These campground style rallies are like a well kept secret that we tell everyone about. Sure they dont get the popularity of main street rallies but I always have more fun at the campground and I like the people better.
The bikes are more sophisticated, the people are weaker. People used to ride to a rally. Today the rallies are trailer conventions and the trailers happen to have bikes in them. The mind set of the crowed is different. Used to be people showed up after a long ride, rested and partied. Then made the long ride back home. Nobody had store bought "motorcycle outfits" because no stores sold such. They wore what they could find that made the ride more comfortable. Harley dealers also sold other brands under the same roof. It was easier to find a Triumph or Honda T-shirt than a Harley T-shirt. It was a time when few homes and work places had air conditioning. If it was hot, you were hot, indoors or out. The rallies today try to force the crowd into what they think the old rallies were like. When all they really are is scheduled events in which people pay to attend. A commercial reenactment for Cos players. The old rallies had no schedule except be at this location at a certain date. No events planed, no shows planed. It all just happened once riders showed up. Such events cannot be planned or marketed. I am so old I went to Sturgis when it was a motorcycle racing event that many spectators rode their motorcycle to. Now it is not even a venue on the motorcycle racing schedule. In one week there was hill climbing, flat track, and cross country endurance. Cross country endurance changed to Motocross, that changed to stadium trick riding on a fake dirt track. It was before any factory made a dirt bike. They modified street bikes and raced off road.
It's apparent that younger people aren't getting into motorcycling at the same rates as we old codgers were. So, fewer younger people on bikes, while older riders are dropping out the end of the pipe. The result is the mean age of motorcyclists in the USA is probably around 60 today. I say "probably" because the motorcycle industry tracks the demographics, and they don't want it known that participation in motorcycling is decreasing. What's more, today's young people seem to be more interested in virtual electronic communities played with their thumbs, and less interested in real world get-togethers.
Yea man, it's a lot of fun (not so much when its 100+ degrees...). I'd say it's really like a smaller, probably more off the cuff version of Buckhorn honestly.
Riding today is a fad not a lifestyle. Most people go out and buy a new scoot because some of their friends have bikes and they want to be a cool kid. On average 4 out of 5 of those same people quit riding because it’s not what they thought it would be. For us old farts, I’m 74 and started riding 62 years ago, it’s in my bones not just a fun gig I don’t ride to have friends, In fact I travel with one of my buddies who’s still alive. I’d rather ride alone most of the time so I can clear my head from all the crap life throws at you anymore.
I've met plenty of 20-40 somethings that live (as much as they can) for riding. Granted, being in a community that lends itself to finding folks that do so helps a lot. We were all new at some point. The folks that encouraged me, kept in touch, invited me to things, etc. were the veterans that lit the fire. I feel like that same encouragement for anyone who rides, 1 month, 1 year, whatever is what brings folks into the fold. Sure, a lot will drop out for whatever reason, but everyone with itch could end up being a lifelong rider. I ride 80% solo, 15% with the wife on the back, and 5% with others (that others part has been going up over time). Definitely still enjoy the catharsis of just going off somewhere alone, but the miles themselves with others get about 90% of the way there most of the time. That is all to say that there can be "exclusive" corners of the motorcycling world, but I don't personally see any reason to gatekeep the idea of riding, be it weekend warriors, new folks, etc. We're all just out trying to keep the shiny side up, as long as you aren't riding like someone with a death wish.
@ I’m sure you can find those 20-40 aged riders at any rally on any given weekend. I see them too. And I don’t think I was pretending to be a gatekeeper for riders belonging to a group or club. And I don’t give a rats ass who rides. But I do give a crap who’s riding with me. Inexperienced riders who think they’re more experienced than they are become a disaster in the making. Yeah we all started somewhere and in our own time. But back to the point I was actually making. Out of those 20-40 aged riders group riders you see at a rally or any spot you can think of, how many of that same group will you see still riding in 4 to 5 years?? If one of them has an accident or drops their bike. If one of them gets nervous about riding or decides the bike and insurance payments are beyond their means they sell the bike and quit riding.
The answer to the clickbait question is evidenced in the first second of the video, by 00:01 it's crystal clear. The second clue is the word "staff". Staff just isn't a word that evokes party, old school biker or otherwise. Paid staff is more of big organized make money event. A kegger with $20 red plastic cups doesn't need staff. Me telling the world what an old school bike party is, would be as productive as me telling the world what an old school biker is. Whatever you think either of those are, if you felt comfortable driving your cage to the event where you pay $50 to play biker games then maybe you're more of a nu skool biker. Nothing wrong with that mind you. What I want to know is whether you think old school bike partying is what you saw when you were sneaking off with Dad's Easy Riders magazine? Those games looked fun, but not nearly as fun as the titties that made you to keep sneaking off with that mag. For the record, old school bike partying started about 50 years before the 1960's and the folks that were riding in the 1910's are definitely dead. God dammit I burned my croissant while writing this snark.
These campground style rallies are like a well kept secret that we tell everyone about. Sure they dont get the popularity of main street rallies but I always have more fun at the campground and I like the people better.
Showing up at a bike rally in a pickup truck? That pretty much says it all!
The bikes are more sophisticated, the people are weaker. People used to ride to a rally. Today the rallies are trailer conventions and the trailers happen to have bikes in them.
The mind set of the crowed is different. Used to be people showed up after a long ride, rested and partied. Then made the long ride back home.
Nobody had store bought "motorcycle outfits" because no stores sold such. They wore what they could find that made the ride more comfortable. Harley dealers also sold other brands under the same roof. It was easier to find a Triumph or Honda T-shirt than a Harley T-shirt.
It was a time when few homes and work places had air conditioning. If it was hot, you were hot, indoors or out.
The rallies today try to force the crowd into what they think the old rallies were like. When all they really are is scheduled events in which people pay to attend. A commercial reenactment for Cos players.
The old rallies had no schedule except be at this location at a certain date. No events planed, no shows planed. It all just happened once riders showed up. Such events cannot be planned or marketed.
I am so old I went to Sturgis when it was a motorcycle racing event that many spectators rode their motorcycle to. Now it is not even a venue on the motorcycle racing schedule. In one week there was hill climbing, flat track, and cross country endurance. Cross country endurance changed to Motocross, that changed to stadium trick riding on a fake dirt track. It was before any factory made a dirt bike. They modified street bikes and raced off road.
It's apparent that younger people aren't getting into motorcycling at the same rates as we old codgers were. So, fewer younger people on bikes, while older riders are dropping out the end of the pipe. The result is the mean age of motorcyclists in the USA is probably around 60 today. I say "probably" because the motorcycle industry tracks the demographics, and they don't want it known that participation in motorcycling is decreasing. What's more, today's young people seem to be more interested in virtual electronic communities played with their thumbs, and less interested in real world get-togethers.
I still need to make it to Depew for a rally sometime
Yea man, it's a lot of fun (not so much when its 100+ degrees...). I'd say it's really like a smaller, probably more off the cuff version of Buckhorn honestly.
You definitely need to make it down for one
😜🤪😎👍✌
Riding today is a fad not a lifestyle. Most people go out and buy a new scoot because some of their friends have bikes and they want to be a cool kid.
On average 4 out of 5 of those same people quit riding because it’s not what they thought it would be.
For us old farts, I’m 74 and started riding 62 years ago, it’s in my bones not just a fun gig
I don’t ride to have friends, In fact I travel with one of my buddies who’s still alive. I’d rather ride alone most of the time so I can clear my head from all the crap life throws at you anymore.
I've met plenty of 20-40 somethings that live (as much as they can) for riding. Granted, being in a community that lends itself to finding folks that do so helps a lot. We were all new at some point. The folks that encouraged me, kept in touch, invited me to things, etc. were the veterans that lit the fire. I feel like that same encouragement for anyone who rides, 1 month, 1 year, whatever is what brings folks into the fold. Sure, a lot will drop out for whatever reason, but everyone with itch could end up being a lifelong rider.
I ride 80% solo, 15% with the wife on the back, and 5% with others (that others part has been going up over time). Definitely still enjoy the catharsis of just going off somewhere alone, but the miles themselves with others get about 90% of the way there most of the time.
That is all to say that there can be "exclusive" corners of the motorcycling world, but I don't personally see any reason to gatekeep the idea of riding, be it weekend warriors, new folks, etc. We're all just out trying to keep the shiny side up, as long as you aren't riding like someone with a death wish.
@ I’m sure you can find those 20-40 aged riders at any rally on any given weekend. I see them too.
And I don’t think I was pretending to be a gatekeeper for riders belonging to a group or club.
And I don’t give a rats ass who rides. But I do give a crap who’s riding with me. Inexperienced riders who think they’re more experienced than they are become a disaster in the making. Yeah we all started somewhere and in our own time.
But back to the point I was actually making.
Out of those 20-40 aged riders group riders you see at a rally or any spot you can think of, how many of that same group will you see still riding in 4 to 5 years??
If one of them has an accident or drops their bike. If one of them gets nervous about riding or decides the bike and insurance payments are beyond their means they sell the bike and quit riding.
The answer to the clickbait question is evidenced in the first second of the video, by 00:01 it's crystal clear. The second clue is the word "staff". Staff just isn't a word that evokes party, old school biker or otherwise. Paid staff is more of big organized make money event. A kegger with $20 red plastic cups doesn't need staff. Me telling the world what an old school bike party is, would be as productive as me telling the world what an old school biker is. Whatever you think either of those are, if you felt comfortable driving your cage to the event where you pay $50 to play biker games then maybe you're more of a nu skool biker. Nothing wrong with that mind you. What I want to know is whether you think old school bike partying is what you saw when you were sneaking off with Dad's Easy Riders magazine? Those games looked fun, but not nearly as fun as the titties that made you to keep sneaking off with that mag. For the record, old school bike partying started about 50 years before the 1960's and the folks that were riding in the 1910's are definitely dead. God dammit I burned my croissant while writing this snark.