New Rally Schedule

Yup, I'd go back. Get 45 minutes to an hour south if Sedalia and the riding is good. (to me that's great as I'm 3 hours from much of anything on a normal basis. In Sedalia I could do some good riding before breakfast! :) )

It appears that the rotation is designed to allow no further than a two-zone trip to a rally ever other year. I'm on the east coast (New England, Zone 4)), so in 2014 I'll have a two-zone trip but in 2016 the rally will be "in-zone". The one-zone/two-zone distance feature applies to all zones, but in different years of rotation. So, the new rotation seems to be fair...but only from an east/west perspective.

Not stated is the north/south perspective...

Check out the new zone map:

[IMG]http://www.bmwmoa.org/images/gallery/cache/aaa_top_Four_Zone_Map-616x359.jpg[/IMG]

Note that the riding distance from the north of Zone IV to the south of Zone IV is a actually 3 "riding zone" trip! So, even though the Rally may be "in-zone" to your location (east/west) it may actually be 3 "riding zones" away (north/south).

I would suggest that the Rally's zone rotation should also consider its north/south siting aspect. Considering Zone IV as an example, its "in-zone" years will be 2016, 2020, 20024 and 2028. Rotating the north/south in-zone locations in those years might result in a NY location in 2016, a GA location in 2020, a PA location in 2024, and a SC location in 2028.

Further, I suggest that when the Site Committee is evaluating criteria for sites, they take into account its proximity to either the north-central or south-central halves of each of the 4 Zones.

TIA,

or,lets just say they need more than four zones...:)

Let's have the rally committee pick a site and we meet there. :banghead

[QUOTE=rjzinc;812437]Let's have the rally committee pick a site and we meet there. :banghead[/QUOTE]

And that is exactly what we do! :wave

Does this mean the rally will never be in Canada again?

Jim

[QUOTE=jgsmith;813013]Does this mean the rally will never be in Canada again?

Jim[/QUOTE]

That is not my decision, but in studying the map one would get that impression. I think the Canadian Rockies would be a great location and possibly cooler too. The plains provinces may not provide the exciting roads that some people are looking for, but west of there it could be great.

Pocono Bill

[QUOTE=jgsmith;813013]Does this mean the rally will never be in Canada again?

Jim[/QUOTE]

Most likely.

You can search this forum. The situation has been discussed at much length. The problem is getting the vendors into and out of the country.

The last time it was a complete SNAFU.

To be fair, it won't be in Mexico either.

Really to bad there are absolutely no vendors in Canada and they can't import from the US because it is too hard to get product over the boarder. Where do they get things for their motorcycles anyway?

:hide

Sorry I have resisted way to long. :brad

[QUOTE=Mika;813111]Really to bad there are absolutely no vendors in Canada and they can't import from the US because it is too hard to get product over the boarder. Where do they get things for their motorcycles anyway?

:hide

Sorry I have resisted way to long. :brad[/QUOTE]

Many of the vendors that come to the rally are mom n pop operations or small businesses like Lee Parks.

For them to vend in Canada they need to declare the value of the inventory they bring in along with all sort of other paperwork to import and sell their goods in Canada.


For some small business owners there are many different reasons why this might not be desirable.

i'm ready to go anywhere, I live in central Fl.

[QUOTE=Rob Nye;813860]Many of the vendors that come to the rally are mom n pop operations or small businesses like Lee Parks.

For them to vend in Canada they need to declare the value of the inventory they bring in along with all sort of other paperwork to import and sell their goods in Canada.


For some small business owners there are many different reasons why this might not be desirable.[/QUOTE]

Many valid points that strike me as obstacles for people who really want a rally to overcome in some way. The current rally schedule would, for example, give four years for people in western Canada to figure out a workable solution and host a rally that would work for the association. Not perfect, but then from what I have seen in thirty years a rally has never been perfect just some are better than others.

As to my comment you quoted...

[img]http://m1ka.smugmug.com/Other/Don-Q/i-27cqJ6P/0/S/1345239693504FT171692foghorn-S.jpg[/img]

Humor was banned in 2007.

[QUOTE=Rob Nye;814143]Humor was banned in 2007.[/QUOTE]

Got the memo, and at the time I thought it was a joke along with the idea that in an association this size, interested in riding Canada doesn't have a group of members that could figure out how to make a rally work with the largest trading partner the US has. Especially since Canadians have to smuggle all those farkles because they don't have any motorcycle vendors in their own country that sell to BMW riders.

:brad

I'm not too impressed with the fact that the lack of vendors prevent us from having a rally in Canada.

Is this a motorcycle travelling club or a shopping get-together?

If we don't have any vendors, too bad, we'll actually have to spend time socialising............The horror!

Regards, Rod.