BMW Riders of Oregon set-up shop at the Grant County Fairgrounds for the three-day rally

JOHN DAY — Right around 270 BMW motorcycle enthusiasts made the Grant County Fairgrounds their temporary home for the 45th iteration of the Chief Joseph Days Rally from Thursday to Sunday, June 20-22.

The Grant County Fairgrounds have been the home of the Chief Joseph Days Rally for 26 of the rally’s 45 years. Rally co-chair, David Chmielowic, said Grant County possesses attributes that continue to make it an attractive location for the rally.

“It’s a lovely spot,” he said. “The roads are great, the people are great, the facilities are great.”

According to Chmielowic, Grant County’s scenery makes for a great selection of road routes and adventure routes, which take rally goers along paved and unpaved roads. The adventure rides provide a way to see parts of Grant County’s scenery that would not be accessible on a bike that can only traverse paved roads.

Riders from all over the Western United States, and as far away as Illinois and Canada made the trip to John Day for the rally.

Tents and motorcycles again filled the grassy area near Trowbridge Pavilion for the three-day event. The Dunlop Tires vendor remained from last year’s rally while the newly added swap meet proved to be a hit with this year’s rally goers.

“You would not believe how much stuff has been sold there,” Chmielowic said. “We set it up Thursday afternoon and that was the busiest spot in the pavilion.”

The rally held its usual slate of guided rides, group rides and seminars all designed to increase the skill and competence of riders.
Meals for the event were catered by the Juniper Cookhouse and 1188 Brewing manned a beer and wine cart on Friday and Saturday.

The addition of an ice cream social on Friday and Saturday was a new addition to the rally’s agenda. BMW Riders of Oregon officers, with the help of scouts from John Day Troop 800 served ice cream to rally goers on both days.

Chmielowic said the collaboration with the scouts was inspired by community engagement at a separate rally he’d attended and serves as a way to get the community involved with the rally. “(It’s) the whole idea of having the community involved with what we do here and sharing with the community,” he said.

Chiemelowic has ridden many of the motorcycle routes in Grant County. As he rides them, he hi lights them on his “Come Ride With Us” motorcycle map.

The desire to hit every road and adventure route on the map will likely keep Chiemelowic and the BMW Riders of Oregon coming back to Grant County for years to come. “There’s a lot of routes yet to color in,” he said. “Keeps us coming back.”

Next up for the BMW Riders of Oregon is an Idaho BMW Riders event called The Stomp that will see the riders make their way to Cascade from June 25-29.

Those interested in joining the BMW Riders of Oregon can head to www.BMWRO.org for information and to fill out a membership form.