BMW MOA

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Founders of BMW MOA in Chicago in 1972. Photo by Jill Dean.

BMW MOA is the acronym for BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, a private, nonprofit membership association for owners and admirers of BMW motorcycles. According to BMW MOA, it "is the largest independent single-marque motorcycle organization in the world" [1]. (Note: The Harley Owners Group is much larger, but is not independent of the manufacturer. However, I believe that the Gold Wing Road Riders Association [2], which is independent of Honda, is larger.)

A cover of BMW Owners News.

BMW MOA was founded in 1972 in Chicago by five enthusiasts, Vern Hansen (Detroit), Jeff Dean (Madison, WI), John Moore (California), Charlie Smith (New York), and Frank Diederich (Chicago) - left to right in the photo. From this humble beginning, the association is approaching 40,000 members throughout the world.

Currently, BMW MOA is based in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, and has a full-time staff [3]. It publishes a monthly magazine, BMW Owners News, [4] holds an international rally attended by eight or nine thousand members, promotes motorcycle safety by sponsoring the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Experienced RiderCourse, and offers more activities and publications.

The crowd at the Trenton, Ontario, rally.

The best way to learn more about BMW MOA is through its website [5].

BMW MOA has charted over 300(!) local, global, and virtual BMW motorcycle clubs. Click here to identify any of them.

BMW MOA's annual rally, held every year since 1973, is the largest gathering of BMW enthusiasts in North America, and is alleged by one source to be "the largest single brand event held anywhere" [6] (although HOG and GWRRA would appropriately dispute that claim). Rallies have been held in California, South Carolina, Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado, Minnesota, Tennessee, Ohio, New York, Oregon, Florida, Montana, Indiana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Arizona, Connecticut, North Carolina, Michigan, Ontario, West Virginia, and Washington. The 2006 rally [7] was held in Burlington, Vermont, and was attended by over 9,200 enthusiasts.

The next international rally of BMW MOA is scheduled for July 2007 in Wisconsin. For more information, click here: 2007 Rally.

[edit] A brief pictorial history of BMW motorcycles

The first in a long line of BMW motorcycles was introduced in 1923, the 500cc R32. Its boxer engine in unit construction with its transmission, and driving a drive shaft, has been continued through later models, such as the 1973½ R75/5 shown below, right. In the photos below you can see that although the design has changed markedly during the intervening 70 years, the basic BMW opposed-twin design remains unchanged. This basic design can also be seen in the 2005 R1200GS, bottom photo below, left. Although this lineage may be less clear in the 2007 motorcycle because of its enclosing fairing, bottom photo below right, it nevertheless remains fully in place 84 years after the R32 was introduced. This consistency and respect for tradition has no doubt reinforced the loyalty of many dedicated BMW enthusiasts.