Gated rally venues
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,870
Likes: 499
From: Alberta
Gated rally venues
Was considering attending Arizona Bike Week, then found out it's a gated venue with paid admissions. To me that's not a rally, it's a trade fair. Sturgis North in BC Canada is another (besides the cheesy co-opting of the name). Been to the "Mother Rally"; Sturgis, a couple times and enjoyed the ride and experience. What other "rally's" are closed venues requiring paid admission? We're not huge rally goers, but I want to deliberately avoid gated events...
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 168
Likes: 0
From: NC
Hi, this may not be much help since my experience is in the southeastern US. Myrtle Beach spring & fall rallies are not gated, but these rallies are not as big as they once were. We go to several throughout the year and most all are gated and have an admission fee except for the Myrtle Beach events. There are pluses and minuses to both types. We kind of prefer the gated ones since we camp and know a lot of the regulars at the events. Most are of the smaller variety and there is not a lot of riding inside the event itself, depending on the size of the venue. We usually leave the premises either solo or with a group during the day and do some riding. In the evening we park the bike and enjoy the party. The handy thing is that everything is concentrated in the venue and you don't have to worry about DUI or sharing the road with intoxicated riders & drivers. Also, everyone inside is pretty much a biker and there is a lot of opportunity to scope out the bikes, talk about bikes, etc. The "open" rallies require a lot more roving around since everything is spread out, hence the traffic problems, a fore mentioned intoxicated drivers, and so forth. There does tend to be more variety to the open events, though.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: San Francisco
For me to pay to go into a rally in a gated venue, they would have to be offering something compelling that was interesting to me enough for me to spend money to get in. As a result, so far I haven't been to a rally where I had to pay to get in. I've been to Sturgis a number of times, and the revived Hollister Rally. I like to walk around, talk to the merchants and other bikers, look at what's for sale. I'm not one for drinking, especially when I am riding the bike. And I don't care for most of the musical offerings at most bike rallies. So I stick to those where I can just drop in for awhile, chat, look around, maybe get something to eat.
I am also really happy to hear when a lot of people pay to attend an event. It means the producers are offering something that the people are enjoying and even if it is not what I would want, I am happy that my fellow bikers get to attend the kind of event they want to attend.
I am also really happy to hear when a lot of people pay to attend an event. It means the producers are offering something that the people are enjoying and even if it is not what I would want, I am happy that my fellow bikers get to attend the kind of event they want to attend.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,759
Likes: 1
From: Breaux Bridge, LA
ROT rally in Austin, TX is a gated event. We went once and paid the 60-something dollars for the pass. Late in the evenings it got downright crazy. Since it was gated, cops were not enforcing DUI laws. Drunk people were doing burnouts in the middle of the madness. Saw people getting bumped by bikes and the hundreds of golf carts and 4 wheelers they let run around the place. They really should call it a cart rally instead of a bike rally. I know a lot of people who bring their golf carts and leave their bikes at home, no joke. I'll never go back to the ROT itself, but we have been back a few times during the rally and just hung out around town and rode the hill country. There's enough going on around town during the rally that you really don't have to go to the venue.
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 1,964
From: New England
So, someone paying an admission fee becomes an attendee, not paying the fee one becomes a trespasser and generally reduces the rally/event/ride of most liability.
Not saying it's good or bad but imagine being an event organizer and learning some drunk gate-crasher falls, gets injured (or so he says) and finds a lawyer willing the fill a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the event and its organizers....
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,870
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From: Alberta
Well; some points I never considered...thanks for sharing. Still, the "spirit" of being on the road would feel somewhat dimished if I had to pay to be with fellow travellers. And I never gave any consideration for the extremely litigious nature of life in the States...
28 states and 6 provinces down; plenty more to go.
28 states and 6 provinces down; plenty more to go.
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MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: New England
Well; some points I never considered...thanks for sharing. Still, the "spirit" of being on the road would feel somewhat dimished if I had to pay to be with fellow travellers. And I never gave any consideration for the extremely litigious nature of life in the States...
28 states and 6 provinces down; plenty more to go.
28 states and 6 provinces down; plenty more to go.
FWIW, I participate in an AMA-sanctioned event as one of the event's Risk Management Officers (RMO's). Each year I have to take a few online training courses and then sign and send in a statement certifying the completion of that training. Then I have to complete some more training at the event site before the gates open. I have to make sure the event does certain things meeting the AMA's requirements as the event goes on.
In return, we get several million dollars of insurance coverage and legal help. Sad it's this way now but that's the reality of putting on a motorcycle event in this day and age.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,764
Likes: 50
From: Gilbert, AZ
The past couple years AZ Bike Week festivities have been held in two main venues.
BikeFest, at Westgate in Glendale FREE admission.
CycleFest, in Scottsdale PAID admission.
Traditionally, there was only CycleFest and BikeFest is a newcomer.
BikeFest, at Westgate in Glendale FREE admission.
CycleFest, in Scottsdale PAID admission.
Traditionally, there was only CycleFest and BikeFest is a newcomer.
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