Triumphrat

WaltZ

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If the rooms are sold out, watch for cancellations from others to take over, or get another motel close by, often happens.

RAT Raids are all the same, but each is different, and depends on the style of the Triumph Riders that show up, venue, and who's leading the thing. Some are constant party time whenever you're at the host Hotel/Motel, some are good-'ol-boy events, and some are lack luster informal events. All depends on the Host Site.

I'm not sure how the accommodations of this Gettysburg Raid will come off. This Best Western Hotel is in downtown city, on the parking meter round square. I doubt the Hotel and City Police will be able to live with a bunch of motorcycle riders hanging out in the town circle drinking beers, standing around talking smack about one another’s bikes in the evening hours. The Hotel has a multi-level parking garage in back of the multi-story hotel. Don't know how that's going to work out. This is not an out-in-the-country kinda place.


Last RAID in PA was up at a Pocono Mountain Resort that was pretty self-contained. A Friday pre-paid registration, and pay now and register if you didn't already registration where you got drawing tickets, T-shirt or promises, and Packet/Maps, followed by Friday night tooth-pick reception where the Hotel provided the venue. Any way, we all went outside afterwards. A lot of riders drank too much while we kicked tires and played loud music where we had all parked our bikes (where we weren't supposed to around the front of the place of course.)

Sat./Sun. morning buffet breakfast was provided as part of that event as well. Saturday informal rides were attended based on unofficial leaders and packet provided trip maps as available in your packet, or you can ride around on your own, or attend the activities as normally available at the resort. Don't know other then tours of the civil war battle fields this Hotel might offer. Downtown is walkable for tourist shopping, pubs, artsy craftsy shops and the like.

My bride and I think we'll be heading out Saturday on a nationally published AMA Mapped Tour Ride loop coincidentally mapped out west of and from Gettysburg, all day Saturday.

Saturday night will be a Triumph RAT Raid hosted dinner, where The Triumph Person will draw tickets and give away some stuff, and an award or two you may have not known anybody was in competition for, and you eat, talk, drink, adjourn to kick tires, and drink some more, or not.

Sunday, you're out of there. Unofficial breakfast rides, or others like we, our Sunday thing is to eat, pack up, and ride home. We live about 2 hours away NE.

If, for one who has never attended a RAT RAID, they're all slightly different. From up-scale, to down-and-dirty under the tent. It's all about the people and their Triumph Motorcycles. Don't expect personal attention, or planned guided tour events with an official Triumph Company Rider, or you may be disappointed. If you want your picture taken which you want to possibly see it in the magazine, you'll have to ride with the Triumph RAT Raid rider. Come to the event and ride in with someone if you can, plan to look for people you might know from on-line, or make friends early with triumph riding strangers if you're a people person. They'll be riders there on other brands too, from Harley to Suzys likely. All are welcome.

Enjoy the time off with your bike, and try not to stress out too much over group riding with STRANGERS!!!

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- Packy
'04 B&W T100
The Bike I Ride

EDC64

Walt, well put! Ed

nagibe

Thanks man. I didn't know what to expect from a MC rally since i've never been to one.
I had a Vespa for many years and have been to many scooter rallies.
From what you are saying the vibes and scene is pretty much the same.
I won't do the sleep over. I just want to hang out see the pretty bikes
meet some new people maybe ride with them and have a nice lunch somewhere take photos and then head back to NYC late afternoon.


later