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If we are going to continue MOA nationals in the middle of summer at least have them some place above 5000 feet. Cool at night and tolerable in the daytime.
Just returned from Paonia, CO and Top Of The Rockies Rally. Great weather and incredible riding.
I assume the 2013 and the 2014 rallys will be in the Southwest and the Northwest according to MOA protocol and rules right? Divisian of the US in four equal land masses. NW, SW, NE, and SE.
The MOA should be a little more cognisant of the physical locations of these rallys so as to spread the distances that each member has to travel to attend. No the Mississipi is not the North South dividing line of the US. This is simply Eastern mentality.
When I was selecting and researching sites for a large aviation group (10,280 members) I always kept in mind the distace that all members had to travel each year. This included location, weather, facilaties,rooms and number of members in different states.
Why can't the MOA do the same? If you total the attendees you will find more people are staying in Hotels/Motels than camping. There are never any rooms available at the rally sites that are chosen. Choose a site with a larger population hence more available rooms. ie A/C Most of the MOA members are older and would prefer a room to a tent if any were available.
Jack
Just returned from Paonia, CO and Top Of The Rockies Rally. Great weather and incredible riding.
I assume the 2013 and the 2014 rallys will be in the Southwest and the Northwest according to MOA protocol and rules right? Divisian of the US in four equal land masses. NW, SW, NE, and SE.
The MOA should be a little more cognisant of the physical locations of these rallys so as to spread the distances that each member has to travel to attend. No the Mississipi is not the North South dividing line of the US. This is simply Eastern mentality.
When I was selecting and researching sites for a large aviation group (10,280 members) I always kept in mind the distace that all members had to travel each year. This included location, weather, facilaties,rooms and number of members in different states.
Why can't the MOA do the same? If you total the attendees you will find more people are staying in Hotels/Motels than camping. There are never any rooms available at the rally sites that are chosen. Choose a site with a larger population hence more available rooms. ie A/C Most of the MOA members are older and would prefer a room to a tent if any were available.
Jack
osbornk
Old man in the mountains
A site with a larger population would almost have to be in or near a substantial city. Would members who live in or near a large city want to go to another city for a rally? Would those of us who live and ride in the country want to go to a rally in a large city? Would members want to battle city traffic to ride and would there be any good places to ride near the city?
Of the rallies I have attended, my favorites were Johnson City and Bloomsburg. I think a small city near a university is a good place for a rally. The facilities were not the best at either one but I thought there were other positives that outweighed that factor. The riding, peacefulness and friendliness of small cities are important to me. The lodging availablity at Johnson City was helped by it being near Bristol Motor Speedway that used to attract 160,000 people twice a year for NASCAR racing. The lodging availability at Bloomsburg was helped by the availability of dorms at the university.
The weather at Johnson City was very warm during the day but the nights cooled off nicely. The weather at Bloomsburg was a quirk that could not have been anticipated. It was cooler before and after the rally. The weather just happened to be hot that particular week as it was in about half of the country.
I hope the board continues to seek out locations in small cities or large towns with a college or university located near them. I think they should work with the educational institutions like the did with Bloomsburg University to make dorms available to the membership. The arrangements can be beneficial for all concerned. It gives members reasonably priced and convenient lodging and it increases the income for the college or university at a time when the dorms are normally empty.
Ken
I agree Jack.
But their problem with this is; the suitably large, "state fair" type locations above 5000' are going to be very limited. Especially in the east where they'll attract a large attendance. The problem they're having with their rally "model" is having all four; (1) location with moderate temperatures , (2) required large arena type site, (3) in the east or mid-west the majority of the time, (4) always in July.
In order to attract and simply accommodate the most riders you can't do much about 2 and 3. Numbers 1 and 4 usually contradict.
One solution could be to just alternate a,b,c;
a) Higher elevations (typically the west) in July
b) East or mid-west in July and just deal with the heat and humidity.
c) East, mid-west, even the south, in a suitable month. Maybe September?
This compromise still keeps the rally in July 2/3 of the time.
But 1/3 of the time allows much more flexibility to choose a site in the east, mid-west, or south. It also accommodates those that have difficulty getting away in July (due to work, family activity, etc). This while offering the likelihood of moderate temperatures.
I am sure you meant E/W, but where exactly would you draw the E/W line?
I have several maps that define Eastern US vs Western US. The Big Muddy is still that line.
I have three Rand McNally regional series maps that move Wisconsin,Illinois and Missisippi into the Central zone that is basically everything directly above Texas and the Big River to the East.( with those three state exceptions)
The Western zone is everything west of that Central block.
Noticed Rand's HQ is in Skokie, Illinois...maybe they didn't want to be Easterners according to their map zoning?
SilverGirl
Rapunzel
Still keeping this thread off-topic, I'll stick my neck out on this one. I've read in several places on the Forum over the past week that scheduling the National Rally in July is considered by some to not be a good idea and that having it in September or even October or perhaps May would be better. If one lives south of the Mason-Dixon line I can see where that might be a marvelous idea. I've heard it's very nice that time of year down south.
Feeling like a rather lonely voice out here in forumland, I'm not really in favor of moving the National Rally to early fall or late spring. Without any scientific stats to quote I would hazard the guess that the weather is the most stable and dry in much of the U.S. during July/August. I live in New England and up here before Memorial Day and after Labor Day our weather can be dicey at best. Sometimes we have stunningly gorgeous falls and the easy summer riding weather seems to go on forever and the riding is pure heaven and can go as late as November (no, I'm not one who rides all winter and I store my bike "off-site"). I've also seen our weather turn wet, cold, and inhospitable as if someone flipped a switch during the Labor Day weekend and stay that way until the snow flies. I've also seen New England have intoxicatingly beautiful springs that just sweetly flow into summer. I've also seen New England get snow as late a May 8th and I'm not talking a little dusting of snow - the storm I am recalling we got 6 to 8 inches of the wonderful white stuff and lost a lot of trees and bushes because they were in bloom. I've seen New England have late winter weather go on and on for what seems like forever. This year was a little bit like that.
The last National Rally I went to was in DuQuion, IL, and that year New England basically wasn't having summer - at all. It was sunny and hot at the rally and was just delightful *because* it was sunny and hot (not like the hot this year tho) and that was pretty much all the summer I got that year.
The last trip I took out west to CO on the bike was in mid-September of 2006 and the entire trip was cold. Of the 3 weeks that I was traveling there was only one day that I didn't have the heated grips turned on and all of my cold-weather gear on - and I mean ALL of it because I didn't own electrics at that time. That year was the year of the surprise September snow storm in CO that closed a lot of passes and at that point of the trip I was on a tight schedule to get back east. To find a navigable pass I had to go 2 or 3 hours out of my way south to find one. While the road was passable, the black ice and mid-20's temps were no fun.
So, no, I'm not really in favor of having the National Rally held in May, September, or October. Call me a wimp (I've been called worse) but I don't really savor riding in the cold, the rain, or a cold rain which IMHO you're more likely to have in May, September, and especially October - at least here in the great white north you are. Like most everyone else, I've been there, done that, and still don't enjoy the cold and/or rain on the bike. I'd rather ride in the heat - at least there's always a breeze blowing then.
respectfully, Rapunzel
2004 R115R, before that 1980 R65
Don't forget requirement number 5 - the MOA has to be able to sell their own beer. That too is limiting in regard to venue.
highplainsrider
New member
Next years National
You are correct according to the last MOA Journal I read. "Sedalia" is the location. It will be hot , hot, hot there too, in July. Branson would be a terrible place for a Motorcycle rally. Too few of everything.
As for changing the National Rally date, I think that has been discussed before and the above note characterizes the most applicable reasons.
I live in cold weather country and snow or sleet has appeared through May into the first week of June. Likewise, snow or sleet has appeared around October 5th. Yes, the weather is problematic when the National Venue is moved around the country. Each part of the country has its share of riders who attend rallies, and the geological wonders are best seen when most of the riders can get there. I've been to rallies in the June and river sites have been flooded, along with parks and streets. I've been to rallies in the fall and the cold weather just about aborted my enthusiasm. The farther south I rode the better the weather got, so I stuck with it and enjoyed the rally. The ride home was better and warmer.
PT
PT
You are correct according to the last MOA Journal I read. "Sedalia" is the location. It will be hot , hot, hot there too, in July. Branson would be a terrible place for a Motorcycle rally. Too few of everything.
As for changing the National Rally date, I think that has been discussed before and the above note characterizes the most applicable reasons.
I live in cold weather country and snow or sleet has appeared through May into the first week of June. Likewise, snow or sleet has appeared around October 5th. Yes, the weather is problematic when the National Venue is moved around the country. Each part of the country has its share of riders who attend rallies, and the geological wonders are best seen when most of the riders can get there. I've been to rallies in the June and river sites have been flooded, along with parks and streets. I've been to rallies in the fall and the cold weather just about aborted my enthusiasm. The farther south I rode the better the weather got, so I stuck with it and enjoyed the rally. The ride home was better and warmer.
PT
PT
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