Ever-shrinking list of Guzzi rallies

[elrealistico]

Yes, they still do Pizza dinner, on a weekday of BW, but there was a camping get together as well that seems to have gone away. I'll be at Daytona the 1st weekend, but can't stick around till Tuesday. Maybe I'll shift dates next year

I’m miss this years Daytona even, but there has been a Guzzi meet up ever year I have been, even last year.about 20-30 bikes show up for pizza.

[bad Chad]

This is turning into a thread of mostly excuses.   Many of us have very valid reasons, some seem pretty this to me.   Goes without saying, yet I'm saying anyway, this like the majority of what's said here,  is an opinion.

[blackcat]

I lost interest in Guzzi rallies after the nasty sh*t that was said about the organizer of the NY National rally 15+ years ago and have been to two Guzzi rallies since that time, the New Hampshire National and a NY Rally. 

[blu guzz]

two very fine rallies of the old school type still exist in fly over country. These are long established rallies that have been happening for decades.
1st up is labor day at the Ohio Rally in Zanesville Ohio. Location is beautiful. Riding roads are first class.  The people are beyond great.  Food is tasty. There's a swimming pool for after the day's ride as it is usually hot on Labor Day weekend.  Bottle still gets passed around the fire.
2nd up is the Kentucky rally toward the end of September.  I can make all of the same observations except for the pool.
Currently, each attracts around 100 on good years so you have lots of social opportunities, but you aren't tripping all over each other. 

[Stretch]

Those last two sound good - around 3K and 4K round trip respectively for me.

Lotsa good roads in between as well.

We'll see what other rallies interfere this year.

Being retired might make a couple of theses things possible! 

                                      -Stretch

[bad Chad]

The KY rally is a joy to attend.   I'm planning on it this year.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I tried rallies but I never got the hang of it. The whole attraction was kinda lost on me.

Take time off work to travel hours via interstate (I detest riding on the interstate) to get there in time to put up my camping stuff...  Sleep in a campground (which I don't really see as camping), get up any maybe go do the rally loop on roads in an area that arent as good as my own backyard (I don't like riding in groups), come back to the campground and just aimlessly hang around waiting for like a spaghetti dinner or whatever... Sleep in the campground again... get up at dawn, pack the bike all up again and ride hours on the interstate to get home at a reasonable time to unload all the stuff, clean/organize the camping stuff... 

I never went to one and felt like it was worth the effort. I could have just gotten up and gone for a decent ride from home on any given Saturday and thrown up my hammock in the national forest for a night by the river and been home by 10am Sunday morning- and had a nearly equivalent experience.

I did like the VA rally, I think mostly because I could take the parkway all the way there and back...  And I used to go to Guzzies in the Blue Ridge as a day trip among great riding there + back....  But then they moved it to a Harley type campground out of the mountains in a pretty boring area.

Seems like it's mostly for retired guys who live somewhere without any good riding locally? But why would you ride 5/8/10 hours on the interstate to get there? Motorcycling to me is a solo avocation.. Iron butt riding holds no appeal for me.. If I'm going to get out for hours on the Moto, It's certainly not going to be navigating highways and traffic to sleep in a field in the flatlands. And even that is more appealing to me than something like bike week in Daytona/Sturgis/Stone Mountain

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

EXAMPLE:  myself and one other Guzzi rider showed up for the monthly traveling Moto Guzzi lunch in Cherokee North Carolina today!

One!!!!    That’s PATHETIC!  The other rider made the comment.  BMW Riders and Gold Wingvriders ride their bikes and attend functions.  Guzzi riders like to look at their bikes in the garage!  Boy….im starting to get a bad attitude!!!

Bob the high in Cherokee on the 7th was 9 degrees... 

edit to say: there was also 10+ inches of snow across the whole region like 2 days before that as well 

[bobrebos1]

Bob the high in Cherokee on the 7th was 9 degrees... 

edit to say: there was also 10+ inches of snow across the whole region like 2 days before that as well 

When we were in downtown cherokee that day it was in the 30's AND WE always said cars/trucks were welcome.  Im done talking about this.  Have a nice day!

[bad Chad]

Well Mayor, seems like rallies aren’t your thing.  But I’m not sure exactly what it is you don’t like?   Could you explain in more detail?

[bobrebos1]

I have taken the time to settle down about riders not going to traveling lunches.  Ive accepted it.  Writing is on the wall like one member posted.

Its all good.  Hope to meet some of you some time out on the road somewhere.  Take care!

[blackcat]

Mayor, I completely agree about the ride and the location of the rally and in your case you could fall out of your front door and ride to the local grocery store and have a better ride than a lot of rally’s. .

[SemperVee]

I tried rallies but I never got the hang of it. The whole attraction was kinda lost on me.

Take time off work to travel hours via interstate (I detest riding on the interstate) to get there in time to put up my camping stuff...  Sleep in a campground (which I don't really see as camping), get up any maybe go do the rally loop on roads in an area that arent as good as my own backyard (I don't like riding in groups), come back to the campground and just aimlessly hang around waiting for like a spaghetti dinner or whatever... Sleep in the campground again... get up at dawn, pack the bike all up again and ride hours on the interstate to get home at a reasonable time to unload all the stuff, clean/organize the camping stuff... 

I never went to one and felt like it was worth the effort. I could have just gotten up and gone for a decent ride from home on any given Saturday and thrown up my hammock in the national forest for a night by the river and been home by 10am Sunday morning- and had a nearly equivalent experience.

I did like the VA rally, I think mostly because I could take the parkway all the way there and back...  And I used to go to Guzzies in the Blue Ridge as a day trip among great riding there + back....  But then they moved it to a Harley type campground out of the mountains in a pretty boring area.

Seems like it's mostly for retired guys who live somewhere without any good riding locally? But why would you ride 5/8/10 hours on the interstate to get there? Motorcycling to me is a solo avocation.. Iron butt riding holds no appeal for me.. If I'm going to get out for hours on the Moto, It's certainly not going to be navigating highways and traffic to sleep in a field in the flatlands. And even that is more appealing to me than something like bike week in Daytona/Sturgis/Stone Mountain

WHY I liked going -  First of all I RODE my bike on new roads to the rally. Fwy and secondary depending on how soon we needed to get there.   I met new fine people and had good whiskey sitting around large campfire setting listening and telling stories.   I did not want to go on rides while there, I wanted to relax and visit. My most fun was at the WA state BMW rally (3 times)  where I won many of the field events on my VStrom1000 or Norge against mostly GS's.  ALWAYS rode my HD dresser to Sturgis from SoCal till I got tired of the same ole same ole BS and heat and tired of sleeping in the dirt and nonsense but came home with good travel stories.  Not not much interested in repeating at this age.  Been there, done that and GOT all the shirts...  LOL