This is going to be unpopular

[HODAG]

IÔÇÖll use SueÔÇÖs analogy again and compare it to a auto race. There is one ticket to get in the park, one to enter the pits, a wrist band to get in the camping areas. ItÔÇÖs not that hard. It would sure be nice to share with non-BMW riders what we all have going. As a new BMW owner (1 year) I know I would have made the switch earlier had I been to this event before hand.

the rally moves to different venues, not all have dedicated gates for each section. I saw people camping 10 feet from the beer garden entrance.

[DougC]

I saw people camping 10 feet from the beer garden entrance.

I saw people camped out IN the beer garden!

Sectioning off a beer garden or area is nothing difficult nor new.

[belquar]

The cost of living for this area has nothing to do with this topic. Using the cost of tank of gas is a poor comparison because nobody complains about the cost of gas these days right? This even further explains the point I was making.
As far as policing the "one day" versus the all weekend pass, give the one day folks tickets that are torn at the door and the all weekend passes the wristbands.

Wouldn't those rented chairs and tables be easier to pay for with some additional admission $$ from the one day passes in addition to the all day passes?

But what is to stop those people with their torn tickets from staying all weekend and enjoying what everyone else had to pay full price for. What....now we have to hire some polizie to patrol the rally and drag folks out who don't have wristbands past a certain time.
No one wants to have to do that.

I do think the idea of having the vintage display viewable from the outside somehow would be cool but it is a limited access event. Keeps it reasonable.

[HODAG]

I saw people camped out IN the beer garden!

Sectioning off a beer garden or area is nothing difficult nor new.

correct it would be "easy" to section off every section, but would it be worth it? where are these additional security people going to come from? So the day passers want us to make changes for them but are they willing to make these changes happen, if they are only there for a day are they willing to donate a few hours of that day to make it possible?

[REBGEN]

I wouldn't want day visitors wandering around the rally. Like everyone else, when I go to a rally I leave riding gear, GPS, camera and other personal items in my tent. I don't worry about the rallyists, however I wouldn't want day visitors in the camping area.

Amen!!!

[rickg]

My totally unbiased $0.02 worth....

When I attend a rally whether it being a National or a local rally, I don't separate the attendance fee from a camping fee. I figure that the registration fee is for all of the hard work and planning that goes into a rally. Not to mention the facility rental fee, porta pottie and shower rentals fee, entertainment fees, cost of printing all of the rally materials etc. With the huge expense of putting on and organizing a rally I know that a registration fee is neccessary and needs to be consistent in order to be fair. I figure that the camping is "free" perk for registering.

Fot those who attended and were shocked about the lack of day passes, I do believe it was firmly stated on the web and in the MOA ON Magazine, so why were you shocked.

I am not elitest or a snob by any means but I do appreciate that I know that 99.9% of all BMW rally attendees are good and honest people and as mentioned elsewhere, I do not have to guard my stuff. My key is always in the ignition, GPS on the bike, my camping stuff laying around and I sleep like a baby not worrying if all of it will be there in the morning. I even absent mindedly left a bag of just purchased farkles on a picnic bench after lunch, and when I ran back 10-15 minutes later, there it was right where I left it!

Perhaps if the orginal poster had taken the time to read the Rally Program and attended a seminar or two ( I wish I had), stayed to enjoy the entertainment and perhaps to make a few new friends, the $35 price of admission would have seemed like a bargain!

I just have to ask him though, what were you realisticaly expecting? Me? I expected to have nothing but a good time. And my expectations were dramatically exceeded!

My best to all!

Rick G

[DougC]

correct it would be "easy" to section off every section, but would it be worth it? where are these additional security people going to come from? So the day passers want us to make changes for them but are they willing to make these changes happen, if they are only there for a day are they willing to donate a few hours of that day to make it possible?

In my case no, my friends would not donate time. They would only have been there a few hours total. They were willing to make a $30 donation and not be entered into the drawing. Simply letting people buy a ticket (to the beer garden) without going though the registration process would generate income.

Again IÔÇÖd like to say this is just conversation. IÔÇÖm new here and donÔÇÖt want to come off as demanding changes. ItÔÇÖs a great event and it would be nice to share it.

[Rapid_Roy]

My totally unbiased $0.02 worth....

When I attend a rally whether it being a National or a local rally, I don't separate the attendance fee from a camping fee. I figure that the registration fee is for all of the hard work and planning that goes into a rally. Not to mention the facility rental fee, porta pottie and shower rentals fee, entertainment fees, cost of printing all of the rally materials etc. With the huge expense of putting on and organizing a rally I know that a registration fee is neccessary and needs to be consistent in order to be fair. I figure that the camping is "free" perk for registering.

Fot those who attended and were shocked about the lack of day passes, I do believe it was firmly stated on the web and in the MOA ON Magazine, so why were you shocked.

I am not elitest or a snob by any means but I do appreciate that I know that 99.9% of all BMW rally attendees are good and honest people and as mentioned elsewhere, I do not have to guard my stuff. My key is always in the ignition, GPS on the bike, my camping stuff laying around and I sleep like a baby not worrying if all of it will be there in the morning. I even absent mindedly left a bag of just purchased farkles on a picnic bench after lunch, and when I ran back 10-15 minutes later, there it was right where I left it!

Perhaps if the orginal poster had taken the time to read the Rally Program and attended a seminar or two ( I wish I had), stayed to enjoy the entertainment and perhaps to make a few new friends, the $35 price of admission would have seemed like a bargain!

I just have to ask him though, what were you realisticaly expecting? Me? I expected to have nothing but a good time. And my expectations were dramatically exceeded!

My best to all!

Rick G

I agree. However, if you leave the key in your R50 your brother and friends will not hesitate to steal it for bathroom or beer runs or just to buzz you and enjoy the look on your face when you realize they are on your bike.

[HODAG]

Again I’d like to say this is just conversation. I’m new here and don’t want to come off as demanding changes. It’s a great event and it would be nice to share it.

I hear ya .

[braddog]

different strokes i guess.

To me, that says it all. It seems to me that people attend a rally of this size for many, many different reasons. Some come for the ride, some come to meet old friends, some come to meet new friends, some come to see what all of the vendors have to offer.

I really don't call what I did "camping". I call it "sleeping in a tent". There's a big difference. Some people did camp, however. I saw coffee being brewed, food being cooked, etc. They did their thing, I did mine.

I say take the original post for what it's worth. Should the planners of the national consider day passes, or other arrangements for tickets? These could be options for future national/international rallies.

[srb]

When it comes to rallies. If you are going to do one rally a year $70 bucks a year isn't bad to meet with 8,000 of your closest friends. Bear in mind that money that may pay for camping you won't enjoy also may pay for the band you didn't hear. You may want to try a smaller regional rally if $70 is too steep. The variety of rallies available to everyone through the BMW family is awesome. You can go to the April fools rally in Central Texas and walk away with change from a $20, but there are only about a dozen story tellers and liars there. Or you can plunk down some serious cash $70. and enjoy the spectacle that is the MOA rally.

You mentioned Sturgis in your original post, I am just curious if you really consider that experience a better value. I would think that $70 would cover the cost of gas idling through town.

[sjbmw]

First and foremost, the rally is for the membership.
It's a chance to meet old friends and make new ones, celebrate the day's ride by getting hammered together after.
Organizing local friends to ride hundreds of miles together to camp and play together.


I left my wallet in my tank bag last year in VT. I forgot it.
Nothing was touched.
Think that would be the case with a few thousand day trippers wandering around?
I am glad there are no day passes.

The people of West Bend are terrific, btw.
Twice motorists stopped to give us the right of way, and to make it safer for our crew. Nice people.

Only my 2nd rally, but the way it was run surely raised the bar.

[boomgarden]

I was only able to get to the MOA Rally for one day. This was my first time, but I couldn't pass up the chance to check it out since it was a short (130-mile) ride from my home. I enjoyed myself immensely, though I didn't get a chance to take advantage of everything the rally has to offer.

I generally like to keep moving once I hit the road, and it's unlikely that I'd ever make the MOA Rally my sole destination or spend the entire four or five days at the Rally. But, having said that, I think that the admission policy is entirely justified and the cost very reasonable.

The MOA always get some complaints about the fact that there are no provisions for those who visit for just a day--it's the same $35 entrance fee for all. I frankly didn't mind that, even though I only visited for a day. First, it's a big event, one that's undoubtedly quite expensive to put on--the admission gives you access to all the events, a patch, a pin, a free beverage, etc. For those who take advantage of all that the event has to offer, it's a great bargain--four nights (or more) of camping with toilet and shower facilities), a multitude of seminars, access to a wide variety of vendors (most offering special rally pricing), test rides on new bikes, and music each night.

Even though as a one-day wonder, I may have "subsidized" those who took full advantage of all that the Rally has to offer, that was entirely my choice. With all the complexities and expenses of putting on an event like the MOA Rally, it seems eminently reasonable to maintain a one-size-fits-all admission policy.

[Voni]

I was only able to get to the MOA Rally for one day. This was my first time, but I couldn't pass up the chance to check it out since it was a short (130-mile) ride from my home. I enjoyed myself immensely, though I didn't get a chance to take advantage of everything the rally has to offer.

Neither did Paul and I!

We were there early to set up for Camp GEARS on Monday and did the last of our volunteering on Sunday morning.

My only complaint is that there is so much to do NO ONE can take advantage of everything.

And we did try.

VBG



Voni
sMiling

[kbasa]

I dunno about the rest of you, but I had a blast and $35 is a very small price to pay. Most of the local rallies cost a good bit more than that now.

I think a couple folks have touched on it here, but one of the reasons we haven't offered day passes is to keep this to club members. When I first went to a rally, a friend of mine saw me zipping up the tent, putting all my stuff away, taking the key out of my bike and told me not to bother.

"You're among friends here".

So true and I worry that if we started admitting the general public that might change. At other events, without security, I've heard of saddlebags disappearing, jackets going missing (hi Scott) and helmets being lifted.