The CRABS is an unusual motorcycle club: we have no officers, no dues, and no business meetings. What we DO have is an eclectic group of people who ride many types of motorcycles and who like to have fun. We exist to ride and socialize. Like our politically-incorrect name implies, we like a malt beverage or two but we're not big drinkers and we seldom if ever mix drinking with riding - it's mainly an apres-ride thing.

The idea for an all-brand motorcycle club came to me in 2003. I would see other non-Harley riders on the roads of St. Mary's County, MD and wonder how I could get in touch with them to chat, exchange technical help, or just to ride someplace neat. I asked my riding friends about forming a club, but their eyes would glaze over at the thought of another meeting, more dues, begging for officers, and the like. Then I hit upon the idea of a very untraditional club wherein I would be the self-anointed benevolent dictator-for-life, newsletter editor, and general Major Domo of the whole deal and the rest of the folks could just ride. That idea went over well and the CRABS has grown from there.

The name started as the Chesapeake Riding And Beemer Society, but that wasn't inclusive of the Ducatisti, the Asian-bike crowd, or our American-iron friends, so the "B" came to stand for an apres-ride refreshment and the Chesapeake Riding And Beverage Society was born. We had our inaugural meeting in March '04. Since then, we've grown to around 70-odd (emphasis on odd) riders, passengers, and friends from 8 to 80 years of age. We ride everything from two-wheeled BMW land yachts to skinny little vintage Honda trials bikes and everything between. There are even sidecar rigs in our midst.

We have at least two parties a year: a swap meet/chili feed around March or April and a Christmapalooza in the middle of December. We usually meet to ride to the Morton's BMW Open House in Fredericksburg, VA or to the Bob's BMW Open House in Guilford, MD. We may go to swap meets in York, PA or to the Vintage Motorcycle Days in Ohio. The beautiful part of the CRABS is that you can show up or not. We try to have a monthly dinner out...mostly.

The CRAB POT is our newsletter. Because it's the product of the dictator-for-life, it's publication can be sporadic. The goal is for one a month, but some months you get what you pay for in dues (nothing). If you don't like it, you can always submit something. We have an email list that is, again, maintained at the leisure and pleasure of the dictator. This web site is the latest mode of communication we have and is designed to be the primary means of dissemination of info to our fellow riders.

So welcome to the CRABS. It's all about fun with motorcycles here.

Mark Byers
The Crabdicator

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