Sound RIDER! event lineup for 2015

By Tom Mehren, publisher

We’re halfway through the celebration of our 15th year of publishing Sound RIDER!. When this all began, I knew I wanted to take it farther and provide events for our readers that would provide a multi-dimensional connection for them beyond just forking out editorial content each month. Eventually we created a few one day events, then added a multi-day rally, then a few tours and before you knew it we had our hands full. But hey, I can’t say its all work. You and I both know the reason we got on motorcycles in the first place. To have fun. And I gotta say, all the planning that goes into each of our events year in and year out is as much fun as the riding itself.

You need a new year’s resolution? Here’s one you can achieve – Resolve to join us for at least one Sound RIDER! event this year… or do like Norm Haugen does and join us for all of them.

Café to Café Grand Tour, March 1-September 30 - $35

Now moving into its 7^th year, The Café to Café Grand Tour returns with yet another list of 15 tasty location scattered around the Northwest for you to visit. If you’re not familiar with how this works, it’s pretty simple. Once you register, you’ll be mailed a list of 15 restaurants to visit which also includes some cool roads around each location for you to discover. We never repeat the same location twice. At that point you figure out what works for you schedule-wise and start knocking through the list one location at a time. Some riders incorporate stops along other planned routes.

More information about the event will be posted at www.soundrider.com/cafetocafe

Euro Moto 2015, Seattle WA, April 11-12 - $15 (est)

Euro Moto 2015 will happen in April at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. Details are still being worked out, but look for not only bikes exhibits, but vendors selling goods and a used bike corral. Vintage exhibit will be put together by Dan Brecht. Sound RIDER! will have a booth at the event as we have since it's inception. See you then.

More details coming your way at www.euromotoshow.com.

Sasquatch Dual Sport Adventure Tour, July 6-10, $150

In 2009, the first Sasquatch Dual Sport Adventure Tour made its way through the Oregon Cascades and up the coast. The Cascades romp worked out, but all the way up the coast we had to skip sections because the days just weren’t long enough. In 2015 we’re going to focus solely on the Coastal route beginning Sunday night with a meet-up in Astoria and working our way down to the final stop in Crescent City on Friday afternoon. Bob and I will begin to lay out the route in a few weeks and pre-riding will be done in the spring.

More information about the event will be published at www.soundrider.com in the coming months. If you’re not a subscriber, go there now and sign up for free so you don’t miss out.

BMW MOA Rally, July 23-25, Billings MT - $??

Join us in the land of the dinosaurs. Look for us as a vendor at this event and I will probably be presenting, most likely a new installment of the Touring Tips & Tricks noted above.

Sound RIDER! Rally in the Gorge, August 26-30, Hood River OR - $70

Last summer’s Rally in the Gorge was one of the best yet, and this year’s will only be better. The new location lends itself well as a prime locale centered in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. No one could complain about waking up each morning to those stunning views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, and it seems no matter how many times Bruce and I go back, there’s just no tiring of the fantastic network of both paved and dual sport routes. You’d think after 12 years we’d have ridden them all, but in fact we already have a growing list of new roads to explore when we pre-ride in July. Registration this year will be limited to 400 riders since going beyond that number puts us into a number of expensive rentals we currently don’t have sponsors to cover. Registration is open now, so if you want to guarantee a spot, purchase sooner than later.

More information is available at www.soundrider.com/rally

Road Trip: Napa/Sonoma October 5-9, Northern California - $195

Well, summer might be over in the Pacific Northwest, but typically at this time of year things are just getting comfortable down in California. Of course wine tasting isn’t the focus of this trip, although it’s encouraged at the end of a day of riding, so what would you spend you’re time doing wine country? Riding the awesome roads that flank the mountains and cross over between the two growing regions. Off the main roads there are some stunning places to ride and we plan to take advantage. Throw some awesome dining in along the way and you’ve got an affordable tour close to home that will extend your riding season into fall.

We'll depart Monday from Ashland and enter back into Oregon Friday with lunch at the Oregon Caves. And of course part of the fun is getting there and coming back home too!

More information about the event will be published at www.soundrider.com in the coming months. If you’re not a subscriber, go there now and sign up for free so you don’t miss out.

Northwest Motorcycle Display @ The International Motorcycle Show, November or December, Seattle WA

Our 14^th annual Northwest Motorcycle Display will once again present some of the nicest iron anyone has ever pulled together in the Pacific Northwest. And it’s not all cream of the crop show bikes as we take it further featuring race bikes, rat bikes, other oddities and more.

If you have a bike that needs to be in this year’s display, please fill out the form at www.soundrider.com/ims

Thanks for reading, being a subscriber (it’s free if you’re not already) and we hope to see you out on the road in the coming months!

TM/Winter 15