Impressions of a Short Visit to the MOA Rally

[Mike]

I visited the MOA Rally in West Bend, WI yesterday. Since my 270-mile round trip hardly qualifies as a ride (and mostly involved slogging through bumper to bumper traffic), it really doesn't qualify as a "ride tale." But, I thought I'd share a few impressions, particularly for those of you who, like me, haven't previously attended an MOA Rally. I'll first qualify this by saying that, since I only spent part of a day there (hate having to work for a living), this is hardly a comprehensive rally review, just a few impressions.

 

I'm pretty sure I've never seen as many BMWs in one place, which was a treat in itself. The first clue that I was getting close to West Bend was the appearance of a guy on a bike ahead of me wearing a fluorescent orange helmet. As I got closer to the Rally, the number of motorcycles sporting lights in multiples of two and of riders wearing brightly-colored textile gear increased by the mile.

 

Pulling into the rally site, the first thing that jumped out at me was the incredible variety of bikes--LTs loaded with every luxury option, modern K-bikes with only the essential high-tech gear (GPS's, radar detectors), Iron Butt-type bikes with fuel cells, more electronics than the average commercial airliner, and, well, just a heck of a lot of interesting bikes.

 

My second impression is that there sure were a lot of nice people there. Virtually anyone I spoke with took the time to engage in a few minutes of actual conversation. The site itself was relatively compact. I guess I had expected acres and acres of vendors, but while you could find pretty much anything a BMW rider would want, they numbered in the dozens, not the hundreds. I was, frankly, a little surprised to see how much money rally attendees were dropping on gear and accessories. The vendors selling apparel and widgets do a vigorous business, and the companies that were on site installing exhausts, accessory lights, windscreens, and similar items were booked solid for hours.

 

As I said, I hardly had the complete rally experience--no seminars (though a few looked interesting), no band concerts, and no test rides. In fact, nothing more than gawking, talking with folks, a little dispensing of money, and a lovely bratwurst.

 

I'm not sure that I'll ever be up to the four- or five-day rally experience, but it was interesting to visit. I could see adding a couple of days of MOA Rally attendance into a future ride, but it really didn't strike me something I'd ever want to do as the sole reason for a trip. I now "get" a bit more, why BMWSTers differentiate the things we do from events like the MOA rally. It's certainly a well-run gathering of BMW aficianados, but riding at or around the rally site is, at most, an incidental part of it all.

 

The 2008 MOA Rally will be in Gillette, Wyoming on July 17 -20.

[rogera]

Thanks Mike, Great Report,

Its a shame you forgot your camera.

[Lets_Play_Two]

"...a lovely bratwurst"

 

Man, I miss that.

[Woodie]

Funny. Seeing all the BMWs, is my primary reason for going. The second is the vendors: where I can see/touch the things I've heard/seen on the internet, and getting them to install them right there.

 

I tend to plan my trips with one day to walk around, see people, stuff, shop, drink beer. The rest, I *gasp* leave the rally site, and go ride around the area.

[Mike]

Thanks Mike, Great Report,

Its a shame you forgot your camera.

 

Taking a camera is so 20th century, but here's a poor quality camera phone shot of the site.

 

[rogera]

I knew you had one in your pocket

Not to bad either.

[Mike]

"...a lovely bratwurst"

 

Man, I miss that.

 

Smothered with grilled onions and sauerkraut. Sehr gut!

[Ben_Ricci]

Thanks Mike. That soothes a couple wounds for me. I had planned to go and it would have been my first MOA or large rally, but the boss wanted me to stay to support our board meeting and oddly enough my ST sprang an oil leak last weekend, so no matter a trip to Wisconsin wasn't in the cards for me. I have to say, I don't think I'm a "rally type." I know I would enjoy a day there, but riding two days and staying a few at the rally would probably have pushed my limit.

[Mike]

Funny. Seeing all the BMWs, is my primary reason for going. The second is the vendors: where I can see/touch the things I've heard/seen on the internet, and getting them to install them right there.

 

I tend to plan my trips with one day to walk around, see people, stuff, shop, drink beer. The rest, I *gasp* leave the rally site, and go ride around the area.

 

That sounds to me like the right approach. I actually did like seeing some of the accessories, particularly the riding gear. One of the brands I've read about, but had not seen close up--Rev-it--had some really nice apparel. For instance, while they've completely ripped off the idea of the Aerostich one-piece Roadcrafter, they've added a lot of what look to be real improvements in a nicely constructed garment. Until you get to see and touch some of these things, you just have no idea . . .

[drodg]

I had everything set to go including a tent from Sherpa and my wife was on for it. Our first camping trip and Rally but we had to cancel to go to San Diego. Of course the San Diego trip gets cancelled so here I am at my office watching the BMW's go west bound on highway 30. I think I saw more BMW's yesterday than Harleys.

[Lets_Play_Two]

"...a lovely bratwurst"

 

Man, I miss that.

 

Smothered with grilled onions and sauerkraut. Sehr gut!

 

Don't forget the Blue Ribbon!! (on a non-riding day, of course)

[notacop]

Not up to 4-5 days! So sad! Some of us schedule our lives to go play BMW. A party of great pleasure with a few hundred to a few thousand of your almost best friends.

After a few seasons it's like old home week catching up with folks you cannot remember the name of but are glad to see anyway!

And the Brats make the ride also worth it!

[Mike]

Not up to 4-5 days! So sad!

 

Well, I'm basically antisocial. In fact, if you ever were to show up at my house, you'd see this is my door mat:

 

[Tasker]

Not up to 4-5 days! So sad!

 

Well, I'm basically antisocial. In fact, if you ever were to show up at my house, you'd see this is my door mat:

 

 

That's why I never knock and just go back home.

 

Oh, I've been so close...

[Heck]

Not up to 4-5 days! So sad!

 

Well, I'm basically antisocial. In fact, if you ever were to show up at my house, you'd see this is my door mat:

 

 

 

I like it!!!!

 

Wish I had one......

 

Hmmm......www.amazon.com.....

[Charles Elms]

I didn't make it this year, but have attended several. If you like to camp, drink beer, listen to live music and see lot's of motorcycles and meet friendly people, the MOA national rally is the place to be. Where else can you get 3 nights of live music, dollar beer, and camping for $35?

 

Will be there next year.

[EffBee]

The 2008 MOA Rally will be in Gillette, Wyoming on July 17 -20.

Thanks for the report, Mike.

 

Hey, don't we have a member who lives in Gillete, WY??? Dibs on the spare bedroom!

[marcopolo]

I'm at the Rally right now. I'm possing this from my B&B in Cedarburg, a nice little town 15 mins southeast of the rally site. Have had two demo rides: K1200GT, and F800ST. That F800 is a lot of fun. I was really impressed with the smooth gearbox, power, and its light weight (relatively speaking). After riding the GT, I was glad I bought the RT, not that the GT's bad; it's just not for me. Lots of power, but I found the gearbox really "clunky".

 

Speaking of bratwurst, I had one in Cedarburg last night that had jalapeno peppers, and blue cheese in it. Boy was that good, especially when washed down with some of the great beer they have on tap.

 

I leave in a few hours to get my wife at the airport in Milwaukee (at rush hour, no less). Aside frm seeing her, the next best part is that she has a set of Arizona Al's earplugs with her. They arrived in the mail after I had left home. This assumes they weren't confiscated by some overzealous aiport security person.

 

Sunday we head west, eventually hitting LA, before heading back east. Can't wait.

[ChrisNYC]

Thanks for the report, Mike. Wisconsin was my old stomping ground when I lived in Chicago. And I was just recently visiting a friend near Lake Geneva WI a few weeks ago. Looks like the weather is fairly decent for the rally ...

 

------------------

Chris (aka Tender Vittles )

Little '77 KZ400 in the Big Apple

Black '99 RT for Everywhere Else, such as ...

[Bud]

I went up on Monday to set up. Had many choices for a camp site. I chose to set up far away from the music.

 

 

Being early there weren't many people there. By the time I left yesterday morning the place was packed.

 

 

Here is a pic of the main building at night.

 

 

 

I enjoyed the contrast between last years UN and this rally. Enjoyed them both in different ways.

[notacop]

Ah, yes the roar of the exhaust pipes, the smell of the stale beer in the morning. No National this year, On to Billings...For at least 4 or 5 days!!!

[lawnchairboy]

 

 

 

 

met some nice folks, saw alot of corn and a covered bridge, went from Lake Winnebago to Montgomery Village, MD on saturday, 900+ miles. LOTS of nice folks there met one fellow by the name of john from new jersey who has great taste in RT colors.

 

Lets see: Sturgis, burn outs, loud pipes, various male and female body parts hanging out in odd places with loud rock and roll and lots of beer. BMWMOA: alot of bald heads hanging out, men in lederhosen (sp?) playing glockenspiels and singing in german, lots of beer and tons of tents. Some beautiful antique bikes, lots of nice folks.

 

An amazing amount of cash spent with the vendors it seemed to me.

[MichiganBob]

Interesting impressions Mike. I had not been to too many of these, about five over the last 30 years. Went to Lima last year and probably just got a bad sample. I did not find the folks at the campgrounds too inviting. Seemed that those who knew each other formed tight little groups and mainly wanted to visit each other (which makes sense). I tried to strike up conversations but could tell that the various clubs sites were kind of sealed off to outsiders. Maybe it was me. The rally seemed too big. Reminded me of the difference in the Sturgis ralley when I went in 72-74 and 80 compared to what happened in 1990. Big equals impersonal. Perhaps my expectations were too high at the Beemer rally. The beer, music, assortment of bikes and gadgets from the vendors were worth the trip.

 

Ride safe,

 

Bob

[KDeline]

 

I'm not sure that I'll ever be up to the four- or five-day rally experience, but it was interesting to visit. I could see adding a couple of days of MOA Rally attendance into a future ride, but it really didn't strike me something I'd ever want to do as the sole reason for a trip.

 

And my wife and I have planned and went on two week trips just for the MOA rally. We will be doing that for next year also.

[Mike]

 

I'm not sure that I'll ever be up to the four- or five-day rally experience, but it was interesting to visit. I could see adding a couple of days of MOA Rally attendance into a future ride, but it really didn't strike me something I'd ever want to do as the sole reason for a trip.

 

And my wife and I have planned and went on two week trips just for the MOA rally. We will be doing that for next year also.

 

Ken--It's just a matter of personal preferences. I've always been one who likes to be on the road, whether traveling by bike or cage, and staying in one place for any length of time drive me a little nuts. Like I said, though, I'd definitely do an MOA rally as one stop in a trip, probably just not as the sole destination.

 

The MOA people 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.

 

Gee, maybe I should consider it as a destination vacation.

[Kbasa]

While it might be tempting to view the rally as a destination in itself, many folks use the rally site as a base camp and run loops outward from there.

 

Most, if not all rallies, are hosted, in large part by local riders. They put together ride loops to suit all kinds of agendas and desires. For example, in WI, there were loops that sent you out to specific locations, but there were also loops that sent riders out to miles and miles of GS graded gravel roads (Rustic Roads, according to the WI DoT).

 

Many folks don't like a large crowd; I can certainly understand that. But I know of no other event where such a broad spectrum of BMW riding is available. There are the crusty GS guys, RT guys, LT guys, vintage, airheads, Kbike afficianados, all happily enjoying each other's company.

 

I hope to see you all in Gillette, WY next year!

 

Dave

 

Dave Swider

BMW MOA President