Time To Plan Your Yearly Motorcycle Event

There is hardly a more exciting time for a rider when they pull the motorcycle out of winter storage and carefully prepare it for the open spring roads. For some the cold months seemed longer than the actual days shown on the calendar with warmer weather not coming soon enough. Regardless, a sure sign the riding season working its way through the gears are the motorcycle events beckoning from all corners of the country.

With motorcycles ready and spirits more than willing, bikers have plenty of choices for destinations in the numerous rallies filling the summer schedule of events. The term motorcycle rally has become a generic label for any event that involves small and large groups of riders coming together over a various lengths of time. They can be as short as a weekend or last as long as eleven days such as Daytona Beach Bike Week, but even then the official number of days don't include the enthusiastic bikers arriving early or those that are having so much fun, they leave a few days late.

The length of a rally does touch on a sensitive subject, why do organizers refer to an event as a week when it is clearly longer?

While no definitive answer can be given to that question, it does highlight an important rule to attending motorcycle events; they may not all be as advertised or as even named. Just because an event is advertised or even titled at ‘Incredible’ or ‘A can’t miss’ doesn’t necessarily mean it is or will be. Arriving at an event that doesn’t look or feel anything like the advertisement in your favorite motorcycle magazine or the fancy flash based website is more than a disappointment, it costs the average rider vacation time taken to attend the event and of course hard-earned dollars for food, lodgings and gas.

The reasons for the rallies vary, some riders enjoy live music by a beautiful river, others will visit an area known for it’s racing history, while at other events bikers simply enjoy the breathtaking landscapes as they ride the roads surrounding the event. For those interested to know which events were referenced in those examples, they would be; Rumble on the River, Daytona Beach Bike Week and of course, Sturgis Bike Week.

When making a decision on what rally is right for you, it might be beneficial to ask other riders while out riding on the weekends or at local bike nights about their favorite events. Motorcycle forum boards are also a great resource, particularly if they have something to do with the event by either motorcycle brand or if the majority of members live in the area hosting the event.

Not only will this background work help with the truth behind motorcycle rally advertising but give insight into the nature of the event and the type of people who attend.

To be fair, organizers of a motorcycle event can bring together the same vendors, re-book musical acts and host them on the same fairgrounds, but still have a different outcome. A recent example of this would be Daytona Beach Bike Week 2009, which experienced an unexpected cold front hovering over the event for over a third of the event, keeping the bikers close to their hotel rooms and campgrounds affecting its overall look and feel.

And seasoned rally-goers have learned that each event has a certain feel. For example, Sturgis is an event spread out over campgrounds, great rides and popular stops found along the way. Daytona Beach Bike Week has three or four must-hangout areas while Arizona Bike Week manages to encompass a large part of the state. Smaller events define themselves with music, staged contests and even motorcycle competitions. The Honda Hoot, which is currently on hiatus attracted crowds of multi-brand riders with family entertainment filling the bill.

Understanding what the rally is about before deciding to attend can save a rider not only the time it takes to ride to the event, but also the days afterwards needed to get over the disappointment.

Not only does the routine maintenance need to be completed to the manufactures recommended schedule, but the mileage that will be added to your motorcycle’s odometer should be taken into account as well. If possible, anticipate any fluid changes and have them completed by your trusted motorcycle mechanic.

Ride safe-Loco Logan

This is purely my opinion, not legal advice. I am an investigator, not a lawyer. For legal advice, please contact Phillip Miller & Associates at 1-800-337-HURT.