Rolling Thunder XXX

I had never been able to ride in Rolling Thunder® but wanted to. My late wife Jane cornered a forum member, Spanky, at the 2004 BuRP Forum rally. He's a former Marine pilot who had been part of Rolling Thunder® for a few years. He invited us to come on down and be part of Rolling Thunder® XVIII.

Jane and I both rode our motorcycle trikes in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day, 2005 with Rolling Thunder, along with several members of the Motorcycle Views forum. Here's that story. I'm sure that Rolling Thunder® XXX will not be too different from my story of 12 years ago except there may be more security.

Daytona Bike Week -- The Beginning of the Rally Season

The 74th anniversary of Daytona Bike Week is being held March 6-15, 2015 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The start of Daytona Bike Week is often announced on the morning TV news shows. You know, where somebody sticks their face in front of the camera and announces: "We're at the opening of Daytona Bike Week. Good Morning America," and then you see a whole line of bikes roar off in front of the camera. Unfortunately, most of the remainder of Bike Week will not be seen by non-motorcyclists.

Check out my article, Daytona Bike Week, for details.

Here in the frigid Northeast, I hear plenty of people talking about going to Daytona. Some are riding down with friends. Riding sometimes means riding in a car and towing a trailer with the bike on it. After all, the 1500 miles down with uncertain weather conditions has left many a rider stranded in a snow storm or Nor'easter. After that happens to you once, you tend to be a little more cautious the next time you go.

Maybe you want to skip Daytona and concentrate on planning to go to some smaller rallies this year. Be sure to read my article, Motorcycle Rallies, where I discuss rallies and give you information about the top rallies that I like. Of course, your views may be different -- this is Motorcycle Views after all.

I just got my registration information for the Americade Motorcycle Rally. That one is my favorite and I attended with Jane almost every year from 1994 to 2008. Since Jane's death in late 2008, I have read all the literature about Americade and even filled out the application a few times but haven't gone yet. Jane and I rode together and she had her own trike so it just wouldn't be the same. But, I keep thinking about it and hope to go soon before I can't ride anymore.

You just have to pick and choose what rallies appeal to you most in these uncertain economic times. Motorcycle rallies are a lot of fun. If you've never attended a rally, you owe it to yourself to go. You just might find a rally or two that you'll want to go to every year, just like I went to Americade for so many years, regardless of the weather, and hope to start back up soon.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - August 4-10, 2014

Each year, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists head toward what many feel is the motorcycling mecca of the world, Sturgis, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota takes place this year August 4-10.

Check out my article on this great motorcycle rally. See if you can see me waving in the picture when I attended the 1993 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I really need to go back to this great rally, especially after 20 years. How about you?

The Americade Motorcycle Rally at Lake George, NY is set for June 2-7, 2014

The resort town of Lake George, NY sees plenty of tourists, conventions, and gatherings during the year. However, its biggest draw is in June when it hosts the biggest motorcycle touring rally in the world, the Americade Motorcycle Rally. The rally is held the first full week of June and for 2014, it's June 2-7. This will be the 32nd annual Americade.

The featured seminar speakers for 2014 are Alonzo Bodden, Comedian and Rider, "Touring to Track Days - We All Ride," Maggie McNally, MSF Rider Coach and AMA Board Member, "Girls Can't Do What?" Fred Rau, "We've Come a Long Way, Baby...," and Greg Drevenstedt, Rider Magazine Road Test Editor, "Two-Wheeled Time Machine." Where else can you go to hear such outstanding personalities in one place? Only at Americade!

It's a little late to find a place to stay for the whole week but day trips can be fun too.

Read my article on Americade for more details including a link to the Americade Website.

Also, to find out how to have a good time at Americade, check out my feature, Ten Ways to Enjoy Americade.

Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally XXVII

Jane and I both rode our motorcycle trikes in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day, 2005 with Rolling Thunder, along with several members of the Motorcycle Views forum. Here's that story.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - August 5-11, 2013

Each year, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists head toward what many feel is the motorcycling mecca of the world, Sturgis, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota takes place this year August 5-11.

Check out my article on this great motorcycle rally. See if you can see me waving in the picture when I attended the 1993 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I really need to go back to this great rally, especially after 20 years. How about you?

Rolling Thunder XXVI and Other Events in Washington, D.C.

My wife and I attended Rolling Thunder® in Washington, D.C. a few years ago and I wrote an article about our experiences. There is a current article about the events this weekend for Rolling Thunder® XXVI by Susan L Ruth of communities.washingtontimes.com. Here's an excerpt:

"The Rolling Thunder run, a slow motorcycle ride through blocked-off Washington D.C. streets, brings more than 250,000 riders to Washington D.C. each year to raise awareness of United States veterans and soldiers missing in action or held as prisoners of war." -- Susan L Ruth, communities.washingtontimes.com

Read more.

Run for the Wall Meets Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder® was started in 1987 by two Vietnam vets, Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, who wanted a way to draw attention to the plight of our country's Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA). They decided that a gathering of motorcycle riders would have the biggest impact.

In 1988, the first Rolling Thunder® "Ride for Freedom" was held in Washington, D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend with 2500 motorcycles and 5000 marchers. The marching portion of the event was dropped after the first few events but the number of motorcycles steadily increased over the years with recent numbers around 250,000.

My Rolling Thunder article gives all the details of a Rolling Thunder ride my wife and I made a few years ago.

There are many groups of riders who head to Washington each year in conjunction with the Rolling Thunder ride. The most famous of these is the Run for the Wall. This cross-country journey starts in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and ends in Washington, D.C.

Jon Mark Beilue has a detailed article about this ride in amarillo.com. Here's an excerpt:

"Gary Burd has been riding motorcycles for 48 years. He's driven 430,000 miles since he began logging them in 1999. The senior pastor at Christian Heritage Church averages close to 35,000 miles yearly, and none mean more than the 2,700-plus miles on a special trip every May.

Burd is a senior chaplain riding a 2009 Harley-Davidson Street Glide from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., to Washington. For the ninth year, he’s among approximately 2,000 bikers to make the cross-country trip for Run for the Wall." -- Jon Mark Beilue, amarillo.com

Read more of Beilue's article and be sure to watch the video at the top of his article.

Daytona Bike Week - Beginning of the Rally Season

The 72nd anniversary of Daytona Bike Week is being held March 8-17, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The start of Daytona Bike Week is often announced on the morning TV news shows. You know, where somebody sticks their face in front of the camera and announces: "We're at the opening of Daytona Bike Week. Good Morning America," and then you see a whole line of bikes roar off in front of the camera. Unfortunately, most of the remainder of Bike Week will not be seen by non-motorcyclists.

Check out my article, Daytona, for details.

Here in the frigid Northeast, I hear plenty of people talking about going to Daytona. Some are riding down with friends. Riding sometimes means riding in a car and towing a trailer with the bike on it. After all, the 1500 miles down with uncertain weather conditions has left many a rider stranded in a snow storm or Nor'easter. After that happens to you once, you tend to be a little more cautious the next time you go.

Maybe you want to skip Daytona and concentrate on planning to go to some smaller rallies this year. Be sure to read my article, Motorcycle Rallies, where I discuss rallies and give you information about the top rallies that I like. Of course, your views may be different -- this is Motorcycle Views after all.

I just got my registration information for the Americade Motorcycle Rally. That one is my favorite and I've gone almost every year since 1994.

It can get expensive going to lots of rallies, especially if you're taking two bikes. Double gas, double tolls. You just have to pick and choose what appeals to you most in these uncertain economic times. Motorcycle rallies are a lot of fun. If you've never attended a rally, you owe it to yourself to go. You just might find a rally or two that you'll want to go to every year, just like I try to go to Americade, regardless of the weather.

Major Motorcycle Rallies for 2013

In the off season, many riders like to plan rides to various motorcycle rallies. I have just updated my motorcycle rally article and schedule for 2013 to assist you.

Motorcycle rallies (biker rallies) are simply gatherings of riders and motorcycles at specified times and places usually with attendant vendors, food, games, and other activities.

Motorcycle rallies or biker rallies may last from a day to more than a week. Some major motorcycle or biker rallies are built around organized professional motorcycle races.

Motorcycle rally attendance varied widely from a low of a couple of dozen riders or less to huge organized rallies with hundreds of thousands of riders.

My updated article, Motorcycle Rallies (Biker Rallies) - Major Rallies for Motorcycles, gives basic information about motorcycle rallies. The second page of this article contains my list of the top motorcycle rallies.

The picture shows me raising my arm after I parked my bike on Main Street at the 1993 Sturgis Rally. That was the year of the great Midwest floods.

Riding and Repairs at the 2012 BuRP Rally

I recently noticed a short video posted on Facebook that was made by a participant of the 2012 BuRP Rally held in Maggie Valley, NC. (BuRP stands for Blue Ridge Parkway and u.) This rally, more than a decade old, was founded by members of my old motorcycle forum on About.com. Both my late wife, Jane, and I attended the rally twice. The video brought back pleasant memories of the rally. I especially remember the group riding through the very scenic Blue Ridge Parkway region and the ever present front porch repair sessions. Both are covered in the video. Thanks for the memories guys.

Check out the video.

Here's my BuRP Day by Day Blog of the 2006 BuRP rally.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - August 6-12, 2012

Each year, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists head toward what many feel is the motorcycling mecca of the world, Sturgis, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota takes place this year August 6-12.

Check out my article on this great motorcycle rally. See if you can see me waving in the picture when I attended the 1993 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I really need to go back to this great rally. How about you?

Rolling Thunder XXV on Memorial Day Weekend

I just realized that Memorial Day is coming and that there will be another Rolling Thunder in Washington, D.C. on May 27, 2012. This is Rolling Thunder XXV [1] and [2]. I remembered the feeling I had at Rolling Thunder XVIII in 2005. In fact, I wrote an article about it with pictures. Take a look.

I also noticed that a great video about Rolling Thunder is also available on YouTube.

Major Motorcycle Rallies for 2012

In the off season, many riders like to plan rides to various motorcycle rallies. I have just updated my motorcycle rally article and schedule for 2012 to assist you.

Motorcycle rallies (biker rallies) are simply gatherings of riders and motorcycles at specified times and places usually with attendant vendors, food, games, and other activities.

Motorcycle rallies or biker rallies may last from a day to more than a week. Some major motorcycle or biker rallies are built around organized professional motorcycle races.

Motorcycle rally attendance varied widely from a low of a couple of dozen riders or less to huge organized rallies with hundreds of thousands of riders.

My updated article, Motorcycle Rallies (Biker Rallies) - Major Rallies for Motorcycles, gives basic information about motorcycle rallies. The second page of this article contains my list of the top motorcycle rallies.

The picture shows me raising my arm after I parked my bike on Main Street at the 1993 Sturgis Rally. That was the year of the great Midwest floods.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - August 8-14, 2011

Each year, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists head toward what many feel is the motorcycling mecca of the world, Sturgis, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota takes place this year August 8-14.

Check out my article on this great motorcycle rally. See if you can see me waving in the picture when I attended the 1993 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I really need to go back to this great rally. How about you?

Americade Motorcycle Rally - June 6-11, 2011

Americade is June 6-11. It's a big touring rally held the first full week of June each year in Lake George, NY. This year the headquarters has been moved from Roaring Brook Ranch to the Fort William Henry Resort, overlooking Lake George, on the hill above the Beach Road Parking Lot where Americade's daily MiniTours assemble. It's a little late to find a place to stay for the whole week but day trips can be fun too. This is the 29th annual Americade rally and probably the best organized family oriented rally you'll ever find.

Major Motorcycle Rallies for 2011

In the off season, many riders like to plan rides to various motorcycle rallies. I have just updated my motorcycle rally article and schedule for 2011 to assist you.

Motorcycle rallies (biker rallies) are simply gatherings of riders and motorcycles at specified times and places usually with attendant vendors, food, games, and other activities.

Motorcycle rallies or biker rallies may last from a day to more than a week. Some major motorcycle or biker rallies are built around organized professional motorcycle races.

Motorcycle rally attendance varied widely from a low of a couple of dozen riders or less to huge organized rallies with hundreds of thousands of riders.

My updated article, Motorcycle Rallies (Biker Rallies) - Major Rallies for Motorcycles, gives basic information about motorcycle rallies. The second page of this article contains my list of the top motorcycle rallies.

The picture shows me raising my arm after I parked my bike on Main Street at the 1993 Sturgis Rally. That was the year of the great Midwest floods.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - August 9-15, 2010

Each year, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists head toward what many feel is the motorcycling mecca of the world, Sturgis, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota takes place this year August 9-15.

Check out my article on this great motorcycle rally. See if you can see me waving in the picture when I attended the 1993 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I really need to go back to this great rally. How about you?

Rolling Thunder XXIII on Memorial Day Weekend

I just realized that Memorial Day is coming and that there will be another Rolling Thunder in Washington, D.C. on May 30, 2010. This is Rolling Thunder XXIII [1] and [2]. I remembered the feeling I had at Rolling Thunder XVIII in 2005. In fact, I wrote an article about it with pictures. Take a look.

I also noticed that a great video about Rolling Thunder is also available on YouTube.

Daytona Bike Week - Get a Start on the Rally Season

The 69th anniversary of Daytona Bike Week is being held February 26 - March 7, 2010 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The start of Daytona Bike Week is often announced on the morning TV news shows. You know, where somebody sticks their face in front of the camera and announces: "We're at the opening of Daytona Bike Week. Good Morning America," and then you see a whole line of bikes roar off in front of the camera. Unfortunately, most of the remainder of Bike Week will not be seen by non-motorcyclists.

Check out my article, Daytona, for details.

Here in the frigid Northeast, I hear plenty of people talking about going to Daytona. Some are riding down with friends. Riding sometimes means riding in a car and towing a trailer with the bike on it. After all, the 1500 miles down with uncertain weather conditions has left many a rider stranded in a snow storm or Nor'easter. After that happens to you once, you tend to be a little more cautious the next time you go.

Maybe you want to skip Daytona and concentrate on planning to go to some smaller rallies this year. Be sure to read my article, Motorcycle Rallies, where I discuss rallies and give you information about the top rallies that I like. Of course, your views may be different -- this is Motorcycle Views after all.

I just got my registration information for the Americade Motorcycle Rally. That one is my favorite and I've gone almost every year since 1994.

It can get expensive going to lots of rallies, especially if you're taking two bikes. Double gas, double tolls. You just have to pick and choose what appeals to you most in these uncertain economic times. Motorcycle rallies are a lot of fun. If you've never attended a rally, you owe it to yourself to go. You just might find a rally or two that you'll want to go to every year, just like I go to Americade, regardless of the weather.