Celebrating the pioneering motorcycle
travel adventurers Eric & Gail Haws
Talk to enough motorcycle world travelers who were active in the 1990s and 2000s and, eventually, you will meet people who knew Eric and Gail Haws, motorcycle travelers who were out touring the world long before it became a fashion and who hosted at least a few hundred motorcycle travelers at their home in Oregon over the years.
Eric and Gail traveled two up through countries on every
continent, including across Russia in 1992 on their BMW, landing
them in the Russian Guinness Book of World Records as the first
people to cross the vast expanse of the country by motorcycle
(they started July 3 from Magadan in Siberia and ended their
7,998-mile trip Aug. 22 in Helsinki. The record-setting portion of
the trip was the 6,998 miles from Magadan to Moscow). The journey
got them a bit of media coverage, including an article in the Seattle
Times October 12 that same year (I can't reproduce it here,
for copyright reasons, but you should be able to find it with a
Google search). This was at a time long before long distance
motorcycle travel was something that landed you a TV show or
thousands of followers on YouTube.
Their web site where they chronicled their travel and advice was
called Tynda, named after a beloved dog, and it was one of
the first, if not the first, to promote international motorcycle
travel and to offer resources for other riders. They advertised on
business cards they handed out on the road. I've got how to access
the archived site at the end of this article.
Eric and
Gail met their fair share of fellow motorcycle travelers over the
years, and some of those riders eventually got themselves to the
couple's hard-to-find homestead near Westfir, Oregon, East of
Eugene, to stay a night or two on the way from Canada to Mexico,
or vice versa, or midway through a grand tour of the USA. And all
who they met had a standing invitation to the Haws' annual event,
originally called the Tynda Rally, then changed to Burning
Moto Man. It was a small, low-key gathering in May or June,
more camping soirée than rally... except for the burning of the
motorcyclist effigy atop the massive bonfire, which was quite a
thing to see.
For an article I wrote years ago, I asked Eric how he got the
idea for Burning Moto Man. He replied,
In about the time of Caesar, the Kelts build large wooden structures and burnt such, along with prisoners of war and criminals. Then here in the USA, there is Burning Man.
In fact, Eric started his rally as a way to give back to the adventure motorcycle riding community that has helped him out on the road on so many occasions.
"When you travel outside North American, many people end up
helping you," said Eric. "How can you repay? You can help other
travelers." And Haws helped those other motorcycle travelers by
inviting them his home any time they might be in the area. Even
when he wasn't there, the caretaker on site knew to welcome any
motorcyclist who might show up. The Haws homestead was a former
plant nursery and had a free-standing large bathroom in the middle
of the property with all the amenities any motorcyclist would
need, including wonderfully hot water in the shower.
The name of his annual event is an obvious riff on Burning Moto Man, but his event was far different: this was for motorcyclists who traveled abroad, or wanted to, or just wanted to hear from such, at a time when there weren’t many such gatherings in the USA. There was a potluck dinner the first night, presentations by motorcycle travelers, a night out at a local pub and a group ride through the oh-so-gorgeous surrounding national forests. It was simple, welcoming, and not a place to strut and brag - it was a place to share and learn and inspire and support each other.
I don’t know when the
rally began. I know there was one in 2007, per this
post to ADVRider, and there was one in 2009, featuring Joao
de Lima from Brazil and Doris Maron from Canada as presenters. My
husband, coyotetrips, also
known as Stefan, also known as my husband, and I first went in
2010, less than a year after we had moved to Oregon. We also went
to the 2011 event and also visited the Haws a couple more times
just on our own, since we lived just 150 miles away.
Eric told me that the first Burning Motor Man began when a motorcyclist friend from Ecuador told Eric he was coming to North America. Eric thought he might like to meet local riders. And so was born an annual event, a small gathering of riders, wannabes and local friends of the Haws' who want to see what international motorcyclists might look like, all camping together at the Haws' estate on the Middle Fork of the Willamette River, outside of Oakridge.
Each year, Burning Moto Man had around 25 to 40 attendees in a year. There are no posters, no flyers, no venders and no sponsorships - just friend-to-friend marketing, in-person or on online fora like ADVRider or Horizons Unlimited. And that's how the Haws liked it.
Stefan met Gail and Eric at a small town near the Meteora
Monasteries in Greece in May 2006; Stefan was on a tour by
himself, while I was back at our home in Germany (couldn't get
away for that one).
"It was my last year riding my 1993 Honda Dominator. I was sitting on the patio of a tavern to have lunch, trying to figure out how to order. This couple pulled up on their bike and took the table next to me. I could see their license plate and I saw that they were from the USA. I was on my own and there weren't many people, and we started talking. Then we decided to drive around the monasteries together."
Stefan was charmed from the start. "I rarely travel with other bikers, but they were a lot of fun. I found them a bit eccentric, especially with their very interesting communication system - a series of hoses they have attached to their helmets. They talk through the tubes while they ride. I guess that's better than a sophisticated electrical system that always breaks down."
Four years later, after moving to the USA and him switching to a 2000 Honda Africa Twin, Stefan was at the 2010 Burning Moto Man, presenting with me about our 2008 tour of Eastern Europe.
In that earlier interview
with Eric, he said "We decide on speakers based on who will be
traveling through the area at the time of the rally in May or
June." He said he would email the dates and speaker list to past
event attendees and anyone who has stopped by their home over the
years, and recipients would share it with their own networks - or
not.
The Haws' were never quite sure who would be there until the day of the event, which would begin on a Friday, with motorcyclists arriving and choosing between two entrances: a steep, dirt path underneath a massive fallen tree (be sure to duck), or the somewhat easier gravel and dirt path nearer the house and garage.
And oh what a garage: room for three cars, though there were no
cars. There were, however, plenty of chairs, a projector and a
screen for the weekend's presentations from people who have
traveled by motorcycle in countries other than the USA, and a
shelf of camping and motorcycle equipment left by various
travelers over the years (take what you need! Tents, tent poles,
sleeping bags, tarps, motorcycle gloves, and more!).
Presentations were casual and fun. Some attendees were looking
for advice for their own trips and some people just wanted to hear
about other people's adventures. Remember, this was before YouTube
took off as a place for motorcycle travelers to share their
stories, so this was how you heard about them: live and in-person,
with a motorcycle ride altogether afterwards.
The numbers of presenters at Burning Moto Man varied - there may
be one, there may be half a dozen. Presentations were also short,
fun and interesting (that's how I felt about the ones I attended -
I certainly hope ours was).
The only guarantee on attendance would be Eric and Gail and the
Haws' dogs, then Bundle and Angel (Tynda had long past
away), who would be ever-present during the events, trying to
convince attendees that they have not eaten in days.
The potluck always surprised me: most people were coming on
motorcycles and yet, between our camp stoves and Gail's kitchen,
we all managed to put on quite a hearty, delicious group feast.
The
bonfire pile for the event was under way year round. In fact,
there were always two under way: one to burn at the upcoming
Burning Moto Man event, and one started for the event a year after
that. The burning of an effigy atop the bonfire happened on the
first night: it was a figure of a person, made of paper and
discarded clothes, riding a junk motorcycle frame – the same frame
was burned every year.
"I wait all year for this!" the Haws' caretaker shouted gleefully at the 2010 event as he lit the bonfire (I’m so sorry I don’t have his name). That year, the Burning Moto Man effigy featured a helmet made from a pumpkin shell. When fireworks went off as the fire burned, startling the small crowd, the caretaker shouted, "You didn't know I stuck more fireworks in last night, did you?!" Eric and Gail, as always, were unfazed.
In fact, the bonfire was probably never the main draw for most motorcyclists. Instead, it was the presenters, conversations, and riding in the amazing vistas of Central Oregon, through various parts of the surrounding Willamette, Deschutes and/or Umpqua National Forests, and, if it was still not snowed in during the June rally, all the way down to Crater Lake, which is less than 100 miles away from Eric and Gail's home.
Past speakers at Burning Man have included Canadian Ted Bishop, who road a Ducati Monster from Edmonton, Canada to Austin, Texas and back, and wrote about it in his book, Riding with Rilke. In 2010, the keynote speaker was round-the-world traveler Michael Cardwell, a BMW rider dubbed "Phone Box Mike" by Eric because Mike was able to ride to a phone box and call for help for the Haws when they were stranded during a motorcycle tour of Australia.
Cardwell said at the time, "What I like most about the Burning Man Moto Rally is that it really speaks to riders that do more than take their motorcycles out for a weekend ride. You make contacts and get experience, tips and information that you don't get from the average rider. We are a small-but growing-niche and it is good to meet and share experiences."
"Year after year after year I was unavailable to attend their rally and without fail I have always been offered an invitation - not only to their rally but to their home even if they were out of the area traveling themselves they have always been so generous to offer a place to stay and facilities to use," Cardwell added. "I don't make it to many rallies - I am not good at planning my travel around them. I'd rather just look at the map in the morning and decide where I want to go and not lock myself into being at a certain place at a certain time. However, with that said, I am going to make it a point to go to a future Burning Moto Man Rally - on time - so I can experience the entire event.
Motorcycle traveler Antonis Vassiliou wrote
for bikertimes.com in 2018, in Greek, a story that says a
lot about Eric’s character and it's a good reminder for all
motorcyclists: (translated by Google translate):
I remember at some gathering, a young rider, getting on his motorcycle, threw it down. Some of the bystanders instead of helping, preferred to laugh. Falling off your bike is something that can happen to anyone. I remembered an incident with Eric Haws, a motorcyclist who had traveled everywhere. I had met him when I was traveling in the US and we had gone to a store in the city of Eugene. When we got out going to the bike, I hear a noise behind me, I turn around and see Eric under the bike. I run to help him and he laughingly shouts to me ‘take a picture, take a picture.’ A carelessness, an accident can happen to everyone, even to the best.
Motorcyclist Dave Guezuraga stopped at the Haws' at our recommendation at a 2010 Horizons Unlimited Rally, while he was considering whether to head to Asia or Australia - or whether he had already traveled enough, having just toured Central and South America.
"I heard from several people at that Horizons Unlimited meeting that I needed to stop by and meet Gail and Eric, that even though I never met them that they would be hospitable to me as a fellow motorcycle traveler and host me at their house," Dave said. "And that's exactly what happened! We spent hours talking about the places we've been. After meeting them, all my hesitations I had about making the decision of to travel around the world on my bike were eliminated. They are an inspirational couple who demonstrated that it is possible to balance a successful career back home with the ability to travel to far away places and experience cultures that most people only dream about. I spent a few days at their house making arrangements to ship my bike from Seattle to Thailand."
"Plus, they have the best shower in the Northwest," he added.
While on the road in Asia, Dave met James and Emily Littlewood of the United Kingdom, who were 400 days into their round-the-world trip. Later, when James and Emily came to the USA, they ended up at Gail and Eric's, per Dave's recommendation when he met them in Asia.
"Dave and others positively insisted that we get in touch with Gail and Eric so we could stay with them," said Emily months later. "It felt a bit bizarre to contact complete strangers and ask them if they'd put us up for the night. For us it was partly a case of having somewhere to stay for the night, partly that it would give us a chance to meet and chat with local people in their home environment, but mostly, out of sheer curiosity. I mean, people were really insistent!"
"I think they're incredible! They are the very definition of how travel can and should affect you and your outlook on life and your attitude to those around you. They have, on their travels around the world, experienced and been humbled by the warmth and generosity of complete strangers, many of whom have very little, and knowing that they will never be able to repay those people, have elected to simply pass on that goodwill to others in the hope they will do likewise. They are, in short, legends."
A one day visit turned into two for the couple. "Actually, they spent the rest of time up until our sad departure trying to persuade us to stay for an extra two weeks so we could attend their annual bike fest! It was very tempting and had we not been on such a time schedule I've no doubt that we'd have done just that - in fact, we'd probably still be there now!"
After that, James and Emily came to visit ME, since I live about 150 miles away from Westfir - also at Dave's recommendation.
Just how small was the adventure motorcycle world way back when? When asked if Gail had ever heard of Bernd Tesch, who puts together his own bare-bones, but far larger, motorcycle rally in Germany or Belgium each year, Gail responded, "Oh, he's one of my favorite people!" While Bernd drives around tossing donated bread at attendees of his European rally on the last morning, Haws employs what he calls the Sunday's Special "moto pancakes device" for breakfast the last day – ready made pancake batter out of a spray bottle.
Eric's passion
for international motorcycle travelers, and his unique way of
expressing himself, were part of his charm. Like the text on his
Tynda web site, always in all caps:
IT TAKES REAL COURAGE TO STRIKE OUT ON ONES' OWN NOT KNOWING WHERE ONE WILL SLEEP, EAT, OR IF ONE WILL BE ROBBED. ONLY A FEW INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE AGGRESSIVENESS TO TRAVEL ON THEIR OWN... THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT SITTING HOME ON THE COUCH. THEY ARE ON THE ROAD.
Eric passed away on May 4, 2013 due to cancer. Gail said he
fought it hard for 9 months. I will always deeply regret that, in
that nine months, we didn’t see them: we kept putting off a visit
because we had just bought a house on the other side of the
Portland Metro area from where we had been living. The last time
we saw them was when they stopped by our house, on their way home
from somewhere. I don't think they understood how much I thought
of them as absolute rock stars and what a thrill it was to host
them in my own home even for just a couple of hours.
Eric was so supportive when I started riding my own bike - I
appreciated that support so much, because being around so many
experienced world motorcycle travelers can be intimidating. Before
we moved to Oregon, I got severely dressed down by a family member
for making travel a priority in my life instead of whatever else
it was I was supposed to be making a priority. Less than a year
later, I met Eric and Gail, and when I saw photos and heard the
stories of the many adventures they had had, the beautiful places
they've seen, the incredible people they'd met, and saw the lovely
life they had, and thought, I think my priorities are just fine. And I still
do.
I'm so sorry I don't have any more photos of Gail, other than the
one at the top of this page, where you can barely see her. And I'm
sorry that I've lost touch with her - my last email to her was
returned.
I do
have this photo at right. This is Stefan and me at Eric and
Gail's, next to a pole Eric put up and, if you visited, he had
wooden slats that you wrote your name on, and what country you
were from, and then it was put up on the pole. This is not at all
everyone who stayed at their place in Westfir, however - there
were so many, many more. Our names are on the the bottom slat.
It’s also worth noting that Eric was a retired attorney who had specialized in bankruptcy law during a time when many Oregon residents, particularly farmers, were losing everything, according to his daughter, Maria, in an article I found online. She said he was a strong advocate for the socially and economically disadvantaged, and that Eric and Gail also became involved in independent conservation efforts: they were the first private land owners in the Northwest to build ponds on their property to help restore the habitat of the Oregon Chub, a highly endangered fish species. Their homestead was right next to the Middle Fork of the Willamette River - so close that it sometimes flooded most of their land.
There are a few newspaper articles here and there about Eric and Gail, particularly their pioneering trip across Russia in the 1990s. Go to the search engine of your choice and look for
Eric Haws motorcycle Russia
or
Eric and Gail Haws motorcycle travel
The long-gone Tynda web site, most of which wasn’t updated since it was launched in the 1990s, can still be accessed at the Wayback machine. Be prepared for… a really hot mess of a web site in terms of design - but it's worth viewing to see one of the first web sites ever to offer advice to people that wanted to travel abroad by motorcycle.
Copy this URL
http://users.rio.com/~tynda
and then go to archive.org and paste it, and choose Search
archived web sites.
If you attended Burning Moto Man, or met Eric out on the road, or
stayed at the Haws' place in Westfir, and you want to share a
story or photos to be used here on the page you are viewing now,
or even just to share something just for me (I'll respect your
wishes regarding whatever you want to share), please email me at
jcravens42 "at" yahoo.com.
Someone on ADVRIder contacted me and said that Eric and Gail had
videos of some of their motorcycle travels. I would love to know
what happened to those. I absolutely would be willing to edit
those into something for YouTube.
Some of my favorite photos from my travels. Very hard to pick favorites.
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