2007 Posse Ride

[packrat]

A couple of questions, has anyone here ever done one of these rides? About how much does it cost to register for a ride, and what does that include? Do they really sell out in less than an hour?

I've never done something like this before, sounds like it would be a great experience.

[PosseRider]

I have been on 4 of them. (see the screen name) LOL. They have been alot of fun , They do get pushed at times. Yes they sell out very fast usually within 6-8 hours. When they 1st started they were $125 but as they got popular the price has risen to $500 per person. Too many RUBS doing them now. HOG on the last Rt 66 ride, had 2 levels, 1 for $250 & 1 for $500. Told my wife then ,that if the $500 level sold out, that would be the last ride at $250. Guess what?? LOL u see the price now. Oh well fun while it lasted, but being retired now, cant really justify $1000 for the wife & I to ride a free road for that kind of money. Guess HOG decided the old crowd that helped get em started needed to be replaced with new money & more of it. They will give ya a couple dinners & the dealers ya stop at usually have free hot dogs & cokes. Some (not many) even got all out with a real lunch. There are still some great people to meet on the ride, so if ya can afford $500 per, try one. There are every year some "outriders". These guys ride the route without the 2 dinners & the watch they have started giving every year,& are $500 richer. Hell, I might join them this year!!

[Ultra89Rider]

I agree with PosseRider. I went on the first Route 66 and the American Made Rolling Rallies. I had a great time. The cost was not too much. I find that the new rides are getting very expensive. The only thing I found was that they are not Iron Butt rides (900 to 1100 miles, or 12 hours and up). I found that there is a lot to see and friends to make. If you want to get tickets, make sure you are registering in the first hours. They all sell out.

[packrat]

Thanks for the responses, but I have another question. Where do 800 people park at night? Does everyone just pitch a tent along the road, or do they have a place set-up for people?

[PosseRider]

Most stay at motels. A few camp. HOG has a travel service that blocks rooms for each nite of the ride. Once you are registered you can access the housing info & usually pick from 4 or 5 motels for each nite. Then submit it to the travel service & they will make all your reservations. Or, once you are signed up you will get the route & stops, and make your own reservations. You don't ride in a mob of 700 . You do your own thing & then get to the designated stop each nite.

[RABNTN]

Originally Posted by PosseRider

There are every year some "outriders". These guys ride the route without the 2 dinners & the watch they have started giving every year,& are $500 richer. Hell, I might join them this year!!

Since these kind of riders aren't RUBS, what are they called? I'd sure like to know since we've had a few of them "out-ride" on our Chapter's charity events?

[PosseRider]

Well if it is a charity event ,not sure what your asking. On the posse rides they just started calling them outriders. A lot of people sign up for these & are sold out in less than 8 hrs. Many people who can't get signed up, just go anyway, hence outriders as opposed to the posse riders. Rubs usually just ride the ride one way & ship the bike one way. Riders do it both ways !!!

[RABNTN]

My question was disguised more as "making a point" because we've had "outriders" jump into a charity ride, without registering and/or making a contribution to the event.

There are limits on these large Posse rides due to trying to keep it managable regarding room blocks, restaurant availibilty, road conditions, etc....and the pricing isn't driven by "RUBS" participating. When you complain about the rising costs, , think about what's involved with putting together rides of this magnitude. I'm comfortable in stating the liability insurance policy alone would cost $50-$100,000...and that would include HOG/Harley being responsible for the first million or so in claims / damages. When you have riders that just jump in, adding to the numbers, and not "playing by the rules", should we refer to those riders as "SOBS"?

I just don't get why the "RUB" dingers have to be thrown? Comments like "Guess HOG decided the old crowd that helped get em started needed to be replaced with new money & more of it" are just goofy. You think HOG should have just stayed in place back in 1983, and not move forward? If you were a charter HOG member in 1983, and could afford a Harley while raising a family, you'd have been a "RUB" back then. I'm 46, the wife is 47 and we gave up riding while raising our daughters...now that they're grown, we've been back for 3 years, and yes, we earn enough money to afford Harley's and HOG...we also ride a lot; 15,000 miles on her '05 Deluxe and 22,000 miles on my '06 Ultra, while working 40-50 hours a week...so when my "group" is targeted as "RUBS" in a negative tone, it does irk me a bit.

[PosseRider]

I have been a life member since 88. I'm 62 & my family was raised by 88. You havent done any thing more outstanding then anyone else. If you look HOG has continually raised the # of riders on these events. 125, 250, 500, 700. Who knows what the limit is this year & have also more than tripled the entry fees. Liability insur. Dont believe there is any as you must sign a release form. Dont like the term RUBs ,oh well.

[RABNTN]

Originally Posted by PosseRider

I have been a life member since 88.

Congratulations, because I sincerely respect that.

Originally Posted by PosseRider

You havent done any thing more outstanding then anyone else.

??? Not sure where this is coming from, as I NEVER said or implied that I have, did, or will.

Originally Posted by PosseRider

Liability insur. Dont believe there is any as you must sign a release form.

When you register for the event, you are signing a release of some type. All HOG chapter events are automatically covered, with HOG picking up the cost. Chapter events outside of the Pre-Approved list must have forms submitted in advance for the coverage...since each Chapter is required to have this insurance, I'll wager that every National HOG Event has a liability umbrella policy issued.

Originally Posted by PosseRider

Dont like the term RUBs ,oh well.

Seems to me the term RUB is used by the type of folks that only feel better about themselves when tearing others down, regardless of whether they're discussing motorcycles or politics. The whole "real bikers", "weekend pirates", etc., is silly...riders ought to just ride and respect others that ride as well.

[Ultra89Rider]

Originally Posted by RABNTN

If you were a charter HOG member in 1983, and could afford a Harley while raising a family, you'd have been a "RUB" back then. I'm 46, the wife is 47 and we gave up riding while raising our daughters...now that they're grown, we've been back for 3 years, and yes, we earn enough money to afford Harley's and HOG...we also ride a lot; 15,000 miles on her '05 Deluxe and 22,000 miles on my '06 Ultra, while working 40-50 hours a week...so when my "group" is targeted as "RUBS" in a negative tone, it does irk me a bit.

I'm over 50 years old. I'm a Charter Life HOG member from 1983. I have been riding all of my life. My current Harley is a 1989 Ultra. It is the newest Harley I have ever owned. I have two kids. One is grown, one is not. I Don't earn money to "Afford" my Harley. I have a Harley because it is , in my opinion, the best ride. I have turned my odometer over 100,000 more times than I can count. I have had Sportsters, Shovelheads, a flathead (80ci), and now an EVO.
I had the motorcycle because as man with a family, we needed a second vehicle to get to work. I felt that a motorcycle got better mileage and was cheaper to operate. I chose Harley because I wanted to have fun as well as be a family man.
I rode with clubs and solo. I have been a "Patch Holder" in a club. When I joined HOG, I rode my 1982 FLH to the first HOG rally in Reno. I still ride, not because I can "Afford" it, but because I get my high in life riding. I still work full time. I put 15,000 to 20,000 miles on my Harley every year. I try to ride cross country every year.
I had a family, but I still rode. You stopped because you decided to stop. It had nothing to do with having a family or not being able to afford it.
My income has never decided what I rode. If it did, I would ride a Moped.
If that makes me a RUB back then, where is the money?

[PosseRider]

Originally Posted by RABNTN

ought to just ride and respect others that ride as well.

So what is your problem with people that cant get signed up in time, or cant afford to sign up? They dont get the dinners, they dont get a watch, they dont get a T-shirt, and they cant use the housing reservations for the ride. They , to quote you, "just want to ride" & follow along the route. I have seen more & more people disappear from these rides just because they are retired & cant afford the fee. They loved to do these rides & were there every time there was a cross-country ride of any kind. Most disappeared when the rides went to $500 per person. And those guys were riding befor you were born. They really enjoyed these rides.I hope you are more fortunate when you retire & can . I am done with this thread.

[RABNTN]

Originally Posted by PosseRider

So what is your problem with people that cant get signed up in time, or cant afford to sign up?

I really don't have that big of a problem with it esp. if some actually have problems with affording the cost of the ride...but you and I both know that the majority of these riders know the difference of "can't afford" and "choose not to pay"...my biggest peeve is those that think they alone got the MoCo where it is today, throwing silly insults out at newer generation riders.

Originally Posted by PosseRider

And those guys were riding befor you were born.

I respect all riders, regardless of what they ride...esp those that are still riding at age of 65 & up.

Originally Posted by PosseRider

I hope you are more fortunate when you retire & can

Thanks...I'm working on it.

Originally Posted by PosseRider

I am done with this thread.

Me too.

[RABNTN]

Originally Posted by Ultra89Rider

You stopped because you decided to stop. It had nothing to do with having a family or not being able to afford it.

My decision had everything to do with having a family...I chose to give up an inherently dangerous pastime while my daughters were young and being raised. We all make our own decisions, you making one to continue to ride while raising your kids was obviously a good one for you...just don't tell me my choice wasn't based upon having small kids and not being able to afford it.

[dave817]

Originally Posted by packrat

A couple of questions, has anyone here ever done one of these rides? About how much does it cost to register for a ride, and what does that include? Do they really sell out in less than an hour?

I've never done something like this before, sounds like it would be a great experience.

Sign up, you will love it. They do sell out quickly. The Lower 48 Parts 1 & 2 both cost about $500. and were worth it for me, single and retired. Being with 800 other Harley riders that love to ride and tour the country is what life is about for me. Riding with National HOG through the RT-66, Lewis & Clark, and both Lower 48 rides has me underlining about half the places in the song "I've been everywhere" While the pace is fast and I'm left longing to see more of some places, these tastes of everywhere help me decide where I want to return to on another trip.

HOG is aware of the increasing costs. I think that is why HOG has three other regional rides this year. But there is nothing like a Posse ride. Riding 800 miles to the start, 3000 miles on the ride and 2000 miles home is a month of memories for me. I'll probably also sign up for at least one of the regional rides because, like the Iron Pony Ride this past year, they are also a blast.

But you have to love to ride. The "Ridin' The Rockies" this year is a 1000 mile each way trip for me to get to. It's only a 3 day ride. So to make sense, I'm planning on spending a week before the ride doing my own riding out in Colorado.

I hate parade rides. The two local chapters to which I belong have two types of rides, parade rides and poker runs. I have a choice of riding 1 second between bikes or on the same roads with a couple hundred bar to bar riders. Neither kind is safe riding. With National HOG, I ride alone or in a trusted group of 2-3 other riders with safe distances between us. At the end of the day I've got the events of the day to recount with all the people I know or meet along the way. If you keep a positive attitude, others gravitate to you and you have fun. If you drink, that's the time to do it, when you only have to ride an elevator up to your room. But most of us don't drink much, because the next day is another early day of riding. We are serious about our riding and safety. Some wash their bikes every night, others pride themselves on the accumulation of dirt until they get home.

Look me up on the next Posse ride, "POSSE 1" Black Road King from IL.