Fun was had by all on the Bob and Fred's Excellent Rt. 66 Roadtrip. Fred Rau took these photographs from the week long trip.

–September 4, 2008

Food, Fun and the best part much needed money was raised for the PBTF. Thanks to everyone that attended!

Click on image for a larger and downloadable version.

–October 6, 2008

On Saturday, October 4, 2008, in front of a large crowd of onlookers attending our annual Oktoberfest, we drew the winners' names for the Ultimate Bike Raffle. After announcing all the prizes, reviewing the contest procedures, and thanking all the generous suppliers and vendors who donated merchandise or services toward the effort, it was time to begin drawing the winners from the 3,284 raffle tickets in a large basket.

To assist with the drawing, and to put a face on what the raffle is really all about, two of our special VIP STAR kids, brain tumor survivors Bobby Dietz and Ethan Gumaby, drew the 24 names for the second place prizes. Our lovely Bavarian bier maiden, Kandyce, had the honor of pulling the Grand Prize winner from the remaining tickets. And the winner is... Allen Blankenship from New York!

As his phone number was dialed the hushed crowd awaited hearing his response. Well, a bit of the high drama of the moment slipped away when it turned out he had left only his work number on the ticket. It was Saturday and so, of course, he was away from his office when we called. Nevertheless, on Monday morning he arrived at work to a great voice message that included at least a hundred well-wishers cheering for him in the background! We finally got to speak personally with Mr. Blankenship this morning. Needless to say, he was very excited.

Here's some more information about the raffle that may interest you: 3,509 raffle tickets were printed and 3,284 tickets got sold. Of those, 449 were sold as individual tickets, and amazingly, 2,829 went out as the Special $100 ROAD CREW T-shirt that included 3 tickets! And yes, since so many of you want to know, the Grand Prize winner bought his winning ticket as part of the $100 ROAD CREW T-shirt package. We hope that all of the 945 Ultimate Bike Raffle participants who purchased that package will wear those T-shirts as a true badge of honor in the years to come!

A final accounting cannot be completed at this time since there are still a few unknown expenses ahead involving the completion of the raffle and delivery of prizes. So watch here in the future for a final accounting. But we are very excited about the fact that we have already turned in over $72,000 in net proceeds to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF)!

Wondering if you’re a winner?
All 24 of our 2nd place winners in the Ultimate Bike Raffle have already been contacted. So… if you have not heard from us, sorry, your name was not picked in the raffle. Here's the list of winners we can release so far:

1 Steve Firestone from California selected the BMW Nav III set for his K1200R
2. Bob Ganser from Illinois selected a BMW Tourance Jacket in Blue
3. Debby Hobbs from British Columbia selected the BMW All Around Boots for her husband Martin
4. Brian Benton from Colorado selected the Olympia Air Glide II Vented Pants
5. Jerry Doherty from Maryland chose the AIRHAWK Seat Cushion his non-BMW Cruiser
6. Benoit Dulude from Ontario chose the PIAA Driving Light Set for his R100GS/PD
7. Mark Davies from Maryland selected the Olympia Air Glide II Jacket in Neon Yellow for his wife!
8. Kim Hardesty from West Virginia chose a Z-Technik Tall Screen for her F650CS
9. Jake Herzog from New York selected the Revit Mistral Boots
10. Stephen Neeley from Virginia has selected one of two Full Face Scorpion Helmets
11. Wayne Rozran from Maryland selected the Revit Shiracco Jacket AND then gave it back to Bob to be sold; he wanted all proceeds going to the PBTF and Ride for Kids!

Finally, to all those who participated in the Ultimate Bike Raffle, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for helping Bob's BMW raise a record amount of money for the PBTF. That money will be used not only to fund research and family support programs while a cure is being targeted, it will help some very special kids have a fuller, healthier and happier life!

Thanks once AGAIN!

Bob and his Entire Staff!

If you missed the days festivities or you want to see Kandyce again, boy do we have a video for you!!!

This was our first sponsored off-road event at Rocket Raceway in Three Springs, Pennsylvania and we were very excited about it. Bob’s crew spent a full day riding on a choice of the 1.5 mile European style MX dirt track or the 6.5 mile Hare Scramble loop – or both!

Charlie Goss was on hand to document the day. Here are a few low res clips to see what you missed. Oh and by the way, the local pro rider on the video said (that the G450X) "the motor was fantastic with a very long and very strong band of torque, the rear shock was great out of the box, and the brakes were maybe the best I've ever felt...."

"...this thing has a horn?"

To see more photographs, click HERE.

Our special guest Jessica Prokup of Discover Today’s Motorcycling, a motorcycle industry trade group in California, gave an inspiring seminar called “Celebrating Women Riders.” She spoke of the great women in the history of motorcycling who paved the way for female inclusion in a sport that had traditionally been dominated solely by men. Along with a great slideshow that featured images of women on two wheels then and now, Jessica also shared new demographic statistics showing a very strong trend upward in the numbers of women taking up motorcycling. This in turn has, at last, compelled manufacturers to respond by increasing the products and services targeted to women riders — definitely good news for women who have felt left out of the picture for too long. Jessica’s warm personality and vibrant style make her a persuasive communicator and we look forward to having her back for future events.

Meanwhile, over in our service department, intrepid marathon rider Nancy Oswald demonstrated techniques for fixing a flat using the Stop-n-Go Tire Plugger to a throng of interested riders. By showing the ease and effectiveness of this roadside repair system, Nancy empowered riders — women and men alike — to confidently handle mishaps and emergencies.

The women who came to participate in our Women’s Day event got to express their genuine enthusiasm for riding and meet new friends who shared their passion. Women riders, no longer a nominal subculture, are justifiably emboldened by their growing numbers and marketplace clout. The optimism we could feel in the place was contagious!

Why do I say lucky? Well, 1.) the day was bright and sunny – and HOT – all the better to increase tire traction; 2.) everyone had plenty of time to test their abilities on the track, as well as enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow BMW performance enthusiasts; 3.) there were no mishaps or spills among our group; and 4.) at the end of the day all our riders went home grinning and knowing that they were now able to ride at a higher skill level than when they came.

This was our third Track Day, each better organized and better attended than the one before. We know we’ll have more. When will it be YOUR turn to boost your riding skill to the next level — and have an incredible amount of FUN in the process?