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North America HSN Ride Meet n Greet Meet area.

  • Close to the center of the continental U.S.

    Votes: 7 24.1%
  • Closer to the East coast

    Votes: 5 17.2%
  • Have different ones for East and West

    Votes: 14 48.3%
  • Just go with the East/West Rallies as they are

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • None,,,I dont want to ride with anyone.

    Votes: 1 3.4%

North America HSN Ride Meet n Greet

18K views 165 replies 30 participants last post by  PhantomRider64 
#1 ·
While talking with @blue flames last night he mentioned that it would be too far for him to come to a gathering here in the Southeast. This gave me an idea :surprise:,,,Why not have a ride meet n greet in a central location to give everyone on HSN in North America a fair chance to attend.

Sorry to HSN members in other countries,,,that would be tough and we would end up in the middle of the ocean somewhere. :frown2:

There are a couple of ways to work out a location. First, locate the geographical center of the U.S.. Second, Find a central location based on HSN member population location. While the second option would allow for a possible larger number of attendees it leaves out a lot of members in the Western U.S. since the larger population is east of the Mississippi River.

The first option I feel would be the most fair for everyone and would allow our western brothers a better chance to meet those of us in the east. Of course some will luck up with a couple hour drive and others with a couple days drive. There is just no way to make it even.

A rough guesstamate would put the location in Kansas. The roads there are defiantly not the mountain roads we all like to ride but I feel that an opportunity for a lot of us to get together and ride is worth riding on straight roads.

I do not want to put too many of my ideas here yet. I want to hear from the HSN members, to see what y'all think about this.

Eric >:)
 
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#2 ·
I rode to Sturgis and met a member from California there for breakfast in 2011...
The "geographic center" of America is in that area...(because of Hawaii and Alaska) ;)
I went there too and got pics to prove it :D
Check out my Sturgis thread of that era ;)


Passing through my neck o` th` woods? We invite you to stop in, free camping ;)
 
#3 ·
Now, this is just my own rambling thoughts on the thing so ..Y'know ..Please ...DON'T YELL AT ME!!!

For example.. Looking at images of Lebanon KS.. MmmMmmmm .. Then, there's barely 200 good people who're leaning above average age, living there..

300 bikers show up, half of them carrying, the other half toting a crate of 'shine under each 'pit, some of those bikers looking like Theej, others like Moonmen and even some looking like Moonmen sporting weird accents.. Well.. :neutral: ..I figure it's gonna have all the makings of a Cheap Hollywood dusty town / pitchfork toting townsfolk /Vs/ misunderstood biker culture ?? "flick".

If it's done sensibly, and the location is chosen wisely with an eye to consideration of where it lands. In small towns, maybe a courtesy call or two, "Doable" tho'. ;)

The other thing on my tiny-little-mind is - for better or worse - the HSN center of the US is pretty-much smack-dab in the mid-east of the country.. Moving things further west might prevent more of those who would meet up at an easterly location from attending. Gotta weigh that against the fact that you may only pickup two or three regulars located on the West Coast for moving it closer to them..

There's a lot of pins in that HSN map, not all of them will check in between now and then.. Many of them are not regulars.. and the vast majority - in reality - won't show up.

So.. Might be better then to get a gauge where people who would like to attend such a meet are located, and go from there. But, honestly? ..nothing is stopping us westerly located folk from organizing our own west si'yeeed shindig, and these things do occur on occasion - so it's not about us being stranded out here. More.. Too dang lazy to get organized that often ..

If it were me, and I were put in charge of organizing a meet, and better attendance was preferred? I'd be looking to set something up around the Deals Gap area.. Honestly, looking at pins in the map, weighing those pins against the average turnout for these things.. You need a decent location to draw good numbers, and if you are looking for numbers.. I just think more people would make the meet out there than out in the middle of nowhere.

Disclaimer: No Kansans were hurt or molested in this post.. No slight, perceived or implied was purposefully implied or at least not perceived as purposefully implied (or perceived in anyway-such).
 
#6 ·
Well...back in the day, we used to have annual HSN rallys. We had the East Coast Rally usually somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we had a Midwest Rally somewhere in Colorado, a West Coast Rally...in Cali of course LOL...and the Canadian Rally in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The Canadian Rally still goes on but it's pretty much the Crazy Canuks Rally and the East Coast rally still happens but it's gotten small...just a few die-hards that used to frequent here but now don't so much any more. The others? Dunno much about them.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Slept on the idea.
Realized the only pins in the map that really MATTER are us Actives.
There's hundreds of 'pins' we never hear from. Either they don't get on here / don't participate / or have converted to mopeds.

Will probly require enlisting the help of @old dad and @Spiritman and @Bro Eddie, but we need a map of members with at least 10 posts in the last 12 months....or some quantitative figger like that.... just throwing it out there.

Then when our active Westerners like @Mark_B and @blue flames and @pastordave1 and @squidchief and @ABQjammer and our Texans and the new guys from that Shaky Left Coast get their dates set, we'll ride or trailer or convoy out there.

By setting the dates far enough in advance, those that seriously wanna go will BE there.

And if our Nor'Eastern neighbors like @Canyon and @Harryc and @vito and @CrazyDave can't make it to one, I wanna go to THEIRS.


-Gnarly

( because everything looks the darkest, right before it goes completely black)
 
#15 ·
I really like that idea! I wanna come out to do the dragon too which realistically see in the next 2 yrs or so. A western rally would be awesome since we are spread out possibly takin turns goin out to each others neck of the woods. Yeah that could work!

RIDE ON !
 
#48 ·
I want to ride in Kentucky sooooooooooo bad...beautiful county much like Alabama just give me those hills and valleys and mountains anyday.. they can keep the flatlands...0:)
 
#10 ·
No, no, no!
Nowhere near HERE.

Remember, Bob, we have a reputation to uphold.

Plus the federal witness protection folks would be pist.


-Gnarly

( because everything looks the darkest, right before it goes completely black)
 
#11 ·
I totally understand what @Mark-B is sayin. There really is only a handful of active members out west and we are spread out. We should get a thing goin out here. I still gotta shake hands with you guys on the other side of the country.

RIDE ON !
 
#12 ·
I totally understand what @Mark-B is sayin. There really is only a handful of active members out west and we are spread out. We should get a thing goin out here. I still gotta shake hands with you guys on the other side of the country.

RIDE ON !

@Mark-B doesn't wash his hands, so be warned when shaking hands with him....freaking limey Brit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
Ummm, West coast....not gonna promise nuttin....one day I will ride pch, but can't guess when yet...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
#16 · (Edited)
Thoughts:

1:
A mega-rally location can be determined by poll... Create a poll thread with several locations including Geo-center, density-center, generally convenient or cool locations... let those interested weigh in.

2:
I can't even make it to Deals gap for the foresee-able future, let alone KS. Unless we somehow got use of some expansive lands and camped it to keep costs down, but a large portion of our active membership is... well weathered... and not so inclined to sleep outside of a Serta Sleeper. (Hell my back ain't even that great for sleeping on the ground)

3:
Why do you think chickens have wings if they don't fly? How did they get so fat as a species?

4:
I've driven past @balloonot 's house 11 times THIS WEEK but alas we both work and our schedules don't seem to be aligning; so we've never met, even though we live in the same city.
Point here being that I think Deals Gap is cool, but if you want bigger than normal you have to move around from the regular spots.

5:
@Mark-B Go or Don't, Your own Bike or Not 2 things will remain true... @Theja1 will give You crap, and $10 companions will give you something worse.

6:
Mark was right about calling the town, call the Mayor of a small town, tell them your coming, you'd like a place we can all park, sleep, meet, etc. and they may be willing to not only Welcome us, but provide location for free given the economic boost our petty cash will provide their town, but we will have to have some member commitment here, and we gotta pick up after ourselves.

I work in the Economic Development office for the city of Bridgeton, NJ, and I know we would welcome something like I just described, but that is WAY east, another 45 mins, and it's ALL the way east. Point is, there is a willingness from cities.



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#17 ·
"Well weathered" eh? Guess that's better than old fart. And btw, I was talking the my dentist today. He was just in KS last week in the southeast corner called the "Flint Hills". Said it was beautiful rolling country with lots of twisties? Anyone ever ridden that area?
 
#19 ·
No, but I vote we thrash that young upstart with a well weathered tobacco stick.


-Gnarly

( because everything looks the darkest, right before it goes completely black)
 
#23 ·
Might I suggest Sturgis SD in the future for a meet up???
We done it once...
We had a Whopping two members shake hands, and talked over breakfast at the Easy Riders Restarant then went our separate ways with our own plans of enjoying the Rally... that was 2011 :D
yeah I repeat myself sometimes to make a point...
Lets RIDE,
D
 
#26 ·
Might I suggest Sturgis SD in the future for a meet up???
We done it once...
We had a Whopping two members shake hands, and talked over breakfast at the Easy Riders Restarant then went our separate ways with our own plans of enjoying the Rally... that was 2011 :D
yeah I repeat myself sometimes to make a point...
Lets RIDE,
D
Sturgis is a bucket list thing for me! With some HSN folks it would be much sweeter!

RIDE ON !
 
#24 ·
There are a lot of good ideas here, which equals a lot to think about. I like the idea of doing polls. Y'all keep them ideas coming.

I think that there should be a group of members to get together and work on putting this together, It would be too much for one person to do by themselves. I have no experience doing something like this but would be willing to help.
 
#33 ·
:neutral: ...Nah ..Too many alien abductions and mystical portals into other dimensions in New Mexico.. They don't call New Mexico "The Land of Enchantment" for nothing-you know! .. Saying that, Arizona's not much better. True, we have fewer portals, but we have many more vortexes and unfortunately we are thigh deep in intergalactic alien abductions..

Ever watched the movie "Fire in the sky".. Yup! 'About a hundred miles up the road from me!

Anyway.. I figure this is why there are so few HSN members out-west. No sooner as we get our "M" endorsement, we are whisked off to some far off place for a wholly unaceptable amount of invasive examination!!!
 
#36 ·
Western meet up, Idaho Springs CO. Central location, somewhere in Missouri, Eastern location, Gatlinburg Tennesse. The biggest issue I have is my time allowed isn't available until next October IF job tenure is stays on track and/or if I survive 6 days a week schedule. Basically there isn't chit in KS. I'm really considering a CO run a year from now. I love this time of year in the Rockies. I'll have 2 wks. vacation and 4 personal days off at my disposal. Labor day is also a possibility due to fact its close enough to October that I can "borrow" vacation time if needed. Hopefully I get my ride back up this next week due to delays in part shipping and hard to match paint color. Its been 5 weeks now and rode it 90 mi. in this time span.
 
#38 · (Edited)
OK, I'll put my 2 cents in (adjusted for inflation, of course.)

If one meet-and-greet for the whole nation is decided on...I like the idea of having it at Sturgis SD during the rally.

1) There's not that much difference in miles/hours from the East Coast or the West Coast between Sturgis and somewhere in Kansas, and from North or South, there's only one state, Nebraska, in between.

2) A lot of riders say they want to go to Sturgis anyway. So...here's some incentive to get on that horse.

3) There's a lot to do, and plenty of great roads and sites in the area. They certainly don't mind tons of bikers showing up. They know it pays their bills.

4) There are plenty of places to stay...Assuming that you make your reservations early enough. The hotel rates are going to be higher for the event...that's a given. For a camper like me though, I can spend a whole week in a tent for less than one night in a hotel room. If a hotel is your thing, reservations should be made well in advance. I don't think having everyone stay at the same location is feasible, but some scheduled meetups at some location early in the week could be easily worked out.

5) This is my selfish reason....I know I'm going to Sturgis every year, but I don't think I could swing the additional time to get to two events that far away.

Okee Dokee, My 2 cents.

Now, if you'all decide to have a separate event for East and West instead then....Never mind. I'll try to be at wherever and whenever it is. I'm always looking for a reason to ride somewhere. :laugh:
 
#43 ·
#46 ·
If I get time to figger out how to do polls this weekend I will put some up and we can start to narrow down on all the great input.
 
#47 ·
Ok,,,I put a poll on this thread. It will run for 30 days,,,no need to rush and want to give as many members time to chime in on this.

I will bump this thread as needed to keep it "up" on the first page.

As I have time I will go thru the past posts and come up with more polls in new threads as is needed. I will post here when new poll threads are added.

Please keep the thought and ideas coming!

Eric
 
#50 ·
No need to wait for a HSN Gathering.....

Kentucky is like a Biker's Best Kept Secret, but our borders are wide open! C'mon over.

Like I told Jennifer, @smilie's lady, I cannot wait for ya'll to meet the Redhead....and the Rescue Dogs....and Brer Bill....and @Scared & @BobS761 & @Harleyrider & @bumpaw....they all live within 45 minutes' ride.

Tell Eric: not another year must pass.....
 
#52 ·
No need to wait for a HSN Gathering.....



Kentucky is like a Biker's Best Kept Secret, but our borders are wide open! C'mon over.



Like I told Jennifer, @smilie's lady, I cannot wait for ya'll to meet the Redhead....and the Rescue Dogs....and Brer Bill....and @Scared & @BobS761 & @Harleyrider & @bumpaw....they all live within 45 minutes' ride.



Tell Eric: not another year must pass.....


[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#51 ·
I chose option 3 just cause it gives more members the opportunity to meet up at the same time for a common reason just in different places. To quote @CaptainD "I'll be ridein with ya on different roads" I'm still goin out to meet and ride with my brothers of the east sometime but now it seems the brothers of the west should cruise together as well. Why not?

RIDE ON !
 
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