mn-msta.com
General Category => General Banter => Topic started by: Ray916MN on March 25, 2012, 04:08:11 PM
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I think some context may help put this forum and MN-MSTA rides in perspective.
The MSTA (Motorcycle Sport Touring Association - http://ridemsta.com/ (http://ridemsta.com/) ) is a national AMA sanctioned riding club with about 1700 members. The club was originally formed in 1982. Click here to see what Motorcycle Consumer News magazine had to say about the MSTA and safety. (http://www.mn-msta.com/MCN%20Sept%202007%20Rau.pdf) The club has for decades run AMA sanctioned rallies around the best riding areas in the country and currently runs a dozen or so of these rallies a year. Regional rallies typically draw over 100 riders from around the country and the national rally typically draws over 500 riders. In conjunction with a riding buddy, I met at an MSTA rally, I run TWiSTAR http://mstatwistar.info (http://mstatwistar.info) one of the club's AMA sanctioned regional rallies out of Spring Green. It is in its 19th year.
From a riding perspective, all the rallies are run using the same basic approach. Route sheets/files are provided to attendees and everyone rides their own ride. There are no special qualifications for attending, no special ride rules, no specified pace, no requirement that groups ride a certain way or that people lead groups a certain way. In decades and tens of thousands of miles covered by thousands of members this approach has proven to be a good way to run group rides when riders ride their own ride and operate their bikes proficiently and responsibly
This forum is the Minnesota chapter's forum. The object of the forum is to provide a place for MN-MSTA members to connect with each other and to enable non-members to connect with the MSTA and decide they would like to join the MSTA. As the approach the MSTA uses to run rallies is well established, well vetted and consistent through out the club.
Preferences for individual ways to run a group ride are part of riding your own ride. The provision of route sheets and lack of a club specified approach to leading a group ride are intended to allow people who agree on a specific ride pace and approach to do as they prefer without restriction or judgement. The opportunity here is not to debate how to best run a group ride so a rule can be made to force everyone to ride the same way or to be judged by, but to find people who like group rides run the way your like them run, at the pace you like to ride and to form your own riding group on MN-MSTA rides.
Finally, unlike other forums without the history and establishment of the MSTA, this forum is not about creating or establishing a new club or being a part of a forum run for private profit. It is the MN-MSTA's hope that participating in this forum and on MN-MSTA rides will cause people to become dues paying MSTA members.
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But where's the drama in that?
Just Kidding, I like how you explained it Ray. After 10 years I actually rejoined the HSTA MSTA this year. I'll see how many rides/ralllies I attend and then decide about next year. Although, if you can arrange it where I win the Honda bike at the rally, I'll never leave ;D