Have not attended any events in WI. I used to live in Cali years ago and would got to some events/parties up in the foot hills of central Ca around Arnold, Angles camp and Jackson up in the gold country.

 

I just registered for the rally in Delaware..and wanted to consider the Battle Cry ride. After seeing your post and reading the cost, I think I will head somewhere else.

 

Since I'm the only one going, I'll keep posting updates here. I got an email a week or so ago with more info. The rally starts in Richmond. First night on the road is Roanoke, VA, second night Salisbury, NC, and last two nights in Knoxville/Maryville TN.

For each stop, they've made discount deals at 3 or 4 hotels, from kinda upscale (Hilton) to low-mid (Fairfield, Hampton). Nothing low end like Motel 6 or Sleep Inn.

Depending on where you stay, you'll save between about $40 and $240 over normal rates for the rooms. If you have AAA, it's a little less. Of course, the most savings are if you go high end (for example, the Westin in Richmond is is normally $219, but the HD discount brings it down to $139).

For the places I'm going to stay, I'll save about $140 for the four nights I'm getting rooms (I'm close enough that I don't need a room in Richmond).

Interestingly, enough, not a single Best Western on the list. I thought they and Harley had a thing going. Oh well.

They also list a lot of campsites, and say there's some discount there as well, but they don't specify what the discounts in the email. I've had my fill of sleeping on the ground in Uncle Sam's employ, so I'm opting for the clean sheets.

The letter also says that special "parking, bike washes and other amenities have been arranged for our guests as part of this package." My guess is that doesn't include a free bottle of Budweiser at check-in, but I can dream.

The email also made it clear that this isn't a big procession of bikes going town to town. Each rider gets a map and a list of scheduled events. How you get there is your business. There will be a recommended route.

So far, I figure T shirts/pins/water bottles, whatever (at Harley prices) are worth $75. The room savings to me is about $140. So now this thing is costing me about $210. We'll see if the various other discounts for food and attractions plus any free meals lowers that number a bit.

More to follow - if anyone else decides to opt in, drop me a line.

 

So what's the battle cry?
Before the ride starts, there will be a guy from HOG, with half his face painted blue. He will announce to all the HOG members gathered there:

"Aye...pay and you may eat. Ride and you'll live -- at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the meals from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell HOG that they may take our money, but they'll never take our buffet!"

There ya go.

 

There you go. Got to be worth at least $325 based upon this alone

 

I have ridden with several national HOG rides across the USA and yeah the entry fee is a little much but on each ride the dealers fed us each night and the hotels had free breakfast each morning..The rides I have been on lasted at least 16 days.. the ride there and the ride home included.. The most I have ever spent was $2700.00 on a National HOG ride and that included all souvenir and t-shirts..I have spent more on 2 week vacations in the past and since.. On one ride every thing we went to was paid for(museums, music concerts, etc.. ) one dealer actually gave free beer and it was the dealer in Salt Lake City.. every night during social hour was a big party.. if you didn't like it you could find your own entertainment.. you don't have to follow anything or anyone.. during the Pony Express Ride in 2009 me and a guy I met enroute to the starting location would plan our own rides for the day, just made sure we were in time for the free meal.. during social hour we met 3 other riders that thought our rides were more interesting and we invited them to join us and the 5 of us had great ride and times off the bikes..I know this is rambling but I just finished mowing the estate and am now 1 hr into my own social hours.. go on the ride and have fun.

 

They have other options, I renewed my membership for 3 years at a discount.

 

My wife and I just registered for the Battle Cry ride. We are looking for someone / group to ride back to Richmond with. Thanks JLT

 

My buddy and I are signed up. Thanks for actually doing some math instead of just bitching like the rest.

 

I have done some of the HOG rides, they were the really long ones.
Did Lewis and Clark, Western and eastern campaigns (all 48 states) among others.
I need to go back and see but I think its been 6 trips, they were about 500.00 ea as I recall . Rode to and from the actual sanctioned events and the shortest ended up being just under 5000 miles and the longest was over 9000 miles (round trip with lots of zig zags).
All took us between 3 and 4 weeks.
These rides always had a nice commemorative gift set of some kind that was sent before the ride to the house. Really nice things, as they should be for 500+ money.
The rides always had group events and meals along the way, lots of dealer parties, route info and all the things to see along the daily routes.
More souveneers when you got to the start of the ride upon actually signing in.
They made all your reservations for you (if you wanted them to).
I have seen this whole country and LOTS of what there is to see on these rides and count these memories and the lifelong friends I have made on them as some of the very best times of my life.
Not been on one since the economy went so sour but would like to do it again.
Many of these rides were sold out in the 1st day or two and most had a limit of 500 or so.
I have spent more that 500 in a titty bar and let me tell you, that makes these epic trips seem extra cheap to me ( add hotels, bar tabs, attraction fees, park fees, GAS @ 300-500 miles a day+) and it was not cheap.
Plenty of guys on here will tell you they could do the same thing for five dollars and six cents but its not the same.
Enjoy and let us know how it went...