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Why do you no longer attend the national?

Why do you no longer attend the national?

  • I don't do rallies at all.

    Votes: 2 13.3%
  • I prefer local rallies.

    Votes: 2 13.3%
  • They got too big.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The locations are not inviting.

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Family or financial constraints.

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 20.0%

  • Total voters
    15
I've been an MOA member off and on, for about 5-6 years.

During that time, I've attended Lima and Midland.

Would have attended Charleston, but would have been traveling 300 miles each way with a 9 y/o, and given the bad weather figured that would not be a way to have any father-son bonding. Solo I'd have done it. Shrug.

For me, it gets hashed out almost a year ahead of time. IOW, what else is going on at the time of the MOA rally? How far is it?

If nothing else is going on, and the rally is close, I'll attend.

If lots of good stuff is going on nearby, and the rally is far, it's unlikely I'll be there.

Basically the rally competes with everything else we do during the summer: annual Mensa convention, whitewater kayaking trips, other motorcycle rallies (COG Nat'l and Mid-Ohio Vintage days are events I also like to take in), family vacation, etc. The pie (whether it's a money pie or time pie) is only so big.

I guess I just have too many hobbies to be a year-after-year-chronic-rally-attendee.

Best,
Doug Grosjean
Luckey, Ohio
www.douggrosjean.com
 
Very much enjoyed the Spokane, WA rally !

Coming from BC it was close by and wery well done ... if another rally is held in the PNW I will attend ... Horst in BC.
 
Sam,

I would be willing to bet that if you went to the rally you would meet some other like minded folks who participate in the LDR and IB Done lists. I for one would be psyched to meet "That Damn Sam".

You would also see some cool bikes and be able to check out all the cool aftermarket stuff for BMW's.

That is just the tip of the iceberg.

You don't have to camp to have fun. I happen to prefer camping.

Best,

Rob Nye
IBA 250
 
selil said:
BMWMOA just hasn't made a great case for somebody relatively new like me to ride to the rally and attend. Heck I don't even KNOW if there is a local BMW MOA chapter near me!

Ya know Sam, I agree with you but I just decided to jump in with both feet anyway and met all these people from the forum. Plus you'll know me, I'll intorduce you to Rob.

There is a local club BTW, check them out at http://www.bmwmoa.org/about/clubs/regions/in.htm
 
just do it.

The solstace ride is a group that met here online. If you like some of the folks here, and want to meet them, do what I did. I have no idea what I am doing as far as being a host, but I like these folks and now we have a chance to get together, swap stories and drink beer. You would be welcome here, and would probably have a great bunch of stories from the road.
Its low key no pressure to be anyone but yourself, Just like a rally only smaller.

I dont belong to a local group, just the moa and the ra. I hang with those that I have met on the road and here.
 
Last edited:
I hear ya Sam and concur with most of your thoughts. I too am not much of one for large groups where youÔÇÖre swallowed into the crowd. For some, such as Rob (who I would like to meet some day) or the Feeler-Mister, meeting folks in such situations may be easy, for others this is not the case. Like you too I am perfectly content to simply get on my machine and ride and while I have had some enjoyable rides with groups, the rides IÔÇÖve taken solo, or with perhaps just one rider have always turned into much more interesting rides. I think there is something intimidating to many non-riders when encountering a large (more than three) group of riders and they are less apt to interface with you. I canÔÇÖt count the number of interesting folks IÔÇÖve met while riding solo, as I have often mentioned there is a reason you see all those benches in front of small country store that are so absent in the cities, its an open invitation to sit and ÔÇ£chat a spellÔÇØ, which I often do when riding solo, but is much more difficult (at least for me) in a larger group.

Charleston was my first large rally (of any kind since the late 70's) and I certainly did have a good time, but for me much of that was the chance to meet with a few folks IÔÇÖve interacted with over the net on the Black Sheep list more than the rally per se. Big events can easily make you feel lost in crowd unless you are an outgoing type who can easily walk up to folks and strike up conversations. Not all of us are like that and sometimes I think folks who are outgoing tend to forget or not realize that. IÔÇÖve met many who think there is something ÔÇ£wrongÔÇØ with those who are able to be perfectly happy simply being alone but I stopped worrying about that sort of thing ages ago.

I find it an interesting contrast between all those BMW owners who espouse the idea of the camaraderie of BMW ownership as one of the biggest draws of owning this brand, yet in my travels I have often noted how much more likely I am to see BMW riders out riding alone than almost any other marquee out there.

Rally going is in the end a personal decision, no one but you can answer the question of whether it is something you will enjoy or not, not all are geared toward them and those that attend may no doubt claim you are missing something, yet those that prefer the freedom of the open road enjoyed in solitude can make an equally valid claim. You can always go and if you find it not to your liking, you can simply pull up stakes and head out, IÔÇÖve done that on several of those rare occasions IÔÇÖve attended a rally and the crowds just simply started to feel ÔÇ£stiflingÔÇØ.

While IÔÇÖll probably attend another MOA rally it will, like the last one, be mostly to spend some time with folks IÔÇÖve met before and can only really spend time with at such an event because of the distance between our places of residence and perhaps met a few new folks that, again, I have spent time interacting with on some forum but have never met face to face. Bottom line is there is nothing wrong with being a loner, hell it has its advantages too.

Some folks are leaders, some are followers, others are joiners, then there are those that prefer exploring the lesser traveled byways with nothing but the wind and their own thoughts for company. To each his/her own.
My sig line probably says it as well as anything.

I Ride the Road of Solitude

I ride the road of solitude,
The wind upon my face.
I sense the road beneath my feet,
As onward now I race.

The rhythm of the open road,
The freedom that it brings.
The motor adds itÔÇÖs gentle note,
To the road song that it sings.

It lifts my spirit, fills my mind;
With joy that is unbound.
Releases me from all my cares,
With each new pleasure found.

I ride the freedom road alone,
As ever on I fly.
To find a new and quiet place,
Beneath the open sky.

The freedom of the open road,
My mind and soul released.
It brings such joy, such peace of mind;
Astride this gentle beast.

And even in my deepest sleep,
My soul rides on and then;
I waken to a bright new day,
And off I ride again.

This need to ride ingrained so deep,
As surely it must be.
I canÔÇÖt resist, nor wish to try,
I ride and am set free.

I know that when I leave this world,
My soul will travel on.
To ever ride the open road,
As I travel on, alone.

2005 ?® RocketMan.
 
Loners to the rear, please!

rocketman said:
I hear ya Sam and concur with most of your thoughts. I too am not much of one for large groups...IÔÇÖve met many who think there is something ÔÇ£wrongÔÇØ with those who are able to be perfectly happy simply being alone...

You can always go and if you find it not to your liking, you can simply pull up stakes and head out, IÔÇÖve done that on several of those rare occasions IÔÇÖve attended a rally and the crowds just simply started to feel ÔÇ£stiflingÔÇØ.

...there is nothing wrong with being a loner...Some folks are leaders, some are followers, others are joiners, then there are those that prefer exploring the lesser traveled byways with nothing but the wind and their own thoughts for company. To each his/her own.

RocketÔǪwe ÔÇÿsolosÔÇÖ hear you talking, my friend. In addition to your own words of wisdom above, I might add the thoughts of one Robert W. Service:

The Men That DonÔÇÖt Fit In

ThereÔÇÖs a race of men that donÔÇÖt fit in,
A race that canÔÇÖt stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountainÔÇÖs crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gipsy blood,
And they donÔÇÖt know how to rest.

If they just went straight they might go far;
They are strong and brave and true;
But theyÔÇÖre always tired of the things that are,
And they want the strange and new.
They say: ÔÇ£Could I find my proper groove,
What a deep mark I would make!ÔÇØ
So they chop and change, and each fresh move
Is only a fresh mistake.

And each forgets, as he strips and runs,
With a brilliant, fitful pace,
ItÔÇÖs the steady, quiet, plodding ones
Who win in the lifelong race.
And each forgets that his youth has fled,
Forgets that his prime is past,
Till he stands one day with a hope thatÔÇÖs dead
In the glare of the truth at last.

He has failed, he has failed; he has missed
his chance;
He has just done things by half.
LifeÔÇÖs been a jolly good joke on him,
And now is the time to laugh
He is one of the Legion Lost;
He was never meant to win;
HeÔÇÖs a rolling stone, and itÔÇÖs bred in the
bone;
HeÔÇÖs a man who wonÔÇÖt fit in.
 
Spokane was my first and it was an easy ride.
Ohio is my home, (Toledo) so not to go is disc'ing the family.
2006.....well, got to figure time and since I am in the SW of the US of A, I am looking at making it a four corners.
Really, it IS the ride, not just the end point.

So many roads, so little time....
 
SlashFiveTourer said:
RocketÔǪwe ÔÇÿsolosÔÇÖ hear you talking, my friend. In addition to your own words of wisdom above, I might add the thoughts of one Robert W. Service:

The Men That DonÔÇÖt Fit In

Ah yesh, the Bard of the North, he wrote some excellent stuff, hadn't read that one thou.
I really like "The Cremation of Sam Mcgee" besides being a great poem, the meter he used in it was pretty interesting. I tried one of two of my own using the same meter, pretty challanging. Thanks for pointing that one out.

RM
 
I can't vote either. I have been to every national since Rhinebeck in 99 and have enjoyed them all. I too am a loner (usually.) I go because I love to see the bikes, the vendors, and to enjoy a few beers while seeing some great bands (last year's thursday show at spokane was outstanding!) I am looking forward to seeing George T. this year. I am not thrilled with Lima, but plan to travel better roads the following week. The rallys give me a destination and an excuse to ride, sometimes a long way (NY, WA, OR.) Last year I rode alone, but volunteered for registration on Saturday and attended ERC on Thursday. Met lots of nice people.
I'll be planning for next year as soon as I return from Lima. I put in for vacation a year ahead and book some rooms along the way.
Rob
 
July and the heat...

Gittin Old said:
I've been to the last 3 rallys and had a great time. Only gripe is he month of July. It's so damn hot!

Last year going to Spokane what kept us going was the though of getting to Spokane and cooling off. Didn't happen.

Wanda and I really enjoy going to the Nationals/Internationals...just can't take the heat getting there and then camping in 100 plus temps. Even Texas in 97 (I believe) seemed cooler (or were we just younger).

We are looking forward to a National/International in the high country in the spring or fall.

Deryle Mehrten
Arizona, USA
 
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