A motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle riders. Rallies are usually sponsored by specific motorcycle clubs or organizations, but may be attended by anyone though some are open only to adults. Vendors are usually present offering all sorts of motorcycle accessories and services.
If you go to a motorcycle rally you will find a variety of events and entertainment. It is also a good place to see new, custom and vintage bikes. You may even be able to test-drive the latest offerings with demo rides by top manufacturers.
What else might you find at a rally? Music is big. Some rallies combine with music festivals and over great live entertainment. Remember these are scheduled events not just random gatherings. Most rallies take place every year and get bigger and better each year.
Poker runs are another rally staple. A poker run is an organized motorcycle event where riders travel along a preset course, stopping at designated spots to select a card. At the end of the run, the rider with the best poker hand wins. The rules vary from rally to rally.
If you are actually in charge of planning a poker run at your next rally, here's what you need to know. The more organized you can be, the smoother it will go. Also if you are running on public roads you need to consider safety, not only for the motorcycle riders, but also for other motorists not on the run. Speed should not be a consideration of the event.
If you have several riders you will probably want to start from the same location and have a staggered start. The easiest method is to subtract three minutes for every rally participant in the poker run from your total time, then set up the course to be this long at average legal driving speeds. If you have 30 participants, 30 x 3 = 90 minutes. Four hours minus 90 minutes equals 2 and half hours of travel time. You will want to have at least 5 checkpoints along the course for riders to pick up cards. Ten or more checkpoints will allow them to discard some of their cards, but it is not necessary.
Make sure you have a good map of the area you are holding your poker run in. Mark all the checkpoints clearly or make it more of a challenge by giving rally participants clues on where the checkpoints are located. Whichever method you choice, each participant that reaches the checkpoint gets a playing card.
The finally consideration is whether to charge an entry fee and what the prize will be. Poker runs are a great way to earn money for charity. The higher the entry fee and prize the more organized you will have to be.
Motorcycle shows and fun runs are another option. Most shows have several categories including events for women and scooters. Motorcycle rallies have drawn crowds for years and lists can be found online if you want to go see why.
