My name is Joel Rappoport and I ride a 1976 BMW R60/6 motorcycle.

I've been riding for 36 years and it's my preferred method of keeping sane (although some say it's apparently not working).  I've been riding the R60 for 33 years and 491,000 miles and it is my only cycle.

A few years back I discovered that there is whole community of riders who love to do long days in the saddle and most of them gather around the Iron Butt Association.

There is also a group of riders who enjoy riding Airheads which are 1923 to 1995 air cooled BMW-boxer motorcycles. 

Ever since I found the internet I constantly search for stories and information on both Airheads and Long Distance (LD) riding and enjoy reading everything I can find. 

So now it's my turn to try and entertain and inform. 

Central to this site is my passion for Long Distance riding, my Airhead and the Iron Butt Rally. The IBR is most commonly described as "11 Days, 11,000 miles", "the world's toughest motorcycle competition". Links to this ultimate motorcycle rally are scattered throughout this material.

Update: Just finished the 2009 Iron Butt Rally.  The short report is that I finished in 59th. place.  The R60 made it 10,400+ miles in the 11 days and then 2,650 miles back home from Spokane in two days so I could be at work on the day after labor day..  I had a blast and made it to the finish with a wide grin on my face which was my ultimate goal.  I rode farther and to harder and stranger places that I ever thought I could.  The R60 did a great job.  I had the weld break on my left foot peg and found a mobile welder at midnight in Independence Mississippi on a Friday.  Other than that the Airhead did everything that I needed her to do and with style.  We received a standing ovation at the finishers' banquet for finishing with over 523,000 miles on the 33 year old cycle.  I will put together a ride report in a few weeks and post it here.  

Thanks to all who sent good wishes for success.