Text by Elia B/Video by Parag J.

As most of you probably already know, I am a 28-year old woman that started riding on the street a little over two years ago. My Dad, Ron Bregman helped me sign up for the MSF course through the Big Apple School. Fast forward two years and a few thousand miles, my Dad asks me if I want to go with him to a BMW motorcycle rally. Immediately I’m like YES! None of the details mattered. I didn’t care where it was, how far it was, what it entailed, or how long it would take to get there. I just knew I wanted to go and to experience it with him. How cool is it to be able to have a shared hobby that allows us to spend time together and create beautiful memories together. I registered to be a part of the MOA and bought my ticket to the rallye. I was ready and eager to go.

Fast forward to Wednesday 6/18. The plan was to meet John Z, Don, Parag, and Bruce at Dunkin Donuts at 5am and start heading to our hotel for the night in Roanoke, Virginia. We started making our way… (bear with me as I am a newbie and don’t know the roads and routes the way you more seasoned riders do). We made it past the city and stopped somewhere in Jersey at a DD that was open for some coffee, and then continued on our way. As we rode I felt like I was starting to smell something weird and decided I should check my oil when we stopped next. Sure enough when I checked at the gas station, my bike needed oil. However, that was an easy fix as Don just whips out a quart of oil from his luggage and now I am all set. This is like the fourth time Don has come to the rescue for me. He has saved me with his trailer and towed me, he has come to start a dead battery on a bike for me, and now he had oil for me on the spot… he’s really like the moto version of superman, always saving the day 😜. From there we headed to Hermys BMW where we stopped to buy more oil just in case. I got a quart for myself and Don and then we headed back on the road to get breakfast at Trainer’s Midway Diner in Bethel, PA. We continued onwards with a few stops eventually making it to Roanoke, Virginia for the day to spend the night. We had ridden 500 miles that day which was the most I have ever ridden in a single day. I was exhausted, it was a long day. The weather was inconsistent. We rode through some dry places, some areas of absolute downpour, and some in between. We got there around 4pm and made plans for dinner at 5:30pm. I was sleeping by like 7:30pm that night 😂.

Next morning we had an early wake up to get back on the road and make it to the rally. After 500 miles the day before I was already kind of tired and just wanted to do 400 miles straight to the rally as opposed to going on detours to ride more scenic and fun roads. It’s my first rallye and I just wanted to make it already. That’s the point of the whole trip for me. So our group decided to split up this morning. Don and Parag rode to the back of the dragon and Bruce, Ron and I decided that we’re going the direct route to the rally. We started making our way. Now this felt like this was the “home stretch” to me. I was eager to get on the bikes, head there, and arrive as soon as possible. I was hoping for minimal stops, but the weather had other plans. We were making our way there and everything was going to plan until we hit torrential downpour. We got soaked through every layer of clothes we had on. And still I was determined to make it. I was leading Bruce and Ron and my plan was just to ride through it. I was thinking it had to end eventually so we might as well see it through. Unfortunately, there was no end in sight and after a while Ron said he thinks we should wait it out at a gas station. It was raining HARD. It felt piercing to the skin, like sharp pellets. I think Ron could tell I would have just kept going. I was determined to get there. Anyways, we stopped at the nearest gas station and we were all drenched. I was absolutely freezing and was immediately looking for a dry shirt to buy at the gas station so I wouldn’t have to open my luggage. I could ring out the water from my clothes. There was a Papa John’s at the gas station so we had some pizza to warm us up while we waited for the rain to subside. After about 45 minutes or so it relaxed and we decided it was time to continue onward. We continued to head towards Lebanon, TN. The weather continued to improve and eventually we stopped for gas and water about an hour or so out from the rally. At this point I was super eager to arrive. I had no clue what to expect. All I could think about was all the stories my Dad had shared with me over the years of his experiences at these kinds of events. I really couldn’t wait to experience it myself and the sweetest part of it all was being able to experience it with him.

We made it to the rally and immediately I was so hyped. I see so many people, bikes, and vendors. Immediately upon trying to look for parking I am approached by an event goer that was so excited to see me on my R1250R. He said he has the same bike and that our bikes are somewhat uncommon as most people sleep on this model. Already I could tell I was going to have a great time here, and this rally is about bringing like-minded people together for an awesome weekend. We parked, registered, and immediately walked around the vendor area. At that point, A/C sounded amazing. The vendor area was honestly toooooo tempting. I felt like a kid in a toy store. There were so many vendors I could not resist. I bought a jacket, pants, gloves, and earplugs. I even took advantage of the promotions for Shachar and he ordered some yellow lights, a Hex EZcan, and an additional brake light for his GS. Overall it was a really fun experience. After I finished shopping I went to check out the club’s camping area. I came and said hello to everyone and pretty much immediately left to head to my hotel room. I needed to shower after such a long day. I could no longer stand to be in my gear. The way there was dry, then wet, then cold, then hot… I just needed to feel refreshed. 

So I made my way alone to the hotel. I checked in, and upon trying to find my room ended up hurting my left knee pretty badly. I made a rookie mistake. See, I am vertically challenged (5’3”), and to compensate for that and for not wanting to reverse my bike because I barely touch the floor, I park parallel to buildings sometimes. As I was looking for my room, I couldn’t see the numbers well so I decided to get off my bike and walk around to find the room before unloading any luggage. I realized that the lady mistakenly told me that my room was on the wrong side of the hotel, so I went to get back on my bike and go to the other side. Now, I am parked parallel to the building and the parking lot has a steep slope downward. I parked in a way that my right side had the leverage and that way I’d be able to still reach the kickstand on my left. So, I attempt to get on my bike. I stand up with my left leg on the peg and try to swing my right leg over the bike and my bags, and that’s when I feel a pop in the back of my left knee. At that moment I knew I messed up. Immediately I couldn’t walk. I was dragging my leg and I could barely move it without pain. I didn’t know what exactly was wrong but it felt like I did something bad. It took me a few minutes before I could try to get on the bike to move it. I couldn’t walk the bike because it’s too heavy and the ground is sloped, and on top of it all I could barely even walk in general, let alone with the bike. I couldn’t leave my hotel room that night. I was barely able to bring my luggage up to my room by myself. I was so overheated, exhausted, and now in so much pain. It was raining very heavily that night so Ron, Don, and Lester went to eat dinner at Cracker Barrel next door. I ordered food for pick up and my Dad brought it right over and I ate like a princess in my hotel room while Ron, Don, and Lester ate at the restaurant. When Ron came back to the room after dinner he handed me 3 different kinds of knee braces that he, Dr. Don, and Lester bought for me to try. It was really thoughtful and very helpful in getting me more mobile for the next day.

Now it’s day two of the rally for me and I have already conquered the vendors, so it was time to do some demo riding. I decided to demo ride the Triumph Rocket 3 and the BMW R12nineT. This was the first time I ever did a demo ride so that was exciting in it of itself. I was especially excited to ride the rocket as I have heard a lot of things about it. The rocket was sooo much fun to ride. I felt the bike had a lot of personality. It was a very enjoyable ride, however it is not a very practical bike. You can’t tour with it and the engine gets so hot so fast it feels like you have a heated seat. The BMW R12ninet was lacking in my opinion. I found the engine to be very clunky and way too vibratey. My hands and feet felt like they were going to go numb pretty fast. I didn’t like how much it vibrated. I thought they missed the mark on this one. I was surprised as I really enjoy the RnineT model which I assume to be like the little brother to the R12nineT model. After the test rides and spending some time walking around the rally I decided to go back to the room for a bit before dinner with the club. I needed some time to regroup and take the brace off as my knee was bothering me. At 5:30pm we met the group for dinner at a BBQ restaurant which was a really nice time. Afterwards we hung out at the campsite with the club and it was a lot of fun. We shared a lot of laughs. Eventually we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel as we changed our plans to leave the rally on Saturday as opposed to Sunday like we initially planned. I really wanted to ride the tail of the dragon, so we decided to leave earlier to accommodate going a less direct route home. 

Saturday morning comes along and Don, Ron and I meet at DD across from our hotel at around 8am. We planned a 400 mile route through some nice roads, do the tail of the dragon, and eventually make it to our hotel for the night in Bristol, Virginia. It was a beautiful day and the ride was so much fun! I really enjoyed spending time with my Dad and Don. I feel grateful to have been able to have these experiences with them. This day is one I will never forget and forever cherish. We rode through a lot of twisties and I really had the experience of a lifetime being in their company. The tail of the dragon was a lot of fun. I scraped my center stand a few times and it was thrilling every time. I think it was due to elevation changes in some turns. I never experienced that before. I was taking it easy, I never left third gear. It was a crazy experience seeing others dragging knee. I found myself wishing it was a one lane road pretty often though. Seems like some people go there to test their limits and the tree of shame says it all 😂. It was a long day, but it was an amazing one. We finally made it to the hotel and I was pooped. Don and Ron were talking about wanting to leave early in the morning Sunday and start heading back home. We had about 620 miles till home. Keep in mind 500 miles was the longest stretch I’ve ever ridden thus far. I was nervous for the ride back because I was so ridiculously tired. I literally felt like I was running on E.

Sunday morning comes around and we get a call from Don at about quarter to 5 saying that he is ready to go. At that point I told my Dad that I really couldn’t do it. I needed to sleep. There was no way I could make the ride home (even if we split it into two days) with how exhausted I was. So I continued to sleep. Eventually I woke up at 8:30am, checked my phone, and sprung out of bed when I saw that Don texted us at 6:30am that he was leaving and that we’ll meet later on the road. I really felt bad that Don left before us as I was hoping to stick together. We continued to check in with him to make sure he was doing okay, especially since he was alone. We were too far behind to catch up. My Dad and I hit the road at around 9:50am and made it home in Long Island at around 10:10pm. We hit a lot of traffic on the way. I officially highly dislike two lane highways. I felt like I was slow racing on the highway just to keep moving and avoid putting my feet down. It was not an easy ride home. It was also SO hot. My bike was showing 100 degrees out and we continued to hit so much traffic throughout several states. We stopped here and there for hydration brakes which were a major key in the heat. Thankfully we made it home safely. I definitely needed those extra hours of sleep. Making it 621 miles home on a really hot day with heavy traffic felt like a real accomplishment. 

Overall this trip left me with a lasting impression. I created so many memories with so many of you. It was fun getting to know some of you better and spending more time with those I have known for longer. I feel lucky to have been able to have this experience with my Dad and all of you that came. I really enjoy being able to be a part of this family and am looking forward to sharing more experiences together and creating more memories.