47th Annual BMWOCSD Wildcat Canyon Ride

The 47th Annual Wildcat Canyon Ride will be on Saturday, April 19, 2025 leaving from Elijah’s parking lot on Claremont Mesa around 9:00 AM and finishing at Fat Ivor’s in Valley Center for ribs.
Long before there was a Barona Casino, John Hermann, a founding member of the BMW Owners Club of San Diego was riding with some friends through the reservation when drunken local in a beat up Datsun pickup charged into the group head on. John was knocked down and his R90S was damaged. The drunken local then used a pipe or some say, a length of 2 by 4 lumber, to beat John about the head and shoulders.
Thankfully, John, even then, was a rider who wore a helmet and riding jacket, and was spared serious harm. Soon his friends showed up and outnumbered, the attacker took off. They tried to report the incident to the local sheriff’s officer who said “not our jurisdiction, tell it to the CHP.” At the CHP office, “fill out these forms” was the only bureaucratic response.
And that was that…Until John happened to mention the drama to a friend who was the editor of a local news magazine who deemed the incident worth reporting. A few days later, the magazine published a front page story with the headline “Attacks on Travelers.” and the next day, a CHP officer was waiting in John’s work office to take a detailed report. They arrested the miscreant and the last time that John saw him at a court hearing, he was muttering in a low and threatening voice: “I’ll get you for this…I’ll get you for this…I’ll get you for this.”
Needless to say from that point on, John was apprehensive about riding through the reservation. But friends from the BMW club asked John to come along on their next ride through Wildcat Canyon with a promise of “we’ll escort and protect you.” Thus was born the First Annual Wildcat Canyon ride back in April, 1978.
John, after riding over a Million Miles on BMWs was honored by becoming of “Friend of the Marque” and was known as The King of the Alps. Sadly, John is no longer with us but we still honor his spirit with a commemorative ride through Wildcat Canyon.
Arrive Saturday, April 19 at
Elijah’s, 7061 Claremont Mesa Blvd
with a full tank of gas
before 9:00 AM
well before 9 for socializing, breakfast, pre-ride briefing
Depart 9:15 for Wildcat Canyon

52 East
67 North
Wildcat Canyon
San Vincente east
through the Estates to Vista Ramon
Old Julian
78 to Dudley’s or the Chairs
79 North
Mesa Grande
East Grade
Mother’s pit stop
South Grade
76 West
Cole Grade
Miller Rd. to Valley Center west
to Fat Ivor’s 27961 Valley Enter Rd.

There will be a number of groups that will be staggered, usually faster riders leave earlier. If you don’t like the pace of the group you leave with, either catch a group in front of of you or just lag behind and join a more moderately paced group. ALL BIKES WELCOME !!