Gunnison Country Times article on the UnRally

[Cary]

BMW bike Un-rally slips quietly into Gunnison

 

Pat Daniel

 

Under cover of quiet engines and skilled riding, 179 members of the BMWRT On-Line, On-Road Community held its first annual national Un-Rally in Gunnison on Monday and Tuesday.

 

For some, it was the first time to meet and greet Internet friends with whom they had been "chatting" for several years. Others had met at regional rallies or local "tech days," opportunities for owners to learn more about the mechanics of the motorcycles. This was the first attempt to get them all together in one spot.

 

Most of the riders hailed from California, with others from Texas, Illinois, Washington and all points in between. Toronto and British Columbia were represented as well as the "Three Amigos" from Massachusetts.

 

For the uninitiated, BMW motorcycles are coveted for their aerodynamic design, ultra-quiet engine and quality workmanship, among other attributes. Gunnison area residents would notice the difference between the BMW and, say, a Harley. The R1100RT model is legendary among long-distance sport-touring bikes. And it can climb mountains - if the road is paved.

 

The website, BMWRT.com, was the creation of S. Cary Littell, Jr., of San Rafael, California. In late 1996, Littell was experimenting with web programming and decided to expand his personal home page to share his life-long passion for riding motorcycles. Littell credits the website and the BMW community that responded to it with making such a positive impact on his life that he changed careers and purchased a motorcycle dealership, Marin BMW Motorcycles in San Rafael. The feeling is apparently mutual, since many notes on the website¹s BBS, or Bulletin Board Service, are signed CLAS, Cary Littell Appreciation Society.

 

Why meet in Gunnison? Gunnison is more or less centrally located, for one thing. Then there is the little matter of Littell¹s being a Western State College graduate, class of 1988. He was involved in the greater Gunnison Valley community, serving on the Search and Rescue Team, the ambulance crew and as a WSC host on the slopes of Mt. Crested Butte. He stays in contact with former chair of the business department, Phil Klingsmith. He really likes it here.

 

The Western connection continues to be alive and well.

 

Headquartered at the KOA Campground, the group took pains to plan and coordinate with the city, the county and the Chamber of Commerce. They didn¹t realize the Hell¹s Angels were meeting here the same week and wanted to make sure locals knew the difference.

 

"As you may already be aware, they are different from us and we from them," stated a letter from webmaster David Baker, from Nashville.

 

They invited city and county officials, law enforcement officers and the press to the opening festivities early on Monday morning to make sure their point was well-made.

 

"We¹re a lot of computer geeks," Littell admitted.

 

"And people who really care about the stock market."

 

City Manager Mark Collins warmly welcomed the group and told them, "You¹ve chosen a great spot for your rides." Police Chief Jim Keehne said he was receiving "a much better reception than I got yesterday with another group of riders," referring to a group of approximately 35 Hell¹s Angels who arrived on Sunday afternoon.

 

Beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem and an invocation, the gathering took on the appearance and feel of a family reunion, albeit a virtual family. There was a short seminar on group riding safety and warnings against riding alone. "What if you break down and no one knows where you are?"

 

A rider recovering from a crash thanked his "extended family" for the offers of assistance and goodwill cyber messages.

 

Littell told the group about the relationships that have been fostered by the website¹s BBS.

 

"People have met friends, lovers," he said.

 

"Someone even hooked up with a long-lost cousin in Toronto!"

 

Basking in the atmosphere, and before most riders mounted up for a day of sightseeing, a member gushed over the microphone, "Can¹t you just feeeeel the love out there?"

 

 

[WURTY]

All of this fun because of one man's vision.

Thank you Cary Littell...

Thank you Gunnison Colorado.

[TX Silver]

Darn, beat me to the post.

 

For anyone that's interested, the link is Gunnison Times.

[Kathy R]

Wow, they wasted NO time putting this article out. I'd say that all of the advance work of our fellow BBS'ers, along with the loving behaviour of the "gathering", must have had the press ready to roll.

 

I'm glad we could keep Wurty under control.

 

 

[DavidEBSmith]

And timing is everything. As we were driving up Main Street Wednesday morning I saw a motorcyclist from the "other group" pulled over at a traffic stop by 2 sheriff's cars with lights flashing and about 5 deputies scattered up and down the street. And they didn't look they they were feeling the love...

[algover]

Great story!

[Brian Mc]

There's no substitute for good PR. Thanks for sharing the article.

 

I think that one of the best moments from the whole rally was passing the hat for the family stuck at the KOA after striking a deer with their van --- Thanks, FB, great idea.

 

We had the opportunity to chat with locals and believee me, they DO know the difference between us and "them". As we were outside a breakfast place on 50 in town, an "angel" came roaring by about 30 over the limit, and the local we were talking to said, "See?...No respect for the residents."

 

Gunnie was a blast - Can't wait to do it again.