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My first rally

brewbaron

My butt hurts!!
:beer
This is going to be my first rally as I have only been a member for not quite 2 years yet. I am happy with the location because for one thing I only live about 5 hours away from spokane. There is alot of great riding out that way ( well in washington state period ) it's situated where you can go to Idaho, Montana, and Canada also. So if you can't find a nice road to travel on at the rally I think maybe rigormortis is setting in. I don't get to go east of the mountains much so this will be nice. I also don't have the vacation days to make a rally on the east coast so any thing that far I will not do. I have no idea what to expect at a rally this or anyother for that fact.I have usually been a loner rider just and just joined the WSBMWR club this year also so now I am getting into this club thing.

Spokane is a big city with lots to offer they have a nice down town area, they had brewpub which I heard closed down (fort spokane brewery) but I sure there must be another to take it's place. They also have a great BBQ restaurant called Thadius Fudd Pucker ( I think that's the name) great BBQ I can't wait to go again.

So anyway see ya there!!

Frank W.
Puyallup Wa.
 
Frank, welcome to the website. I made my first national rally four years ago and haven't missed one since.

What to expect? First, the rally moves every year so there are great new roads to ride to get there. Then at the rally, you have excellent seminars, BMW oriented vendors, new friends to make, roads and places to go around the rally. Did I mention the beer tent? Volunteering really makes you feel like you are part of it all, a very rewarding experience. Plenty of prizes to win. I like to have my activities planned out before I get there so I can make the most of it.

JON:clap
 
I'm curious how many people went to a national as their first rally. I went to a bunch of local rallies, one I travelled more than 1,000 miles each way, before attending my first national. I love local rallies!

Was I drawn to the local rallies first for that reason or do I love the locals just because I went to them first? I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the national but the local rallies offer something else.

MarkF
 
We went to local rallies in New England for a couple years and then rode out to Oshkosh, WI. We've missed a couple since, but mostly because we either didn't have vacation time or had already been to where the rally was going to be held.

I'm psyched to see western Washington state!

Hey Brewbaron, we'll see you there, eh?

:beer :beer
 
Nationals, my first rally

Midland was my first rally. First unsupported road trip also. Didn't know how or what to pack. A veteran rally goer gave sage advice. TENTS; buy a tent at Sears, by the time you wear it out you'll have seen enough tents at rallys to know what you want. PACKING: How do I get all that stuff on the RT? If it doesn't fit in the side cases, stuff it in a duffle bag and tie it on the back seat. Made up list so I wouldn't miss anything, decided it wouldn't all fit in a duffle bag so I bought a big blue camping bag that would be easy to tie down to the Bungie Buddies. What if I am missing something when I get to the Nationals? That's what they make stores for.

The night before the rally I went to Sears and bought a tent. Laid everything out on the floor, and tried to figure out some order to put it in the side bags and the camping bag. Decided to check my sleeping bag before I packed it. Broken zipper, checked the matching sleeping bag, another broken zipper. I gotta have a talk with those teenagers Back to Sears for a sleeping bag. I packed everything to include a cot. I took 20 feet of bungie cord and tied everything down, not knowing how dangerous bungie cord was on a bike.

Returned from Midland with over half the stuff I didn't need, but I was a nationals veteran. Nothing can stop me now. JON
 
The wife and I will moteling it, If the wife wasn't going I would be in a tent. Since I bought the LT ( my first BMW ) I have done two solo trips where I camped and moteled. The first trip was through Idaho via rte 12 to Missoula (highly recomend that road) then south into Idaho, into wyoming, up though yelowstone, then Glacier NP and home. That trip I crammed everything in the side and top trunks and tied a bag on the back seat. After the trip I too discovered I brought to much camping stuff. The second trip I had a Uni-go trailer ( to bring the wife on camping trips ) I went to Utah earlier this year. I brought the trailer with about the same amount of camping gear but bigger, like a tent and big air mattress, little air pump and nothing tied on the back seat. Turns out it was to damn hot to camp once I got out of south Utah and headed up to moab it I didn't want to camp in the heat. So again I drug along stuff I really didn't need but with the Uni-go I didn't know it was back there and it was nice not to have to cram stuff on the bike.

I have taken the wife camping before and the trailer was just the right size for the right amout of camping gear. But next trip for me I will go back to tying a bag on the back seat and sleeping on a my thermo-rest again. I'll get through this bike camping learning curve soon and will have it perfected like I do when I backpack.

If anyone needs advice on routes to take at the rally either east or western washington I would be glad to help. I do know that our club will have a tent to also direct people where to go. And if you want I can give you my cell number so we can hook up and go for a ride and have a beer (after the ride). But E-mail me for that.


Cheers
Frank
 
Spokane is going to be my first national rally, too. I seem to be having a problem finding the complete schedule, even for past rallys, to use as a model.

It seems to start on Thursday and go to, or through, Sunday. I found a list of last year's seminars that show Thursday thru Saturday as fully scheduled. I hear comments of a "Closing Ceremony" but don't know whether it is Saturday night or Sunday.

Is it common to arrive Wednesday evening? When does the rally end? Is it common to stay Sunday night?

I realize the '04 schedule isn't finalized, but there must be a general timetable from past rallys.

And another question... a friend rides another brand of cycle. Are they welcome and common, or would she be out of place?

I am a MOA member, just can't seem to get my registration here to take. When I do, look for me as Gsitts.
 
Unregistered said:
I am a MOA member, just can't seem to get my registration here to take. When I do, look for me as Gsitts.

Howdy!

The general outline for registering is to click the little register button up in the right corner. We'll ask you to fill out a form that includes your MOA number.

The Forum will send you an email with a link in it. You need to click the link to complete your registration.

After that, you'll be able to log in on the main forum page in the lower right corner.

Send me a note if you're having trouble and we'll get you fixed up and ready to join in.

Lessee:

Rally arrival and stuff usually isn't allowed until Thursday morning at 8am. The closing ceremonies (where they give away a bike and stuff) always happens on Saturday night.

There will be seminars running pretty much all day from Thursday through Sat. There'll be a big ol vendor area running too so you can get rid of that pesky extra cash you have laying around too.

I guess that's pretty general, but it's what I've experienced at every national rally I've been to.

dave
 
Thanks, KBasa,
I got my registration straightened out but apparently don't have admin authorization to post yet. When I sign in I can't post, but unregistered I can.

The rally timetable is a big help. I note from the '03 schedule that they start seminars at 9AM on Thursday. Having not been there it is hard to imagine, if we can't get in until 8AM, getting there, getting in and registered, finding a place to set up camp, and still being able to go to the Thursday AM seminars. What am I missing?

Gsitts
 
George,

Look in your mailbox. There's a note there from the forum mailer. In it is a link you need to click to complete your registration. I've already done that for you by changing you to a registered user, so you should be good to go.

The Thursday morning seminar thing is always a hassle. I'm sure the rally chair will be here soon to clarify what the arrival policy will be.

I've worked at rallies before during setup and was able to show up early - but you absolutely, positively must plan on working at the rally to justify your early arrival.

When I worked as security chair at Rheinbeck, I got there on Monday night. By Sunday morning, I was more than ready to go home.
 
KBasa said:
I'm psyched to see western Washington state!

Hey Brewbaron, we'll see you there, eh?

:beer :beer

Hello Dave,

You and Tina will most likely find more of us this July in EASTERN Washington state than the western part of the state.

:D

See you at YB Central.

Ride fast safely.
 
Jeez. Going on five years out here and I'm still working on "east is away from the ocean...."

:confused:
 
Ahhh... got it working.

Thanks for all the help and comments, I'm beginning to see how the national rolls out. It's a big help in planning, even at this early date.

Another question... a friend rides another brand of cycle (not HD). Are other marques welcome and common, or would she feel out of place?
 
gsitts said:
Another question... a friend rides another brand of cycle (not HD). Are other marques welcome and common, or would she feel out of place?

It absolutely won't be a problem. Tina rode our Honda VFR to the Redmond rally a couple years ago.

She'll have a ball.

dave
 
gsitts said:
Another question... a friend rides another brand of cycle (not HD). Are other marques welcome and common, or would she feel out of place?

To quote a local store's slogan: "It does not matter what you ride, it matters if you ride."
 
I belonged to the MOA for 6 years before I even owned a BMW and never felt unwelcomed because I was riding a Yamaha.
You'll see lots of other makes at a rally. Or friend rides a ST1100 and has been to the last 3 nationals with us.

Another question... a friend rides another brand of cycle (not HD). Are other marques welcome and common, or would she feel out of place? [/QUOTE]
 
What you ride

From what I've seen some makes, like the other euro marquees, Kawi Concours and Honda ST1100 seemed to be treated very well at BMW events. I've never seen anyone treated poorly at a BMW event.

MarkF
 
Ahhh. Thanks for the reassurance. I was afraid that because my bike, a R1200C, isn't considered a "real Beemer" by many, and because she rides a Virago, we'd be assigned a campsite next to the tracks and far from the heads.

:)
 
Just a reminder, there are no assigned campsites. But you could end up camped near me, in which case you should have an ample supply of earplugs.
 
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