Triumphrat

cafetbird · 03-01-2008

Folks:

Since it appears there may not be a great deal of RAT Raid or event planning from Triumph North America this year (Daytona is already upon us!), I am posting this sticky for packs to promote a home-grown Raid / events. Grass roots RAT events have been growing in popularity over the past few years, they can be a real blast.

Plenty of folks have mentioned potential meets, such as Mid Ohio VMD, Kootenay, West Virginia, etc. Let's compile them here in one place and get planning and converging! Many folks need to be planning their vacation time now...

Com'mon, if you have an active pack - get out there and plan something! Build it and they will come.....

denny · 03-05-2008

Inagural Red Bull MotoGP at Indianapolis.

http://indyrat.com/newsitem.php?id=9

Nothing like an event like this to get the ball rolling. We now have our own website. All of the information we have so far is at the link above. Ticket orders are beginning to trickle in. And it is certainly first come first served. I received info about camping on the Speedway grounds. That info is added at the link above.

Orders should be received by the end of June to give us time to stuff envelopes, etc.

rwoodhead · 03-05-2008

Here you go, Scot, with some grassroots calendar events that may also be of interest to this group:
- East Coast Tiger Ride-In in West VA.
- West VA. Euro Rider Rendezvous
- St. Marys (PA) Triumph Reunion
- Triumph Come Home Rally (PA)
- Midwest Triumph Ride-In (WI)
- Monthly "local" ride events
All details are available HERE
WOODY

DavePreston · 03-05-2008

June 20 - 22. Leave Seattle to ride to Clarkston Washington in Southeast Washington on Friday - we stay at the Best Western in Clarkston. Ask for the Cycle Barn RAT group rate. The owners have bikes and provide a wash and dry and yak area. Saturday we are up and over scenic Lolo Pass to lunch with fellow RATs near the top. After that, some continue on into Montana with our friends, while others return to Clarkston for dinner and stories. Back to Seattle on Sunday. There will be a mix of bikes - about 80% Triumph.

More details, or to let me know you are coming, to fanatic@cyclebarn.com

Last year we had about 20 people, and it was agreed that this was our best ride of the two dozen we put on each year. No politics, no drama, and you are free to create your own side routes, detours, etc. "We're so advanced we're simple" is our motto!

markbvt · 03-05-2008

Bennington Triumph Bash in Bennington, VT, May 30-June 1. Follow the link in my signature. This event is almost certainly going to be bigger than any of the New England RAT Raids were, at least judging by the number of people we've already got on the attendee list!

--mark

cafetbird · 03-06-2008

Thanks, folks! Man, Ron - that is one heck of a calendar there! Looks like you got everything short of the GABMA British in the Blue Ridge event in Hiawassee, GA - oh, and maybe a few others.... I'll list the connections below:

June 6-8 - 25th Annual Greater Atlanta British Mototcycle Association "British in the Blue Ridge", Hiawassee, GA

http://www.gabma.us/index.htm

May 17 - 3 State British Motorcycle Ride, Blowing Rock, NC

http://www.britbike.com/ubb/cgi-bin/...=0;DaysPrune=0

July 18 - 20 - 28th Annual British Biker Cooperative Rally, Eagle Cave, WI

http://www.britishbiker.net/

Scot

02redbird · 03-06-2008

A few Minnesota Rats will be heading out west in July for the Rocket III slavo. It's the ride, not the destination, in this case not really until Denver?

I would have hit the Wisconsin BBC rally if I was in town, since it's so close.
I heard that! So your all going to the BBC rally because...?

cafetbird · 03-08-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by 02redbird

I would have hit the Wisconsin BBC rally if I was in town, since it's so close.
I heard that! So your all going to the BBC rally because...?

Ummm... because it is the BEST British motorcycle gig in the Midwest, by far? They always have a good party and some beautiful British iron? It is located centrally to some of the best roads in the region?

whoa · 03-13-2008

We need to visit with someone who has been involved in hosting a RAID. As a guest, it doesn't look like much more than setting a date, and setting up the event with a hotel. What do you ask of local dealers, and how much participation have they provided?

Dealers can bring in riders, enthusiasm, some shop talk about the bikes and working with Triumph. I'm pretty sure they can participate without turning the weekend into a sales pitch. But I'd like to PM or email with someone who's been through the process. Did you pull it off keeping it low key, did you have to form a non profit corp, how did you handle cash and dealing with the hotel?

As we speak with dealers, we'll probably find out they've already done this, and it may just work out. But I'd like to find out what I can ahead of time if anyone here has been through it.

Cheers
David

cafetbird · 03-14-2008

David - I've been through the whole thing several times. Last time was when we did the first Dragon Raid. I know a few others that have done this kind of event planning too. It is not that difficult, but it requires a good bit of time, so it is best to put together a team, to prevent burnout!

I have a checklist around somewhere me thinks. PM me and we can discuss further.

Scot