What do I want to do at my first MOA Rally? To get to the point, it seems to be the best way to get to know people in the BMW rider and owner community, no matter what walk of life they come from or what they ride.
I have been riding for 40-plus years and have mainly ridden a variety of UJMs and it has been a lot of fun. Once I got on two wheels, life changed. I suspect it’s in the DNA. After years of wanting a BMW from a distance, and having a clear lack of funding, in 2018 I finally pulled the trigger and bought a new K 1600 GTL, which I keep as beautiful as the day I rolled it out of the showroom. My wife and I love riding our rocket-powered leather couch and have ventured out to some beautiful parts of our country.
For the most part, we rode on our own. To change that, I joined the MOA to meet some like (and unlike) minded riders to try and make some connections that might stick around for the second half (realistically last quarter) of my life.
My next step was to take it a bit further and become an MOA Regional Coordinator and volunteer at some events. The coordinator position has forced me into doing things I already love, like talking with people, visiting dealerships, and sharing about the MOA experience where it ends up selling itself.
I heard that volunteering at the registration desk of a Getaway was a great way to meet people, since everyone stops by there first. I signed up for the Pine Mountain Getaway (Kentucky) in September and am looking forward to meeting new friends, seeing a bunch of bikes from one end of the spectrum to the other, and maybe taking a minute to get out and ride with the group.
To get back to the main point, I have done a fairly good job for almost 60 years of holding most friendships off at arm’s length, but as it turns out, that is not healthy at all. In the end, life was meant to be lived together – with community. The MOA Rallies, Getaways, forums and other outlets are designed to pull us together to enjoy and learn from each other. I am looking forward to meeting a group of new friends and sharing a weekend laughing, riding, and perhaps making up stories of how we are all such great riders – except for me in left turns. (That’s an inside joke for those who have ridden behind me – just ask my wife!)
What do I want to do at my first rally? Meet people, share life, see some cool bikes, ride with others, and develop some friendships that matter. I think the Rallies and Getaways will offer just that.
See you at the registration table. I will be the guy with the shiny bike and the wide left-side chicken strips.