For many years, we have been operating as individual motorcycle riders. Although many of us knew each other from school, the basketball courts, work and other social venues, we still often found ourselves looking for people to ride with and looking for destinations to ride to. During the summer of 2003, several Portland area visionaries saw how similar interest groups had successfully formed clubs on the east coast, in the dirty south and even in California. These proactive thinkers decided to bring the club concept to the Pacific North-West. We decided to use the club concept to educate the "urban" rider with regard to group riding dynamics, safe riding practices, and safety gear. We also decided to expand the horizons of the "urban" rider to include track riding, canyon cutting, and road trips. We are certainly not the first motorcycle club in the area, but we are the first to form a club with the backdrop of our common urban heritage, experiences, and community interests.

By the end of the summer, a small group of leaders had formed a network of riders in and around the Portland Metropolitan area. The leaders worked hard to draft a mission statement and bylaws. A couple of informal meetings were held to validate these documents and elect officers. And the Full Tilt Riders was formally founded on December 1, 2003.

By the spring of 2004, the FTR Mission and Message had spread to the upper Northwest. A group of mature riders from Seattle and Tacoma decided to band together and join forces with FTR-Portland. These pioneers formed the independent Seattle Chapter of FTR. FTR will continue to grow and expand, but we will always embrace the Full Tilt Mission Statement and Bylaws.

The Full Tilt Mission is to build a strong and positive brother and sisterhood of people in the Pacific Northwest who share a passion for motorcycle riding. Our mission is to project a positive and safety conscious image of riders to the community at large. We are also dedicated providing community service activities in urban areas and fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie between all communities.