Motorcycle Rally, worth the cost?

[julian abram]

For the last 15 years our town has hosted a motorcycle rally this week in September. It has grown over the years to an attendance of 200,000+. The organizers tout the great benefit it is to our region, raising $100,000+ for local charities and of course hotels and restaurants make out like a bandit. In recent years the regions hospitals stay very busy patching up riders in their emergency rooms. Generally there will be 2-5 biker fatalities in the area during the 4 day rally. Friday morning a good friend was killed on a Poker run sponsored by the rally. I guess I'm kind of calloused as I never gave much thought to previous years fatalities and injuries since they were unknown to me. But obviously this is different when it happens to friends you know and love. Since Friday I can't stop thinking about John's death and the many family members and friends this has affected. Was this event worth his death or the death and injury of others is a thought I continually deal with.
Please don't flame me as anti-motorcycle, I'm not, have many friends and family members that are owners and riders. Many local folks gripe about the noise and extra traffic of this event each year but it has never bothered me. Although I'm not a owner or rider I kind of like watching all the various sizes, shapes and designs of the bikes as well as the folks that ride them. When my girls were small I would put them on my shoulders and walk down the crowded event areas just taking in all the machinery and crowd energy.
I think it is great we live in a country that allows personal freedoms of our hobbies and lifestyles. John was a very fine hard working family man who loved riding his Gold Wing. As of last night there has been 4 fatalies, riders go home today. I'm just trying to rational was this worth the cost?

[Rod Sheridan]

Julian, please accept my condolences on the loss of your friend John.

Having ridden for the last 42 years, I also have lost friends.

I often go to rallies, however they're often BMW rallies which don't involve riding in groups (BMW riders mostly ride on their own and meet friends at the rally).

I avoid all benefit rides as I find that there is often alcohol mixed with riding as well as large group rides, all these things reduce rider safety.

Sorry to hear of your loss however I assume John liked these events and therefore it was worth it to him.

I always tell my family and friends that if I'm killed riding, I went doing one of the things that means the most to me, much better than getting killed on the commute to work........Sincerely, Rod.

[Paul McGaha]

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend Julian.

PHM

[Michael Dye]

I stopped going to Bikes, Blues, and BBQ's years ago for the exact reasons you stated. It became nothing but a big drunkfest, much like Sturgis. Although I, too have ridden motorcycles for most of my life (50 years), the fun has gone away. I spend most of my riding time with my head on a swivel, looking for the texting twits, make-up mamas, and mindless morons that seem to fill the seats in most vehicles these days. I am truly sorry for the loss of your friend. Best of luck to you, Julian.

[Bert Kemp]

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend too Julian . I have been riding 49 years and and have attended many bike rally's. I've lost friends I agree that they turn into a big drinking party and then they go ride. I worked apoker run this past SATURDAY My station wasa local bar werethe riders stopped to get their cards, they woulod come in pick a card get the sheet singed and head to the bar for a couple of beers before heading off to the next station which was also a bar.That last stop was a club with the food and band. As I was having dinner one of the rider withhis wife on the back hit some sand and went down hard on the road.The emts worked on the wife for 40 mins laying in the middle of the road before they loaded her in the ambulance . I still haven't heard if she survived or not. The poker run was raising money for the Snowball express. If you don't know what that is just google it. Was it worth this women getting hurt. Its a risk you take when people drink and drive. It isn't the poker run that cause the accident, its the people not acting responsible. Like its not the Bike Rallys fault people drink drive and have accidents . Its the peoples lack of common sense.

[Scott T Smith]

Eight years ago my best friend died in my arms after running off of the side of the road during a motorcycle ride in Colorado. He is deeply missed by myself, his family as well as a myriad of friends.

However, Bill died in a place that he loved, with people that he loved, doing something that he loved, and he went out quick. That's not a bad way to go. To me, it beats the hell out of dying a slow, lingering death from cancer or some other disease over a multi month period.

Although your friend died while on a poker run, something just as deadly could have happened while out riding alone, either with an animal running in front of him or some road debris such as gravel on a curve causing him to lose control. Or, he could have just lost focus for a few seconds like my friend did and ride a bit too wide around a curve. Stuff happens.

We can live, or we can exist. I think that the former is a much better choice. Better to "live" life for 40 years, versus "existing" for 75.

Theodore Roosevelt summed this up well with his infamous quote, which I will share below. To me, "being in the arena" not only applies to one's quest to overcome life's challenges and seize opportunities to grow and improve, it can also apply to our choice of not doing everything solely based upon how "safe" it is. The thrill, joy and challenges of riding motorcycles, flying light aircraft, engaging in shooting sports, off-road racing or a myriad of other activities is worth the small amount of additional risk, IMO. As individuals we can choose to participate or not participate.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."