About BMW MOA: A Motorcycle Community for Every Rider
Motorcycles may be what bring us together, but the people are what make the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America a community.
BMW MOA is one of North America's largest motorcycle enthusiast organizations, connecting approximately 25,000 riders through shared experiences, knowledge, events, travel, education and a lifelong passion for motorcycling.
BMW motorcycles are our heritage. Motorcycling is our common ground.
Rooted in BMW motorcycles. Open to every rider.
Our roots are firmly planted in the BMW motorcycle community, but you don't have to own a BMW to belong here.
BMW MOA welcomes riders of every motorcycle brand, every experience level and every riding style.
Whether you've ridden BMW motorcycles for decades, just purchased your first motorcycle, ride another marque entirely or are simply looking for a motorcycle community where you can learn and connect, you're welcome in the BMW MOA. The organization's bylaws open individual membership to anyone interested in furthering the purposes of BMW MOA, and its publications explicitly state that membership is open regardless of brand affiliation.
More Than 50 Years of Motorcycle Community
BMW MOA began with a simple idea: make it easier for BMW motorcycle riders to stay connected.
In 1972, five riders representing BMW motorcycle clubs from different parts of the country came together to create a national organization that could connect the growing community of BMW enthusiasts.
What began as five friends and fellow riders has grown into a motorcycle community spanning all 50 states, Canada's ten provinces and members around the world. BMW MOA today describes itself as a network of approximately 25,000 motorcycle enthusiasts with members on all seven continents.
The first BMW MOA National Rally followed in 1973 in Morgan Hill, California, drawing 425 riders. The National Rally became an enduring part of MOA culture, moving around the country and giving generations of riders a destination where motorcycles, travel and friendship intersect.
More than five decades later, the motorcycles have changed dramatically. The reason riders come together hasn't.
Built by Riders, for Riders
BMW MOA has always been shaped by the people who participate in it.
Members share technical knowledge, organize rides, volunteer at events, help stranded travelers, contribute stories, introduce new riders to the sport and keep decades of motorcycle history alive.
A member might help another rider diagnose a motorcycle problem through the BMW MOA Forums. Someone else might answer the phone when a traveling member needs help hundreds of miles from home. Another might lead a seminar, organize a rally, write a story for BMW Owners News or simply invite a new rider to join them for lunch.
Those individual connections are what turn a motorcycle association into a community.
Connecting Motorcycle Riders Across North America and Beyond
BMW MOA brings riders together through events, clubs, publications, technical knowledge and member-to-member support.
Events & Chartered Clubs
Meet riders face to face through the BMW MOA National Rally, regional events, riding events and Chartered Clubs.
Knowledge & Technical Resources
A new BMW owner can learn from riders who have maintained the same motorcycle for years, while new motorcyclists can discover training opportunities and decades of accumulated riding experience.
Travel & Shared Experience
A rider planning a cross-country motorcycle trip can tap decades of travel experience—or simply find another person who understands why taking the long way home is usually the better choice.
Riders Helping Riders
The BMW Owners Anonymous Book and Anonymous App embody that philosophy by connecting participating members who have volunteered to assist fellow riders.
Depending on what a member has offered, that assistance might include mechanical knowledge, tools, workspace, a truck or trailer, a place to camp—or simply local advice and conversation.
That philosophy reaches far beyond emergencies. It's visible whenever an experienced rider answers a beginner's question, someone shares a favorite route, members volunteer at an event or two people who arrived as strangers leave as riding friends.
Learn About the Anonymous Book →
Supporting the Future of Motorcycling
BMW MOA is committed to helping riders become safer, more knowledgeable and more confident.
That work is supported in part through the BMW MOA Foundation, which grew from discussions about expanding rider safety and education in the late 1990s. The Foundation received its tax-exempt status in 2000 and has since supported rider training and educational programs, including individual and group rider-training grants.
BMW MOA isn't simply preserving more than 50 years of motorcycle history. We want to help create the next 50.
Preserving the Stories of Motorcycling
Every motorcycle has a story. So does every rider.
For decades, BMW MOA has documented those stories through BMW Owners News, rallies, member contributions, photography, technical information and historical artifacts.
The BMW MOA Foundation has also been developing a Historical Archive dedicated to preserving the history of the organization, its members, Chartered Clubs, National Rallies, publications and the motorcycles that helped create the community.
The goal isn't simply to preserve motorcycles. It's to preserve the people and experiences behind them.
Our name reflects our heritage. Our community is bigger than one badge on the tank.
You don't need to own the newest BMW. You don't need to own a vintage BMW. You don't need to own a BMW at all.
Ride a Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Indian or something else? You're welcome. Haven't bought your first motorcycle yet? You're welcome too.
Your motorcycle brought you this far. See where the community can take you next.