Bikers blaze new demographic trail to Spokane

Ray Zimmerman will put on his helmet and ride 2,200 miles to get to the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America rally in Spokane next week.

He and his wife, Lorra, are leaving St. Louis on Thursday, traveling “two-up” on Zimmerman’s 2002 touring bike. They’ll see friends in Minnesota, scenery and Lewis and Clark sites in Montana, and they’ll arrive just in time for the rally, which begins July 15 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.

Some 6,000 to 7,000 bikers are congregating here for the four-day event. Beer gardens and black leather aside, this is no hell-raising group.

“Our average education level is college plus,” said Zimmerman, president of the St. Louis-based BMW Motorcycle Owners of America. “Many of our members are in senior-level positions with their companies.”

The Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau courted the group for its spending power. Over the four days, group members are expected to drop an estimated $3 million into the local economy.

Demographically, BMW bikers make desirable tourists, said Nancy Goodspeed, CVB spokeswoman.

They’re primarily boomers, 45 years old or older. More than half have household incomes of $60,000-plus. Fifty-seven percent own more than one motorcycle. (And a new model BMW averages $15,000 or more.)

“I think they’re very conscious of their image,” Goodspeed said. “They’re looking for fine dining, and they’re going to shop big time while they’re here.”

Ninety percent of the attendees will come by motorcycle.

“You’ll see a lot of bikes coming and going, but you won’t seem them in big groups,” Zimmerman said. “Most BMW riders prefer to travel in twos or threes.”

To help lure the bikers downtown, the Downtown Spokane Partnership received permission for multiple motorcycles to park in each parking spot during the rally. Normally, the city rule is one vehicle per space, said Mary Ann Ulik, the organization’s parking and operations director.

Zimmerman also expects many of the bikers to fan out across the region for sightseeing while they’re here.

Love of the open road really unites the group, he said. The average member puts more than 5,000 miles on his or her bike each year, which is why group members are so loyal to BMWs, according to Zimmerman.

“You can ride them many trouble-free miles,” he said. “BMW started building motorcycles in 1923. A lot of folks don’t realize that they’ve been making them longer than cars.”

The rally has its own oil-changing station and bike wash. Most bikers will camp at the fairgrounds. “You’ll see tents everywhere there’s grass, and some on the sidewalks,” said Jackie Hughes, the local rally chair.

The four-day event will feature sessions on topics such as motorcycle safety, and biking through Turkey. It’s the fourth rally for Hughes, a mortgage processor who’s ridden BMWs for nine years.

In addition to U.S. members, the annual event attracts people from Canada, Mexico and Europe.

“We liken it to a family reunion,” she said. “It’s a gathering of enthusiasts who share the thrill of motorcycles. It’s a passion and a way of life for them.”