BMW RA Rally in Pownal, VT

[Wayne J in MA]

Did anyone here attend this rally last weekend. I am interested in your thoughts about it since it was the first RA rally that I have attended and want to know if this is indicative of their rallies.

[She'llbe]

Just got an email from a chum in Conn. He said the rally was good but not great. RA seems more low key than MOA. It was like that in the early 80's as well. Weren't MOA and RA sorta in competition?

[KenHawk]

Well,

I'm on the IBMR list and there has been a lot of talk about the RA rally and not much of it has been good.

Evidently the chosen sit had people camping on asphalt, no WI-fi connections, no workshops or lectures, the bathrooms closed up for the night at 10 PM and didn't open again till 8:30 AM, very few vendors and the list of complaints goes on.

I was there for last years rally and it was pretty small but very nicely organized. I guess that someone dropped the ball this time around but when it comes to the RA, things have their ups and downs but the same folks say that the riding was great. Beautiful roads, courteous cagers and nice weather.

KHawk

[Wayne J in MA]

Ken,

You hit most of my complaints right on. I was lucky that the people next us had a small sledge and spike to pound holes into the asphalt to insert the tent stakes. Even after picking out a spot that had all grass I had to go through the asphalt, thank goodness for a thick mattress.

I was not given half of the rally packet, so I never knew when any of the few workshops took place.

The food on site was terrible. One night we rode down to Williamstown and brought back Thai food. I had to raid the old horse stalls to find a busted up piece of wood to use as a small table held up by a couple chairs from inside the hall.

The only redeeming things were the great weather, great riding and the 15 bikes brought there by the Nettesheim Museum. The R32 was spectacular. Peter Nettesheim rode many of them around the grounds each day. He also did a walk through of each bike that included a running demonstration.

I though the crazy guy driving the GS a full bore around the dirt track was a bit much. Particularly when he came extremely close to wiping out a couple on a RT that were casually heading to there campsite.

[The Veg]

I wasn't there but the analysis I've heard is that it sucked because nobody in the RA is willing to take charge of anything.