When Daniel Mariscal finally got a chance to bring his prized motorcycle all the way from Alabama to Oregon, he realized he had no one to ride with.
This thought prompted Mariscal to start a motorcycle club on campus, where those interested in riding could connect. Whenever he saw someone holding a motorcycle helmet, he handed them a flyer and asked them if they wanted to get involved.
One of these people was Daniel Wesselink, who joined the club as an executive member.
He liked Mariscal’s vision of creating a positive community for riders to connect.
“I don’t want people to think that we’re a bunch of little hoodlums on street bikes,” Wesselink said.
Instead, Wesselink wants motorcycle riders to share their passion, learn about the vehicle they’re driving and recognize the strong community created around those who ride motorcycles.
This community manifests through the club’s almost 300 followers on Facebook, about a third of which are community members that are not affiliated with the university.
Some of these people actually ride motorcycles, while others just have an interest in them.
Wesselink emphasized that the group’s following is extremely diverse. Although most followers are students between the ages of 18-25, members include doctors, policemen, firefighters, retirees and so on.
One of the reasons why the club has appealed to so many people off campus is the popularity of motorcycle riding in Eugene, according to Wesselink.
Some of these members participate in activities including group rides and going to Portland to watch the races hosted by the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association. Members also sometimes volunteer at these events, helping assist riders by the track.
Members are also planning a motorcycle stunt show with professional stunt riders, which will most likely take place in October.
Aside from these events, those involved with the club also spend time acknowledging the importance of safety when riding motorcycles.
“The thrill, the adrenaline is definitely something that’s popular. People like to go fast,” Wesselink said. “But with that in the club, we always establish that there’s a time and a place to do that.”
Wesselink and other members seek out mentors that help illustrate how to be safe while driving by showing how to change a tire, set up a bike for winter, and so on.
One of these mentors, general manager of Cottage Grove Yamaha, Dino Deschaine, said that when concerns arise about safety it is important for someone to be available to address them.
He added that beyond implementing the safety of its members, he recognizes how the Motorcycle Club helps create the strong connections that Mariscal had hoped for.
“I always encourage younger people to find groups they’d like to participate in,” Deschaine said. “Where they feel like they belong to somebody. They find themselves some kind of purpose.”