The short answer to your question is "yes". If you take any potential Rally site and draw a 500 mile circle, you will find that the closer you get to the NE, the more members you will have included inside the circle.
But to be fair to all members, there is a 4 zone rotation system, recently revised, that makes the '13 rally in the West zone.
Bud Meade W9BUD IBA 44018 MOA Lifetime Member
Ride Well
Ride Often
Ride to
2 MOA National Rallies in Redmond and next year in Salem, OR. Same chairperson for each of these rallies. Just a coincidence? Seems that the chairs of the National rally are the ones who make the decision. The MOA needs to start listening to complaints about rally selection sites or have to get used to a small percentage of MOA members attending. So far it is obvious that the board is not listening.
The reality is that a very small percentage of members are complaining about the selection process. The location of the Rally has more to do with attendance than any other cause. East Coast events draw larger crowds. West Coast events draw smaller crowds.Originally Posted by Fiordmann
You couldn't be more wrong about who makes the decision.
Check out This Link It needs to be updated with the new Zone Map but the process is the same.
Rally sites are chosen by a committee, a long time before the Rally Chair is found. They are currently looking at locations for 2014 and 2015. Working with venues a couple of years ahead of time is required to insure that we have the best possible venue from the choices available. I'm positive that no one has volunteered to be the 2015 Rally chair.
The reason that we are back on the west coast is because the location rotation system was changed and there are now 4 rally zones instead of 6.
I'm thankful that anyone would take on this difficult task two times. It is a years worth of hard work requiring a very organized person who has a lot of contacts with MOA members who have the skills and experience to be chairs of specific parts of the rally.
The BOD listens. But that doesn't mean that they react to every opinion. They have surveyed the membership and the results have been available for members. The overwhelming majority want a July Rally.
One has to keep in mind that forum members are a small subset of MOA. Because some people express an opinion here, it doesn't reflect the view of the overall membership.
Bud Meade W9BUD IBA 44018 MOA Lifetime Member
Ride Well
Ride Often
Ride to
It moves around the USA, of course and everytime it hits the West Coast, so many from East whine all about it? Not too many, just always here it! I am West Coast and have found my way to almost all the East National Rallies. Its IS a hardship from home for me too, but I manage somehow. If ya can't thats fine, just lay low and maybe a solution will allow you to get away, as me coming East. Polulation centers for MOA folk around the country are not a guideline to allow for the adventurous spirit of a touring/camping org. as unique as the MOA. It must move about all of NAmerica. I vote Canada TOO. Oregon has got to be a highlight for just about anybody on a bike, even with recent visits there for our rally. Salem, vs Redmond? Do your homework, NOT two regions of Oregon even similar in any way. High desert vs lush green, more coastal like. The Oregon/Washington Coasts are exceptionally spectacular and not many compare. If ya get a chance to wonder into Vancouver Island,BC.,Canada, a short day+ to there from Salem, you'll be deep into the NW experience. Its a lifestyle, beyond most riding we see everyday. See ya'll there. Randy
Do not have the vacation time to go from Ohio to Salem OR. So it looks like a ride around the Great Lakes. 2014 Zone 3 Midwest and 2016 Zone 4 Eastern look good for me.
Thanks
01 R1150GS
75 R75/5 Toaster LWB Red
Al Navecky Jr
Gotta say that Google Maps satellite view shows a pretty brown area around Salem stretching north and south along I5. To the east and to the west of Salem it looks very green. The area around Salem, not so much.It moves around the USA, of course and everytime it hits the West Coast, so many from East whine all about it? Not too many, just always here it! I am West Coast and have found my way to almost all the East National Rallies. Its IS a hardship from home for me too, but I manage somehow. If ya can't thats fine, just lay low and maybe a solution will allow you to get away, as me coming East. Polulation centers for MOA folk around the country are not a guideline to allow for the adventurous spirit of a touring/camping org. as unique as the MOA. It must move about all of NAmerica. I vote Canada TOO
Map of Salem
Not saying there isn't good riding all around. And going to Canada on the way home sounds like a lot of fun as well. And Crater Lake may be open (highway up closed last spring and foggy at the HQ building) so it is all good!
Bud Meade W9BUD IBA 44018 MOA Lifetime Member
Ride Well
Ride Often
Ride to
Randy,
Do you know if there are any campgrounds on Vancouver Island that one could stay at after the rally?
Bud Meade W9BUD IBA 44018 MOA Lifetime Member
Ride Well
Ride Often
Ride to
Just to be clear on the survey, there were 4 dates to choose from, 3 in July and 1 in June.
The date with the most votes was in June.
Lee 2011 K1300S
MOA # 30878
Past BMW Bikes, 2003 K1200RS, 1991 K75S, 1987 K75T(bought new in 1988), 1984 R100RT
Yes, but the other three dates combined got the majority. Most respondents chose July.
Bud Meade W9BUD IBA 44018 MOA Lifetime Member
Ride Well
Ride Often
Ride to
The way the survey was done, we don't know what the majority wants.
For all we know the majority wants May or Sept.
Lee 2011 K1300S
MOA # 30878
Past BMW Bikes, 2003 K1200RS, 1991 K75S, 1987 K75T(bought new in 1988), 1984 R100RT
I had a great time on the Rally Train in '01.
I would do it again in '13.
SPCLED
2011 R1200RT
No more than we know that they wanted June.
Of the four choices, the majority of those that responded chose a non-June date.
I'm not sure of the validity of the survey.
I'm pretty sure, w/o a wholesale change in the BOD and Officers, the rally will continue to be held in July for the many reasons already enumerated in this and many other threads about this issue that have been posted over a several year time frame.
If it was moved to June or August or any other month, I'm sure there would be folks here that would complain about those dates as well, for whatever reason. Would the difference between those who wanted June and those who wanted July be a wash and not affect overall attendance?
I do know that moving it to June won't insure that attendance will increase. Maybe the 15 posters who have argued for June would show up and 30 other people wouldn't be able to go in June. I think it would insure that different people would be there.
No matter when you hold the Rally, there will be people who will not attend because of the dates. You can not please 100% of those who may want to attend. Would there be less complaints if it was June or August? Dunno. Doubt that we will find out.
Having said all that, the beauty of this forum is that everyone gets to give their opinion. Knowing, full well (or they should know) that giving your opinion doesn't mean that others will act on it.
The RA held their Rally in Colorado this year in June. Excellent venue, Copper Mountain. Fantastic riding. Pleasant warm days for riding, cool nights for sleeping, the smell of pine trees in the air. I think they had between 900 and 1000 attend. Seems like if June was the magic time and Colorado the perfect location, they would have had 5,000 or more (a "small" crowd for the MOA). So it seems to take more than a June date and an attractive location.
Their Rally next year will be east coast. The Biltmore Estate at Ashville, NC. June date (should draw a great crowd based on the date), fantastic riding anywhere in the area, should have another 5,000 attend, don't ya think?
Since I'm a Lifetime Member, perhaps I will be a member long enough to see a change, perhaps not.
Time will tell.
In the mean time "Stick a fork in me, I'm done." and you can have the last word with your reply
Bud Meade W9BUD IBA 44018 MOA Lifetime Member
Ride Well
Ride Often
Ride to
My wife seems to think that my tone is argumentative.
Sorry if it came across that way and I apologize if I have offended anyone in this thread.
Just getting old and curmudgeonly, I guess.
And the last two weeks of July assure that I will be with her in the North Channel of Lake Huron on our sailboat, instead of at the Rally.
But who knows, we might sell the boat some year and you all will see me at the Rally.
Too darn hot to ride the bike, cool enough to spend too much time riding the keyboard.
Bud Meade W9BUD IBA 44018 MOA Lifetime Member
Ride Well
Ride Often
Ride to
Some say TOO hot, some say TOO wet ,been there done that. But in all enjoy the RIDE.
I agree with Scott, booked my hotel yesterday and got one of the last two rooms. Book sson if you want it close to the fair grounds
Dave Nicholls
Teulon, MB - Canada
2010 RT Owner
Posting Permissions
