The “BMW Motorcycle Owners of Alabama” was formed in October of 1971 by John Harper, who is still a member to this day. We are chartered club #5 in the BMWMOA (BMW Motorcycle Owners of America) an International organization and chartered club #107 in the BMW RA (BMW Riders Association) a National organization. At this time our club has 376 members. The members consist of folks not only in Alabama, but also in 13 other states. We have a camaraderie that can’t be rivaled. These other states include AR, FL, GA, IL, LA, MD, MO, MS, MT, NC, SC, TN, and TX.

Officers in the club come from all around the state and are voted on each January. Each meeting draws around 40 to 75 folks and so are sort of mini-rallies in themselves. Our ages range from 18 to 83 and the median age around 50. Membership is $20 a year with and extra $3.00 to sign up an associate member. That covers our 11 issues of the newsletter. Our newsletter is one that can rival any other club newsletter out there. Articles are sent in by members and all are encouraged to submit things for print including pictures.

Because we are an extremely large BMW club with widespread members, we have to plan more elaborate monthly meetings than the smaller localized clubs. This is to accommodate the members all around the state and in closely surrounding states. Many of our meetings are at Alabama State Parks, and we move them around to different parts of the state each month. Some meetings are also held in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, or Florida, and even Mississippi because we like to ride! The business meetings occur at 8:00 AM on the last Sunday of each month with a campout the Saturday night before. Lots of our meeting weekends also include the Friday too.

This club is like most I’m sure, just one great big family. We have no end of folks who will step up and take on the cooking or planning of a monthly meeting weekend, jump in and fill a slot or ten at the rally jobs each year, and still manage to come up with some great “lies” around the campfires each month. I’d think you’d be hard pressed to find another group of folks that have so many, so willing to take on a part of the work and help make the club the wonderful “family” that it is. We have so many members that have been in for 10, 20 and 30 something years. I also think it says something about how much fun, and how easy-going this club is, when you attract folks from so many other states that want to be a part of the group.

We have a good share of between meeting rides that are designated as Touring, Sport Touring, or Off road, so you know what the ride will be like before you decide whether you want to participate. There is a bottomless barrel of folks willing to lead rides of different types and in different areas of the state, so a ride is surely going to be held near most members at sometime or another.

Most meeting/campout weekends include some kind of dinner on Sat. night that members in the area of the meeting have agreed to put together. You got to brag when you have a club with this many GOOD SOUTHERN COOKS, and I’m not just talking about the ladies. Cost I usually from $4 to $12. per person for the dinners depending on what we have planned. Camping fees vary but are usually discounted. Hotels are usually nearby in case you do not camp.

The Alabama club has also held a BMW rally each year for the last 20 years, in Huntsville, at Ditto Landing, during Memorial Day weekend. It’s known as the “The Great Chicken Rally in Rocket City”. This is because, traditionally we have served all you can eat 24 hours a day of fresh smoked chicken for the rally duration. This year due to the increasing numbers and rising prices, we will only be serving at mealtimes with any extra chicken we are able to cook set out in between. We do serve fresh smoked pork on Thursday night. We go through around 1800 to 2100 pounds of chicken. We also have vendors, self guided rides to Barber’s, Jack Daniels and other interesting places. This rally has grown to between 650 and 750 attendees now. This past May we had folks from 31 states and Canada and Bermuda and Taiwan. We raffle off a new BMW motorcycle each year at the rally and the profits go to The Head injury Foundation, and The Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Please see our rally page on our website for more details. It’s also listed in both National magazines and on their websites.

If you wish to purchase raffle tickets or wish to help sell them, please contact Mari Harrelson at weridebmw@bellsouth.net or call 205-621-1682.

Make sure you check out the club website and sign up for the Forums which has lots of good information. www.BMWMOAL.ORG

We invite you to visit us and be a part of the most fun club in the USA !!!