BMW OWNERS NEWS December 2012 144

Horizons Unlimited
Northern California Meet 2012
Where Adventurous Minds Come Together
By Sandy Borden #188051
NEW ZEALAND, GREAT BRITAIN,
Canada, China, Peru, United States
where else can you go to find such two-
wheeled representation but at a Horizons
Unlimited gathering. With over a half
dozen Horizons Unlimited meetings
held worldwide each year, beautiful
Cambria in Northern California was the
site for this years United States West
Coast gathering for all those currently
riding their dream and planning for
future rides. Grant and Susan Johnson,
the creators of Horizons Unlimited, have
helped shape the adventure motorcycling
world by bringing together travel veter-
ans, dual-sport riders and those thinking
of two-wheeled travel. The camaraderie
and sense of family continue to make
Horizons Unlimited one of the most
beloved organizations in the industry.
Who knew Grant and Susans first date
in 1984 would lead to an around-the-
world trip in 1987 on their 1986 R80 GS
BMW? Like for many of us, the strains of
70-hour workweeks and the desire to seek
more out of life led to the open road. Selling
everything and quitting their jobs, Grant
and Susan headed to Panama.
Grant, a self-professed adrenaline
junky, and Susan, the quieter of
the two with a head for numbers,
worked as business and computer
consultants while on the road in
various countries, also creating
several products to help fund
their love for travel. Having
logged thousands of miles in
more than 50 countries, Grant
and Susan hatched their Hori-
zons Unlimited brainchild in
1998. The goal: to bring together
a global community of two-
wheeled travelers to share adven-
tures, advise others and learn
from one another.
The three-day event was filled with a
variety of classes and speakers ready to edu-
cate riders on all topics, from cooking to
maintenance and proper gear to border
crossings. Joanne Donn, founder of Gear-
Chic and specializing in womens riding
gear (http://www.gearchic.com), was on
hand to educate new and veteran riders on
the latest in protective and weatherproof
gear.
As always, Grant Johnsons How to Fix a
Flat proved to be one of the most popular
classes. When Grant asked the audience to
raise their hand if they had changed a tire
themselves, only a few raised their hands,
proving this workshop to be an invaluable
piece of roadside education for all.
Carla Kings self-publishing class was
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A very happy crowd of blokes hailing from Europe down to New Zealand.
Grant Johnson gives his tire changing seminar
December 2012 BMW OWNERS NEWS 145
also a well-attended event, providing infor-
mation for getting your travel stories out to
the masses. As an expert in self-publishing
and the constant changes occurring in the
world of Amazon and Kindle, Carla was at
the ready to answer any and all questions
from the audience.
Peter Dean, a sidecar-riding executive
chef, served up some easy yet tasty recipes
for the audience to sample. With just a few
basics that included salmon, rice and curry
spices, Peter created many simple dishes
that were easy to prepare while on the road.
One of the most popular among the
crowd was the Women Only two-hour
panel. The goal was to allow women, riders
and pillion alike, to ask questions and pose
scenarios they may otherwise find uncom-
fortable discussing in mixed situations. It
was a comfortable yet informative session
thats been known to produce some hysteri-
cal laughter as well as stares from the gen-
tlemen in the area.
Andrea Beach and Bonnie Warch of
Coach2Ride (http://www.coach2ride.com)
led guided off-road rides for those new to
the dirt or looking to gain more trail experi-
ence. Each rider received individual cri-
tique and pointers as well as group practice,
with each student coming back feeling
much more confident in their off-road
skills.
Nicole Espinosa (www.ruggedrider.com)
shared her tips for dehydrating your own
food as well as some simple-to-prepare rec-
ipes to satisfy all palettes.
Craig Vetter (www.craigvetter.com),
Master of Streamlining and Fuel Econ-
omy, was by far one of the biggest hits as he
pulled up in his Vetter Fairing. An instant
attention getter, Craig was more than happy
to discuss his ride and answer any questions
from the eager audience of gawkers.
Evening presentations from many sea-
soned riders kept the audience intrigued
with their personal tales and slide show pic-
torials. The long list of speakers included
Jeremy Kroeker (www.motorcycletherapy.
com), who shared his travels through Croa-
tia, Pakistan and Iran; Carla King (www.
carlaking.com), sharing her stories of solo
travel on a Russian Ural through the U.S. as
well as solo travels through China and
Albania; and Terry and Sandy Borden and
their 11-year-old son Jack of Adventure Trio
(http://www.adventuretrio.com), telling
their tales of family adventure travel on two
BMW GS motorcycles through North
America. Will English, a British chap five
months into a two-year ride, had the audi-
ence rolling as he regaled all with his tales
from the road. Most importantly, on hand
was Ted Simon, the patriarch of motorcycle
adventure travel (www.jupitalia.com). Ted
presented to a packed house on a foggy Sat-
urday evening, expanding on stories from
his new book Rolling Through the Isles, a
journey on two wheels through the back-
roads of the U.K. There was much to learn
from each presenters experiences, with all
vowing to hit the road again as soon as
possible.
Were out two months in total,
exclaimed Lillian Hobbs of Great Britain,
who is riding her BMW 1200GS across the
States with her friend and partner in crime
Wendy Peters. We shipped our bikes to
Boston, then spent the first month riding
across Route 66. Then, its Wendys signifi-
cant (60th) birthday. So, were going to Las
Vegas to celebrate her birthday where we
have some friends flying out from London
to meet us. Lillian and Wendy were quite
fun to chat with and hear of their future rid-
ing plans.
Another curious attendee was new BMW
G650 rider, Dan Ford. With his bike in the
back of the truck, Dan explained that he
was not yet comfortable riding more than
50 miles a day. He was at the event to learn
more dirt skills and gain more confidence
on two wheels just in general. When asked
what spurred him into riding, he had quite
the story. A few years ago I spent a month
volunteering at a non-profit in Uganda,
said Dan. In the cities and villages there
were small 125cc Chinese-made motorcy-
cles that they called boda-bodas. One
weekend some friends that I was working
with decided to rent dirt bikes and ride out
of the city and into the wilds of northern
Uganda. I rented an older Honda 250 for
$15 for the day. Riding down these red dirt
roads with nothing around was one of the
most amazing experiences. Talk about the
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Well Stickered, well travelled BMW 1200GS
Jack and Ted The patriarch of adventure riding
influencing the next generation.
BMW OWNERS NEWS December 2012 146
perfect foray into dual sporting! Dan was
one of the participants in the Coach2Ride
class, coming back with a new sense of con-
fidence and promises to ride his bike a little
farther each day.
A handful of ven-
dors were in atten-
dance, but not just
to sell their wares.
Just ask Harold
Cecil, owner of
Giant Loop (http://
www. gi ant l oop-
moto.com), out of
Bend, Ore. Harold
comes not only as a
vendor but also as
an avid adventure
rider. His BMW
F800GS is fully
decked out in the latest Giant Loop soft
bags. We started the company in 2008. A
friend had spent about a decade figuring
out how to better carry camping gear on a
dirt bike, explained Harold. After the
recession, I invested some money of my
own to have a few bags sewn. With the
power of the Internet and ADVRider, we
sold the first bag within two hours of put-
ting up the website. San Jose BMW was
happy to fit any rider with the latest in
Schuberth Helmets as well as answer any of
your BMW questions. KLIM was also a
popular gear stop, with jackets and gloves
ready to be tested.
When asked if hed like to expand the size
of the event, Grant Johnson did not hesitate
with an answer. No, replied Grant. Susan
and I cap it off at 250 for a reason. If it gets
too big, you dont get the chance to talk to
everyone and share experiences. It loses its
intimacy. Good for you, Grant and Susan.
This is one of the reasons why Horizons
Unlimited continues in popularity. With
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December 2012 BMW OWNERS NEWS 147
meetings already in over eight countries,
they are continuing to expand to meet the
demand. So, wherever you find yourself in
the coming months and years, look up
Horizons Unlimited. Theres a good chance
you may find yourself among friends ready
to share their adventures and as well sit
back and enjoy listening to yours.
You can check out Horizons Unlimited at
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com. For a
full list of events for 20122013, go to http://
www.horizonsunlimited.com/events. The
next Horizons Unlimited meeting will take
place in Argentina from 79 December.
Grant is in the final stages of planning a
Brazil meeting, so make sure and check the
website for further information. Take
advantage of pre-registration, as space is
limited at each event.
Carla King, Terry Borden and the author
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Gateway BMW/Husqvarna
2690 Masterson Avenue St. Louis, MO 63114
314-427-9090 gatewaybmw.com
Join us (and RudoIph) for our Open House
December 15, 2012

Beth Andersons custom made mountain bike
rack for her 650 GS won for Best Accessory. Go
figure!