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What helps you to decide whether to attend the National or not

What would help influence your decision to attend the National Rally


  • Total voters
    97
  • Poll closed .
None of the options listed on the poll.

We'll be there because we had such a good time at West Bend. We volunteered every day, met lots of new people, saw old friends and enjoyed every minute of it.

My daughter, Jessica, was sad when it was over - she started counting the days until the next one in Gillette.

Dave McConnachie
 
Time and distance

I love everything about the rallies, especially the comraderie and opportunity to ride new roads with new (and old) friends. I simply don't have the time to ride three days each way, to and from, a rally. I rode more than 25,000 miles in 2007 so I do get out there, just not all at once, owing to job obligations. And, with rallies scheduled Wednesday through Saturday, if the trip is long, it's a two week, rather than one week, committment.
 
If there is a rally, I'll go. if there isn't, I won't! Good camping is important to me. It was crappy at Charleston, but the riding and seminars made up for it. There are usually more good things to do the time allows. My thanks to those who planthem.

Jay
 
I've been a member for several years but haven't been able to go to a National because of the distance from my home and the required time to get there. Almost went to Spokane a few years back but due to time considerations getting there and back, I just couldn't swing it.:violin

That said, I am very excited about Gillette. I went to the Black Hills last July for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed the riding (it was very hot, though :hungover ). This summer, I plan to go out early in the week from Denver and visit Flaming Gorge, Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone, Beartooth Pass, Cody (and all that's in-between) then into Gillette and the National for the weekend.

I can't wait!:brad
 
Whether or not there is room at Camp BEERS

Actually for the past five years it has not been a question of going. I just put it on the calendar and go. Luckily for me July is relatively slow at work as we end our fiscal year in June and most of the fall sports work doesn't start until August. I still end up working some with the Blackberry attached to me but it is always a good time.
 
Have never missed one

I've never missed one (since I started riding in 1987), so I am not sure what would cause me to miss one.

All I could come up with would be unfortunate personal circumstances like health or financial problems.

See you all in Gillette! And in 2009! Oh yeah, and 2010, too..............

:bliss
 
If it was just me, I would camp. However, my wife has a vote and won't camp. My wife loves to ride, but won't sleep in a tent. We're both from South Dakota and when I told her this years MOA rally was in Gillette, she thought I was kidding. Nobody in Dakotas vacation in Gillette. Gillette's usually a quick gas stop. Trying to convince her to stay in a Sherpa tent next to a beer tent would not go over well.
 
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Time/Money

It's the placement in the time/money continuum that casts the deciding vote. I've been to two so far, I had a blast at both, and would love to be able to say that I'll never miss another, but the reality is I will probably not make Gillette this year.
But I might, ya never know!
 
I'm not sure I'll make Gillette this year. While I enjoy the rally and the socializing, I can probably get the same going to smaller rallies and doing some "adventure riding" on my own, or with a small group of friends. I don't have a problem with the distance to Gillette, and the riding directly around the rally area isn't a huge deal for me, either. I didn't do much riding when I was in West Bend, actually (but lots afterwards).

Still, the route from Toledo (assuming I'm still living here in July) to Gillette is 1,289 miles. Lots of flat land between here and there. I also don't know that many of my riding friends are going, so that's a LONG boring ride. Give me some terrain changes and my opinion would probably change. It's not the mileage but the scenery. I see corn fields around here enough, already. :)

To the original question: Better riding on the way there OR a shorter ride (take your pick) would get me there if I was "on the edge". Possibly good riding companions would work, too.
 
Wind?

A good laugh in my world as 2 wheels and wind are togetherness....rally location is a consideration occasionally. Vermont and West Bend were a no go due to touring up to Nova Scotia and back down through Wisconsin after the Lima show.
Wyoming is famous for WIND, some of the highest daily mean windspeed in the US are in this state! After spending many years living in the cowboy state I'll recommend everyone stake the 'ol tent down firmly and tie off those bike covers! The riding is tremendous being at the base of the black hills to the east and the jellystone/motorhome extravaganza to the west. Be sure to look on the map and locate SHELL CANYON, a hidden gem of a road....:whistle
 
A good laugh in my world as 2 wheels and wind are togetherness....rally location is a consideration occasionally. Vermont and West Bend were a no go due to touring up to Nova Scotia and back down through Wisconsin after the Lima show.
Wyoming is famous for WIND, some of the highest daily mean windspeed in the US are in this state! After spending many years living in the cowboy state I'll recommend everyone stake the 'ol tent down firmly and tie off those bike covers! The riding is tremendous being at the base of the black hills to the east and the jellystone/motorhome extravaganza to the west. Be sure to look on the map and locate SHELL CANYON, a hidden gem of a road....:whistle

Or Ten Sleep Canyon to its south. Also a gem!
 
The usual time thing, with money a slight consideration. I could swing the time for Vermont, but not enough cash to be on the road that long. I don't expect Gilette to be a problem.
Of course the rally itself is the draw, more so than much anything else. The two I've been to so far are Lima and West Bend. Coming from Dallas, the basic routes to/from were pretty dull- although I managed to add some interesting detours. But once I got to the rally, I didn't have any strong need to go ride- I had so much fun hanging out with friends and doing interesting things onsite.

My advice is that if a trip to the rally is feasible, JUST GO! :)
 
not sure yet, i've been to all of them since i joined in fall of 2004!

i think this year, while possibly still up in the air, is prob not going to happen. depending on what i'm doing for work or travel at that point, i think i'll just be doing something else is all.

but it's usually the people that affect any decision i have to go to a rally, be it, YB, MOA, ADV, Rounders or any other groups, i go for the friends that i only get to see a few times a year!
 
Because there are rallies! I go to ride to the rally, to visit old friends and make new ones, volunteer, and ride home. What else is there?
 
Because there are rallies! I go to ride to the rally, to visit old friends and make new ones, volunteer, and ride home. What else is there?

Hey, Randy-

Looks like the RA did for '08 what I did for '94.......take a "troublemaker" :bolt and put him in charge of security!! That way you have to behave yourself:laugh
Seriously, at the RA in the Land of Lakes (yours truly was the chair), we put Skeeter (of all people) in charge of security. His hat even stated RA PD. He didn't have a drop of alcohol all weekend......believe it or not
 
Distance is really all there is to it for me at this point in my life.

Unfortunately Gillette is just a bit too far from Chicago for me. We'll see.

Motel prices are not an issue for me. I like to camp and if I can ever convince the GF to accompany me to one of these things, well, she is even more into camping than I am.

I don't need any particular kinds of roads or riding enroute to or around a rally. Once I get there I don't ride at all - especially once the beer tent is open.

As for the music, it is certainly not a reason to go or not go, but I'm glad that it is there. I don't have much experience having only been to Lima and West Bend, but it seems like a great way to try to present some of the local culture. When I go to a rally I'm pretty much content to stay at the rally the whole time. I'm not gonna traipse into Milwaukee or Cleveland or whatever to see what the regional music might be like. I appreciate having some of it brought out to the rally for us. Even if some of it is inevitably gonna strike some people as cheesy or not to their liking.

Like having regional beers at the rally, which I also very much appreciate.
 
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Distance is really all there is to it for me at this point in my life.

Unfortunately Gillette is just a bit too far from Chicago for me. We'll see.

Too Far?? 1050 miles per Mapquest. Is that the Buell rider or Beemer rider speaking? How's Illinois going to beat Wisconsin in the mileage contest?? (Just kidding) Everyone has time constraints and make choices with their very precious vacation days.

I've been to most of the Nationals in the last 15 years Even with only 2 weeks vacation, my rule of thumb was 1000 miles for a weekend rally. I've stayed at many a National for only a few hours (with no day pass) Fontana and Durango were 2......but then that's just me:dance
 
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