My first rally

gsitts said:

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.

Click to expand...

Bring that big dog up there.

You've got a roundel, we've got room.

Just thinking about my first rally......

It was 1974, Table Rock,SC-the 2nd BMWMOA National Rally.
I had just quit my job and wanted to see what a motorcycle rally was all about. I was 20 years old, a young man with lots of questions and no answers at hand. I had patched jeans, long hair, pimples on my face, and a Toaster tank /5 that called me to the road. Although the crowd at the Rally was older and more "mainstream", I was welcomed into the BMW family. I will never forget that sense of brotherhood that I found in the South Carolina mountains.....

Jump ahead 30 years; still have long hair, still have a lot of questions, still have a BMW bike that calls me to the road (unfortunately, that old /5 is no longer with us-"Gertie" was a fine old machine). I have been to 15 Nationals now, still enjoying the brotherhood, still finding the joy that the first Rally brought me. The MOA National is the one event that I schedule my whole year around. I will be at Spokane this year, on 4 wheels this time, but still there. I have learned that volunteering at the Rally makes it more special, so you will find me working again at the beer tent, handing out brewskis and soaking up the fun. I will see old friends, meet new friends, and enjoy the BMW family gathering again.

If you never have been to a MOA National, do yourself a favor and go to one. You will never forget it!