2021, what are you planning, hoping for or thinking about?

[klaviator]

This thread is here to talk about your motorcycling plans, hopes, and thoughts for this coming year.  The idea is to get the discussion going for what we are going to do this year.  While this coming weekend looks like a blast of winter, it won't be long before longer and warmer days are upon us and we can get out there and do more riding!

It would be especially good to hear about what your plans, hopes and thoughts concerning this forum are for this year.  So if you are planning or thinking about something but haven't come up with anything definite yet, post it here.  If you have some thoughts about thing you would like to see, lets talk about them.  If you are new to the forum and have questions about things that could or might happen on the forum, now is the time to ask.

[klaviator]

I'll start things off.

First, I would like to see more activity on this forum.  That means more rides, more events, more ride reports and more discussion. 

More rides:  I think that rides are what really attracts people to this forum.  In order to have more rides we will need more people to step forward and set some rides up.  This doesn't need to be a lot of work or even take much effort.  If you are thinking of going for a ride, just post up a meeting place and time and see if anyone wants to join you. 

If you are new to the forum and unsure about leading a ride, just come on some rides and see how things go.  You will quickly see that it is not rocket science.

More events.  Hopefully we will do the Vintage Fest this year.  We did a few weekend campout/rides last year.  Hopefully we'll do more this year.

Last year we didn't have some of our regular events like Dual Sporting the Free State.  Hopefully we'll do them this year.

It would be nice to see some Gymkhana's this year.

Flash Mobs.  We used to do a lot of these but Covid put a damper on these last year.  It would be nice to see some of these this year.  For you new to the forum, a flash mob is just getting together for a meal at a restaurant.  Just set a time and place and then get together.  I remember having 20 people at a Huntsville area flash mob and people coming all the way from Birmingham to attend. 

[jrobinson]

The last 6-7 months have been a strain on any free time. I've dropped the ball on the forum, but that will change now.

I still have a lot to do on the garage. That is taking a big chunk of my spare time.

I will have a cookout and bonfire next month sometime. It will be planned on a weekend that has a good forecast.

I will put a couple rides together this year. Probably will be on Sundays since racing starts up in April.

I'll have a few garage parties and may even do one a month during warmer months. We can start now if there's any interest.

I'm scheduled to travel to Las Vegas for work in July. I'll ride out for the conference, then meander back east for a week to Columbus, Ohio for a second conference. If the planets align, I'll have a wingman on most of the trip. If anyone else is interested to tag along, you are welcome.

I may bring back the Rally in the Valley in Sept or Oct.

Flash mobs are a given and maybe a Mystery BBQ ride.

[thinwater]

The Big Red Store, Appelton TN annually has been open to tour and they have a shindig on the grounds around Christmas and the 4th of July.  The Christmas was canceled this past plague year.  If they don't cancel the 4th of July I'd like to have a short ride over and actually see the historic place on the inside.  It is a Sunday this year, we could keep clean on the way over, then dualsport around and our way back.  If there was a lot of interest maybe split a street ride group and dualsport group so all bikes have fun on the way out. 
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Appleton,+TN+38457/@35.0237106,-87.2421045,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8862dd449f1bbb65:0xbc55f49d79f8af14!8m2!3d35.0236939!4d-87.2333497?hl=en
  Of course I'm short of time on Sundays so it wouldn't be a really long ride 3hrs ish.

  We seem to have new riders, I'll have a new rider out of my own household this year.  Been riding a scooter for a year now on the road, and a DR200se around the place.  I'd volunteer to lead the slow group, if we get to a group ride point where we have a lot and new riders.  We could hit the same location for lunch meeting but take the slower group on a shorter route to try and be there relatively the same time. 

[klaviator]

  We seem to have new riders, I'll have a new rider out of my own household this year.  Been riding a scooter for a year now on the road, and a DR200se around the place.  I'd volunteer to lead the slow group, if we get to a group ride point where we have a lot and new riders.  We could hit the same location for lunch meeting but take the slower group on a shorter route to try and be there relatively the same time.

One of the things we were discussing this year was that with new riders coming on rides we may end up with some pretty big groups once the weather gets warmer.  Splitting up the groups would be a logical way to keep the group size manageable.

[Chuck & Susan]

  I remember having 20 people at a Huntsville area flash mob and people coming all the way from Birmingham to attend.

And one was attended by a couple from Lower Alabama.... And thank you again Klavinator for setting that one up.

Chuck & Susan

[Chuck & Susan]

I'm scheduled to travel to Las Vegas for work in July. I'll ride out for the conference, then meander back east for a week to Columbus, Ohio for a second conference. If the planets align, I'll have a wingman on most of the trip.

That's the idea that I have for this year. To see rides on the site and Jump in, Tag along, & be a Wingman. My big trip I want to make won't happen this year, I'm hopping 2022 for it.

Chuck

[Chuck A.]

Personally I just want more seat time. Work always gets in the way. Last 4 years have been no less than 900 hours of OT per year. I pulled a 16 day vacation with the family travelling to the Grand Canyon, Vegas, and all over Texas in a RV that we did a fixer upper on. I need some mountain cruising time.

[TN_twowheeladdict]

2020 was a unicorn year for me.  No work travel meant I had a lot more time to ride and camp and visit state parks in Tennessee.

2021 is looking like getting back to normal which means less local riding.

[klaviator]

Most of my local rides last year went into TN.  There is a reason for that.  Great roads, little or no traffic and some great lunch destinations make for a great ride.  I'll be doing more of that this year again.

Some other local rides I am hoping to do this year:

1.  Bankhead area.
2.  Ride to High Falls, preferably after a lot of rain.
3.  Ride to Little River Canyon.  It's been a while since I rode there, I'm not sure why because it's a great ride.
4.  TN Dirt Devil.  @Nice Goat has put on rides there the last several years but I always had a conflict which caused me to miss it.  I'm hoping that changes this year.
5.  Ride to Sloan's Motorsports in Murfreesboro.  This has been discussed on some of our recent rides.  This place carries multiple brands.  @thinwater assures me there are great roads between Fayetteville and Murfreesboro.  Now we just need to find a good ploace for lunch and wait for some warm weather!
6.  Maybe some rides between Huntsville and Birmingham area.  That would make it easier for members who live farther south to attend. 
7.  Tiny bike rides.  Rides tailered to smaller bikes.  I did one last year and one the year before.  Most of the bikes that showed up ended up being big bikes but we did get a few small bikes out on them.


I also hope to do some Flash Mobs.  Hopefully Covid will ease up and more people will feel comfortable with attending these.

[Fencejumper09]

For me with a newborn and a three year old, these dreams are lofty!!

1. Purchase a newer dirtbike more suited to hard enduros.
2. Sell the street bike/s that barely get ridden
3. Fall back in love with my dual sport
4. One motorcycle trip greater than a weekend long

[Jwwr]

The rides I want to do:

1. Dual sport the Cocke County TN/Harmon Den area. While camping.
2. Go back to the Banner Elk, Boone area. Ride Maple Sally this time!
3. West (BY GOD) Virginia!
4. An over night Dual Sport loop in West Alabama, kind of paralleling Hwy 17.

[Sweeper]

If you get up to do Maple Sally, you should look up Old House Gap.

https://youtu.be/ULLFsT0Br-g

[LawnmowerRG]

Personally it want to hit more rides on MA.
I want to get in some longer trips in this year. Probably base out of a friends place in Andrews NC.
I want to offer up more destination rides. Those appear to get more interaction at this time.
I also want to put out Waffles and Wandering rides more consistently.

At the shop we are planning to offer a Gymkhana as soon as the weather get more consistent.

[Al Goodwin]

I have 12 days off work in mid September, I think Melony and I will just point the bike west and see where it takes us..... Colorado?  Wyoming?  ....???

Nova Scotia has been on the list for a couple of years, if the border opens back up by September that western trip may be put off for a year.