Do you particiapate in dice runs, poker runs, etc.?

[Snowbird]

Yesterday I went on a dice run of about 120 miles, benefiting a local veterans' organization. This group runs one event early in the riding year and another late in the season. Both are well attended with about 80 people on 60 bikes.

Mid season, another run benefits children with cancer and sometimes attracts as many as 800 bikes. That may sound like a giant cluster fuk, but the bikes quickly spread out over the hundred plus mile route through some of the prettiest country roads in the area. I've yet to hear of anyone falling where another bike was partly to blame.

These are just two runs toward the limits of group size. Both have provided a day of fun with friends and friendly strangers, a chance to look at bikes and possibly set up over night rides with others. While these runs were once mostly cruiser style bikes, I noticed yesterday many more sport bikes and much interest in my sport-tourer.

Typically, you'll stop about five times, thirty or so miles in each leg of the run. You can ride the front or back at the start if you feel crowded, but as I said, the bikes thin out quickly.

So, do you ride these events? Why or why not?

[PirateT7]

I've done one so far. The first half was great, pretty spread out from what I could see. I was with a couple other guys riding a good pace. Partway through everyone gathered at one stop, and from that point on it became a group ride    I'll give it another go, should I see one advertised, and depart early or late to stay out of the crowd.

[Orson]

Once. I won't say never again, but I found it to be a bit dull.

Watching close for signs showing where to turn, kind of hampers the sporty aspect of riding. Poker runs are better suited for the Harley genre...not that there's anything wrong with that  

just not my cup of tea.

I prefer to go where I wanna go  

[et]

I was talked into one of these types of group rides about 20 years ago.
It was the most horrible motorcycle experience I ever had.
Riding at 40mph BELOW the speed limit, holding up other traffic, ignoring stop signs and traffic lights, not operating their vehicles properly, stopping every five to ten miles, reving their loud motors just to make noise, etc ...
These types of events are just excuses for motorcycle owning non-motorcyclists
(people who own a motorcycle only for the image it portrays and not because they actually enjoy or appreciate riding motorcycles) to showoff and get drunk.
Basically it was Woodstock on two wheels.

If you haven't figured it out; I voted "Once, never again."

[R Doug]

Just out of college, during my Sportster and Softail days, I did a few with my Dad.  Then, I discovered how much fun sportbikes are and started a whole new type of riding.  

[1000lbs]

About once a year when someone I ride with brings it up, usually a toy run around Christmas time...

[PirateT7]

it sounds like most of you ran into the sort of experience that the second-half of our ride was.

if done properly, a poker run can be more like an old sports-car TSD rally, but without the TSD measurements - out on the roads with a few checkpoints, fun riding in between and a party at the end.

[black hills]

I usually go back to my hometown every spring for their annual March of Dimes poker run. It's a good chance to see old friends and BS. As for the run itself two or three of us usually take an alternate route to each stop to avoid traffic so it ends up being an alright day of riding.
  I also do the local biker bars polar bear run on new years day, but it's only 30 miles total. I usually take the back way so the ice/snow makes it entertaining. Other than that I just rid on my own.

[Snowbird]

My group has calmed down a bit, but one dice run we did a few years back is fondly referred to as the dice race.  We knew we couldn't get away with that again.  We were the first ones back 

[chornbe]

Poll needs another option...

"Not just 'no', but 'fuck no!'" <--- my vote.

[2RR2NV]

i've only really rode 2 Poker runs. the first was on the VFR, met a lot of sportier riders and had a ton of fun. great weather too. the 2nd poker run, it was in the 40's roughly and hardly anyone showed up. i think 2 other riders. anyways, i took the Busa and finished up at the HD dealer. well, i got there at 2 and no one had showed up yet. the guy running the dealio, said that if no one else showed up, i got all the prizes. he even waited 30 mins after it was supposed to be over and no  one had still showed up. WWOOOOHJOOOO!!  made quite a haul. i don't do those Runs anymore cause it would be too much time away from family. i like to just ride and not have to follow a planned route.

[jay547]

i voted "once but never again." my g/f and i and two of our kids did our first poker run earlier this year. it was a big disappointment. it started out with a breakfast at the local gymnasium. for some reason, they had it outside even though it was about fifty degrees. there were probably 60+ people there for the breakfast but they only had seating for about thirty. we paid the lady and she said to have a seat and someone would bring us the food. we assumed that they were bringing ours because we had kids with us - everyone else was standing in line. after sitting for about twenty minutes with no food, we got up and got in line. another twenty minutes later, we got our food. it was horribly undercooked, why they had a grill that would only cook about three pancakes at a time is beyond me? we ate the sausage and threw the pancakes in the trash.

we decided to wait until it warmed up a little before starting our ride. after a couple of hours, it hadn't gotten any warmer so we headed out. within ten miles it started misting heavily. we weren't prepared for rain as the forecast was for sunshine and mid 70's (it stayed about 55 all day.) we decided to continue on. it drizzled for a good portion of the ride and we got pretty wet. on the last leg of the run, we took a turn as indicated on the map. after a few miles, i realized the map was wrong. i had spent some time in this area before and was somewhat familiar with it and it was obvious they had made a mistake on the route map. we turned around and went back the correct way. we saw several bikes continue on the wrong way, which would result in them missing the last check point. we made it to the final stop just before the deadline. we stood in line for probably fifteen minutes to draw cards. to top it off, we drew really crappy hands.

we were cold and damp but looking forward to the after-ride steak dinner - little did we know it was going to be outside too. they had hay bales set up for the riders to sit on while eating. of course the bales and the ground around them were soaked from the rain. even though we had paid in advance for the dinner, we didn't feel like sitting in the cold and wet any longer so we loaded up and went home. so much for our first and probably last poker run.

[Snowbird]

It sounds like a lot of runs are poorly thought out.

You ought not have to follow some route by looking for pink signs.

Give each entrant a list of places to roll the dice or pick a card, possibly shown on a map if not everyone knows the area. Let people take the routes they want to the locations and only be required to return by a certain time. Many will ride together, others won't.

Of course, it helps if you live near decent riding and like donating to charity.

[maddjack]

Long ago,in my sordid past, I tried poker runs twice,

[Marcster]

I did a Toys For Tots Run last November with my scootering group before they kicked me out...  It's sponsored by the local H-D and Jeep dealerships.  255 bikes and 23 Jeeps.

Some guy checking out my scooter:



Newspaper article: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=112393

I'd do it again...

[jwhite518]

For a few years I used to go to a local HD club's annual Fathers Day poker run. I liked walking around the parking lot looking at the bikes, but I hated riding slow in groups. Eventually I figured out that it just didn't float my boat. Those Harley guys just ride too slow.

[R.Markus]

I did a Toys For Tots Run last November with my scootering group before they kicked me out... 

Details please...

I went to a Toys For Tots run in Chicago with some people from ST.N. It wasn't horrible due to the company we had, but I doubt I'd do it again. Besides, both of my bigger bikes would overheat in about 3 blocks at parade speeds.

[jwhite518]

That reminds me - I tried one event with the PGR last year. It reminded me of those poker runs, but with flags instead of beer. Great concept, believe in the cause, but just not my cuppa tea.

[Marcster]

I did a Toys For Tots Run last November with my scootering group before they kicked me out... 

Details please...

I had a thread about it when it actually happened so I'll just throw out the short version.

In addition to the club logoed t-shirt for riding events requirement, this year they added a club logoed emboidered back patch to be sewn or glued on all riding jackets (or you could wear it on a vest over top of your riding jacket).  Though it wouldn't affect me, all scooters with windscreens also had to be emblazoned with the club logo.  None of these things were free, of course.  There was also talk about logoed sashes for scooters that lack windscreens (similar to the Royal Bastards Scooter Club sashes if you've ever seen those).

Individuality is one of the reasons I ride.  I don't want to wear a uniform to ride with a group.  Besides, I'm really quite fond of my themed jacket and really have no interest in covering it up, even temporarily, with an ugly logo.

Through a series of e-mails, I politely and quietly told the president of the club that I'd much rather pay dues vs. wearing all of this garb.  I was told that it was a requirement for full fledged membership with voting rights but that I could still ride with them as an associate (the same way that new non-"official" members ride).

As the deadline for the bulk order on embroidered patches drew near, I told the president not to hold up the order on my account.  I was then told in no uncertain terms that my presence would be unwelcome at any future club events.



Just one of the many reasons that I am switching from a scooter to a motorcycle.  Too much damn elitism in the scooter clubs.

[R.Markus]

In addition to the club logoed t-shirt for riding events requirement, this year they added a club logoed emboidered back patch to be sewn or glued on all riding jackets (or you could wear it on a vest over top of your riding jacket).  Though it wouldn't affect me, all scooters with windscreens also had to be emblazoned with the club logo.  None of these things were free, of course.  There was also talk about logoed sashes for scooters that lack windscreens (similar to the Royal Bastards Scooter Club sashes if you've ever seen those).
 

Yeah, that's kind of screwy and probably wouldn't do it either.

Believe it or not I actually belong to a "three patch" motorcycle club. Those guys all have those stupid vests with the patches and all the other BS garb. They don't bug me about wearing any of that crap. I actually don't ever ride with them either, so there really isn't any reason to bother me about it.