SW VBA Rally '16

[ponch]

Originally Posted by BudMan

Yeah, I read that. I may be an idiot. I'm convinced I'm not alone in that respect.

You could have said you didn't read the thread.


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[ponch]

Originally Posted by blowndodge

He'll be able to Greg. It's not like he's riding a Victory Cross Country Tour

I know from experience his gold wing breaks the ton.


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[schoeney]

Originally Posted by schoeney

Safe travels Ross. Try to keep that beast under 100 in the parking lot and 150 on the interstate.

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Brad.... I think you misread my post. You should go back and look at it again :cool:

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[BudMan]

Jim,
You said maybe you would take a day off and ride up there.
Maybe is hardly a plan.

You don't have to be a model citizen but the forum does have rules.
Let's move on and keep things civil in the future.

I hope all those who do attend have a great time.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by BudMan

Jim,
You said maybe you would take a day off and ride up there.
Maybe is hardly a plan.

You don't have to be a model citizen but the forum does have rules.
Let's move on and keep things civil in the future.

I hope all those who do attend have a great time.

He was being a jackass first AND my questions are legitimate. I am not going take a day off, get up at 4 and ride three hours if no one is there or no one knows whats going on. Hes probably just sore that I made comments once about his beloved AB. Whatever. Im not the only who was thinking the same thing based on comments here and PMs. If people cant question things here then its become a sad state of affairs.




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[MarkG]

Originally Posted by BudMan View Post
Jim,
You said maybe you would take a day off and ride up there.
Maybe is hardly a plan.

This has gotten out of hand. There were a number of us looking for details. Is it still on, is it happening, are there people going to be there. Nobody provided this information and the statement of Maybe is hardly a plan is completely out of line.

I did not know until a couple of weeks ago if I was going to be able to make the SW rally. The wife is leaving on an airplane and I had a couple of appointments that were only able to rescheduled at the last minute. Was there any recent information about what is going on in Safford? NO.

Were there queries on the forum for several days beforehand? YES.

Did anybody bother to fill in or answer any questions? NO

Did the senior staff when it became obvious the ball had been dropped provide us with any information? NO Instead fingers were pointed to mis-direct and now there is hard feelings because people are mad.

This has turned into it's all our fault because we could not definitely say we would be there. Be where, when, why, or for that matter no place in the last couple of days has there been any additional details. I could not attend all three days even if I wanted to at the moment. It will be different when I attend another rally later in the summer and even then I didn't know I could go until last month. So get over the Maybe attitude.

Ponce is right. None of us who live down here in this heat are going to ride 3 or 4 hours on a guess. This weekend is 117 degrees and it will be 115 Monday. It is over 100 in Safford right now. Furthermore, Ponce and even if Cactusjack was able to attend both of them work and can't take days off just because they feel like it. Things have to be planned in advance. If I am going to do a day ride in this heat I want details. Leaving early in the morning and returning late at night is the only option. I won't do it on a guess.

Take a good long look at this thread and compare it to the other regionals. This regional is vapor compared to the information available for anywhere else. Based on the lack of information I will abort any attempt to make the ride for high heat advisory reasons.

Next time provide updates for the members. Keep them knowledgeable about when, where, and how things are going to happen. For the older members we all remember Mesquite. It was done all wrong in high heat for the very first get together and steps were supposed to have been taken to prevent it from happening again.

It's taken eight years for me to finally get mad enough to write this type of rant. Chill out, figure out what went wrong, and try to prevent it from happening again.

[BudMan]

Mark,

I agree that there has been a complete lack of information.
If I was able to get John to respond to my request for information I would most certainly have passed it on.
I understand your aggravation and wish I could have provided answers.
I don't expect anyone to ride to an event they are not sure is taking place.
Yes, anyone should be able to ask questions and get answers.
I'm not pointing my finger at anyone.
Only one person knows the details and in this case it doesn't happen to be me.
I wish it was.

I will agree that some of the comments made have been out of line. I won't debate which ones.

Obviously I wish this would have been handled better.
As you mentioned the other rallies have done well in providing answers.

[Framer]

This sounds like another reaper episode
Mark- where were you in December when this was planned. Did you try to contact John and try to get him to change the venue?
Do you that think Dave has nothing better to do then babysit all the regional leaders. I think he and most of us have a full time jobs .. Hell I've ran a small business for 25 years.
And to our regional leader John... Thanks for taking this on in one of the meanest regions there is.

[Framer]

And you guys wonder why we have trouble finding regionals out west..... Just read your own post. Who wants to deal with that crap for FREE!!!!!!!!!!

[waterman]

Ok, I've bit my tongue long enough on this one. I was staying out of this since when the dates were announced I knew I couldn't make it.

David, the regional leader posts in December about the rally and then nothing until a couple of days ago. What do you think the response was going to be?? Questions were being asked and there was no response. I contacted the RL a long time ago about some helpful hints and again later about visiting the site more than every 2 months and questions were being asked. I don't think that for the most part there has been anything done that shouldn't have been done.

I really don't take kindly to the region being called the meanest because in the years of being an RL they were stand up people for the rally. As for the most inconsiderate region, throw me a PM. I'll tell you about a region that pulled more crap and tell you the 400+ reasons why.

After the Estes Park National Rally and the lack of courtesy from a region and what it cost because of that lack of courtesy is the reason NO ONE wanted to take over the RL. They knew how I was treated by some supposedly stand up members.

Hopefully this rally goes off without a hitch but the quality of a rally goes back to the leadership and his response to the members.

[cactusjack]

I hate to say it, I knew what the weather would be like in Safford the first half of June, and the RL should have known too, since he lives across town from me. June is our hottest month! It was 119 at my house today, even if I was able to ride, I sure as hell wouldn't have. I've lived here for 17 years and know how to deal with the heat, but someone from a more temperate state might not. Heat like this can be fatal if you aren't familiar with it. This would be a great rally location in late April, not so much right now.

I used to be a staff member here and know that it is a thankless job, and we all should be grateful that there are folks willing to step up and take the job. That said, the lack of communication concerning this rally has been abysmal. You don't generate interest and enthusiasm in a vacuum. This thread went dark for months with virtually no activity. I lobbied multiple times to get a rally in AZ, but up in the mountains where it's much more pleasant weather-wise, I couldn't get anyone interested either.

[dshelly]

I would have been more than willing to come to an AZ rally in April.. I'd of coarse trailer my bike down since it would still be a good chance of snow that time of year up here. But a June rally at 119 deg !!!....... no Friggin way !!!

[blowndodge]

Not that I didn't say years ago when KawaNOW changed hands did I publicly stated I could see the writing on the wall. I even got flamed for expressing the direction we were headed. Our original group which has commented above were involved in a website who's only concern were to meet people and plan rides. After the change I KNEW the day of the Smith Corona typewriter were coming to a close. This site turned into a business with a profit motive. I got raped for making that statement. This is now a business and ran like one. It doesn't take a freeking genius to see the major ads and premium membership to see that it no longer looks, acts, functions like an online bar where we have fun. It's a business. If you don't think so PM me and I'll tell you some information on legal documents that were filed once it changed hands and the covenants involved. This is public information.

This is one of the reasons I started Various baggers. Not for profit. Just us old members that have seen the writing on the wall with Kawasaki's lack of commitment to change their product line. All of us giving tough comments have been either staff or regional organizers and realize that we were giving a lot of out time to plan a vacation and getting nothing out of it but heartache. Joel's most notably. He got stiffed at Estes Park. Stiffed pretty badly.

These guys are not trying to dog the current admin members. We're letting you know that your in control of a typewriter in today's world. You're going to bust your chops for the benefit of someone else.

[riderdyer]

For any checking in at the Comfort Inn Safford today, I will not arrive til close to 4:00 p.m., (and am thr only organizer arroving today) so if you get there before me, do whatever you feel like: take a swim, take a nap, put things in drawers, whatever you want, but head down to the lobby around 4:00 to get acquainted, get forms and the daily details. See ya there....

[Rasta]

Cool! You guys have a great rally and stay safe! Ross is already there and was in the pool scoping out the senoritas I think!