I read a post recently about riders in the PNW. Informally there used to be the "Northwest Sidecar Pilots" but it has not been active. I think it's time to get something going again and I am thinking of just a meet and greet event where we can get together for coffee, breakfast, lunch or etc.
I'd be happy to organize the first one but would like to hear from other interested riders in the area so as to figure out a convenient place.
Maybe we could do this quarterly?
Mark Nelson #6473 (barbormark1@hughes.net
My wife and I ran the NW sidecar pilot's for about 9 years. The "club" had one event a year a campout at the KOA in Yakima over Memorial Day weekend. A few things happened. We turned it over to another couple who now live out of state but mainly the KOA was shut down through imminent domain in order to change the course of the river back where it was historically. As far as I know this never happened. So, the event was moved just out of town to a campground ran by an Indian tribe where alcohol was not allowed and about the same time someone else decided that they needed to host an event one week later at lake Chelan which competed with the NW sidecar piolets event. As such the "club" more or less died out after more than 30 years. For the 25th year event we had over 200 sidecars in attendance.
It is our plan once Covid is done (2023?) to host an event at our location, it will be an open house with free "dry" camping and free food and perhaps live music from a band my wife sings with doing guitar driven dance music. Would love to see an active club in the area again. It would also be nice to see someone locally host the national rally, my wife and I hosted it many years back.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
Jay, with all the sidecar owners in the NW it has been quiet region, and the covid blues did not help. The last national USCA rally up there was in 2019. Since we rotate the USCA Rally among the seven regions, it won't be back to the NW until 2026. However we encourage and will help promote any sidecar gathering in any region of North America.
Let us know when your open house will be and we'll help promote it.
Jan "CCjon" Daub
USCA President
Jay, I'd be happy to help organize something. I'm surprised we haven't heard more from other local sidecarists.
Mark Nelson # 6473
I live in Salem, OR. It would be nice to meet for coffee or a meal with others.
gary-shearer@comcast.net
In an effort to keep this subject alive, and further the idea of having a PNW meet & greet....
There is actually a large contingent of sidecar owners in the Great Pacific Northwest, and we did have a gathering in Port Townsend back in 2019 also, aside from the USCA National Rally in northern Idaho in 2019. The gathering at a private residence in Port Townsend was attended primarily by members of the ADVRider forums, and while small in attendance, it was a great gathering.
I would strongly encourage that any such gatherings be at a location that is both neutral, and welcoming to all sidecar owners...and not at a location that is hosted by a sidecar manufacturer, wherein it can easily be construed that the event is a promotion for that sidecar manufacturer, especially and specifically when same said sidecar manufacturer has such a questionable reputation, as it is.
Any gathering should be about camaraderie, furthering the community of sidecar owners.
I would be fun to have a meet and greet. As I move into having more free time I might even be able to attend from the great white north.
Brian, at the time of year that you could attend a gathering in the Great Pacific Northwest.... you would be coming from the Great GREEN North.....not the Great White North.
Quote from jaydmc on January 24, 2022, 10:20 amabout the same time someone else decided that they needed to host an event one week later at lake Chelan which competed with the NW sidecar piolets event.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
Jay, the Chelan rally was not planned to "compete" with your rally, our thought at the time was it should enhance both rallies. Anyone travelling from a long distance could easily attend both. It's all water under the bridge now. But, the city of Chelan and the park had restricted the times available to either just prior to Memorial week end or just after Labor Day week end. We chose the former based on that. I doubt you've had any contact with d'Lynn. He put the Chelan rally on for a few more years but didn't care to make it an official USCA event. I've since lost contact with him as well. The photo is d'Lynn and Billie at the first CSR.
The USCA is about promoting and supporting the sidecar community, rallies, etc.. In the larger world of motorcycling, we sidecarists are too small in number to be bickering or divided.
Not everyone has the time and funds to travel across the country to attend a national rally. We will help promote any state or regional sidecar gathering, anywhere, anytime. Just let us know when it is, where it is and who the contact person is.
Jan "CCjon" Daub
Went for a short ride last weekend with my better half. We only drove around for a couple of hours. We are waiting for the weather to warm up so the pup does not freeze. Planning on making some longer rides when it does. Hoping to ride out to Palouse Falls in Washington once it does.
You know there is some gravel road going in to the Palouse Falls. Well worth the trip and your bike will sure feel right at home on the gravel road... lol....
That is one of my day trips I have planned for this summer.
Add Steptoe Butte to the list as well... My thoughts.
Back in '05 or '06 we had the national rally at Stevenson, WA along the Columbia River. This could be a central place to meet up for a one day ride, good for Washington and Oregon riders and any others who might wish to come.
How about it?
