What is a Rally?

[JetDoc]

My local group is planning a little weekend get-together this spring at a near-by state park. We will have food, camping, a ride or two, a guest speaker and one of the mechanics from a local BMW dealer will teach a class on roadside tire repairs.

It has been suggested by someone who has been around BMW rallies a lot longer than I have, that maybe we shouldn't call this little event a rally, because "People have certain expectations of what a rally is, " and some attendees might be disappointed.

So that's the question... What is a rally? What do you expect to find at a rally, and what would you miss if it wasn't there?

[lorazepam]

Sounds like a rally to me. Is it a freebie, or do you have to register? You have all the ingredients of a rally so call it what you wish.

[JetDoc]

Is it a freebie, or do you have to register?

We're asking $20 per person to help cover the cost of food (three meals) and an honorarium for the guest speaker.

[kbasa]

Sounds like a rally to me.

I consider a bunch of bikes, some tents, a campfire and some beer a rally.

[The_Veg]

Call it whatever you want. I'm active in another web-forum that deals primarily with Airheads and when the users of that forum gather in Oklahoma twice a year to ride, eat, drink, tell lies and generally have a decidedly unorganised great time, we call it a rally.

[username]

make it clear to people that it is a 'bare bones' rally without a ton of organized fun. that minimizes the likelihood of some folks showing up in a motorhome wondering what time the poker run is, and then wanting to complain to the hospitality committee chairman because there is no concert saturday night and the people doing the cooking are surly. ;)

sounds fun.

[R100RS]

Sounds like a great time!

I agree with username's comments. Another suggestion is, for the first year, to limit the advertisement of the rally as kind of a test run. My local group is contemplating something similar, but the dry run will have limited advertising (probably with nearby clubs as well as the forums here), but it won't be listed in the Where & When in ON the first year.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

The RT riders website 'organizes' an 'Unrally' where nothing is organized by anyone, but you and your buddies. It is a get together of bikes, riders, tents, beer and pizza. The only thing organized is the place of the gathering.
It was great last summer to meet those folks in Cody WY on the way to Spokane.
I ended up seeing all kinds of interesting roads, Beartooth & Chief Joseph, :clap and offcourse the Bill Cody museum which by itself is worth the trip.
So I guess you can call your gathering a rally too. :thumb

[BradfordBenn]

Yup, it is a Unrally. Just some fun.