TO observations

[TittiesAndBeer]

@BrophyCreek how was your TO experience?! lol

He has really sensitive nipples!!

 

[Admin]

 

[NTCPrezJB]

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[cntryby]

Did you communicate? If you would have, they would have steered you to Tramguage1's site and Mike would have got you hooked up, I hung around down there and if you would have talked to me, I would have invited you to go along with us! This bunch is a friendly group, all you have to do is introduce yourself and speak up. Did you look at JACKALS RIDE schedule? He led a group every day that met behind the stage every morning

When I asked multiple people the main response was I don't know or go find this guy... well who is he I don't know anyone... that guy over there. Go talk to him, so we did... no thats no my ride go see this guy... after about the fifth guy... no they left, I know they were gonna leave from here but they decided to leave from there...

speaking up, see #5

 

[P1K5Dave]

I've never been to any of the forum events, but the events you described to your liking would not be my style at all. I tend to stay away from too much organization.

 

[Todd627]

In all seriousness, if you look at every pic and video posted in the thread I linked below everyone is smiling and having fun (even when fixing a rig on the trail). How do you miss this much fun happening all around the trails, campgrounds, etc.? Admittedly, I have not been to TO (yet) and do not know everything gets laid out but at some point you had to have run into some folks having fun and could have joined in.

TAKEOVER Picture Thread.

 

[Todd627]

And.....anyone who is offended by ACV Babes....well, I will let the group decide what to think about that.

 

[cntryby]

I understand that you had a disappointing experience at the Takeover event, and it seems like there were miscommunications and assumptions made on both sides that contributed to your dissatisfaction. It appears that you may have overlooked or misunderstood some of the information and instructions that were provided in the forum for the event.

1. For example, you mentioned the lack of people in brightly colored shirts to greet and check you in, but it was never communicated that such a system would be in place. The instructions for meal tickets and pickup locations were clearly outlined in the forum, which could have prevented any confusion.… see this link for the instructions that were given TWO WEEKS until the 2023 HondaSxS Club's Pioneer Takeover Group Ride. I wasn't complaining about the colored shirts just making a suggestion / observation.
   1. “The Club Sponsored Food/Meal
      The club has always tried to sponsor a meal. And we will continue that this year with a few changes. We will issue meal tickets to everyone who has registered. These can be picked up at either the RED TENT if we are there... or at RV spot 16/17/18 if we are there. This is the last 2 before the stage.
      The best time to get pick these up would be Friday morning, and all day Saturday. They are good anytime of the day and I recommend you use them sooner than later to prevent a long wait Saturday evening. They will be good for 1 combo at either DTF Market or at FATZ's Red catering truck. Which will be close to the stage.” My meal sandwich from my meal ticket was very good.
      • Group rides –
        1. Night ride was a disaster – not joking when I say most night rides are not as they seem
        2. Group rides – you stated that the rides did not take off from the place they stated they were going to take off from – but clearly you found yourself in two different rides. Yes, we managed to find a ride, so obviously we made an effort on our part to be included, and both were bad. The rides we made did not hold to schedule, it went from leaving at 9am to we actually left around 10:30am. We sat and waited the hour and a half because the earlier ride left without us because things changed and no one told us. The other rides we tried left at different times and or places as well. Keep in mind, I didn't get there until noon fri, so my options were already limited.
      • All the ride guides are volunteer – so much that they just volunteer to lead a group without being asked …
      • 
        
        1. 2023 Take Over Ride List here is thread they were planned in … if not mistaken you saw and posted in this thread and did not sign up any of the rides
      • The Band
        1. t's good to hear that you enjoyed the band and their genre of music. Music can be an important aspect of any event and contribute to the overall enjoyment.
      • Raffle tickets - really don’t understand your gripe here…Seems to me you are reaching for things to list as a complaint Not complaining at all, just an observation of statements I heard from the people sitting around me at the stage. As soon as the tires and TV were gone they left. I don't care or know anything about the raffle, just pointing out an observation.
      • Regarding you attempt to interact and being rejected –
        1. I find it difficult to believe that you and your wife made multiple attempts to interact with people and were completely ignored or rejected. It's possible that there were some missed opportunities for connection, but based on my understanding of the HondaSXS community, the majority of members are welcoming and inclusive. It's unfortunate if you encountered individuals who were less friendly, but they don't represent the entire community. The only person who got up to talk to us at a campsite was a guy we'd already met. I didn't say we were ignored, folks would hold up a hand to say high, but thats about as far as it went other than Jackle, Haldog77 and Dan... I think is his name, and the guy we met on our solo ride to TOW. All those made us feel welcomed.
        2. I don’t even have a honda anymore, worst yet I am one of the damned KRX converters and I was nothing but welcomed by anyone I engaged with….
        3. If you met Smitty you likely could not get away from his hospitality
      • 8. Pretty much it is a good bet anyone with a honda or a HondaSXS Tshirt was there to be apart of the event…. Yes you may have met the only 2 hondas that were not with the group but I think your stretching Even the guy who camped next to us told us he doesn't get on the forum but like to come to the TO because it's close to him. He said a regular lets him know the details. The guys with the stickers, first guy said it was on it when he bought it. The second guy just said "nah", and offered no explanation. But they were friendly / cordial.
      
      
      In summary, it appears that your expectations were not aligned with the nature of the event, which led to your disappointment. I'd say thats a fair statement, if you change "led" to "contributed". The Takeover event is not intended to be a white-glove service experience, but rather a gathering of Honda enthusiasts. It's understandable that you may have had different expectations based on your previous experiences, Yep, like group rides stay together and don't go beyond a turn off without everyone. Like lets pull the ride group together and have a convo about the plan. (which Jackle did on Sat) Like hey a new guy, hungry, thirsty have a seat, where ya from... etc. but it's important to approach each event with an open mind and a willingness to adapt. If I hadn't adapted I wouldn't have made any rides. I'm sorry that the event didn't meet your expectations, and I hope you can find a different adventure that aligns more closely with what you're seeking.

I'm responding to this as it is a legitimate reply to my post. Expand the quote.

I realize as soon as some read this they will get defensive and some will attack. This is simply to point out what an outsiders experience is. I'm a super friendly extrovert, who usually has to check myself to not be to much for most folks. I only had two people who were rude, one was just short with his statements to us, like he couldn't be bothered with a question. The other stared at me for about five seconds and turned and walked away. (I got the impression he was mad about something else before I talked to him.) Other than that it just felt like everyone was busy and couldn't be bothered with an outsider. Even when sitting at their camp.

I expected blow back from my post, my hope was there would be a few who would understand. This is MY perspective. A guy I'm not to fond of once told me: "perception is reality in the eyes of the one perceiving." At the time I thought he was nuts.

 

[cntryby]

I read your post, you make several valid points. That said, this year was my 8th Takeover and while the number of attendees is a few hundred, it has never been much more than a show up and ride and get to know people. Now, I'm not much of a big social guy, I am terrible with names. I can see how first time attendees can be confused by the fast and loose way the Takeover happens.

To that end, yes it's like herding cats every year. Not that it's bad, but I never know exactly how many people/ machines are going on a particular ride until it's time to go. Still, it's not completely a crapshoot, but it does involve reading a good bit on the forum, although like 30ish posts prior to mine you have to get past the juvenile comments of the long time cronies. They forget what it was like thier first time. Many members get to know each other on these forums and over time become very acquainted with different members "unique" personalities.

Takeover is announced publicly not long before Thanksgiving and people who make reservations between then and approximately end of year do get a 20% Hondasxs Takeover discount at the 3 campgrounds affiliated with RRB. Here was the last announcement from 11/17/22.

ANNOUNCING THE HONDASXS CLUB - PIONEER TAKEOVER 2023....

LETS RIDE... Join us for the 2023 HondaSxS Group Ride - The Pioneer Takeover - In Pioneer TN. Date - June 2 and 3rd Where - Ride Royal Blue Resort, Pioneer TN. Lodging discount code - honda2023 Discount code good at following sites bookable between May 29th to June 5th, 2023...

hondasxs.com

I'm sure it would be helpful to have Ride info and sign up sheets at the main tent, but the vast majority have it sorted out what they think they want to do each day based on posts here in the forum about various group rides.

Also there is a helpful Takeover information thread for people new to it, we all have taken it for granted and don't point it out unless someone asks about it. Here is one small example from 2021: General Info... 2021 Pioneer Takeover

Also 2019: 2019 Pioneer Takeover ITINERARY and INFO! With those dates in the title, I didn't look at them, why would I?



Like your post back in May asking questions about Takeover in the forum, that's the best way to figure things out in advance. Like you everyone who shows up is eager to go as many travel long distances and scheduled vacation off work to attend. While it would be helpful to have people at the tent all the time, people just want to get out and go. Unfortunately your mid day timing for arrival on Friday was not optimal for meeting many people as they took off about 10AM, usually because of the vast area to ride most don’t go mid afternoon. Unless it's a night ride, and my night ride experiences mirror your posts. I take my butt to bed 😆 and let the phony tuff and crazy brave feed the bugs while working on machines trail side, then getting lost from half the group at night. I didn't get lost, the drag person sent me down a trail to catch up with the group, which left without the rest of the group, but the trail he sent me down they didn't take. Once I confirmed no one went that way I turned around. I knew my way back solo, but it's bad trail etiquette to separate from the group without communicating it.

All that said Takeover is a super casual get together with no hard set itinerary beyond the Saturday evening meal, band, get together. Maybe that’s bass ackwards, and we should have a meet and greet at the beginning, but too many people arrive at last minute because of work, family, etc.

A person does have to take the initiative to meet people and stating up front, hey I'm so and so and I'm new to all this can you help me. If you get the right people, you will learn a lot and make friends, just gotta ignore the sarcastic kids that already know everything and didn't have to learn like us. We tried all afternoon Fri and all Sat morning and Saturday evening.

Expand the quotes.
I asked in my post before the TO about dogs. I've had one person tell me they stayed away from me because of the dog. Also, as a handler with a service dog in a new environment I tried to be vigilant about ensuring she wasn't a nuisance to anyone. However, I can understand some being uncomfortable with dogs and absolutely hold no animosity towards anyone who may feel that way. Everyone's K9 experience is different.
Maybe her presence contributed to the cold shoulder we felt more than I anticipated or realized.

 

[Backwoods]

I asked in my post before the TO about dogs. I've had one person tell me they stayed away from me because of the dog. Also, as a handler with a service dog in a new environment I tried to be vigilant about ensuring she wasn't a nuisance to anyone. However, I can understand some being uncomfortable with dogs and absolutely hold no animosity towards anyone who may feel that way. Everyone's K9 experience is different.
Maybe her presence contributed to the cold shoulder we felt more than I anticipated or realized.

Adult world would have sold you a blow up boy dog for your pets pleasure

 

[cntryby]

I'm sorry you feel this way. I usually don't comment on things when I feel like people are trying to stir the pot just to get a rise out of others, but I can't help myself in this case. I believe you are way off base here. This was also my first TO and my families experience was the complete and total opposite of yours. Maybe we just got lucky I'm not sure, but I'll touch on that later. Being my first TO I didnt know what to expect, but I didn't expect to be greeted by anyone, led to my campsite, or anything else for that matter. Neither did I, that was only an observation / suggestion based on the rest of my experience. When we got there and unloaded, everyone was out on the trails. We walked the whole site at RRB and talked to multiple people. We couldn't find anyone with the Hondasxs group. Thats why I suggested what I did, not that I expected it, but I was there for hours before I found anyone who said yes were with the group. We end up finding our way to TOW and actaully met a group member on the way. Only thing I knew was going to happen was that I was going to have fun with my family, see some new things, meet some new people, and share experiences with people with the same interests as me. After unloading we went out and started talking to people. We met Richard, his family and many of his close friends. We got to meet Richard on Saturday, seems to be a great guy and talked for a bit, but as you can imaging he was being pulled in all directions it seemed, and had things he need to do. Their kindness and hospitality was immediately evident. They were excited we were new and glad to see we could make it. We met a lot of very nice people and even made some long distance friendships that I'm sure will continue to grow. We had some amazing rides, and even went out on our own ride with recommendations from a past TO attendee. We had such a good time we can't wait for TO 24' or even rides between now and then. I feel grateful and appreciative to have been at TO. We enjoyed the whole atmosphere. I know Richard, his friends, and their families that help put on the TO put a lot of work into the event. As I said earlier maybe we just got lucky, but I'm not a big believer in luck. Mostly because I'm just not a lucky person, never have been. However; I also don't think that all of our amazing experiences and memories from TO were merely a coincidence either. Maybe you just had bad luck this year. Might give it another shot and see if your perspective is different.

What your describing is what I expected from reading the forum. To be honest, if the situation from the TO was my only concern, I might be willing to consider another attempt. But look through these forums... why would I want to hang?

 

[Blownzuki]

I am an introvert, I don’t say much unless I am spoken to. I have never had a problem with the people on this forum. Everyone has taken the time to introduce themselves to me or another member has introduced someone else to me. If I miss out on anything it’s my fault no one else.

 

[Backwoods]

I am an introvert, I don’t say much unless I am spoken to. I have never had a problem with the people on this forum. Everyone has taken the time to introduce themselves to me or another member has introduced someone else to me. If I miss out on anything it’s my fault no one else.

Your far from it. I talk to you or am on a ride with you every year.

 

[cntryby]

Last week was also my first Takeover (TO). I have nothing to do with the TO planning or gathering. I'm just another forum user.

I'm sure others will correct me on any factual mistakes, and I'm sure Richard will let me know if I'm out of line, but here is my take:

TO is not some sort of sanctioned or sponsored event.

You don't buy tickets to attend or be part of it. No one is required to pay ANY fee or cost to show up. The only things you need to pay for are your own personal expenses (e.g., cabin/RV rental, fuel, food, beverages, etc.). You're not even required to pay for the (FREE) meal you and your wife ate on SAT. Generating profit is not part of this gathering's goals.

There are no paid event organizers.
There is no paid marketing team.
There is no paid concierge.
There are no paid greeters.
There are no paid security staff, kitchen staff, or cleaning crew.
There are no paid ride leaders or organizers.
There is no paid safety team or medical team.
There are no paid mechanics on duty to fix what you break.

This is a grassroots gathering of like-minded SXS riders who simply want to get together, ride, and enjoy camaraderie and friendship with others.

Anyone/everyone that has anything to do with "helping" is personally volunteering out of the kindness and generosity of their hearts.

The costs for the TO - everything from the banners to the raffle prizes to the food truck and the band - were paid with VOLUNTARY DONATIONS made by event sponsors, forum members, and others who gave out of the goodness of their hearts. I'm sure Richard, himself, paid for plenty out of his own pocket, too.

If you came to the TO expecting professionally trained marketing people in a color-coordinated shirts and shorts waiting to greet you, hand you pamphlets and trail maps with twenty seven 8-by-10 color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was, give you a tour of the (numerous) campgrounds, tell you where you need to go, what to do, where to pee, and force people to greet you upon arrival shower you with love and affection, then your expectations were, IMHO, completely unrealistic. So you put your assumptions of my expectations on me then tell me I'm unrealistic for expectations I never had. I simply pointed out at the time of my arrival no one was there, everyone was out riding. The statement about colored shirts is a QUESTION, not an expectation. Unless I'm mistaken, the volunteers on Sat had grey matching shirts. It was hard to identify them. It would mearly make it easier, would it not?

I've been attending OTHER voluntary group events (just not SXS related) like this since the mid 1990s, and I can easily say that I NEVER had your level of expectation from a group of unpaid, uncompensated volunteers who were doing this simply for the love of the subject matter and to enjoy friendships. Again, you're assuming you know my expectations and your wrong.

Did you and your wife approach other people and introduce yourselves and make conversations? Or did you just expect them to find you and do all the work? See #5.

You got lost? What kind of maps or mapping software did you bring? I did not get lost, Richard made that comment, he was wrong.

Didn't like the raffle? Well, buying raffle tickets is a choice, and you chose not to buy them. I see no problem there. As I start replying to your post, holy sh!T, did you actually read my post?

Honestly, other than 5 or 6 people that I met just last month, I had never met one single person from the forums until this TO.

My wife (who had NEVER met or talked online with ANYONE here) and I stopped and introduced OURSELVES to TONS of other people. We told them our names (and my screen name), and we did what most adults do: We had verbal conversations with other people. We found out who they were, what they rode, where they were staying, what their screen names were, and just chatted about everything. We met a TON of great people because we put ourselves out there - we didn't expect them to do everything. Again with the assumptions.. #5

While there will likely be some dissent, I'd say that the vast majority of people who attend TO have absolutely ZERO interest in turning this into some kind of organized, sanctioned, for-profit event that requires us to shell out dollars for fancy organizers, greeters, and paid staff, and follow schedules and timelines. Great, nice to see a group / event not commercialized. I will say, this is the one area my expectations were off. I did expect to encounter different ways to collect revenue for the site, and that was not the case at all. Thats a win!

Sorry if our non-sanctioned, non-professionally organized, not-catered, non-handholding event wasn't up to your standards. The best part about all of this is that nobody did or can force you to attend again.

As for me and my wife, we met a TON of good people, made quite a few friends, and we look forward to seeing them at future non-sanctioned, non-professionally organized, not-catered, non-handholding gatherings.

God bless and good luck, no matter where your travels take you and your family.

Expand the quotes.
I will reply to this because even though it's antagonistic, it veils legitimacy.
So my perspective isn't vaild, you blame me. Ok

 

[Vondy]

Sorry you had a bad time. My first takeover in 2018 I met exactly 2 people (Richard & Trigger) and rode 95% of the trail system by ourselves on my P500 with another friend with his canam. Never got in any group ride, I don't think any rides were actually posted. Still had a great time and have been ever since. I never really got to know anyone until joining in on an overland, but I am also not great at approaching people and generating conversation. Since then I have made some great friends and that I ride with several times a year.

I thought the ride list this year was a great idea and would help to newer folks a lot. I think a welcome ride would be a great idea to make sure everyone feels welcome.

Since my first takeover I have brought friends and family to this ride and still don't ride with the group rides a lot since I end up leading them. If you come back, let me know and you are welcome to ride with us.

 

[Haldog77]

They already deleted the first comment

I'm glad I got to read it before it got taken down. That was a hoot.

 

[Haldog77]

It was spot on I must say!

Truth!!!

 

[WildMounts]

Observations and things I learned at the 2023 take over.

To understand my perspective you must first know my experience. I’ve been a motor sport / gear head all my life. I’ve ridden in groups with Goldwings, trucks, dirt bikes, ATV’s, PWC’s, canoes and Kayaks even horses. Thats 50 years of group riding experience. I attend annual gatherings of like minded people to socialize and glean ideas, and help each other anyway we can. (One group generally has around 300 rigs, twice a year) I also have miles and miles of riding that doesn’t cost a penny, paying to ride goes against my nature but tolerable for the right place with the right people.

This is my wife and I’s perspective from what we encountered. I don’t need or want an explanation. I’m only providing this for the few who might actually give a sh!t.


Observation
1. Extremely disorganized. If you’ve attended multiple TO’s and know what going on and who people are, it helps. But for a new person, it’s chaos and a complete cluster f***. When we arrived on Fri. there was no one there to greet us or help us get settled.

No designated information center or people person to talk to. Why couldn’t helpers all wear a bright colored shirt and hat to identify who they are. I asked Richard and he says one thing, then go to the person he said to go to and they say something different. Told we would meet at a certain point for a ride, they left from a different location so we were left behind.



2. Group rides are a disaster. First group we went with was a night ride. The group split multiple times and went in different directions. Heading back home people left in different directions and split into multiple groups. Guide? There was no guide, Richard was on that ride, he told me one thing then did something else. Someone else tried to help and sent me down a black trail at night, which no one else took. I had to turn around where there was no place to turn around.

Second group ride I was on has been discussed thoroughly in another thread. Side of the trail fighting biting flies for two hours +, never reached our destination. Every other group I’ve ever riden with has a recovery team designated prior to the ride. Groups need a lead, a drag and recovery team. Most groups standard were, 30 min to get’m rolling or it’s time for the group to go and recovery team takes over.

3. Band was decent / good and I enjoyed the genre they played.



4. I didn’t really care because I didn’t buy raffle tickets, but I heard multiple people complaining about the system used where they get to choose whatever prize they want. After a few top prizes were gone people started leaving. I don’t know, maybe that’s intentional.

5. The wife and I made multiple attempts to meet people and interact Fri afternoon, Sat morning and Sat evening. We left feeling very unwelcome. After introducing ourselves providing my screen name introducing my wife, NOT ONE PERSON INVITED US TO JOIN IN ANYTHING… Not a ride, a meal, a drink, a chair or even a conversation… nothing. We felt like the third person on a date. We approach a campsite with folks sitting around, no one gets out of their chair to greet us, introduce ourselves they say hi but don’t introduce themselves. I’ve seen sooooo many post about how great everybody is on here… from my experience thats BS. Maybe to the clicks they’ve already formed, but anyone else is an outsider and made to feel that way. In fact some people were down right A-holes who acted like we were idiots for not knowing what was going on. (One guy, I can’t remember name, met on the trail when going solo to top of the world. Saw him in camp and he came to talk to us, nice guy cheerful and friendly. Still didn’t introduce anyone, or suggest any activity.)

I’m saying this only as a gauge to how we felt:

I attended a camping event where most everyone there is in a home made / self converted camper. School busses, box trucks, cargo trailers… etc. 95% of everyone there was hard core liberals. I’m hard core conservative. We felt so much more welcome by them than we did this group. Stop, take a breath and think about that.

6. I commented a little about my experience at the TO and the reply was I need to plan better if I’m going to travel that far and should stay longer. KMFA!!!! I planned based on the information posted in the forum which I’ve now learned is really just kind of a suggestion. (See #1) If you already know whats going on from multiple events, and know everyone I’m sure it’s easier. This was scheduled for two days, I was there both days. It sucked. (BTW RRB site plainly says check in NO EARLIER THAN 3pm, rides are scheduled for that morning, see any problems?)

7. I don’t know who the guy was, but I ask him if he was going on one of the group rides. He laughed and said “no, I ain’t riding with these folks, tried it, won’t go no more” and he drove away before I could ask anymore questions.

So this guy has attended multiple events and has came to the conclusion he’s better off riding solo with a GPS. What does that tell ya?

8. Location. The group was scattered all over the place. Trying to figure out whos with us and who isn’t was a pain. I found two machines with “hondasxs” decals who told me they weren’t there for the TO. By now we should know an average attendance and should be able to negotiate a price, and area for the group. Registration and fees should all go through the forum. Pre registration maybe get a small discount in order to have a solid negotiating tool. An example would be 10% for 90 day pre register, 5% for 45 days. They save a little and attendance numbers are more defined prior to the event.

Richard, I can connect you with the organizers of the camping event and I know they’ll be glad to answer any questions or explain how and why they do what they do. It’s up to you, if your happy with it the way it is… then that’s fine, it’s your bicycle, you can ride it any way you want. Also, they ask for volunteers for certain events and provide discounts of fees to those who help. This way attendees can go tackle one function for a few hours and they are done, no one is stuck working the whole time, not even you. You're missing out on a LOT of money.

9. Meal tickets. These worked out well. My Sandwich was pretty good.

10. Haldog77 & Jackal are stand up good folks. They were patient and helpful, thanks guys.


For us, we didn’t get to see anything on a group ride. We went to the top of the world on Friday when no one was around. Thats it, that’s all we got to see. We sat and ate and tried to talk to people… nope. I burned a little over ½ tank of fuel. I’ve done more than that in my back yard.


Our goal was to get acclimated to the group, scout it out and decide if my brother (p700) and son in law (polaris ranger) and “partner in crime” (p-700) and a couple of other guys we ride with would want to attend. If it would be something my grandkids would enjoy. The kids looked like they were having fun and my grandkids would have a blast. But it’d be stupid to attend just for the grandkids.
The wife and I won't be back, lesson learned. Get a GPS for trails and avoid the group, just like the guy who drove off said. (see #7)

I won’t be spending my money and energy to be treated like a leper, and do no riding or socializing. Others say plan better come back and get use to it, stay longer… why would I spend more money to be miserable? Why do I need to spend more money and energy to “learn” how an event works.

After all this you may think I’mma big ole A-hole cry baby, you can think whatever you like. But I’m the new guy looking for a place to spend a little money, have a blast riding and meeting people who enjoy the same things. I don’t know, but how many people have the same experience and just walk away with no comment? I’ve seen several comments about people who don’t stick around. I’m (new people) the one who needs to be drawn in. Our perspective is the groups feel like they’re big enough and they don’t want anyone else, and they could care less about growing this event.

Message received.

This was our 3rd trip this year, we had a large group come up with us. We've never had a bad experience, sorry you did. We look forward the the TO every year. We've done the prison ride with jackel, Which was absolutely amazing! He's a great dude and knows his history of the area. The 1st year we went we had no idea what it "really" was and rode by ourselves! Our second year met 2 guys on the trials who were basically doing the same thing and now talk relatively regularly. This year was the first year I really felt like we knew what to expect. I don't know if you tagged along with us but if you did I want to apologize for our group, we picked up 2 to 3 machines from the stage and just kinda rode and kept it easy to see how all the machine were going to do seeing how it was everyones (other than ours) first trip up there. I do believe the people that tagged along with us we did make it to the water fall but can't remember. We had 9 kids with us all 6 and under, So we were a slower group all together but everyone had a good time.

 

[Todd627]

So, does "it get easier from here" for the OP????

 

[KyGal83]

I am an introvert, I don’t say much unless I am spoken to. I have never had a problem with the people on this forum. Everyone has taken the time to introduce themselves to me or another member has introduced someone else to me. If I miss out on anything it’s my fault no one else.

What!?! You an introvert!?! Huh.. You talked my head off on the Tackett Ride.. almost but not quite at a Smitty level. I am just picking at you. 🤣

You’re far from it. I talk to you or am on a ride with you every year.

Right!?!

 

[cntryby]

I was going to say something but, ☝️JB pretty much said everything I would've......minus a few cuss words.

Cunt🌲boi it sounds like you were expecting a full blown Honda sponsored event where they tell you the where, what, and who you'll be riding with. That wasn't my expectations at all. Sorry but as mentioned it's more of a....... "here's where some people are going and around what time, you're more then welcome to tag along" kinda event. Which is fine, except we kept getting told bad info. I would be willing to bet just about anything that @Hondasxs isn't putting this event together for the money. The man along with everyone else involved work their asses off to put this FREE gathering together so we can all BS and hang out with like minded people we meet through this forum. Thats the one area which was a complete 180 from my expectations. The non commercial aspects of the event were great. I was once a NEW GUY and can honestly tell you I've never felt left out for one sec. I wasn't able to attend this year and I'm sorry you and your wife feel like you had a bad time, but I think you had your expectations/mind set on a different type of event. Your assuming my expectations. I expected people to be inviting... hey we're going here wanna go? I adapted to... hey I'd like to tag along, sure meet us here at this time. Hey wheres the group... they decided to meet over at... wheres the group, they left already... suppose to be 9:30... yeah they decided to go at 9. The ride I made on Sat left an hour and a half later than I was told, I just sat and waited so I wouldn't miss it too.

How is that related to MY expectations?
So yes, my time was limited, so I'm sure that contributed to the feeling of this is wasting my time.
People have said I should sign up for a ride and the next sentence is we're kinda loose, go with the flow. Which one at what time, how am I suppose to know the difference?


🤔....well shít, I guess I ended up saying something anywheyz, at least I didn't cuss. 'cept for shít.....phuck!!!! I did it again 🙄

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