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'04 MOA Rally

IN!!

Sometimes I read these posts and I can't understand them at all...... gotta throw in my 2 cents worth.
MOA Rallies have ALWAYS been all over the country. Much of the fun of going to the rally is getting there(most BMW riders like to RIDE their bikes, more than the average biker) and it's always been exciting to find out at the awards ceremony where we're going next year, and start to think about how to get there from here. If it had always been in the same place, I'm not sure I'd have kept going for so long...over the years, it's given me an excuse to ride through every part of the country.
No place or time is ever perfect for the rally for everyone. It's when & where it is, according to who steps up to the plate to make it happen. Adjust. And if you have somewhere special in mind, make it happen! Lots of folks will help- always have. That's how these things work. There's no silver platter!
Has anyone who was there forgotten how humid it was at Hurricane Mills, or how hot it was in Florida? or how much it rained in Shreve? or how dusty the grounds were in Lake Placid? But all of those were great rallies! I wouldn't have missed 'em for anything. The only rallies that have disappointed me were the ones I didn't get to. It's all part of the adventure!
A rally isn't great because of where it is, it's great because we all show up and make it the best we can. (Whiners can take something away from that, but only if you let 'em.....I often wonder if these same folks whine as much at home....like maybe that's why they were able to get the time to come to the rally in the first place?)

I thought Charleston was a grand (and brave) experiment, and overall, a great success. The site was well situated, scenic, lots of room, great food nearby. Everybody I know who wanted a room got one for reasonable money, and there was plenty of camping space. Given that we'd never had an "in-town" rally before, the whole show came off a lot more smoothly than might have been expected. And the entertainment was really outstanding!

I saw all my rally friends, wherever they were staying, on or off campus(Hint- if you want to see everybody at the rally, volunteer. At the beer tent, or registration, or security....anywhere, it really makes you a lot more visible, and it's more fun than just watching)

If you're thinking about Spokane, do it. The ride getting there is beautiful, wherever you're coming from. I lived in Washington State through all of the '90s, and there are few motorcycling destinations that can compare with the northwest region. And if you have some time, the Top o' the Rockies and the Lunatic Fringe rallies are just a week away, and both are always a certifiable great time!

See you there!
 
beemerPhil said:
...... gotta throw in my 2 cents worth. Much of the fun of going to the rally is getting there.

Gotta agree. My only limitations are vacation time and spousal acceptance. Otherwise every rally I attended would be a weeks ride each way.

MarkF
 
I'm never negative ...

Or truthfully -- and on a positive note, I'm very good at complaining.

I spent a lot of years working as an employed exec in a notorious volunteer organization, otherwise known as, "Church." I have seen a lot of unhappy people, and a lot of happy people. From a classical, reformed theological standpoint, I would say those who are unhappy are predestined to be that way, and those who are happy are predestined to be that way.

That said, I hold a personal view that the holy writ does not support a strict predestinarian viewpoint, and that mankind is indeed able to make volitional choices. So, as an exegetical theologian turned customer service specialist in a large retail operation, I would classify most of the public as follows:

1. Chronically discontened with no intent of changing.

2. Somewhat contented but easily offended.

3. Contented but easily pleased.

4. Usually contented but occasionally offended over issues of substance.

5. Always contented and able to cope with all but the most dire of tragedies.

Unfortunately, it seems most of the American public falls somewhere in the un-contented brackets (1 & 2), and a very small minority niches into the other three.

Moving away from a theological view and into a psychological one, it seems there are a lot of ego-centric people in the populace, and not a few of these self-centered individuals ride motorcycles. So the rally organizer or volunteer who takes it all personal is doomed to a frustrated life. Those discontents were unhappy before they got there, may lack the personal desire or ability to change, and are thus self-condemed to terminal cranial rectosis, a.k.a. as head-in-arse disease.

Like a skilled customer service specialist, the smart rally worker will smile, project a positive attitude, listen patiently, nod attentively, do what they can within reason, not take the other person's attitude as a personal affront, and then forget about it.

It is over 2,300 miles to the rally site from my home, and my discontent is over not being able to go. However, as a firmly entrenched category 4, if I could go, I would be a happy camper, unless the beer ran out. :brow
 
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:clap I have been an MOA member for 4 years at this point and have attended Rally;s in Midland, Redmond, Trenton and Charleston. My wife rides with me and I must admit the fun is the ride to the rally( no trailer queen here) meeting the people etc. I am looking forward to the 04 Rally and do agree the all in one venue is consistent with the best experiences we have had to this point. As far as " Sturgis" I have been there too and our Ralleye is much different and I enjoy the people that attend the whole experiece, with riders of many different bikes there as well. The BMWOA Rally is somthing we look forward to and expct to have a great time this year as well. :D
 
Scott, I could not have said it better. As I said before, some people are looking for an excuse to complain.
 
Motels?

I'm thinking of going to the Rally with the wife. She isn't into roughing it so are considering staying in a motel. Is there a list of motels that are in the area?

Steve from Sacramento CA
 
I do not have a list of Hotels/Motels in Spokane, however; I have a reservation at Motel 6, they probably still have a vacancy.:snore
 
Re: Motels?

Unregistered said:
I'm thinking of going to the Rally with the wife. She isn't into roughing it so are considering staying in a motel. Is there a list of motels that are in the area?

Steve from Sacramento CA

Last year the Visitor's Bureau setup a hotel booking system, like most other conventions. I am presuming that this will happen again. You can check out the links at http://www.bmwmoa.org/rally04/index.htm and those have local info if you want to book your own.
 
The only negative feelings I've had following any of the many rallies I've attended come from the Moaners and Groaners who want me to feel as awful as they did even though I had a marvelous time.
Back in 1970 I attended my first ever motorcycle "rally", the Pikes Peak Tour. I recall standing around the parking lot of the motel looking over people's shoulders and wondering where the action was "at". Here were riders who had obviously come from far away, yet many seemed to know each other and were renewing old acquaintances. I felt that old M&G feeling.
It only took me one more day to figure it out. You wanna know were the action is? It's wherever YOU make it happen. Not the other guy. You.
You want better weather? Plan a rally where YOU can be responsible for the weather. You want better camping? YOU offer to arrange the camping. You want better seminars? YOU volunteer to manage the seminars. You want a better sound system at the awards ceremony? YOU make it happen.
Hundreds of your fellow BMW riders are already involved in planning to make another grand rally happen. Get involved, volunteer your talents, and you'll discover the most amazing thing: suddenly the rally begins to look much better--at least your part.
I'm not just blowing up the muffler here, I'll be busy at the rally myself. And all those other rally volunteers have my gratitude and admiration, wherever in the country it happens, and whatever the venue. I only wish we could extend the International rally another couple of days.

pmdave

"He who complains about the stew gets to cook the next meal."
 
What Dave said.

My dad taught me that if you don't like the way something is done, get to be in charge and run it differently.

:dunno
 
Good points by pmdave.

It can be tough for me to ride into any group of people who all seem to know each other. I don't feel comfortable "butting in." They don't know me and have their own connections going.

Volunteering solves both sides of the problem. It's an excuse to spend time with others and for them to get to know me.

Especially with an all-volunteer group, I feel I will never be "part of the group" until I am a volunteer. Whether I pay $35 or $3500 to get in, I am an outsider to them. Being there is just being there. Being part of the group requires pitching in.

IMO it's that way in every club, service organization, church and charity.

That said, there can be legitimacy to some gripes. Some people seem only to be able to express dissatisfaction by complaint. Others express dissatisfaction by suggesting cures. Others yet work to cure what the don't like by volunteering to help effect change.

Any organization, if it wants to prosper in the long run, has to be as attuned to the message of all three of the above members.

Sometimes the non-participating griper's point is more valid or more important than the change the participating volunteer is trying to effect. Sometimes the participating volunteer has a private agenda or belief that drives him; that vision may not be in the long-term interest of the club.

Other times that drive by that volunteer, because he is so committed, creates a or strengthens a core value of the club. An example: A club has a moderately sucessful annual outing. A member decides it would be fun to add a clambake on saturday afternoon. He heads it up, gets it running. It becomes an annual signature event that draws higher and higher attendance to what becomes the clubs Annual Clambake.

But the clambake sparkplug might have started thinking about it all by hearing some other guy gripe about how boring the last event seemed.

On the other hand, that volunteer may have had another agenda; to make the outing alcohol-free. By zeel and enthusiasm he could gain position where he controlled that decision and impact the outing in a whole different way, particularly if the board was weak and easily swayed. It's easier to give in to zeel than to listen and fix a gripe.

It's hard to listen to complainers and it's easy to let volunteers plunge in. But the club board has to carefully consider the message of both before moving ahead.
 
Spokane

Those who are belly aching about Spokane are stupid. Spokane is a great town. It's a big town with a small town feel. I will be riding out form Iowa through Yellowstone. The on the way home, I will be taking 150 miles of dirt(a buddy from Spokane who rides a GS knows the way) to Glacier and take Hwy 2 across Montana and ND. What a blast...

If anyone wants to ride along, let me know.
 
Re: Spokane - not for me

Ole Yeller said:
Those who are belly aching about Spokane are stupid. Spokane is a great town. It's a big town with a small town feel.

No gripes about the location from me, except the long, long, LONG ride out. So I will be using this years Vac time for the RA rally in West Virginia. Not a gripe but it meets two desires of mine - 1) In the wilderness and 2) Not between 4th of July and Labor Day. The fact that it's a days ride from New England is also a plus.

MarkF
 
gsitts said:
... snip

It's hard to listen to complainers and it's easy to let volunteers plunge in. But the club board has to carefully consider the message of both before moving ahead.

And then there is the classic line about volunteering:

No good deed goes unpunished. :burnout

Ian
 
:confused: I hope that my zeal to attend the rally in Spokane is not excessive, but the wife and I are looking forward to the ride out west. We have not been west on a bike for almost thirty years and have never attended a rally. A couple of questions:
1. Are there camping facilities at the rally site or do we need to make reservations elsewhere?
2. When will one be able to sign-up for the festivities?
3. What is the average age of the rally participants?
I as sure I will have more dumb questions as time progresses. That is all for now.
Jim Kane
:dunno
 
I'm staying at the Quality Inn a few miles east of the rally. There are still lots of rooms available in the area but I wouldn't wait too long. The rally site is on the east end of Spokane so I would look for rooms in the "Valley" east of the rally or along the Interstate east of the rally.
 
jentine said:
:confused: I hope that my zeal to attend the rally in Spokane is not excessive, but the wife and I are looking forward to the ride out west. We have not been west on a bike for almost thirty years and have never attended a rally. A couple of questions:
1. Are there camping facilities at the rally site or do we need to make reservations elsewhere?
2. When will one be able to sign-up for the festivities?
3. What is the average age of the rally participants?
I as sure I will have more dumb questions as time progresses. That is all for now.
Jim Kane
:dunno

Jim,

There will be camping at the rally. To be honest with 5-6000 campers there are times when the facilites are put to the test. Having said this I must be very lucky (or do stuff at wierd hours) because in all of the Nationals I have attended I have never been inconvenienced by the crowd, in fact I love it.

Secure on-line registration will be available in a few weeks. Watch this forum for an announcement.

The average of our membership is around 47. I would bet the rally reflects this. Best quote ever heard at a Nat'l was in Redmond when a 17 yr stated: "You guys are just like my friends, only a little older." Party on Garth.

:clap

As far as riding out west, it *is* incredible.

See you in Spokane.

Best,
 
Indians vs Beemers

It looks like the Spokane Indians will be playing the Eugene Emeralds along side us in the stadium located on the fairgrounds. A four night homestand.
 
I think I have a few answers:
That's not an old quarry (like you find in the East) it's as active gravel operation. The river is very close so the ground water is "right there" when you dig a shallow hole.

The view you show is looking to the South, likely from a plane that is just above the little airport North of the fairgounds (starts with an F but the name escapes me at the moment).

The rail yard is BNSF, the Empire Builder Amtrak runs through it. It is very active.
 
Re: re: Indians -and- Beemers

Greetings,

I do not have all the answers (only the Rally Chair does) however here is what I do know.

SlashFiveTourer said:
I can see where the ballpark is located - upper right corner in the aerial view below. Looks like that stadium holds a couple of thousand fans and that parking lot will be packed with vehicles during the Spokane Indians homestand 13-17 July against the Eugene Emeralds.

a) Will Spokane BMW rallygoers get reduced admission rates to the games if we show the wristband? Discounts on stuff like team jerseys and caps?

Excellent question on the team gear. I believe there will be discount on tickets for Thursday's game. There are a few places where you can take in the game with tables and service. We may be offering advance sales through the website after we have rally registration on-line April 1.

b) Are all of the games being played at night?

Not sure, I know Thursday is an evening / night game.

c) Can rally organizers tell us where the "quiet camping area" will be in relation to the ballpark - is it in the area above the centre and right fields of the ballpark?

I am not aware of the exact layout of the grounds. Jackie Hughes, Rally Chair will be posting this information in the near future.

d) What "class" of camping will be allowed in that large football-sized field to the left of the huge parking lot in the photograph..."quiet", "normal", "the LOUD crowd???"

See above.

e) I'm not sure just how old this aerial photo of the Spokane Fairgrounds is (it's taken from their own website and I saw it first posted here on the MOA Forum on the 16th of August 2003 by "Unregistered") so perhaps someone familiar with this rally site can let us know what the present status is of the trainyard at the top of the photograph: What railroad operates through there (I'm a train buff!) and does the shunting yard operate 24 hours a day?

That photo is four years old. I do not know if the trains operate 24hrs.

e) What's the story with those old quarries filled with standing water - are they still there?

The Fairground website has a map graphic but it's kind of hard to read for an oldtimer. This is where the original aerial photograph of the Spokane Fairgrounds can be found. :wave

The photos I have seen (from ground level) show a more developed site including more grass.

Here is a better overhead photo.

Best,
 

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