Best Rally

[Buzz Kanter]

Curious which is your favorite motorcycle rally and why?

I have gone to a lot of them over the years and have found some of the big ones a bit overwhelming.

Daytona is fun but too much traffic and it's tough to get out of town easily.

Sturgis is great riding country but tough to get decent hotel rooms and a long way for most people to get to.

Your thoughts?

[humpbackbob]

Sturgis by far. The riding is great.The journey from Texas is not bad,we change the route slightly every year. The worst part is getting out of Texas. It's almost half of the trip. We have a standing booking for a rent house, so the Hotel/camping deal is not an issue for us. The group of folks that I ride with have been going for over fifteen years, so we got it down to a fine art.

[rjrivero]

If you're a V-Rod fan, there is NO RALLY that even comes close to the annual Homecoming Rally in Kansas City. Tour of the plant, drag racing at KCIR, Dyno Drags at Gails HD. For V-Rodders there is nothing better.

A very close second is Midwest Thunder. It's held in Niles, MI every spring as a warm up event for the Homecoming Rally. Started as 4 bikes for a photo op, and turned into a big reunion for the V-Rod population of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin.

The BIG rallys have no appeal to me. The friends I've made at the smaller V-Rod specific gatherings just can't be beat. IMVHO.

[rjrivero]

Sorry. Double Post.

[Jayson459]

The Leesburg Rally was great last year and bet will be better this year.. Date is April 25-27th .. Looking Forward to it..

[HotRodad1]

Buzz
I use to attend the Ontario Ride for Sight ralley. It was open to all makes of motorcycles and they would change the venue every couple years. I guess to share the experience with other towns and communities or to give them a break; I don't know.

They raised awareness and funding for research into the number one cause of blindness which is Retina Pigmatosa (RP) The Ontario Ralley raised over $700000 last year! during the three day event usualy held the third weekend of June with partipants numbering well into the thousands. This is an event held in every province across Canada during a weekend in June.

I haven't been to one for a couple years, the last being in Midland but the best was in Fenlon Falls. They had Bands, Food tents, BEER tents, Show and Shine compititions, Motorcycle vendors and feild events for bikers; by bikers. VERY festive atmosphere and all FREE admitance. All you needed was a minimum $50 in donations that you collected from family, freinds and unsuspecting co-workers.

I attended this event 12 years in a row until one year I missed it because I was without a bike at the time but allways enjoyed my self. I think it's time I plan on attending this year's event now that I wrote about it. I wonder where it is? http://www.rideforsight.com/

cheers!

[EZJ]

Used to awesome...shut down by political bs in 06 www.rallyintherockies.com

[texan321]

Buzz - I think you will find that Daytona Beach, Fl has finally driven the bikers away. There are now bigger venues in other areas - like Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach and several others.... it has really spread out and pretty easy to get around. You have have to plan where you are going and what you are going to see.
Ormaond Beach has really grown over the last couple of years because of the HD dealer and J&P Cycles opened a new store there - Arlen ness - Big Dog all have stores there... so it is different than it was and the attendance is down....

[Softailzz]

I really like Daytona just to get out of the cold for a week. We've been going now for the last 16 years. I have also noticed the last couple of years bike week is spreading out some, GREAT. We leave in 4 days, but who's counting!

[Wrightturn]

Any rally I can go to is a good one. Living close to Daytona makes Bikeweek and Biketoberfest natural events. Leesburg too.
Bikeweek has spread over central Fla in the last 10 yrs. There are competing events in Orlando with vendors and music and lots to see and do.
Destination Daytona has taken some of the crowd from the Main St and Beach St area but I don`t see that as a bad thing. Still fun just different.

My first Bikeweek was in 1973 and much has changed. My first rally biker event was Marlboro Md in 1965. The govenor called out the national guard for that one. I think he was confused about the Wild One movie. The spectale of the event has replaced comradery and racing. There is still racing and comradery but it is no longer the focus of the event. If Harley would get back in who knows ? I still look forward to seeing friends I only see once a year. I still want to go back to Sturgis and Laconia but distance is a problem.