• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

moving the rally to the spring or fall

Status
Not open for further replies.
Since the stubborn MOA is not going to change from summer, I suggest looking to cooler higher altitude mountain locations, Lake Placid NY for example, not sweltering river valleys.
 
BMWMOA Takes a Poll of membership ?

The powers that be could include a card in the magazine so members could fill in a poll vote as to move the rally date forward/back or leave as is.
I myself will never attend another July rally. #38839
 
It is around 1:30 as I sit here in my air-conditioned hotel room. Too hot to go out. I was able to squeeze in a few very thankful people in here last night. But I am leaving shortly due to the extreme heat. I think we need to put a vote to the members to see when they would prefer a rally.

Anyone remember Lima, Ohio rally?
 
It is around 1:30 as I sit here in my air-conditioned hotel room. Too hot to go out. I was able to squeeze in a few very thankful people in here last night. But I am leaving shortly due to the extreme heat. I think we need to put a vote to the members to see when they would prefer a rally.

Anyone remember Lima, Ohio rally?

I remember Lima as being flat as a tabletop with few curves, My favorite was Johnson City. The only problem with mountain rallies is you camp on an incline. Doesn't seem so bad as it is now 99 with q heat index of 109 at the rally where I am.
 
As some have suggested, I would like to see rally dates take the site location into consideration and include any of the months from May through September. Even so, I wish I could get away to attend in PA this weekend, although I might pass on the camping for once.
 
Really, spring or fall would be fantastic. I'm from Alabama (the past 9 years anyway) and I still can't deal with this heat/humidity. Why NOT move the rally?
 
The powers that be could include a card in the magazine so members could fill in a poll vote as to move the rally date forward/back or leave as is.

well now thats an idea



Maybe the date for the rally should be adjusted to the location? If it is in the deep south maybe more springish or fallish. If way up north then in mid summer.

and another good idea


there ARE alternatives to holding a mid July rally every year, whether the MOA acts to implement a change or continue with business as usual is the question.
 
I think weather will always involve an element of luck, but clearly with a rally in July there are areas of the US and Canada that will never see a national rally. I really like the idea of holding rallies at different times of the year in different areas. Maybe come up with a definition of tolerable conditions, then look for areas that meet those conditions at various times of the riding season. Afterall, isn't the the MOA, not the MO-in the part of America with clear skies in July?

As for Camp Gears, I would have no problem pulling my kids out of school for such a great educational opportunity!
 
Camp Gears is the future core of the MOA, its our only strong point grasping the " youth market share." WE can NOT afford to limit their rally involvement by having an event during thier school year.

There is also a " break even " point that WE have to obtain to have a successful rally or the MOA will be finacially bleeding regardless how intellegent our stewards have been or will be with the already declined membership.

Statdawg drank too much Kool aid in this heat. :hungover IMO its not as hot as 126 F on a road in Africa, so a little heat in Pennsylvania can be tolerant to see family.

I can count on one hand the number of high schoolers at a rally, Nat'l or not. Our age group is average 55+ and rarely do you see a youngin' who buys a Beemer for their first bike. They want a rice rocket, ride around with no helmet and no gear. If we wait around wishing the younger folks come to the rally we got a long wait. Even with the 1000RR around what do think a kid is gonna buy, a bike that cost 10k plus or a used rice rocket for 3-4k. And what percentages of the membership are teachers? No I say we don't cater to kids and teachers. Cater to the majority. Yea put it for a vote. I vote hold the rally in the season compatible with the location. I live in Georgia (formerly Connecticut) and during this weather (which last aaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllll summer long!, so count your blessings it only lasts a week) I don't ride except for early morning breakfast runs. I learned my lesson last year riding in this type of weather.
 
They want a rice rocket, ride around with no helmet and no gear.

I did 200+ miles in the cage today between Massachusetts and southern NH -- Logan Airport tied the record of 103 and it was pertneer 100 everywhere I went.

I saw a lot of cruisers -- not a single rider had more than a T shirt, and in NH, not one had a helmet. Contrast that with all the sports bike riders I saw -- only one was riding in a T shirt, and every last one of the rest were ATGATT with mesh jackets and full face helmets.

Pretty impressive -- you might need to change your stereotype, at least for southern New England. Peer pressure works.

But yeah, there weren't many Camp Gears kids in Voni's pictures and not a single one was smiling.
 
This post is an open letter to the MOA board.

By placing the rally in the middle of the hottest part of the year, statistically we are bound to get uncomfortably warm weather. If comfortable weather is a priority (it sure is for me), it only makes sense to hold the rally earlier or later in the year.

As many have pointed out, there are numerous criteria that factor in to when and where the National is held. Some have mentioned that teachers and students are locked in to taking summer time off. For many years I worked in a national park. Because we were at the height of the visitor season then, we could not take leave during July or August. Everyone has personal criteria to satisfy. If attending the rally is a high enough priority, most people can find a way.

September weather is usually much more moderate, but is the start of hurricane season along the gulf coast and eastern seaboard. It's all a gamble. What's not a gamble is that the temperatures are likely to be more pleasant in June or September.

I challenge the board to formally poll the membership to determine if an early or later rally date would be worth trying. Some years ago I recall they tried a mid-week rally. The concept didn't go over too well, but I don't fault the MOA for at least giving it a try.

Can we start by polling the membership to at least see if an earlier/later date would be popular enough to try? I'll start the ball rolling by proposing a national rally date in the first half of September.
 
I did 200+ miles in the cage today between Massachusetts and southern NH -- Logan Airport tied the record of 103 and it was pertneer 100 everywhere I went.

I saw a lot of cruisers -- not a single rider had more than a T shirt, and in NH, not one had a helmet. Contrast that with all the sports bike riders I saw -- only one was riding in a T shirt, and every last one of the rest were ATGATT with mesh jackets and full face helmets.

Pretty impressive -- you might need to change your stereotype, at least for southern New England. Peer pressure works.

But yeah, there weren't many Camp Gears kids in Voni's pictures and not a single one was smiling.

Come down to Georgia and you'll change your mind. No stereotype. I call em like I see em....
And what kind of bikes did you them on? Rice rockets? Did you see one rider on a BMW that you could tell wasn't an old fart like us...
 
Pay your quarter and take your chances.

Went to the RA in Wisconsin. About 10 days of vacation and riding. Only really wicked heat was during the RA. It's just luck. :violin
 
Spring , summer, fall the whiners wouldn't be there.

Imagine if we changed the Bloomsburg Rally to spring. It rained every day in April, all but three days in May and June had one nice week. In this time frame the fairgrounds was flooded twice, the highest was 18 inches at the lower end, todays BMW Demo area....... and lets not forget the tornado that would have hit the Country Store roof. Last fall was hot till the third week in September then two weeks later it was coat weather.

Who could forget the snow during the first Color of the Catskills ? Oh the people that WHERE NOT THERE ! Yes folks that was early October and yes lets go further north till we scrap frost off our tents. :thumb And faaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr away from any population center that could support a rally.

If folks would have taken my cooler Bloomsburg road routes they would be fine. There is plenty of free water, mist machines, AC Hotels,swimming holes and sadly it was during a NATIONAL Heat wave and yes if you came last week it was nicer just like fishing lodges and skii resorts ... not an excuse. But just think if it was in the PAC West I could have driven five days of high heat to get there and another five days to return. Only kids could endure that.

Yeah go to cooler areas. You mean Canada ? The country that our vendors hate to go to ? If we get any further north we may have to change our music selection.
 
Come down to Georgia and you'll change your mind. No stereotype. I call em like I see em....
And what kind of bikes did you them on? Rice rockets? Did you see one rider on a BMW that you could tell wasn't an old fart like us...

Yeah, all the ATGATT riders were on rice rockets, one on an FJR, and that's pretty much the way they ride in New England. I don't think I've ever seen a rr rider here without a full face helmet, even if he has a t shirt on.

No BMWs in sight. All the old farts were on cruisers with what's left of their hair flapping in the breeze.
 
this post is an open letter to the moa board.

By placing the rally in the middle of the hottest part of the year, statistically we are bound to get uncomfortably warm weather. If comfortable weather is a priority (it sure is for me), it only makes sense to hold the rally earlier or later in the year.

As many have pointed out, there are numerous criteria that factor in to when and where the national is held. Some have mentioned that teachers and students are locked in to taking summer time off. For many years i worked in a national park. Because we were at the height of the visitor season then, we could not take leave during july or august. Everyone has personal criteria to satisfy. If attending the rally is a high enough priority, most people can find a way.

September weather is usually much more moderate, but is the start of hurricane season along the gulf coast and eastern seaboard. It's all a gamble. What's not a gamble is that the temperatures are likely to be more pleasant in june or september.

I challenge the board to formally poll the membership to determine if an early or later rally date would be worth trying. Some years ago i recall they tried a mid-week rally. The concept didn't go over too well, but i don't fault the moa for at least giving it a try.

Can we start by polling the membership to at least see if an earlier/later date would be popular enough to try? I'll start the ball rolling by proposing a national rally date in the first half of september.

1+
 
got this from a friend in an e-mail today:

Deb lauder when I spoke to her about changing rally from July to earlier in season or later so people wouldnt be dehydrated and etc from heat. She said no. Because this is when kids are out of school and can attend. When teachers and college professor are and when people can come. It's when also traveling the weather is most best. Areas in united states have snow to early and later in season. One person also spoke up and said it's easier control too hot with a person versus too cold and she agreed. So looks like it will never change. They also been holding it in July for many years.


true, teachers & college profs are off in the summer, i'm not, i have to work all year long, but yet i can find the time to make it to the rally's.

kids off from school, so your holding your rally based on what is convenient for at the most a few hundred kids? what about what the other 10,000 paying members want?

i am sure changing the time the rally is held would be a daunting task but after the scorcher of this year and if attendance is off next year due to the heat in MO in July what will the MOA do? will they continue on, set in there ways "because this is when we always have our rally" or will they listen to what the majority of the members want. if what the majority wants is to change the dates the rally is held and that is ignored then it is no longer "our" club, it is there club and we are just footing the bill.

i am sure the people that make these decisions are busy at the rally, but surely one of them could have chimed in on this thread by now offering there opinion on this issue. if they are unaware of this thread then perhaps they could have posted something addressing this years heat situation on there own.

going back to one of my previous posts if one of the more influential members of the MOA would chime in with the suggestion that changing the rally dates be discussed or explored that might get the powers that be to give this serious consideration. with all due respect let a Voni Glaves or a Matthew Parkhouse suggest the rally be moved to a cooler month or a cooler location and this would get the board to sit up and take notice, but when someone like me makes this suggestion it falls on deaf ears. oh well, thats life i guess, some people are more influential then others.
 
Last edited:
And what percentages of the membership are teachers? No I say we don't cater to kids and teachers. Cater to the majority.

Moondog,

I get your point on location and time of year, but catering to the majority can be dangerous. I can remember when there were arguments about the club being too mid-western and union friendly (by picking a union printer vs a cheaper non-union shop). It seemed that a lot of those old timers were skilled tradesmen that worked in the auto and machinery companies of the mid-west. They had good jobs and were mechanically inclined, so motorcycles were a good hobby for them. In addition, back in the day, many factories shut-down for two weeks in July, so you had to take some of your vacation then.

Today, based on my precise, but potentially in-accurate, anecdotal observation, we are heavily populated by military and LEO retirees. These folks have time and income to afford the bikes and attend rallys. They have secure benefits, so a more flexible lifestyle is possible which allows taking vacation whenever. But, I can tell you as a person that hopes to have his gov't pension benefits honored someday, tilting the the club policies to this current majority could be reckless. As many of you know, the concept of a gov't pension, which would include the military and LEO's, is anathema to a large segment of the population and these programs many end in the near future. As such, tilting our club rules and structures, to this current majority might lead to fashioning a club who's membership could evaporate, just like those old guys from the mid-west that worked in those factories...........

If you want to re-fashion club policies, I think you should look to the folks in their 30 &40's that will, hopefully, be the next generation of old members. These members, I assume, have the least amount of vacation time and schedule flexibility. The rally, or rallies, should be structured to attract these folks, in my opinion.

For reference, I'm beyond the 30 & 40 yo age group and 10+ yrs from retirement. I've been in the club for 26-yrs as just a member, since the age of 25.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top