BMWMOA National Bloomsburg,Pa

[mogu83]

I know a few guys are already 'on the road' I wonder how many R1200R owners will show up.
I'll be in the quiet area on the right after registration.

[ammolab]

SO WISH I could make this rally.. I went to Central Columbia County Joint High School just 4 miles Up river from
Bloomsburg. If you lived between Bloomsburg and Berwick you went to Central. GREAT place to grow up.

Look up my old Girlfriend, Ann Hippensteel, she was Prom Queen...no wait.. that was 1968, you better pass on
that idea.

Have a great RALLY!

[rockbottom]

I'm heading up from Carlisle, PA early Friday. I may go back up Saturday if the heat doesn't kill me. Let me know if you want a road guide--I know every good twisty in Central PA. We could meet up Saturday and head for the state forests northwest of Bloomsburg

[BigEasy]

I'm not going, mostly because I am not a rally guy, or any large group of people for that matter (races are about my only exception). I do travel quite a bit for work and have noticed a larger share of BMW's on the road the last few days. You that are going, ride safe and have fun.

[rockbottom]

I'm the same way. That's why I'm going to pop in, see if I won the door prizes, check out the vendors, and then probably skedaddle.

[nylife]

I would love to go, but having twins does not allow me to multiday trips yet
and to go for one day, is a bit too much considering how hot it will be this weekend, next year when the kids are slightly older and able to walk and eat normal food it will be easier to offload them to grandparents and take off for a few days

[rockbottom]

I figure it will be several years before the national rally is back in the northeast.

I didn't start riding until the week after my youngest graduated from high school, so she was easier to offload.

[nylife]

ouch, then i have a long road ahead of me, well i do ride almost every weekend but usually no more then half a day trips.
Hoping once the kids start walking and eating normal food it maybe a little easier to deal with them, but who knows anyway sorry to take up the topic back to the Rally

[rockbottom]

I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat. This is what I had to deal with recently:

[ErikM]

I'm going.. Staying at Bloomsburg University.. $50.00 a night, booked it way back during the winter.. The dorm rooms are Air Conditioned.. if they weren't I'd be staying home..I feel very sorry for anyone who's camping out in 100 degree weather... also I only live about 2 hours from Bloomsburg, if it really sucks I'll bail back to my home and pool :-)

[RadRider]

I rode up last Sunday from Jacksonville, FL completing the Bloomsburg 1000 on my R12R. It sure is hot at the Rally even for a South Florida guy. Luckily I am also enjoying the comfort of the Bloomsburg University Apartments.

[AncientMariner]

I too have a wedding to attend on Friday evening. No MOA this year.

[deilenberger]

I have one (my son's) on Saturday - why I'm in California now instead of Bloomsburg, and in the Porsche not on the R12R..

[rockbottom]

Kids are so unthoughtful, aren't they?

[nylife]

yep, taking away from my riding time, but its ok as soon as they old enough it will be payback with chores

[mogu83]

Home - Really really hot but that was the only downside to rally. Ample food vendors, showers that were available with little wait, lots of parts vendors, great entertainment and 7 thousand interesting people to meet. Got there early on Thursday and header for home early Sunday. Met lots of old friends and made a few new ones, I'm sure that the guys sitting in the air conditioned dorms and the ones sitting in motels had a good time also.

[rockbottom]

Home - Really really hot but that was the only downside to rally. Ample food vendors, showers that were available with little wait, lots of parts vendors, great entertainment and 7 thousand interesting people to meet. Got there early on Thursday and header for home early Sunday. Met lots of old friends and made a few new ones, I'm sure that the guys sitting in the air conditioned dorms and the ones sitting in motels had a good time also.

I'm still trying to figure out who had the gray R12R with NJ plates parked next to mine outside the registration tent on Friday. Do you have a Russell seat and the low BMW touring shield?

This was my first rally and as I said on the bmwbmw.org board, I dislocated my hip from kicking myself in the butt for staying for the whole closing ceremony. It was utterly miserable and forced me to ride home in the dark.

[mogu83]

I have a black R1200R and it was parked in the back corner by my tent.
The closing ceremony is ALWAYS a problem and the heat (and the cars with the flaming exhaust (you had to be there)) only made it worse. BUT - remember that the people that run this event are all volunteers and the only recognition they will get for in many cases a years work is a mention of their name and a quick handshake on stage. I don't know how many days (or hours) you spent there but the more time spent at a national rally the more you become more aware of the logistics involved in providing for the needs of 10,000 people.
Actually as national rallies go I think this was one of the better ones (I've been to one or two) the facilities were great, with lots of indoor room for the vendors and their were many interesting seminars. The showers were clean and if you went at an off peak time the lines were small or non-existing, the food vendors were varied and reasonably priced.The location was easy to find and the area had lots of good motorcycle roads and local attractions. Can't forget to mention that the entertainment was first rate - as usual. They (the staff) tried to adjust for the heat as best the could, every time you turned around someone was offering you an iced bottle of water and many of the seminars were moved to air conditioned buildings.
IMHO - the only wat to experience a national rally is to stay at the event in a tent. It usually takes me a day to figure out where everything is and how things work. The bands play to after midnight and you can sit and enjoy your adult beverage knowing your only problem when the band stops is finding your tent in the dark

And YES I had a good time.

[rockbottom]

The flaming cars were a REALLY bad choice. I felt sorry for the rally chairman when everyone started booing, but that would have been much more appropriate for a Harley rally.

[mogu83]

Actually at a Harley Rally (at least before the new 'BIKERS" got on the scene, the stage would have been rained on by beer cans and bottles.

I was sitting in the band area and this bike was sitting in front of me. After a few hours I suddenly realized it was a R1200R. Really nice job and obviously professionally done. And yes it was sporting Texas plates.



And to give proper credit this was on the tank.