Q.  Who attends the event?
A.  The people who come to Sportbike Northwest are responsible riders who take an interest in safe riding and improving on their riding skills.  For some it's a first time adventure to a rally, for others it's an annual trek.  You're always certain to meet new friends at the rally.  Riders come from all over the United States and Canada.

From a squids point-of-view it’s not a very hospitable environment.  For them it’s too far to ride, stunt riding is not permitted at the gathering and the sheriff’s office is conveniently located just three blocks away.

Q.  What kind of a town is Stevenson?  Is there a gas station, grocery store or restaurant?
A.  Unlike some smaller towns in the Gorge, Stevenson is a modern day city with plenty of amenities including several gas stations; a grocery store with a full service deli; several restaurants and it’s own microbrewery complete with a full service pub.  There’s also a hardware store and auto supply shop. In 2004 the downtown corridor and fairgrounds were setup with a city wide free Wi-Fi system, so if you bring a laptop, smart phone or PDA you can surf the web and do email!

Q.  Why not have SBNW earlier in the summer?
A.  Now we do! With the advent of Evaporative Cooling Vests it's possible to ride on the hottest days and have the best time regardless. If you don't have an evaporative cooling vest, you can purchase one from us online or when you get to the event.

Q. Our club is thinking of coming to Sportbike Northwest.  Are group rates available?

A. Sportbike Northwest is regularly attended by groups like the Cycle Barn Sportbike Club, sportbikes.ws and the Pacific Northwest Riders.  Group rates are available online when you register.   

Q.  What value do I get with my registration costs?
A.  We put it all under one price and provide more value on top of that.  One price covers your entrance for the five days, all the clinics and seminars, evening events and access to the vendors.   And no rally we’ve been to in the Northwest has the gourmet meal we lay out on Saturday night, opens the Maryhill Loops Road or provides the quality of presenters we have on hand.  You get what you pay for.  When was the last time you took a four day vacation for under $150!

Q.  Do I have to have a sportbike to go to Sportbike Northwest?
A.  Sportbike Northwest is designed with the sport rider in mind.  Which means if you own a sportbike, sport touring bike or a naked street standard this event is for you. Over the years we've seen a diversity of sportbikes at the event. If you ride something other than a Sportbike and would like to attend, you may want to check out our other rally offerings and see where you fit in.

Q.  Why is proof of insurance required on the Maryhill Loops Road?
A.  In Washington State insurance is not required for motorcyclists who use public roads (although it’s highly advised).  However, the Maryhill Loops Road is on private property and the curators require all riders during our event have insurance specific to the bike they ride on the road.

Q.  Does Oregon require motorcyclists to carry insurance?
A.  Yes.

Q. What if it rains?
A. The event goes on rain or shine. Because of the geography that surrounds the area, it may be raining west of the Cascades and not to the east. The location of the event is such that if there's ever rain in the west, we ride to the east. Being held at the end of July means rain is less likely than say September (some of you remember the year we tried it that month).

Q. Our family would like to attend.  Some will not be riding motorcycles.  Is that OK?
A. We welcome families. The only restriction is that kids under 21 years old are not allowed in the beer garden as per state law, otherwise everything is open to them.  Understand that each family member or guest over 12 must have a paid registration to attend even if they won't be riding.  Registration costs have nothing to do with who is riding a motorcycle or not, rather they cover the costs of insurance, meals, camping, guest speakers fees and lodging and otherwise.  Kids under 12 are free and must be supervised by their adult guardian at all times.

Q. Any good places to eat in Stevenson?
A. Oh yeah. For breakfast we like the Bahma Cafe, there's good lunches at the Big River Grill and dinner can be had at Joe's El Rio, Big River and the Walking Man brew pub.

One of the crown-jewels of Sportbike Northwest is the Maryhill Loops road.  The road is closed to the public, and for good reason – there’s a dozen hairpin turns in 2.8 miles. Great if you’re on a sportbike, lousy if you were trying to maneuver an RV. And since it dead ends after 2.8 miles, you’ll have to turn your bike around and go back down. What a shame! 24 twists and turns each way! Scratch that trip to Laguna Seca and book your vacation time to Sportbike Northwest!

The road was built in 1914 by Sam Hill and was the first paved road in the state of Washington.  It was deemed unfit for travel by the DOT in the 60’s and closed.  In the late 1990’s the DOT reground the entire surfaced and paved it anew.  Today it’s only open to walkers, bicyclists and few select motor vehicle events a year. 

The road will be open Friday only.  Riders are required to show proof of insurance specific to their bike before entering the road (see bottom left).  If you don’t have a current proof of insurance card, you will not be allowed on the road.  However you may come to the checkpoint to draw a chip and get your poker card punched.

Riders are spaced out 30 to 60 seconds apart so they can maneuver the road without worrying about someone coming in behind them.  We run two way traffic throughout the time period.  If you need one way traffic look into booking a track day at a local track.  It's about the experience of getting to ride a historical road, not about who can do it faster.  Ask anyone who's done and they'll tell you about what a worthwhile experience it is.  We have a number of returning riders who come back the event year after year - this is no doubt one of the reasons why.

Once you've ridden up and down the road you are welcome to exit the gated area and get back into line so you can take another spin. 

Ten Tips when coming to Sportbike Northwest

1. Gear up. Most riders do and you should as well if you already don't. The practical reason to is that if you come off your bike for any reason, you stand a lot better chance of getting up and riding away. That makes sense alone. Not wearing proper gear can burden you, family members and rally attendees if you come off your bike.

2. Plan to learn something new. A trip to sportbike Northwest provides you the opportunity to learn a few new things about riding. Our top grade instructors have a wealth of information about cornering, braking, avoiding hazards and other skills. Every attendee has the opportunity to bump their skills up a notch or two over the five days.

3. Plan ahead. Coming to the rally with a little pre-event insight will help you better determine how to spend your time while here. Check the website for updates as the days near, read through the schedule ahead of arriving here and by all means call or email us with any questions.

4. Plan a great way in and out. Part of the fun of any rally is the ride there and the ride back. Plan enough time so you can take some nice tertiary roads back home. You don't wanna end your fun time with slabbing home on the interstate - do ya?

5. Take care of your maintenance interval before you go. Today's modern bikes typically need some kind of maintenance every 4,000 miles or so. Between getting to the rally and riding a few hundred miles a day, if you choose to, you may cross that line so consider getting it done early before you go if need be.

6. Remember your chain. If your bike has a chain drive, remember to adjust it every 500 miles. You may need to adjust it several times from the time you leave your doorstep until you get back home. Be sure you're carrying the proper tools to do so. If it's nearing the end of it's life, get a new chain and sprocket beforehand.

7. Have a tire plan. Unfortunately motorcycle tires need changing about ten times as often as car tires. Showing up at the rally with nothing but threads will cut into your day trying to find replacements. In years past we've had our tire guy, Don, on hand with the most common tires. You can arrange ahead of time to have tires waiting for you when you arrive and if you think you'll want some there, we highly encourage doing an advance reservation to insure YOUR tires are there. 

 8. The weather varies. We get a lot of nice days during the event, but we've seen a rainy day followed by a sweltering day here and there so bring the right layers.

9. Ask questions. Not sure about something while you're at the event. Head to the rally desk and ask questions.

10. Have FUN!!!!