With Tuesday’s early afternoon sun in full force, Doug Crow ambled up to Chuck Manley, BMW Motorcycle Owners of America International Rally chairman, and offered a brief serenade.
“It’s beginning to look a lot like a rally,” crooned Crow, of Olympia, Wash.
kAmq@E9 >6? D>:=65[ 2?5 |2?=6J 7:C65 FA 9:D 8@=7 42CE E@ 9625 @77 24C@DD E96 |:DD@FC: $E2E6 u2:C8C@F?5D E@ 6?DFC6 E92E 2== AC6A2C2E:@?D H6C6 @? EC24< 7@C q|( |~p’D c_E9 :?E6C?2E:@?2= C2==J] (9:=6 E96 6G6?E 5@6D?’E @77:4:2==J 86E F?56C H2J F?E:= %9FCD52J[ C:56CD 92G6 366? 7=@H:?8 :?E@ $652=:2 2?5 D6EE:?8 FA 42>A D:?46 E96 A2DE H66<6?5]k^Am
kAmpE ?@@? E@52J[ E96 72:C8C@F?5D H:== 36 4=@D65 E@ E96 AF3=:4 2?5 364@>6 2 82E96C:?8 8C@F?5 7@C q|( >@E@C4J4=6 6?E9FD:2DED 7C@> 2C@F?5 E96 8=@36] |2?=6J 6IA64ED 23@FE g[d__ A6@A=6 E@ 2EE6?5 E96 C2==J]k^Am
kAm“p =@E 56A6?5D @? H92E E96 962E 5@6D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|2?=6J E96? >256 9:D H2J @G6C E@ E96 C64C62E:@?2= G69:4=6 2?5 42>A6C 2C62[ H96C6 96 5:D4FDD65 =@8:DE:4D H:E9 76==@H 2>32DD25@C $E6G6 $E6C?36C8[ @7 r2C=:D=6[ !2] %96J H6?E @G6C CF=6D 7@C E96 “4=@D65 42>AFD” 2?5 4@?D:56C65 D9FEE=6 C@FE6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 C:56 >@E@C4J4=6D[ 3FE >2?J @7 FD 2=D@ #'[” |2?=6J D2:5]k^Am
kAm|2?=6J 92D 2EE6?565 `g E@ a_ @7 E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= C2==:6D — 23@FE 92=7 @7 E96> — 2?5 H92E 3C:?8D 9:> 2?5 >2?J @E96CD 324< J62C 27E6C J62C 2C6 E96 7C:6?5D9:AD E96J 92G6 3F:=E]k^Am
kAm“$@ >2?J 4@>6 E@ E9:D C2==J E@ >66E FA H:E9 @E96CD H9@ E96J D66 @?=J @?6 @C EH@ E:>6D 2 J62C[” 96 D2:5] “u@C 6I2>A=6[ @FC 8C@FA 4@G6CD 6:89E DE2E6D 2?5 r2?252] (6 @?=J 86E E@ D66 E96> @?6 @C EH@ E:>6D 2 J62C]”k^Am
kAm%92E DE2?46 H2D D92C65 3J s2CCJ= r2:?6J[ @7 u6?H:4<[ ~?E2C:@[ H9@ :D 2EE6?5:?8 9:D acE9 :?E6C?2E:@?2= C2==J[ 92G:?8 >:DD65 ;FDE EH@ D:?46 96 3642>6 2 q|( |~p >6>36C] w6 D2:5 9:D 72G@C:E6 E9:?8 23@FE >2<:?8 E96 ;@FC?6JD :D “>66E:?8 2== E96 H@?56C7F= A6@A=6 :? E96 DE2E6D 2?5 AC@G:?46D]”k^Am
kAmw6’D 925 9:D “2:C9625” W2:C\4@@=65 6?8:?6X 3:<6 7@C ae J62CD[ 2?5 :E 92D E2<6? 9:> @G6C d_f[___ >:=6D @7 C@25] r2:?6J D2:5 E96 724E 96 42? DE:== 86E A2CED 7@C :E D9@HD E92E q|( 92D =@J2=EJ E@ :ED >@E@C4J4=6 @H?6CD]k^Am
kAmy6CCJ $>:E9[ @7 #6:?364<[ x@H2[ :D 2EE6?5:?8 9:D D:IE9 :?E6C?2E:@?2= C2==J 2?5 96 DEC6DD65 E92E E96C6 ?6G6C 2C6 2?J AC@3=6>D @C =6H5 3692G:@C 2E E96 6G6?ED]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ :D E92?<7F= 96 92D ?6G6C 925 E@ FD6 E96 q|( “2?@?J>@FD 3@@<[” H9:49 =:DED @H?6CD 86@8C2A9:42==J @?=J 3J E96:C A9@?6 ?F>36C 2?5 D6CG:46D E96J 42? AC@G:56 E@ 2DD:DE EC2G6=6CD :? ?665]k^Am
kAm~E96C 2EEC24E:@?D E92E AF== q|( |~p >6>36CD E@ E96 C2==:6D 2C6 E96 =2C86 D6=64E:@? @7 2446DD@C:6D 2?5 4=@E9:?8 7C@> 23@FE `a_ G6?5@CD @? D:E6j D6>:?2CD @? E@A:4D DF49 2D D276EJ[ tFC@A62? EC2G6= 2?5 v!$ AC@8C2>>:?8j @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ =62C? 7C@> 46CE:7:65 :?DECF4E@CD 2?5 E96 6G6?E’D 4@==64E:@? @7 E@A\D96=7 6?E6CE2:?>6?E]k^Am
kAmqFE |2?=6J D2:5 42>2C256C:6 2?5 E96 C:56 6IA6C:6?46 AC@G:56 E96 8C62E6DE AF==]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 23@FE @=5 2?5 ?6H 7C:6?5D9:AD[” 96 D2:5] “!=FD[ E96 56DE:?2E:@? — 8@:?8 E@ E96 C2==J[ 92G:?8 2 8C62E C:56 86EE:?8 E96C6] ]]] $@>6 >6>36CD 2C6 @? E96 8C@F?5D 2== 7@FC 52JDj @E96CD 4@>6 E@ E96 C2==J @?6 52J[ E96? DA6?5 C6DE @7 E96 E:>6 C:5:?8 :? E96 2C62 H:E9 7C:6?5D]”k^Am
kAm|2?=J @776C65 9:89 AC2:D6 7@C $652=:2 C6D:56?ED 2?5 @77:4:2=D 7@C E96 H2J E96J 92G6 EC62E65 E96 q|( 8C@FA]k^Am
kAm“%9:D J62C[ E96 4@>>F?:EJ DFAA@CE 2?5 E96 724:=:EJ 2C6 3@E9 E@A C2E6[” 96 D2:5] “%96 72:C8C@F?5D DE277[ E96 492>36C 92G6 ;FDE 366? @FEDE2?5:?8] ~FC A6@A=6 766= H6=4@>6 96C6]”k^Am
