BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington

2012 BMWBMW Officers & Committee Chairs

I had thought about riding for years, but never had piloted a motorcycle. I took the Rider’s Edge course in May 2003, to answer the question of whether I wanted to pursue this motorcycle thing. And the answer was a resounding YES! I bought my first bike, a 2003 BMW F650CS, in October 2003. In a year and a half, I had only put 7500 miles on it, and knew that a bigger bike was the next step for the trips I wanted to take. In May 2005 I got an R1150R and put over 60K on the clock. Then I coveted from afar a twin 650, and picked one up in August 2010. I love this bike and have put over 12K on it. Many riders ride more, many ride less. I love riding and look forward to hitting my first 100K on BMW bikes.
I joined the club shortly after buying my first bike, and found a welcoming group of folks who love to ride and encourage others. I hope all new members have that same experience. I started my involvement in the club just participating in events, then helping to organize the vendor/door prize aspect of the annual rally, then decided to run as an officer. After 3 years as VP, I tossed my hat in for president and these people actually put me in charge. I really enjoy working with the officers and Board who also give of their time.
I encourage you to get involved in the club. You can do it in little ways and big ways. Join us for a RTE or Tech Day…vote in the annual election…help with our annual rally. Our club’s success relies on your involvement, and I find that I enjoy and value something more when I put some skin in the game.

 Vice President - Scott Keimig (ERC Scott)

I am a third generation motorcyclist – so, I have been on and around bikes for almost my entire life. Paradoxically for a BMW rider, my motorcycling ancestors were on the Norwegian side of my family tree and not the Bavarian side. It was as a sixteen-year-old that I first laid eyes on a BMW; it was a black boxer on display at Tri-City Motorcycles in Rock Island IL. While considerably beyond the financial resources of a grocery bagger (a Honda SL100 was my ride at the time), I somehow knew I would be on a BMW saddle SOMETIME. Well, sometime finally occurred in 1995 via a silver K75S sold to me by none-other than local legend Paul Mihalka. Since then I have owned a K12RS, one of the first R12GS sold in Maryland, and currently an R12RT. I have had a couple other European bikes as well. I have been fortunate enough that I have ridden Europe several times including a ten-day exploration of my Norwegian roots.


I have been an MSF instructor in Maryland for 13 years including roles as a training center manager (opening the range at Frederick Community College) and most recently as MSF quality assurance supervisor for western Maryland. Last year I expanded my teaching credentials by becoming an instructor for Lee Parks’ Total Control Advanced Rider Clinics in Maryland. As you can guess, I am a fervent advocate of advanced bike training, and I believe it is one of the most effective means of increasing one’s enjoyment of our sport, regardless of current skill level. Personally, I hope to get some off-road training completed in 2011. Anyone want to go with?

Secretary -  Ron Plichta (RonP)

Ron started riding in 1999 on a Yamaha V-Star 650 and had planned on eventually moving “up” to a Harley Davidson. A year on the Yamaha convinced him that cruisers were not to his liking and he started looking for alternatives. After a brief fling with a Kawasaki Concours, Ron found a 2000 K1200RS demo at Adventure BMW in Chesapeake, VA in May 2001 and became a BMW fan soon after.

The K1200RS was sold in April 2003 after Ron moved to Virginia and he went bikeless for four years when the urge to ride returned. Using some “fuzzy math” to show his wife that an inexpensive motorcycle was cheaper than the commuter train, Ron convinced his wife to let him get a 2002 Honda VFR800. The BMW itch returned in May 2008 when he spotted a ’07 K1200S on Craigslist. Fuzzy math was out the window as it was now evident that the real reason for getting another motorcycle was the joy of riding. The K1200S eventually gave way to a K1300S in July 2009.

In addition to BMWs, Ron is a sport bike rider and has a track-prepared Honda CBR600F4i. He normally rides track days at Summit Point and is a member of the Northeast Sport Bike Association (NESBA) and Team Pro-Motion.

Ron resides in Fairfax, VA and is employed by the Department of the Army. He’s been married for 26 years with two children. His wife, Linda, started riding in 2008 and has Ducati Monster 696. When not riding, Ron likes to watch pro football (Baltimore Ravens and whoever’s playing against Indianapolis), college lacrosse and a variety of motorsports. Ron also plays bass in a local cover band called Cheap Therapy. He is retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Treasurer - Henry Winokur (Henwin)

I have been a member of BMWBMW for about 10 years. I started riding motorcycles nearly 35 years ago. I purchased my first BMW, an R1100RT-P in 2001, and my 2nd, a 2007 R1200RT, after returning from a 2007 Edelweiss trip to the Alps.
I am an MSF/MD certified instructor (since 1990) and work part time for the Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program (MCSP). I was the MCSP’s training center manager at Montgomery College for 8 years. I am also a certified Total Control instructor. I no longer teach for either entity, but continue to work part time for the MCSP in other capacities.
I have been a volunteer since about 1996 or 97, with the Baltimore-Washington Ride for Kids, which is the fundraising arm of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. I encourage all riders to participate in some kind of fundraising, preferably on their bikes, as it is a positive for motorcyclists to be seen by the population at large doing things to better us all.
I am looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can and trying to remember your names and associated faces! If I look like I’m having trouble remembering, take pity and remind me.

Membership - Karen Ager (Sundevil2)

My wonderful but very protective father forbade all forms of motorized transportation (especially motorcycles) during my youth, so I’m getting a late start. I started riding in 2006 with a 1993 Yamaha Virago 535. It was a great training bike, but had a woefully inadequate gas tank for serious riding (my first long distance ride was to Alabama for my brother’s wedding). Philip introduced me to BMWs when we started dating, so I thought I’d give them a try. My first BMW was a 2007 F800ST. The gas tank was big enough, but the riding posture didn’t suit me well. I traded it in for a 2009 F650GS, which I love. Mostly I ride on the pavement, but have ventured onto gravel and hard-pack dirt roads on occasion. Off-road training is in my future; then I may venture farther off the beaten path.

I’ve enjoyed being a member of this great group since 2008, but this is the first time I have become this involved – like with real responsibilities. If anyone is lurking around the boards wondering about this group, I encourage you to take a step forward and join us. We really are welcoming to all motorcyclists. You don’t have to have a BMW. I’m looking forward to a great year Let’s ride! P.S. Sundevil2 – as in Arizona State.

Please send any membership requests or inquiries to me - - I’ll be happy to help!
Email: membership@bmwbmw.org
Mailing address:
BMWBMW Membership
PO Box 44735
Fort Washington, MD 20749

Editor - Wes Fleming (T.Wesley) 

I rode junky bikes for a few years in my youth, but my first real bike was a ’96 Honda Shadow. I rode that bike through rain, snow and blistering heat (yet another point in my life during which I didn’t own a car) until it was destroyed when both it and I got run over by an inattentive driver. While learning how to walk again, I bought a Suzuki Bandit 1200S; that bike carried me to San Francisco in 2001, which is where I rode my first BMW – a pristine black ’95 R1100GS. That short, hilly ride started the sickness in me that makes me twitch any time I don’t have a BMW to ride.

The following year I got my own ’95 R1100GS and rode that for a couple of years until I decided to get a decent 4-door, 4-wheeled vehicle to cart my fairly fresh kid around in. Eventually, my wife told me to get another motorcycle, which led to an ’85 K100. While a good bike, it just wasn’t for me, and I picked up a ’97 R850R. By then I was hip-deep in BMWBMW, making friends and learning how to work on my bike.

A long summer trip showed the need for a higher-displacement bike and I returned to the GS fold with another (though low mileage) ’95 R1100GS. That gave way to my current bike, an ’05 R1200GS originally owned by VP Scott Keimig that came to me through Rick Blanc (Doghouse). Along the way I picked up a K1200RS and had a sidecar attached to it. I may be BMWBMW’s official “least aerodynamic rider”, but I’m not letting it slow me down… …much.

I’ve been the editor for Between the Spokes, the club’s monthly magazine, since the January 2012 issue.

Check out the Online Between the Spokes!

Government Affairs Ed Stiley (capitalcycle)

I started riding at the age of 17 when I bought my first motorcycle, a 2002 Yamaha YZF with less than a 1000 miles, off of my neighbor who just moved in. The urge to ride might have come from my dad's FJ1200 that was always around when growing up. Well the new bike that I had didn't last on the road long as a car stopped perpendicular in the middle of Route 7 as he waited for a bicycle to cross leaving me nowhere to go except into the car. I was in the hospital for the rest of the day and on crutches for at least a month. Determined to get back on a bike, I started working at Capital Cycle part time throughout school. This led me to the BMW scene where I was somewhat influenced into buying a 1971 R75/5 to work on that I am still rebuilding. More recently came a 1974 R90/6 into my life to have as a daily rider. After graduating college I was offered a full time position at Capital Cycle where I reside today.

  Committee Chairs

Square Route Rally Chairs - Scott Keimig (ERC Scott)

 Rides - Ed Phelps (phelps2ride)

Check out BMWBMW's Ride Pages for the latest information and updates on our club and member rides and events, and tons of resources on the great roads in the mid-Atlantic area! Also check the message boards for last-minute and informal rides and ride ideas!

Safety - Chaz Fisher (Guitardad)

 One day back in 2002, my wife Pam came home and announced she was going to learn to ride a motorcycle. By that Christmas she had a little Suzuki GS250, but it was August of 2003 before I was able to get into an MSF class and get my license. Soon she had an F650CS, we were members of BMWBMW, and we were attending RTE’s and other BMWBMW events. I was welcomed, even though I rode a Suzuki SV650. In 2005 I bought a big red R1100RS, and “Clifford” and I had 80,000 miles of terrific adventures together. Through BMWBMW I was introduced to the LD rally world, and I’ve participated in several Cape Fear 1000, Mason Dixon 20-20, and Void rallies.
Since then I’ve dabbled with a couple of airheads, and my primary ride today is a K1200RS. I was certified as an MSF Ridercoach in 2006, and was part of the first class of Instructors in Maryland to be certified in MSF’s Advanced RiderCourse (ARC) in 2010. I really believe that learning is a lifetime journey that can make riding safer AND more fun. As our club’s safety chair I’d like to make opportunities to hone both the physical and mental skills of riding available for all our members. It’s true - the more you know, the better it gets!

Internet - Andy Dooley (adooley)

I learned to ride in the spring of 1990 while I was in college at Texas A&M. I had ridden mopeds and dirt bikes (the ones with pedals) prior. A buddy of mine came up to visit on his 1985 Honda Nighthawk 650 with shaft drive and proceeded to give me a crash course in riding a motorbike for a week. I also got my first taste of long distance riding when he gave me lift back home, hundred and ten miles away. I got my first bike, a used 1986 Honda Magna 700, after graduating college. I have ridden several bikes since then and currently ride a 2002 R1150RTP. I love doing long rides across the country, as well as, day trips. To pay the bills and support my toy habits, I work as an IT manager for a credit union in downtown DC.

I'm happy to be able to support BMWBMW as your webmaster. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, send me an email anytime.

Meetings & Events - Open Position

This position is currently open! Come join a great team of BMW club officers/riders and support a fantastic club. It's a great way to meet new people and plan parties like it's 1999! Contact the BoD if you are interested in volunteering to help us! BMW BoD

Check out BMWBMW's Event Pages for more information on all our upcoming events!

Technical - Cheree Craze (Shelion)

I started riding in 2003 after being inspired by a TV show about a women’s cross country motorcycle trip. Three weeks after completing my MSF BasicRider course I brought my first motorcycle home, a Honda Shadow 750 cruiser. I put 8200 happy miles on that bike before getting my first BMW, a 2004 Rockster. A love/hate relationship with my Rockster persisted for six low-mileage years before I finally sold it last year and got my current bike, a 2010 F650GS twin. Having now found the bike that really suits me, I’m rediscovering the therapeutic effects of traveling on two wheels.
As for the club, I originally joined in 2005. After a couple years, life happened and my membership lapsed as I got busy with other things. I found my way back early last year and was motivated to get more involved this time. I’m excited to be the tech chair and welcome suggestions and feedback on club tech events.
Happy and safe riding!

Ride well!

Check out the BMWBMW Events Page for information on our Slack-Pack tech events, and the message boards for tips, tricks and informal maintenance and wrench-gatherings.

Sales - Brian Conrad (Pilot)

 Greetings! My name is Brian Conrad (Pilot), and I am your Sales Chair. I started riding motorcycles in the mid to late 70's. My first bike was a scooter, a Honda 50cc minibike. It was the one that had the fat tires and no clutch, when I grew up (age 17) I bought an 82 Honda 550 Silver Wing. I had actually gone to by the super cool red, white, and blue Interceptor but something about that "dressed" Silver Wing with fairing, side cases and trunk that replaced the pilon seat seduced me in. Later, a 76 Wing, 86 wing and an 02 Vulcan along the way ultimately led me to my first BMW last December. Always knew I wanted the Beemer but didn't have the wallet to back it up.

So here I am today, 36 years riding, working on my MSF instructor status, loving gadgets, farkles, and anything that shows our brand and club pride off. I figured since I own, or pine to own most of the inventory we offer our members with a club logo, I should help out and distribute the stuff to you as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you see something cool somewhere else and it needs our club logo on it to make it better, let me know and I'll see if we can get it for sale in our inventory. I'm here to help and look forward to meeting many more of you as I serve the club. Did I mention our stuff makes great holiday and birthday gifts?! 

Thanks for letting me help!

Check out BMWBMW's e-Commerce area for information on our club-logo shirts, hats, and more! 

Don't forget, feel free to e-mail us with any questions or concerns!