What Made You Do It?

[tnk12lt]

Charleston, W.V. '03------Went to my 1st local BMW rally in May'03 --Georgia Mtn
Had a great time.
Was recently divorced and decided that touring was the best thing for me. Started spending my summers on tour. So, I spent 3 weeks touring out west in June'03 and finished off the summer with the MOA rally in Charleston.

Traveled solo, had fun, even in the storm. Except when I saw tents flying by me. I've been to every MOA since. Some nights I'd rather forget, thanks to the whiskey(Woodford Reserve)

[CRUISINCRUZAN]

I am still new to this motorcycling thing but I have been seriously bitten by the bug. My first was Vermont which was close to home and had a nice town nearby. I enjoy the national for 2 main reasons, for the vendors (it's nice to see stuff being sold that actually fits our bikes) and to see the various bikes and people that ride them. I don't do the camping thing and I'm probably in the distinct minority in that the riding once I get there is secondary as I feel I can always do the ride but the "gathering" of folks, products and bikes is unique. My wife, Ute and I were planning on WI but plans fell apart. When she saw the rally summary in the ON she was bummed as she is from Stuttgart and would have thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the "Germanness" of that particular rally. I saw a post that SE and NE locations are in the next few years we are looking forward to those.

[swall]

My first rally was the MOA National in Vermont in 1978. I had been a member of MOA for about a year. Anyway, I crashed my R90S due to a high speed wobble and worked at repairing the damage to get it on the road again. A light came on and I decided that if I committed to going to the rally, I would have a deadline to work to which would keep me motivated. The bike still had some dents and and road rash when I departed late Wednesday. I had no luggage--just duffle bags, a sleeping bag and a Kmart two man tent.

[BUBBAZANETTI]

The short answer seems to be that it ain't about the bike.

truly

my first national was Lima in 05', i'd joined the MOA in late summer of 04, right before my big x-c trip mainly for the annon book. a 1 day shot out to Lima by myself. i hooked up with yankee beemers i'd met at my first ever rally up in new hampshire the month before. by the end of the week, i'd met a ton of people from the forum, brad, loraz, boxergirrle, the veg, kbasa whom, if i recall correctly, i walked up to and said "that cover you sent me fell apart", he'd mailed me his old 11S cover a month or so prior, he looked at me like "wtf" for a half second, hahaha, and a ton of other people. i rode back home with chace to new england on sunday having loved every minute of the rally and not having rode more than 3 miles

burlington in 06' was busy for me. i knew the rally organizers and had a bunch of little volunteer jobs all week long. my tires were also toast when i got there and my girlfriend was delivering me a new set friday night, so the bike sat on its centerstand, in the woods, down were all the ADV guys were camped, with no wheels on it all week. that rally i met more MOA forum people, a TON of new ADV people and a bunch of others with no internet connection at all

west bend 07'. i'd just finished the run for the BoD and decided to "take a year off" and just enjoy myself. i rode out with tessler and staked my tent in camp beers. i got out for little rides on various motorcycles with various friends, knary, rob, chace, jon t, etc, but mostly just sat around with hodag & crew, eating brats and drinking beers.


as you can see, rallies, for me, have very little to do with riding and a great deal to do with socializing. i'm not a huge fan of group rides and frankly, these are people who's company i enjoy a ton, but only get to see once or twice a year. i can ride whenever i feel like it. unless the location sported absolutely AMAZING rides with scenery i wouldn't commonly experience, it's unlikely i put more than one hundred miles on in the course of 4 days at a rally. i'm really happy to just plunk myself down, walk around, chit chat, hang out and tell stories.

[theLuz]

Jackelopes are "native" to AZ!

I am hoping to go to Gillette, it would be my 1st National. Looking for some riders to meet up with on the way. I can't find anyone locally who seems to share my enthusiam to go to a National. When I posted it on the local BMW MOA club's forum, Gillette was slammed like I have seen it here in the "let's rag on Gillette" forum thread, whatever it's called.

According to Mapsource my trip will be 1138 miles. I don't want to do all of that alone, so if anyone wants to meet me on the way, I'd love it. PM me if you want.

Thanks.

I used to live in Phoenix. We're in L.A. now and I'm "thinking" of going to the Nationals next year. We could meet up somewhere on the way and go most of the way together, expecially if you don't find anyone in PHX to ride with. Keep in touch and I'll do the same. I'm a recovering GS rider on a GT now.

[theLuz]

That is correct. I am out of the closet as one who has never "done it". I feel confident that I can admit my rally virginity to you, my Forum Family, because of the way everyone is so accepting and welcoming of people who are "different" here. Just because I don't follow the party line and go to the rally, I am confident of your love and acceptance because of the evidence of such things I see scattered all over this forum.
Maybe some day I will take the leap and "do it" but for now I am scared off by visions of waaaaaay too many people in a somewhat confined space. I have avoided Marti Gras, Times Square on New Years Eve and a host of other events for the same reason.
So for now I remain wholesome and pure.

Nothing to be afraid of here. I took my son (25 at the time) to the Top 'o Rockies in Colorado one year. He saw someone about his age and they cleved together for the whole rally. Lee looked up and said, "oh, no! There are a thousand of my "Dad", they're everywhere!"

Harlmless group but, boy, do they have the stories..............

[iRene]

My first national was Moodus in 1994, and I was soooo excited!
We camped with the MOVermont club, and I had met a number of them at
the Green Mountain rally the previous fall.
What made me do it?
It was a natural step in my evolution after dipping my toes in the local/regional
rally scene.
It did not disappoint-- there were frozen Margaritas from the MOV gas powered
blender, and the Antigonish Touring Society was serving Midori at poolside.
I have always had such fun at the nationals that I go to great lengths to attend
each year.