After the announcement came out in the BMW Owners News that the MOA mileage challenge was going to be named the Ken “Mac” McHugh MOA Mileage Challenge named in his honor, I thought it was appropriate to say more about Mac for those who didn’t know him.
I first met Mac at the Trail of Tears Rally in Missouri in the mid-1980s. He was a flurry of activity taking photos of rally goers and talking to seemingly everyone. After moving back to Wisconsin from Arkansas, I joined the Badgers in 1993 and saw Mac on a regular basis.
Mac was one of the founding members of the Badger Motorcyclists of Wisconsin Club #64. He was also a member of the Port Washington and Dinky Dozen Clubs. Through the years he was an avid rider and annually racked up thousands of miles in the Annual Mileage Contest trying to ride more miles than any other member, which he did at least once. Mac acquired those miles mainly by attending Rallies. He also traveled extensively through the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Mexico and many of the Canadian provinces. Acquiring those miles, Mac rode several BMW motorcycles, mainly Airheads and an F 800 GT. Many of those bikes sported Hannigan fairings, which he preferred. All those miles ridden couldn’t have been accomplished without having well maintained bikes. Mac carefully maintained his bikes, something valued and was very good at. He was also eager to pass his knowledge on to other riders who were willing to learn.
Mac was an MOA Ambassador and shared his enthusiasm for riding far and wide through the many rallies he attended. While doing this, he captured photos of other riders as the designated MOA Photographer for at least a decade. Many of his photos graced the pages of years of issues of the BMW Owners News. In doing this Mac was not alone. Mac was accompanied by his riding partner and partner in life, Arlene Neumann. Arlene started out as a passenger, but soon took an MSF beginner riding class and became an accomplished rider in her own right, racking up thousands of miles along with Mac.
Mac and Arlene were fixtures at the many MOA Rallies they attended and made countless BMW friends along the way. Arlene supported Mac’s high mileage quest throughout his riding career. Mac’s one million miles on BMW motorcycles was celebrated on October 27, 2009.
On May 9, 2026, one year after Mac’s passing, the Badgers met at St. Denis Cemetery in Shiocton, Wisconsin, along with members of the Green Bay, Port Washington and Madison Clubs to say a final goodbye to Mac. Members of Arlene’s family were also in attendance. A tradition of the Badgers is to place a marker at the gravesite honoring the member’s passing and then retrieving the marker one year later. The ceremony ended with a bagpipe solo by Bob Lannin of the Wisconsin Club; he played the Coast Guard hymn, as Mac was a veteran of that branch.
