The International CBX Owners Association

Please select one from the letter section and one from the number section.

Rick, I think you might get more valuable feedback if you were to say rate the number section from 1 to 4 with one being most desired to 4 being least desired. It was a tough tossup for me between organized rides which are really great if you do not know the area versus organized meals where you all get to sit down and eat together. I think both are important. My next would be tech sessions as they provide the opportunity to really learn. With everyone ride in the parking lot anyway, the bike show is every night as you walk around looking at bikes.

I confess I am really not into bike shows, unless they involve bikes that were ridden to the event and look like they are riders. I just have no interest in garage queens.

Harvey,

Thanks for the input. I agree, a ranking would be better, but I don't know how to do that in the "poll" system we have. For now, I'm trying to do the best I can with limited knowledge of our inner workings. The fact that, as I write this, there have been 24 "views", but only 2 people actually voting, tells me that perhaps most folks don't care about rallies. They know not what they miss.............

This poll is just something Larry Zimmer and I thought up while sitting in the hotel lobby in Cleveland. Frankly, we're grasping at straws, trying to figure out how to boost attendance at rallies. We're currently working on putting together a nice one for this summer...............

Me personally? I prefer riding during the day and sitting around a campfire at night shooting the bull. PS, I hit the wrong button for organized dinners....meant to hit rides...sorry.

Ah, yes. I have fond memories of coming in from a nice day ride out in Colorado, and having some one come walking over with a Yuengling for me.

While I think most of us agree that riding is the primary focus of a rally, there are many folks who own CBXs , who don't ride them much, if at all. They have modern bikes that get the miles. But, they still have, and want to share, their CBX. So for them, perhaps just the gathering at a central location and "schmoozing" with other owners might be an attraction.

We're searching here, trying to see if the rally concept needs to evolve to attract more folks.

Also, the choice of weekend v. week day rallies was presented because so many of us are retired, or soon to be.

So, after almost two weeks, and very few votes, I can only wonder if the majority even care if there are rallies?

But then, I also need to remember that there is only a relatively small percentage of the general membership that hangs out here.

Rick Pope wrote:So, after almost two weeks, and very few votes, I can only wonder if the majority even care if there are rallies?

But then, I also need to remember that there is only a relatively small percentage of the general membership that hangs out here.

If you build it, they will come. It all depends on the effort you're willing to put forth but you know that, you and a few others here have been to and part of many successful rallies over the years, buck up big boy and start driving the bus.

Do you still have my number, I'd be willing to give you some suggestions if you're interested.

Jeff Bennetts wrote:

Rick Pope wrote:So, after almost two weeks, and very few votes, I can only wonder if the majority even care if there are rallies?

But then, I also need to remember that there is only a relatively small percentage of the general membership that hangs out here.

If you build it, they will come. It all depends on the effort you're willing to put forth but you know that, you and a few others here have been to and part of many successful rallies over the years, buck up big boy and start driving the bus.

Do you still have my number, I'd be willing to give you some suggestions if you're interested.

Trouble is, times have changed. Over the years, there have been plenty of great rallies "built", but few came. I went on one where only three people showed, but we had a great time.

I doubt there has been a rally that took more time, pre-running, calls, etc. than the C2C. We had well over 100 bikes, over the course of 2700 miles and two weeks. No bad motels, no bad meals, and only one mishap. If I repeated it today, I doubt if we'd get 1/4 that number.

The poll tells the story. Most folks don't care.

BTW, I'm getting tired of driving a bus with empty seats. I've asked for help in the column in the magazine every issue for the past several years. Not one person has contacted me, other than Larry Zimmer and John Flake.

That rally was epic and I didn't even go!

And you're wrong! you could do it again, different but you could do it Rick, don't underestimate yourself.

Jeff, my point is, times have changed. A good example is the Cleveland show a couple of weekends ago. Only 4 folks showed up, all of whom had to drive several hours to get there. Even though several members live nearby, not one showed. Granted, the Cleveland show isn't much, but I went to see friends, and enjoy their company.

It's not just our club. The trend is down in nearly all organizations, except perhaps AARP. Ask any American Legion, Moose, etc. People don't take the time to mingle.

Rick Pope wrote:Jeff, my point is, times have changed. A good example is the Cleveland show a couple of weekends ago. Only 4 folks showed up, all of whom had to drive several hours to get there. Even though several members live nearby, not one showed. Granted, the Cleveland show isn't much, but I went to see friends, and enjoy their company.

It's not just our club. The trend is down in nearly all organizations, except perhaps AARP. Ask any American Legion, Moose, etc. People don't take the time to mingle.

That's a very important observation, it's a challenge of the new age we live, but I believe it's a challenge that can be met with the right approach, how can we make mingling hip again?

A. A Sexy dressed manikin
B. Midnight parking lot Burnouts
C. Fireworks
D. Raiding a meat truck at two in the morning
E. Motorcycles on the second floor of the hotel
D. Friends kicking tires after a day of riding
E. Hookers

Signed,
a forum member who lives nearby.

The problem, at least for me, is timing. Rallies fit somewhat down on the list, after family and racing commitments. The last several rallies seemed to conflict with one of the above list...

I'll recap a prior suggestion I made, and hopefully nobody takes offense. We are all...not so young. I'm the puppy at 55. It's hard to muster the mojo to ride a day each way to hang out at a motel. Time is short.

My suggestion was to piggyback on Barber's vintage event. Plan it a year ahead of time, see if we can do a parade lap like the Euro guys did in Ireland in 2015. Get a block of rooms, arrange a private tour of the museum, get some bike transport discounts arranged. Make it special. PROMOTE IT, including to the west coast cadre that likely has never made it to Barber.

An ad hoc gathering at Marlinton or AMA Vintage Days is just not going to move the needle, not for me anyway.

N.

Traditional CBX rallies from the '80s 'til a few years ago were 'riding rallies' The ride to the rally (later years, the trailer ride) was half the fun and the hundreds of miles we put on at rallies on group rides were epic. We explored the best roads in the East, from Pa to Ga. If you've not experienced that, you've really missed something. And the evenings at the motels were just as epic! I've made many life-long friends just because I went to many rallies over the years, that would only be internet or forum acquaintances otherwise.

As we age, apparently the zest for doing that wanes and any new blood never gets to experience it. Rick's C2C rally and the Colorado Rally served to further cement these life-long bonds many of us have. None of us can really appreciate the work Rick and Susan did to prepare for those events.

That said, events like Barber attract thousands and there is so much to do, that trying to get together as a group even for dinner a couple of evenings is tough. Everyone wants to see and do different things, but each year we manage to get a dozen or so together there at least for dinner. A great event, not to be missed for sure, but not a traditional CBX rally as many of us know them.

The West coasters kind of do their thing, we lost most of them years ago. Rick tried to meet halfway with the Colorado Rally, but we didn't pick up any West coasters until they actually got to the West Coast. Regional rallies all over the US were always the goal as we knew this was the best way to involve more people. But that was never met with huge success because we could never get guys committed to do them in most places.

As Rick correctly points out, times are a-changin'. New CBX owners young and old could benefit greatly from the comradery and knowledge available when a group of CBXers get together. But getting them to any event has proven tough. And frankly, we haven't offered them much in the last few years.

I really don't know what the answer is but to plan a few events in places historically guys like to go, and be happy with who shows up and have fun regardless.

Dave

"Signed,
a forum member who lives nearby." What's interesting is that there are quite a few who fit this signature. For the past few years, there have been some good rallies where few of these showed. Even those who could have ridden/driven(!) 1/2 hour/45 minutes if only to do a Friday or Saturday night dinner.