated how to drop a bike ! Special thanks to to Scott for organizing this great event, a super time was had by all. We're looking forward till the next off-road ride in the autumn, hopefully with even more riders.  

In the meantime we wish Scott and GS Trophy team USA, all the best, success, and fun, at the upcoming GS Trophy world event in Namibia. We will be watching, following, and cheering through social media, and look forward to hearing all about it when Scott returns. 




GS DAY

Check out a couple of videos from the ride

Just click on one of the images below


GET YOUR 'Y" Ride - July 20, 2024 

Eight riders departed Weedman's at 0830 on Saturday in pursuit of ABC Challenge letters, including the elusive Y. Slightly overheated after a scenic ride, they arrived at Yankeetown, a quiet riverfront town where it appears that time is standing still. Meeting up with three club riders coming in from the Gainesville area, the group enjoyed a delicious lunch at the historic Blackwater Bar and Grill. A handful of riders continued on to Zephyrhills to collect a few more letters and the Z. A great time was had by all!

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TWO WHEELS OF SUCHES

MAY 30 THRU JUNE 2 2024


The Two Wheels of Suches club ride and camp weekend went well. Over 20 club members attended. Members of the Georgia BMW club joined us for Bill Botkin’s Famous Chili Dinner and over 30 were served. The weather favorable and all had a good time. Some went off road while others enjoyed the paved roads.


Click on the picture to see more in the album. 

Check out the Video from TWO



BMWNEF

Southern Soul BBQ Ride Report

Saturday, May 18, 2024


WOW!  We had an excellent turnout for the annual ride the St. Simon’s Island and the Southern Soul BBQ. 
Southern Soul BBQ is an institution in the Brunswick and coastal Georgia. 

 

15 riders assembled at the Raceway station, I95 & SR 200, Fernandina exit at 9am.  We departed at 9:30
on a 1 hour backroad route to Folkston. After a short comfort stop we headed out on county roads toward
Brunswick and St Simon’s Island on the final segment to Southern Soul.

 

The rain held off, mostly, more on that later.

 

Once again Southern Soul did not disappoint.  We were able to secure a vacant table for the majority
of the riders. 

 

Riders headed home as the skies darkened around Brunswick and SE Georgia.  The US 17 bridge,
notorious for its winds, even on clear days, lived up to her reputation.

 

My riding partner, Larry Dengler, and I experienced very strong gusty winds and horizontal rains
as we ascended and descended the bridge.  Both of us were hanging on trying to counter the gusts
which pushed us around the lanes of the bridge.

 

The only way out was to slow down and continue.  If we had stopped we would have lost all the
beneficial gyroscopic effects and been blown over, then run over by cars behind us.

 

Once back on the Northside of the bridge, sheltered by trees, we began to ease our “death grip”
and continue to I95 and home.

 

All riders arrived home safely, some wetter than others!

 

Ride safely, join us on our next adventure.


Our next meeting will be June 2nd at Fleet Reserve.

The next ride will be June 21st, our annual Summer Solstice Ride

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May 11th Picnic Report


We want to send out a Great Big Thank You to the Fleet Reserve for hosting our picnic and providing lunch for about 55 members. The hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled pork and all the fixens' were delicous and really hit the spot.


We had a quick meeting with reports on past and future events, safety minute, and the ABC Challenge. A good time was had by all and with the weather pitch perfect. No one was in a hurry to leave.


Thanks to everyone that participated. Our hope for those that were unable to attend was because they were riding somewhere in as equally nice weather.


Our next meeting will be June 2nd at Fleet Reserve.

The next ride will be May 18th to St. Simon's Island

Slideshow
Picnic


EXPLORING THE BUZZ
A Ride and Visit to the Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab at University of Florida, Gainsville 
April 25, 2024



In our latest adventure on two wheels, club members embarked on a thrilling journey to explore the fascinating world of honey bees at the University of Florida's research lab in Gainesville.

A perfect riding day accompanied the 12 riders on 10 bikes, making the trip from Weedman’s to Conestogas restaurant for a lunch stop in Alachua, cruising through wide open roads. Ten additional Lake City and Gainesville members met us there, already holding down the lunch table where the combined group enjoyed a delicious meal.

After a short ride through the bustling expanse of the UF Gainsville campus, we arrived at the Bee Lab, where we were warmly greeted by Director, Dr. Jamie Ellis, and Lab manager Chris Oster.

The tour commenced with an introduction to the world-renowned UF Gainsville Entomology department, of which the Bee Lab is a part, and the purpose and objectives of the work conducted there.

The next two hours buzzed by as we were provided with an overview of bee colony organization, bee health, and bee research while touring the 18,000 sq. ft. facility.

Special thanks go out to Tom Nolan, our esteemed club member and Past President of the Florida Beekeepers Association, for suggesting, planning, and organizing this splendid club day.


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UF Bee Ride 6
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UF Bee Ride 8

Second Quarter Social

April 12th, 2024

 

I want to thank Chris Terajewicz for coming up with a great event for the club.  The night out at the Jumbo Shrimp Baseball Park could not have been any better.  Chris ordered up perfect Spring weather for our night out.  Our tickets included a buffet style dinner with Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, chips, drinks and all the fixings.  The team came from behind to win the game 7 to 4 and a full celebration of fireworks followed the game.

We had 41 registered to attend.  I didn’t take a headcount, but we had close to that at the park.  Everyone had a great time and joined in on the festivities.  It even snowed beach balls!!!  If you haven’t been to the Ball Park in awhile, I highly recommend taking in a game.  The park has been renovated and is truly a 1st class minor league park.  You are close to the action and entertainment.

Who knew you could have fun without the bikes?

 

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Ride to Lake Harris / Hidaway Restuarant

March 27th, 2024


Steve’s ride for March had us returning to some of the oldies-but-goodies-twisties. We started in Green Cove Springs with 12 riders and headed south on 17. The first half of the ride was Florida Straight, however, before long we got into the sweepers of 314a & 182nd St. These roads were recently paved and were void of pot holes and bad patch work. The weather was perfect with overhead clouds keeping the sun out of our eyes and the heat at bay. 


Our lunch destination was Lake Harris Hideaway on the bank of Lake Harris. The view from the restaurant was excellent and it wasn’t too crowded so it was the perfect destination spot. Unfortunately, they were struggling with help (as do many places these days) and the service was not the best. My order was delivered wrong, but I couldn’t complain. Chip, Bill and the Hiday’s never received their food. Other than that, it was a perfect day.


Thanks again Steve for an excellent day out. Can’t wait to see what you have planned next.


CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW TO WATCH THE VIDEO FROM THE RIDE!!!


Watch Video

https://youtu.be/MPwmJjBu7Ec

Ride to the World Equestrian Center

February 28th, 2024


Steve did another outstanding job designing a ride for us from Green Cove Springs down to the World Equestrian Center. We had 18 riders participate and after a short Group Ride meeting, left at 9 am. We stayed off the 4 lane highways for the most part and enjoyed scenic two lane roads twisting through the Live Oak Canopy Roads. We made one pit stop prior to crossing I75, then enjoyed the pleasant rolling hill ranchlands around the Ocala area. What a beautiful part of Florida.


We met up with the BMW Tampa Area Riders in the World Equestrian Parking Lot. They had about 12 riders in their group. After some hellos and story swapping, we moved into the Center. The admission is free and we were treated to some jumping competition going on in the center arena. The arena included two jumbo trons so you can keep up with who is on the course and the scores. There are plenty of food options at the Center with Burgers, Pizza and more. We checked out the stalls, practice area, and covered warm up/cool down arena in Exhibit Hall #2.  



If you have never been to the World Equestrian Center, you should plan a trip. It is first class all the way. The horses are all the top of the line jumpers and you will certainly see a good show. I think this will have to become an annual event. What do you think?


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Northeast Florida Tech Day

February 23rd – 25th, 2024

John Brueggemann


Larry and Jeanette Meeker once again opened their home to the Airheads for Northeast Florida Tech Day. I believe this is the 4th or 5th year they have hosted this annual event and the 14th Annual Tech Day for Northeast Florida. The event was attended by about 25 campers and visitors and several projects were tackled.


Courtney Black recently purchased a 100RT for $1,200. It had been sitting outside under a roof and covered for three years prior to his purchase. 1st step was to install a new battery and replace a known failed starter. Success!!! The bike fired up and tried to run with the gas that had been sitting in the carburetor bowls for 3+ years. The bowls were pulled and a thick coating of slime was removed. The gas tank was reinstalled (Courtney did flush it out prior to arriving) and the bike fired on the second attempt. It could even idle. Then came that fateful moment that every project that seemed to easy to have accomplished happened. Courtney said, “If you were impressed with that, watch this!!”. While the bike was running, he attempted to connect the clock. Plugging the positive wire into the negative lead never has good results. Yes, Courtney failed the smoke test. The wiring harness was removed and we found only two wires in the harness that needed to be replaced. With this accomplished, the bike came to life again. Thanks Courtney for the opportunity to work on your wiring….


Larry wanted his front forks rebuilt on his 90S. With the fork legs removed, Hank noticed the tapered roller bearing in the triple clamp had a problem. With the bearings pulled and cleaned up it was determined parts needed to be ordered. Luckily, he can leave the bike disassembled waiting on the parts since it’s his garage we were using.


He also acquired a “One Owner” 1960 R60S that he wanted to get the engine and transmission pulled. With the support of several young, muscular Airhead members with strong backs, the bike was rolled up a ramp onto a work bench. Once in place, the experts got to work removing the assemblies per Larry’s request. The plan is to take the engine to Barnsley Motor Werks for rebuild and vapor blasting.


There were a few other smaller projects going on. Frank Curtis modified his 100GS with a kickstand offset shaft for the kickstand that provides a secure footing for the bike. And Bill Botkin completed some basic maintenance procedures with his grandsons () on his son-in-laws 1200GS (yeah, we let a wet head on the rack). 



John Glazebrook (Florida Airmarshal) jumped in on a few project and Duck Kock set up the Airhead Store.  A good time was had by all. It rained briefly on Friday, but Saturday’s weather was perfect. It was good to see Firebug up and giving us grief and Vicki Decker. Thanks again to Larry and Jeanette Meeker for hosting the event.

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BMW Motorcycle Owners of Northeast Florida

Jekyll Brewery Ride/Dinner Recap

February 17th, 2024

 

The first Club social of the year was a great success. Bill Botkin planned and led the ride to the Jekyll Brewery located at Jacksonville Beach. It was a rainy day and not the type of day for a good ride, but Bill managed to talk his daughter and Son-in-Law to make the ride with him south from the BMW Dealership through Palatka and back up to the beaches.

You make us all proud...

There were 21 members and guests for dinner and we met upstairs next to the Airstream Trailer Bar. Interesting atmosphere with a potentially great view of the Atlantic if it had not been for the rain. Service was very good and the dinners were delicious. Everyone had a good time.

 

Out next Social will be a Jumbo Shrimp Baseball game on April 12th.

You'll need to register for that one as it includes tickets to the game, special meeting area, and buffet dinner.

Hope you can make it.

Ride Safe

John Brueggemann


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BMW Motorcycle Owners of Northeast Florida

Drifter’s Lunch Ride Recap

January 31st, 2024

 

The second ride of the year was one of the best scenic rides we do.  

Steve Wishard planned and lead the ride to Drifter’s Restaurant

near Astor, Fl., along the St John’s River.

Drifter's Website

 

 

11 Riders met up at Weedman’s grocery and 10 of us headed south about 8:45AM. Dan had other commitments for the day and stopped by to wish us well. The first half of the route is familiar to all who have ridden with the Club before. The route took us down SR 13 which is a scenic Live Oak canopy road along the St John's River.

 

We made several departures from US17, enjoying the scenery

and “twisty” only to rejoin US17 further south.

 

Don’t ever let it be said Florida has no curvy roads!

Just follow Steve through this matrix he created for our ride.

 

Follow this link to see the route:

GPX FILE

 

I’d recommend saving it for future use. You can intercept any portion of the route. All paved roads, beautiful oaks and fern nurseries are located along the route.

Not to mention a sea plane.

 

 

We arrived at Drifters about 11:30 and enjoyed a well-prepared lunch.

We met up with two other club members that rode over from Gainesville.  

The food was excellent and the view of the river breathtaking.

 

 

If you were unable to join us please look for future ride and events on the Club website events calendar.

 

Home

If you missed the first two rides of the year, don't worry there are more on the agenda.

Our next ride will be after this Sunday's Monthly Meeting.

Chris Terajewicz has plotted us a course west of Jacksonville from Fleet reserve,

then north ending up at Cedar River Seafood in Callahan, FL.

Hope you can make it.

 

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The 2024 - 41st Winter Rally was a huge success.

 

The forecast for rain held off to be just a little more than a humid day in Florida. 

There was a wide variety of events and activities to choose from including;

-  Led Rides and solo rides that could be downloaded from the Rally Program

-  Seminars by riders from a variety of backgrounds and experiences

-  Tire Repair on the Road and bike maintenance

-  BMW Academy Training

 

This year we also had the pleasure of a National Airhead Meeting and Event taking

place at the campground location.  This included a Tech Day, Bike Show and

General Meeting.

 

Some other hits this year was Charlie’s Chuck Wagon and the Camp Weed Dinners.

Of course we can't forget the Bonfires each night.  There was no shortage of split wood.

 

We gave away close to 30 Door Prizes and the Grand Prize winners were:

-  BMW Bike Performance Kit won by Chris Terajewicz

-  Helite Air Vest won by Michael Salvemini

-  Performance Training Grand Prize was Billy Luper

 

The Rally Program this year was over the top.  Steve Wishard did an excellent

job putting this together for our use including QR codes for the rides, articles,

list of vendors and a “Who’s Talking” section.  Unfortunately, Steve was unable

to attend, but he has our heartfelt thanks.

 

The surveys received to date have been very positive with excellent feedback.

 

Of course, none of this could have happened without all of the volunteers that worked

hard prior to, during, and after the Rally to ensure its success. Without their dedication,

there would be no Rally. Many, many thanks.

 

Can't wait until 2025 !!!

2024 Winter Rally Vendors and Sponsors

BMWNEF
Penguin Ride
January 1st, 2024
Review
 
Dear BMWNEF Members and Friends,
 
Members and guests could not have asked for a better way to bring in the New Year than what we experienced yesterday.
 
31 motorcycles, with several riding two-up, gathered at the Raceway Station off I-95 and the Fernandina exit for the Annual Penguin Ride.
 
The Penguin Ride is a BMWNEF tradition started by longtime BMWNEF member Alan Singer.  What better way to torment one's New Jersey friends than to go on a motorcycle ride on a beautiful day.
 
The riders were split into 3 groups for better manageability.  We set out with a 5 min delay between groups.
 
Our route took us on state and county roads to Folkston for a comfort stop then on to Mudcat Charlies near Darien, Georgia.  The restaurant had been notified of our plans and the seating, service and food was excellent.
 
No Club event is planned and executed alone.  Special thanks to those members who served as ride leaders and chasers.  
 
Additionally, thanks go out to BMW Motorcycle of Jacksonville for their assistance in notifying their clients and to the Northeast Ducati Club for their attendance.
 
Finally, I would like to thank all members who have assisted in the planning and execution of events and rides during my final year as President of BMWNEF.  It has been my pleasure to serve as your President.  We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of
friends, riders and associates.
 
The leadership of BMWNEF is in good hands with John Brueggemann at the helm and a strong Executive Committee.
 
Stay healthy in 2024.
 
Ride Safely always.

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Iron Horse Weekend

Video Courtesy of John Brueggemann

BMWNEF Suches Weekend

Video Courtesy of Larry Dengler

Drifters Ride January 31st

Video Courtesy of John Brueggemann

BMWNEF Hookie Ride

Video Courtesy of John Brueggemann

Summer Solstice Ride

June 21st

video by John Brueggemann

Isle of Man TT

2024

video by John Brueggemann

Start your kids out early

Mom will be glad they're out of the house

video by John Brueggemann


Airhead Tech Day

Keep them Flying

video by John Brueggemann

VIEW FROM THE ROAD


For all you K Riders out there...