LOOKING well-rested and very relaxed, Ramon S. Ang appeared casual in a black sport shirt, black pants, and a pair of slippers as he welcomed around 600 riders to the SMC Head Office in Mandaluyong City for this year's edition of the BMW Motorrad Breakfast Ride.
This is the first time that 'RSA' - owner of local BMW distributor SMC Asia Car Distributors Corporation, and collector of large fleets of exotic cars and some vintage bikes - opened the doors of his second home to motorcycles not only of the German marque, but of other brands as well. But of course, the majority of those present were BMWs.
"Grabe pala ang following ng BMW motorcycles dito!'' Ang exclaimed. With the worsening traffic and the phenomenal boom in moto-tourism, the BMW Motorrad offerings have surpased the brand's vehicle lineup in terms of domestic sales.
"Rest assured that we will support you, make our barkadahan happier," he added.
His tak inevitably strayed to local basketball when he spotted several players of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) mingling with crowd. Among them were LA Tenorio, Rico Maierhofer, JC Intal, Sol Mercado, and Joe Devance. Rain or Shine player James Yap, owner of a BMW R NineT, missed the event.
What we know is that PBA players are not allowed to go motorcycling under their Uniform Player's Contract (UPC), for obvious reasons. Despite this strict policy, some PBA players still manage to sneak out and ride around as a form of relaxation. You will notice that they shy away from photographers when mounted on their stallions.
But times have changed. If RSA were to be asked, the team owner or coach is not the ones preventing the players to ride motorbikes: "JC Intal, pinayagan ka ba ng misis mo?" he asked, drawing laughter and jeers from the crowd.
RSA then delved deeper into the latest basketball issues, particularly themelee in practice that led to the indefinite suspension of some San Miguel Beermen players and the release of high-scoring import Dez Wells.
Ang justified the decision to suspend Arwind Santos, Ronald Tubid, and Kelly Nabong for the scuffle, saying he can never let the bid for a season grand slam take precedence over discipline and the need for players to set a good example.
The suspensions eventually weighed down San Miguel's quest for a grand slam.
"You know, we cannot just close our eyes and go for the grand slam. Hindi na tayo tutularan ng tama," he emphasized.
Well, there goes RSA's four-minute speech. Wait! Did he mention anything about the awesome lineup of BMW Motorrad motorbikes: the S1000 RR super sportbike, the R1250 RT tourer, the R1250 GS adventure, the R NineT retro bikes, the R1250 R naked, the F850 GS off-roader, the C400 X scooter, the G310 R street bike, and the G310 GS mini adventure bike? Nope.
But who cares? What really matters most is they're all selling like hotcakes. Right, Don Ramon?
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph