Are YOU a member of one of these organizations?

[SCJJR65]

I may not have set this poll up correctly, but I am curious about whether or not the people who have registered to this forum are "members in good standing" with the three major national BMW motorcycle owners clubs.  I think I've set it up so if you are members of more than one club, you can indicate so.   I'll be interested to find out what the answer is to my query!   [smiley=bmw_smiley.gif]

[SCJJR65]

OK, I went first, since it was my idea to look into this subject!  

[Ed Miller]

Second.

[Bob_Roller]

I was a long time member of BMW MOA (30 years) and the Airheads (15 years) .

I let my membership expire with both organizations about 5 years ago, for varying reasons, mostly nothing there interested me any more, got tired of the monthly 'crap'  and attitudes that I read there and paying for the 'pleasure' .

I do believe I have become increasingly intolerant to "BS" at close to 57 years of age .

With the number of motorcycle forums out there on the Internet, any information you may need, is available with the stroke of a key on a  keyboard .  

[msbuck]

No place for "Not any more".  Same as Bob.  Once a member of MOA and RA, but no more.  Almost the identical reasons as Bob, too.

[k_enn]

No to any of them (although I do belong to a local club that is BMWMOA affiliated).  I just don't have enough time to be meaningfully active in any more organizations.  

[marcmax]

I couldn't agree more with Bob and msbuck and for the same reasons.

Unlike Bob believing it, I KNOW I have become increasingly intolerant to "BS"

[donbmw]

Still a MOA member. Was both MOA and RA in the early years. To much duplication between the  two. Shoud join the Airhead. Stay with MOA more for the fourm.

[NC Steve]

I'm a member of the Airheads, but only for the last year or so, and recently re-upped for another 2 years. It seems like a good group, self-governed for the most part, and their magazine is one I can appreciate and relate to.

I let my MOA membership lapse maybe 4-5 years ago, but they never figured it out, so I go in and peruse their Classifieds from time to time. Otherwise, the attitude there completely turns me off these days.

Never was a member of the BMW RA, no reason.

[SCJJR65]

I went back and added an additional choice for members of this forum who are not members of the MOA, RA, or Airheads.  (Wish I had thought of this when I was setting it up earlier!)  

[nhmaf]

I am in all (3).  The airheads are very useful for finding out arcane technical details of our bikes, and they are very friendly, if sometimes rather odd-looking at the rallies.     I've been a BMWMOA member for many years - I think it is mostly the history of that which keeps me signing up.  There are still aspects of the MOA which I like, including the forum, the anonymous book, etc. but it has been becoming more mainstream/slick these days, and not all the changes are to my taste.  The BMWRA was more of a holdout for the older bikes (airheads), but even they have made some substantial changes and modernizations.   I've been an BMWRA member for the shortest time, but I've enjoyed myself quite a bit at several of their gatherings, and they do tend to be less pretentious than some other organizations.  But, no one is perfect.

[MR.E]

i'm not in any
are they American forums?
I've not heard of them, but then i've not got a lot of time for forums/ internet

[nhmaf]

BMWMOA = BMW Motorcycle Owners of America (though "America" does indeed mean western hemisphere. ie. "Americas - as in North, Central and South)  

BMWRA = BMW Riders Association - I assume this is an international group, but it is also much smaller in membership than BMWMOA

The airheads (ABC=Airhead Beemer Club) does have members around the world, but is still mostly active in the US and Canada, as far as I know

[decorn33]

I am currently a member of Airheads and find their organization to be friendly and helpful, both with tech information online and in their monthly magazine, and with experienced hands on assistance for maintenance and repairs in scheduled "Tech Days" around the US.

[SCJJR65]

After I bought my first R65 in '97, I became a member of the Airheads.  Unfortunately, I never ran into any fellow Airheads except at rallies (like the Gathering of the Clans in NC).  I was kind of disappointed in their newsletter, which looked like it had been done on a typewriter and produced on a copy machine.  I let it lapse after two years.   When the BMWRA held its national rally at the Biltmore House in '07, I joined shortly before the rally itself.  Their magazine was better than the Airheads', but like the Airheads, I rarely encountered members.  I let that membership go after just one year.  For some reason, I've remained a member of the MOA for 16 years now.  I suppose I've stayed a member mostly for the monthly magazine, which is one of the best overall rags dedicated to BMW motorcycles around, IMHO.  A second reason is probably because I've never been a member of any other organization as long as I have with this one!