Bikers Rallies

A motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts. A rally can range from the mild corporate-sponsored Honda Hoot to rowdy gatherings such as the infamous Hollister riot.

Rallies can be large or small, and one-time or recurring. Some rallies are ride-in events, whereas some like the Iron Butt Rally involve days of riding and an actual gathering only at the end of the ride.

North America

Notable annual North American rallies with attendance in the hundreds of thousands from all over the continent include the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Laconia Motorcycle Week, and Daytona Beach Bike Week. There are innumerable smaller, regional rallies around the United States, including the annual BMW MOA international rally, the Oyster Run in the Pacific Northwest, the Golden Aspen Rally (formerly Aspencade) in the Southwest, the Laughlin River Run in the West, and Americade in the Northeast.

Rallies will often incorporate entertainment such as motorcycle stunt performances like wheelie acts and the wall of death, live bands, and dice runs or poker runs. In some cases, rallies are held as benefits for organizations or groups such as the American Red Cross, American Legion or VFW.

Europe

The longest established motorcycle rally in Europe is the Elefantentreffen (Elephant Rally) which was established by former Wermacht motorcyclists and named in honour of the Zündapp motorcycle that was nicknamed the green elephant. The growing reputation of the Elefantentreffen led to the creation (in 1962) of a British winter rally, the Dragon rally that is still held each February in North Wales.

In the UK, the Iron Ore Rally is held annually in Egremont Cumbria and the Rally of Discovery is held in Ireland. Rallies are held all year round. Many hardened motorcyclists (or bikers) prefer the winter rallies, such as the Mayflower MCCs Force Ten Rally or the Dean Vally MCCs Rallymans Rally. The usual order of the day is camping with a real ale tent and music. Rallies usually start on a Friday afternoon and finish at lunchtime on a Sunday. The point is to travel there by motorcycle, motorcycle and sidecar or trike (not cars or vans), meet friends from all over the country and sometimes further afield, claim your rally badge and enjoy the fun and entertainment. Prizes are awarded for the furthest distance travelled, best bike, best rat bike, oldest person attending, youngest person attending, etc. There are usually planned ride-outs on the Saturday taking in good roads and sometimes historic sites, museums, etc.

In the UK many people relate motorcycle rallies to the famous Bulldog Bash near Stratford-upon-Avon (recently in the news for all the wrong reasons ). This is a hugely popular event and attracts thousands of people, some of whom don't own a motorcycle but like the idea. However, there are many much smaller rallies that attract between 50 to 500 bikers to each event. They are highly organised and are controlled by the host club. For many the highlight of the event is the sacrificial burning of an old caravan, the bane of many a holiday motorist! A motorcycle rally is not to be confused with a 'meet' such as the ones that take place at various places in the country, such as Bassetts Pole, Matlock Bath, Box Hill and Shanklin Esplanade on the Isle of Wight to name but a few. Rallies are still attended by motorcyclists that have been going to rallies for up to 40 or 50 years. In the UK motorcycle rallies began in ernest in the early 1960s as young, mainly working class men and women (usually on the pillion) gained freedom by motorcycle ownership and set off around the country camping. Some went in groups or clubs and thus the rally was born. Many were Ton-up boys, later Greasers and then Greebos. The general term for a motorcyclist today appears to be 'biker'.

Gypsy tour

Gypsy tour is an American motorcycling term which originated before the 1920s; the term has been mostly but not entirely replaced by rally or run . Gypsy tours were organized where groups of riders all over the country converged on a favorite destination. The term gypsy was used because the riders would travel long distances and often sleeping in tents around a campfire along the way much like the Hollywood stereotype gypsies.

One Australian newspaper referring to a Gypsy Tour rally from Melbourne to Sydney in 1927, stated - "The idea of a "gypsy tour" originated in America. There these tours are usually being organised simultaneously in different cities and towns, and routes all converging on one centre, where a great rally is held by the touring parties". The term gypsy tour has been used for other activities, but predominantly motorcycle rallies, and the idea quickly spread around the world.

Many gypsy tours have been held over the years and are still a regular event for many vintage and modern motorcycle groups. The annual gypsy tour to Laconia, New Hampshire near Lake Winnipesaukee began in 1916 and is the oldest continuous motorcycle event in the U.S.

References

1. ^ , Sydney Morning Herald, December 29, 1927, p. 9  
2. ^ Charlie St. Clair; Jennifer Anderson (2008), Laconia Motorcycle Week , Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7385-5473-0 , http://books.google.com/books?id=JFuwEgYzpGUC&pg=PA9&dq=gypsy+tour+motorcycle&num=100&ei=535eSp8QmbjIBMmLtN0F  

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