Modern Buddy Rally

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:12 am

I'm sitting here meditating on the idea of a Modern Buddy rally in Key West. It turns out that there is a Forward Air terminal in Miami. It currently costs about $303-$479 (depending on your location) to fly a Buddy from another Forward Air terminal in the USA to the Miami terminal. We could all meet there and do the 160 mile ride to Key West in an easy day's ride. Have a big party. Sun. Surf. Fish. Eat. Drink. Hang for a couple days. Ride back to Maimi to box the Buddys up for the return trip. If the weather cooperated, it would be awesome. We could plan it as a winter getaway for next winter and just friggin do it!

Any takers???

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:37 am

I love the Keys and it would be a great getaway for a winter scoot fest. Too bad I've spent every free minute I've had the last two years in South Florida and the Keys; I've had enough for a while.

And while Key West would be a fun, fun place to meet up with lots of scooterists, it's not exactly my perfect riding place. Low speed limits, unspeakably straight roads and, especially on weekends, hellish traffic. But, while the road itself is incredibly boring, the sights are amazing and being surrounded by water is kind of surreal. I think my biggest problem would be that I'd want to be snorkeling all the time.

Good luck getting this together and, if it happens, take lots of pictures. And, if you've never been to the Keys, I recommend it highly. Great food, funky bars, lots of entertainment, a gazillion scooters and fun people. If you don't want to take your own Buddy, it's easy (but relatively expensive) to rent scooters in Key West. It's THE way to get around.

250koala · Post by **250koala** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:45 am

Interesting concept. I don't think I could make a second trip out this year, due to no vacation pay at work and inability to find a house/zookeeper.
I'll post my findings and trip report when I get back from the trip in April.

I might be more inclined to meet somewhere more central. Florida is across the world from here.

rickyd410 · Post by **rickyd410** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:00 am

This is a great idea. If I didn't have a baby on the way (due in March), I'd be all over this.

I need to save my money for diapers and daycare.

mattgordon · Post by **mattgordon** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:07 am

250koala wrote: I might be more inclined to meet somewhere more central. Florida is across the world from here.

Me too. That would be more practical for more people. BTW...Would Genuine Rattlers be welcomed?

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:34 am

jrsjr wrote:It currently costs about $303-$479 (depending on your location) to fly a Buddy from another Forward Air terminal in the USA to the Miami terminal.

But what about shipping it back?

I'm all for a big Buddy gathering. Just not sure how feasible this would be for a lot of us.

Hell, I can't even make Vegas for High Rollers. Damn!

Post by **illnoise** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:52 am

IMHO there are already too many rallies, and even a few great national ones like Amerivespa and Las Vegas (yeah, there are snobs there, but that's never stopped me from having a good time). There are some huge West Coast rallies and really big regional rallies like Cincinnati, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

If you were going to do something like that, it'd probably be smart to tie it into an already-big event in a centralized town with a big Buddy presence and a great dealer (Denver, Cincy, Chicago, MPLS). Most good rallies come from a good local dealer or dealers and local coordination, and they'd probably be happy to add to their attendance (and probably sponsorship) by tacking a national Buddy rally onto what they're already planning.

If cleveland's doing a rally this year, that would be great, it's sorta central, POC rules, they've sold a ton of BuBus, and the Metroparks ride is fantastic, plus there are attractions like the Rock Hall and that huge church that gives you three scooters on your 16th birthday.

Sure, there are the smaller resort/"destination" rallies like the All-Girls Rally, (and I guess Vegas started out like that) and it might be cool to do something like that for a smaller more personal group, but most people that are hardcore (and financially loaded) enough to ship their bike and fly to a rally are probably already going to Amerivespa or Las Vegas anyway.

Just my 2¢, maybe I'm wrong. I'm busy planning the national Blur rally and I'm having a really hard time finding a time all six of us can get together.

Bb.

Drumwoulf · Post by **Drumwoulf** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:11 am

jrsjr wrote:I'm sitting here meditating on the idea of a Modern Buddy rally in Key West. It turns out that there is a Forward Air terminal in Miami. It currently costs about $303-$479 (depending on your location) to fly a Buddy from another Forward Air terminal in the USA to the Miami terminal. We could all meet there and do the 160 mile ride to Key West in an easy day's ride. Have a big party. Sun. Surf. Fish. Eat. Drink. Hang for a couple days. Ride back to Maimi to box the Buddys up for the return trip. If the weather cooperated, it would be awesome. We could plan it as a winter getaway for next winter and just friggin do it!
Any takers???

No!!! Absolutely not!! -Crate the scoot up (which is a pain in the arse!), fly it there, uncrate it (another pain!), ride around in an over-crowded, overly expensive tourist area, crate it up again and fly it back and uncrate it again??? And all this for only $600-$800 startup money that doesn't even include (expensive) meals and lodging? -You gotta be kidding me...!!

It'd prolly be cheaper and easier to buy a trailer or Versa Hauler rack and haul the scoot there behind a car. But I don't want to do that either! (Not ever for Key West, anyway!)

bikebuda · Post by **bikebuda** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:35 pm

the girfriend and I have been talkingabout this for weeks .

we are getting a small two place trailer and heading down there in march

one rattler one buddy one VW beetle and trailer

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:09 pm

ericalm wrote:
jrsjr wrote:It currently costs about $303-$479 (depending on your location) to fly a Buddy from another Forward Air terminal in the USA to the Miami terminal.
But what about shipping it back?

Yeah, you still have to ship it back. The good news is that the Buddy is light and it fits the smallest Forward Air crate, so we qualify for their lowest shipping rate. Of course, folks from one area, Oklahoma City, say, could band together and rent a big trailer and get somebody to tow it down cheaper than flying a bunch of scooters separately.

ericalm wrote:
I'm all for a big Buddy gathering. Just not sure how feasible this would be for a lot of us.

My thought was that it would be easier to save the extra $ to ship the scoot than to save the vacation time to ride it or trailer it down. And I love the Florida Keys (no offense to the Arizona Keys

) idea because iit's such an, um, low-key driving experience combined with warm weather and tourist ammenties.

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:17 pm

illnoise wrote:...I'm busy planning the national Blur rally and I'm having a really hard time finding a time all six of us can get together.

Seriously, Bb, I think the Blur is one 200cc, 2Stroke, H2O-cooled, FI engine away from being the world's greatest scooter, but what are you gonna do?

EP_scoot · Post by **EP_scoot** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:20 pm

illinoise wrote:
I'm busy planning the national Blur rally and I'm having a really hard time finding a time all six of us can get together.

I am trying to get one of my neighbours to get one too, so that would make 7 !

Post by **jmazza** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:24 pm

Hey, I live in Broward County so I'd be up for something like this if it fit into my schedule! I'm still a really new rider so the thought of riding down to Key West is daunting to say the least (there are some stretches that are pretty scary in a car- especially a night) but if anyone is planning trips PM me and maybe I can join you!

I imagine that the 7-mile bridge would be amazing on the Buddy... if the wind didn't blow you off of it.

As far as Key West, I've lived here long enough to be kind of over it. When I go to the Keys I stay in the middle Keys but if you've never been to Key West, you gotta go. I think BuddyRaton has made the ride (at least I think I've seen pics of his scooter down there)

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:41 pm

Drumwoulf wrote:Crate the scoot up (which is a pain in the arse!), fly it there, uncrate it (another pain!),

That sounds like the voice of experience. Have you used the Forward Air crates before?

Sl,ut4 · Post by **Sl,ut4** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:48 pm

I vote for a central location as well.
During the summer there is an amazing loop through the rockies in Colorado that I drive when I make the trip out for the Audi Club's winter driving school in Steamboat.

Post by **illnoise** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:57 pm

jrsjr wrote:Of course, folks from one area, Oklahoma City, say, could band together and rent a big trailer and get somebody to tow it down cheaper than flying a bunch of scooters separately.

From what I understand (and from what their site says), Forward Air doesn't actually fly anything anywhere:

Forward Air Site wrote:Forward Air Corporation is a leading provider of time-definite surface transportation and related logistics services to the North American deferred air freight market. We provide scheduled surface transportation of cargo as a cost effective, reliable alternative to air transportation.

They just happen to be located at airports, I guess, for convenience and to receive air shipments which they then truck.

They're convenient and make it easy for people with no trucking/logistics connections (like most of us) to get stuff shipped, but if you knew what you were doing, you could do it much cheaper I bet. I've also read they've jacked up their motorcycle rates because they've become so popular with Harley dentists shipping their bikes to Daytona/Sturgis/etc. I've heard if you crate/deliver it yourself and can convince them it's not a motorcycle, it's a lot cheaper.

Bb.

Drumwoulf · Post by **Drumwoulf** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:19 pm

jrsjr wrote:
Drumwoulf wrote:Crate the scoot up (which is a pain in the arse!), fly it there, uncrate it (another pain!),
That sounds like the voice of experience. Have you used the Forward Air crates before?

No. But just the thought of having to crate and uncrate it is a pain! Plus, Key West? I was there a few years ago, and it's definitely not the laid back area of legend from decades ago! Large resorts, tourists all over the place, expensive food, lodging, drinks, parking, etc, and traffic jams galore! While Sturgis and Daytona get crowded on bike weeks, at least there's room to ride on the backroad areas. In Key West, there's really no where to ride, no where to go...

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:37 pm

illnoise wrote:There are some huge West Coast rallies and really big regional rallies like Cincinnati, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

Everyone should come to the rally in Cincinnati in March and watch me get snubbed by illnoise once again. I guess he was was too concerned with getting to the demolition derby to say hi.

Although, I will probably not be riding my pink buddy again in the rally this year.

Dave

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:34 pm

Bring them all the WKRP rally in Cincinnati!

it's the only way I could do it

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:40 pm

Hmm... well the central location idea seems to be the concensus. I think we should think about making it happen, maybe in 2009, if the 2008 calendar is already pretty full.

250koala · Post by **250koala** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:25 pm

I'm also on a fairly ginormous motorcycle board which plans intimate mini rallies on a regular basis. One of the gals opens up her home and yard to a bunch of us every year in Colorado the weekend after Memorial Day. Some people come from AZ, and Co. Some come from much further. We are planning to meet in April for a ride over 7mile Bridge.

My other half plans to ride his Honda 750 Shadow Ace to the rally. He has two weeks of vacation to use. I am flying out to meet him in Fl.

My point is it would take me three times as long( or more) to drive my little 125 the same distance. It would most likely cost me two days of my trip time and about 1/3 of what I bought it new for to ship it from AZ and back. I have been looking at scooter rental out there and it does seem a bit pricey, but if I "have to have" a scooter that's a better option for me.

Someone said "maybe Colorado" and" there's a loop" Ok ..ya got my attention. I have friends and family in and around Durango. I could be up there for the mini rally the weekend after MemorialDay anyhow..

jetboy · Post by **jetboy** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:27 pm

A catchy moniker would be in order. There's Amerivespa & Lammy Jammy. What rhymes or is alliterative, etc. with Buddy? The things I can think of aren't conducive to a positive image. Who's the poet/creative copywriter amonst us?

-jetboy

250koala · Post by **250koala** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:39 pm

How 'bout "Meet Your Buddies" in Colorado.

Get "High" with your Buddies from ModernBuddy.com. Get some altitude in beautiful Colorado at our boards first mini rally.

(Ok maybe too cheesy, but please someone else take a shot at it.)

Post by **illnoise** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:08 pm

ScooterDave wrote:Although, I will probably not be riding my pink buddy again in the rally this year.

And you wonder why I snubbed you, I hadn't seen you in eight years and you were riding a pink buddy!

+1 on WKRP, it's awesome. Go.

Bb.

Post by **illnoise** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:09 pm

jetboy wrote:A catchy moniker would be in order. There's Amerivespa & Lammy Jammy.

Don't forget Stellabration!

jetboy · Post by **jetboy** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:10 pm

There's always Buddypalooza and BuddyRama...

lou76 · Post by **lou76** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:07 am

jrsjr wrote:Hmm... well the central location idea seems to be the concensus. I think we should think about making it happen, maybe in 2009, if the 2008 calendar is already pretty full.

i doubt that 2009 will be any less "full"... why not just organize something as a side event at one of the major rallies?

250koala · Post by **250koala** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:16 am

I'm thinking keep these things simple. I like the side event concept. Maybe for the Fall Classic Tucson to Nogales 2008 we could arrange it.

Or maybe some of us Az riders could just meet up somewhere in the middle and camp out a couple days or just eat somewhere good.

How's riding in Sedona? (Keys?)

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:09 am

Okay, so we meet in Cottonwood, ride through Sedona, up Oak Creek Canyon (one of the best roads ever) to Flagstaff, maybe have a cuppa joe, head back down the canyon, since all good roads MUST be ridden at least twice, and meet at the restaurant my wife manages for some fine food, coffee and bench racing...whattaya say??? I'm up!! Wanna camp? Cruise through Cottonwood and Jerome to the camp grounds at the top of Mingus Mountain.

...I think I could find some riding around here somewhere....

--Keys

P.S. Got about 50 more ride ideas...

redcass · Post by **redcass** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:01 am

illnoise wrote:There are some huge West Coast rallies and really big regional rallies like Cincinnati, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

Please excuse a noob question, but is the Chicago rally you refer to the Slaughterhouse? 'Cause that looks like great fun! Where do out-of-towners stay?

rc

mattgordon · Post by **mattgordon** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:15 am

Keys wrote:Okay, so we meet in Cottonwood, ride through Sedona, up Oak Creek Canyon (one of the best roads ever) to Flagstaff, maybe have a cuppa joe, head back down the canyon, since all good roads MUST be ridden at least twice, and meet at the restaurant my wife manages for some fine food, coffee and bench racing...whattaya say??? I'm up!! Wanna camp? Cruise through Cottonwood and Jerome to the camp grounds at the top of Mingus Mountain.

...I think I could find some riding around here somewhere....

--Keys

P.S. Got about 50 more ride ideas...

I'm in for that...after the 6th Annual Temecula Wine Country Ride June 8th., to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.

louie · Post by **louie** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:21 pm

the cost of shipping is oiut for me, but making a prearranged concerted effort to hob nob at a bigger rally should be manditory for this buddy group. amerivespa is a days ride for me and i'll certainly be there with bells on.

will you be there?

last year the hill on wheels in chatanooga was big fun but no other buddys (buddyraton rode his burgman for furthest ridden and we had a lovely time getting to know each other when we almost had breakfast at a totally overwhelmed restaurant). i assume the turn out will be multiplied by 10 since it's amerivespa year with at least a few buddys.

madtolive · Post by **madtolive** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:21 pm

all this talk of rallies and meeting all sorts of fine upstanding scooter-riding people is not helping my very weak determination to resist the lure of the buddy and instead do the responsible boring thing and pay off my credit card. nooooo! suze orman would "soooooo" deny me!!

shark · Post by **shark** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:40 pm

madtolive wrote:all this talk of rallies and meeting all sorts of fine upstanding scooter-riding people is not helping my very weak determination to resist the lure of the buddy and instead do the responsible boring thing and pay off my credit card. nooooo! suze orman would "soooooo" deny me!!

You must not fight the urge. You must buy. Feel the force madtolive!!

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:16 pm

Keys wrote:Okay, so we meet in Cottonwood, ride through Sedona, up Oak Creek Canyon (one of the best roads ever) to Flagstaff, maybe have a cuppa joe, head back down the canyon, since all good roads MUST be ridden at least twice, and meet at the restaurant my wife manages for some fine food, coffee and bench racing...whattaya say??? I'm up!! Wanna camp? Cruise through Cottonwood and Jerome to the camp grounds at the top of Mingus Mountain.

...I think I could find some riding around here somewhere....

--Keys

P.S. Got about 50 more ride ideas...

I know! Cottonwood to Williams via Perkinsville! It could be the first annual Northern Arizona Attrition Rally!

madtolive · Post by **madtolive** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:03 pm

i think what i'm gonna have to do is show my boyfriend all this support from the scooting community. yalls support MORE than proves that buying the dang thing is a much better decision than being responsible.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:21 am

madtolive wrote:<snip> ...buying the dang thing is a much better decision than being responsible.

I think I kind of know what you mean by this.

louie · Post by **louie** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:42 am

i thought of a use for that wrecked out buddy we all want to buy

. We have a rally or just show solidarity for the buddy by using the wreck to do gymkahna. wouldn't that be a good idea?

cause i know i'm to chicken to use my own.

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:01 am

A rally in Key West sounds great!

Valgal20 · Post by **Valgal20** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:55 am

Hay Koala-
If you need a zoo keeper- Im a professional pet and house sitter- Live in mesa, but could drive- Great with all creatures great and small (except children)

Valgal20 · Post by **Valgal20** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:59 am

I agree with keys! Az is a beautiful place to scoot- as long as you've got sunscreen and keep away from phoenix. The traffic is horible! but in winter is beautiful! and Dry! and Scooterific!

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:45 pm

Cincinnati

Cincinnati

WKRP

You know you want to.

Modern Buddy

Modern Buddy Rally

Modern Buddy Rally

Re: Modern Buddy Rally

Re: Modern Buddy Rally

great minds think alike

Re: Modern Buddy Rally

Re: Modern Buddy Rally

Re: Modern Buddy Rally

Re: Modern Buddy Rally

Zoo Keeper

Here Here for AZ Scooter Ride!