What Is A Motorcycle
Rally?
A motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle riders.
Rallies are usually sponsored by specific motorcycle clubs or
organizations, but may be attended by anyone though some are
open only to adults. Vendors are usually present offering all
sorts of motorcycle accessories and services.
If you go to a motorcycle rally you will find a variety of
events and entertainment. It is also a good place to see new,
custom and vintage bikes. You may even be able to test-drive
the latest offerings with demo rides by top manufacturers.
What else might you find at a rally? Music is big. Some
rallies combine with music festivals and over great live
entertainment. Remember these are scheduled events not just
random gatherings. Most rallies take place every year and get
bigger and better each year.
Poker runs are another rally staple. A poker run is an
organized motorcycle event where riders travel along a preset
course, stopping at designated spots to select a card. At the
end of the run, the rider with the best poker hand wins. The
rules vary from rally to rally.
If you are actually in charge of planning a poker run at your
next rally, here's what you need to know. The more organized
you can be, the smoother it will go. Also if you are running
on public roads you need to consider safety, not only for the
motorcycle riders, but also for other motorists not on the
run. Speed should not be a consideration of the event.
If you have several riders you will probably want to start
from the same location and have a staggered start. The easiest
method is to subtract three minutes for every rally
participant in the poker run from your total time, then set up
the course to be this long at average legal driving speeds. If
you have 30 participants, 30 x 3 = 90 minutes. Four hours
minus 90 minutes equals 2 and half hours of travel time. You
will want to have at least 5 checkpoints along the course for
riders to pick up cards. Ten or more checkpoints will allow
them to discard some of their cards, but it is not necessary.
Make sure you have a good map of the area you are holding your
poker run in. Mark all the checkpoints clearly or make it more
of a challenge by giving rally participants clues on where the
checkpoints are located. Whichever method you choice, each
participant that reaches the checkpoint gets a playing card.
The finally consideration is whether to charge an entry fee
and what the prize will be. Poker runs are a great way to earn
money for charity. The higher the entry fee and prize the more
organized you will have to be.
Motorcycle shows and fun runs are another option. Most shows
have several categories including events for women and
scooters. Motorcycle rallies have drawn crowds for years and
lists can be found online if you want to go see why. |
