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THE 2021 Montana MOA Re-Schedule (previous 2020 Great Falls Thread)

Perhaps you saw the cell phone video clip a few days ago billed as "Canadian Road Rage"? It was of one driver getting out of his car at a red light and sweeping the snow off the back windshield of the car just ahead of him in the adjacent lane. I can also remember all the generous Canadian BMW riders I met years ago touring in my R75/5 who would buy me all the (for the times in the US) high alcohol content beer I could drink just to see me get plowed. I almost missed the ferry out of Victoria - the last one at 3:00pm due to such kindness. :D

Missed that video Greg, but it sounds like a hoot.

When it comes to touring, occasionally I will ride with another but for the most part, I do prefer to ride by myself. Sometimes I have had need to rely on the kindness of strangers, and since a good deal of my riding is in the US, there have been generous Americans that have been friendly and helpful when the need arose. :clap

Canadians do not have a monopoly on being friendly and helpful as Americans also fall into that category. :thumb
 
Missed that video Greg, but it sounds like a hoot.

When it comes to touring, occasionally I will ride with another but for the most part, I do prefer to ride by myself. Sometimes I have had need to rely on the kindness of strangers, and since a good deal of my riding is in the US, there have been generous Americans that have been friendly and helpful when the need arose. :clap

Canadians do not have a monopoly on being friendly and helpful as Americans also fall into that category. :thumb

Thanks, Paul. Actually, that's been my experience as well, but your whole country has a reputation for politeness. There are places I've need in the US that wouldn't qualify for that category :banghead.
 
Looking at your map, where is the Spearfish to Buffalo 14/16 section? This looks so neat, we may slab it from CA, just to see some stuff East of Yellowstone!
Old US 14 parallels I-90 from Spearfish to Sundance, then turns NW towards Devils Tower before turning West again towards Gillette. A better ride from Spearfish is to go North on US 85 to Belle Fourche, then West on SD 34 to Alladin WY, then to Hulett WY via WY 24 then on to Devils Tower and the junction with US 14 to the South. Heading SW on 14 takes you to Moorcroft WY and US 14/16 then parallel I-90 West to Gillette.
 
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Even if the planned schedule is met the general population vaccination in Canada will not happen in time for Canadian members to attend the rally save for those who are early in the queue because of their work or health status.

IMHO it's too soon to give up on the rally because there are more vaccine candidates out there: https://apnews.com/article/public-h...irus-vaccine-3db1583f627efcd7f06a1762209e6f36

If more vaccines can be approved that will of course improve the odds of us getting vaccinated.

Harry
 
My brother in Arizona and his wife have appointments for the COVID vaccine in February. It appears some states are less screwed up than others...

Harry
 
We are on three lists: our county; our doctor's clinic, the state. I expect first in Feb. and second three or four week later. The roll out is Keystone Cops. I hope it improves. It is a joke.
 
I keep hearing complaints about the “vaccine rollout.
For your consideration.........
A trip to the doctors office is a ball of confusion with paperwork, scheduling and one end of the office not knowing what the other end is doing.
Add a whole ‘nother office on top of the first office while another group supplies the medication?
Add enough tracking so that the correct amount of time elapses so a second dose, of the same vaccine, can be given at a specific time?
Add that many people are on multiple lists.......some sitting in yet another line waiting for the shot, skews who needs what when.

A vaccine developed for anything has never been achieved before and as best I can tell, approval of a new vaccine is also a record.
Expecting this to go any better was really wishful thinking as it’s the first time for- a pandemic in our lifetime.
I think it took 5 days to get water to the stadium after Katrina.

I completely realize the frustration, especially from those who have tried to do the right thing by staying home. 10 months is a crazy amount of time to be stuck in one place when one has always been on the move.

It looks like the vaccine is being administered as fast as they are figuring out how to administer the shots. Probably a good idea to keep a good record of your progress and type of vaccine once you do receive it.

Hang in folks.

OM
 
Old US 14 parallels I-90 from Spearfish to Sundance, then turns NW towards Devils Tower before turning West again towards Gillette. A better ride from Spearfish is to go North on US 85 to Belle Fourche, then West on SD 34 to Alladin WY, then to Hulett WY via WY 24 then on to Devils Tower and the junction with US 14 to the South. Heading SW on 14 takes you to Moorcroft WY and US 14/16 then parallel I-90 West to Gillette.

Thanks! I am thinking my buddy & I may just bee-line out from CA to get to see some of these roads, vs. do our usual tour there the long way ride.
 
My brother in Arizona and his wife have appointments for the COVID vaccine in February. It appears some states are less screwed up than others...

Harry

Here in Northern Michigan my wife and I have had our first shot and scheduled for the second beginning of next month (both of us over age 65 - although she does not look it). We live in a low population area, 4 traffic lights in the county, and we don't have a lot of competing medical organizations. We scheduled on-line with the State Health Department after a call to our Doctor sent us in that direction. I hear complaints that the problems at the state level are due to the feds and visa versa. I tend to think that we live in a state that, in all respects, is the size of a small country and if they don't have the talent to solve many of our own problems, someone probably hired the wrong talent. In these situations politicians regret making political appointments as opposed to selection of the best individual for the position. Not wanting to set the sirens off from the forum police I think that if the political planets are in line from your state and the feds there is less finger pointing then if not.

I too think that it is early to determine if we have a rally or not. I also think that if our Canadian friends, for the most part, can't join us we should consider a later date.

Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
#71,449

"Stuff is getting better, stuff is getting better every day" Richard Starkey -The Postman
 
FWIW Americade just announced that it will move from early June to end of September to increase the probability that it will actually happen.

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks! I am thinking my buddy & I may just bee-line out from CA to get to see some of these roads, vs. do our usual tour there the long way ride.

Join me on this route with an overnight in Red Lodge MT, we can ride the Beartooth and Chief Joseph before heading from Red Lodge to Great Falls.

Spearfish%20to%20Great%20Falls%20the%20Scenic%20Route-XL.png
 
@BigJohnSD - that’s exactly the route we take every time we’re out that way. Too many riders are so fixated on Beartooth that they overlook Ten Sleep and Shell Canyons!
 
FWIW Americade just announced that it will move from early June to end of September to increase the probability that it will actually happen.

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

Bike Week in Daytona is still on: https://www.officialbikeweek.com/

If I ever pry a vaccination out of the State of New York, I'm outta here. I'll create my own bike week somewhere. And it is way too early to cancel our big rally.

Harry
 
FWIW Americade just announced that it will move from early June to end of September to increase the probability that it will actually happen.

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

I wonder how the vendors will handle that move. Typically they plan way in advance...on the other hand this is anything but a typical year

Pete
 
Bike Week in Daytona is still on: https://www.officialbikeweek.com/

If I ever pry a vaccination out of the State of New York, I'm outta here. I'll create my own bike week somewhere. And it is way too early to cancel our big rally.

Harry

Harry - I hope to see you there.

My wife and I usually go to Key West in March and catch the Daytona 200 on the way back north. Key West may not happen this year raising the opportunity to try and ride to see the 200. Were talking Bucket List. I remember reading an article in the AMA magazine about someone riding their Triumph to Daytona from Flint Michigan in something like 1966. Fast riders in dirt track from Flint back then and now. Very fast. I think my first in person 200 was 1971. Used to listen to it on the motor racing network before that, back as far as High School. AM radio. Its not the race it used to be but it is still one rider 200 miles. The weather is really iffy but all I need is a weather window, lots of stops and the heated gear. I am scheduled for my second vaccine on February 4th so that box should get checked. Roadracers really work at getting on the track. For extra dollars the raceway has a pit walk and you get to talk to the riders, crews and some sponsors. When I get to a sponsor - I thank them for their participation. One of my favorites is the Broaster Chicken Racing. If there was a Porta John sponsor available those riders would mob them like a starving dog after a cheeseburger. The bad boy of the 200 in recent years has been Danny Eslick. He has home state fans show up with a bus in the infield with a roof top platform. He has won the race in the past, several times, leaned his bike against the fence, climbed over and joined them on top of the bus. Lets start hoping for some global warming on or about March 1st.

In more ways than one - this would be a pretty cool way to start the riding year.



Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
#71449
 
"In more ways than one - this would be a pretty cool way to start the riding year".

Neat memories of the "better days" of Bike Week Wayne. Your one of the guy's that made it what it was!
So much of that began to change about 15 years back though; and now it's hardly recognizable, from the 90's for sure.
This last decade it's been April's Leesburg (FL) 3 day BikeFest... that has root's from the past.
A very enjoyable "throw-back" Main Street setting; without the foolishness.

Last weekend we had BMW's all over the State coming and going... for the BMWNEF Winter Rally.
It was great to see some normalcy on the Rally front once again, even with the new precautions necessary.

And we had very comfortable temperatures, no heated gear required. Hopefully that will continue for your arrival.
One thing that remains interesting; the racing. Hope you can make it.

Would like to have this weather in Great Falls, lot's of morning 50's to afternoon high 70's (low 80's Central Florida and south)

One thing on the horizon is also true...
"Shot's in the arm, you in the seat... a ride to Montana can't be beat!"
 
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