Today I discovered an artifact from my GWRRA days. It was a Gold Book from 2011 and it brought back a lot of memories of those times.
Does anybody miss GWRRA?
Nodaker
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Yes.
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Who?? What??
I never met a person in the GWRRA that I did not like, enjoyed the people and learned a lot not just about motorcycle, people from all walks of life some I just saw once a year @ the Wing Ding but was happy to see them still kicking and lost a few to different health problems, and met a lot of good venders as well, I remember JD lighting invited me and the wife to come up to his place in Canada to spend some time but we never made it.
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No. Joined a chapter in FL for a few rides and events. Lots of carping and back-biting by officers. Wife and I agreed we didn't need that.
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Was great in the earlier days when people actually wanted to ride their Goldwings.......
Turned into cliquey group(s) that only wanted to go out to eat and have raffles.....no longer enthusiasts that wanted to ride.
Some of the early Wing Dings were awesome and had huge turnouts with tons of vendors, I loved going to them in the days when attendance was over 10K riders.
Hilighted years are the rallies I went to...
RIP
![Image]()
Turned into cliquey group(s) that only wanted to go out to eat and have raffles.....no longer enthusiasts that wanted to ride.
Some of the early Wing Dings were awesome and had huge turnouts with tons of vendors, I loved going to them in the days when attendance was over 10K riders.
Hilighted years are the rallies I went to...
RIP
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1,670 Posts
I originally liked the organization. I wanted to RIDE! I was not concerned with "rank." Some members, a LOT of members seemed to feel that they somehow gained prestige or "rank" over other members, by wearing their pin and patch-laden vests over their chapter color long sleeve shirts to meetings. They would be "elected" as chapter director, or chapter couple, or ride captain, or whatever other positions were doled out, and they would often become drunk on the "power" that they imagined they had gained by being named for those positions. I grew tired of people looking down at me because I didn't ride the newest Wing, or have 60 pounds of ride pins on my vest, or buy long strands of raffle tickets. I didn't even OWN a vest or collect pins or patches. I didn't ride with the embroidered patch on my back, or "GOLDWING" or "HONDA" silk screened onto the sleeve of my shiny nylon jacket.
I watched, as a generation of people who purchased '76 to '87 Wings grew older, and became less and less interested in RIDING, and more interested in EATING, and holding meetings, and selling raffle tickets, and such. Younger people focused more on the bullet bikes and the other motorcycles that did not exist when GWRRA first rose to social awareness. GWRRA was NOT attracting NEW members, or YOUNGER members. In fact, they shunned them.
When the '88 came out, there was a definite "I am better than YOU are" feeling coming from those who could afford the six cylinder bikes. GWRRA member who still rode their trusty old '78 GL1000s and 1100s were TOLERATED, but not made to feel that they were part of the "REAL Goldwing riders."
Even in the drill teams, you were EXPECTED to ride a six cylinder bike. The old four bangers received polite smirks, but were not taken seriously.
Sure. We did the toy runs, and the charity rides, etc. But I cannot think of any chapter ride where we all just rode for the FUN of riding. You had to ride in formation. You had to wear a helmet, EVEN in states that do not require them, AS IF GWRRA would be responsible for your injuries, should you crack your melon open on a group ride. Whatever happened to PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY?!?
I was in SoCal when I was a member of Chapter CA1-N. I also rode with the PALADINS, a very old family oriented all-brand motorcycle club based in Oceanside, CA., and I even tried to start up a local chapter of RIDER CLUB, but that was more of "Do all of the work yourself Joe, and we MIGHT join you on your rides."
Here in Kentucky, I rode with the Southern Cruisers of Tennessee for a brief while, believing that would be a great alternative. It didn't take long to discover that it is mostly old veterans riding Harleys, and if you weren't in the Service, and you don't ride a Harley, and you don't drink beer, well .... So I left that group via a deliberate left turn at an intersection, while returning from an overnight ride to some hotel somewhere. I have nearly one MILLION miles of riding experience, and I don't need some tattooed ex-whatever who is 30 years my JUNIOR to lecture me on how to properly ride a motorcycle.
On a tour, I may ride for a while with a group that happens to be headed in the same direction, or to the same destination, but I am OVER the embroidered patch/membership card/ride pin collecting/mine is bigger than yours B.S.
Joe
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I watched, as a generation of people who purchased '76 to '87 Wings grew older, and became less and less interested in RIDING, and more interested in EATING, and holding meetings, and selling raffle tickets, and such. Younger people focused more on the bullet bikes and the other motorcycles that did not exist when GWRRA first rose to social awareness. GWRRA was NOT attracting NEW members, or YOUNGER members. In fact, they shunned them.
When the '88 came out, there was a definite "I am better than YOU are" feeling coming from those who could afford the six cylinder bikes. GWRRA member who still rode their trusty old '78 GL1000s and 1100s were TOLERATED, but not made to feel that they were part of the "REAL Goldwing riders."
Even in the drill teams, you were EXPECTED to ride a six cylinder bike. The old four bangers received polite smirks, but were not taken seriously.
Sure. We did the toy runs, and the charity rides, etc. But I cannot think of any chapter ride where we all just rode for the FUN of riding. You had to ride in formation. You had to wear a helmet, EVEN in states that do not require them, AS IF GWRRA would be responsible for your injuries, should you crack your melon open on a group ride. Whatever happened to PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY?!?
I was in SoCal when I was a member of Chapter CA1-N. I also rode with the PALADINS, a very old family oriented all-brand motorcycle club based in Oceanside, CA., and I even tried to start up a local chapter of RIDER CLUB, but that was more of "Do all of the work yourself Joe, and we MIGHT join you on your rides."
Here in Kentucky, I rode with the Southern Cruisers of Tennessee for a brief while, believing that would be a great alternative. It didn't take long to discover that it is mostly old veterans riding Harleys, and if you weren't in the Service, and you don't ride a Harley, and you don't drink beer, well .... So I left that group via a deliberate left turn at an intersection, while returning from an overnight ride to some hotel somewhere. I have nearly one MILLION miles of riding experience, and I don't need some tattooed ex-whatever who is 30 years my JUNIOR to lecture me on how to properly ride a motorcycle.
On a tour, I may ride for a while with a group that happens to be headed in the same direction, or to the same destination, but I am OVER the embroidered patch/membership card/ride pin collecting/mine is bigger than yours B.S.
Joe
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Ya know,
The CEO and I really only had one opportunity to ride with a chapter of the GWRRA in San Diego county one time and well, I guess you'd have to be a member for a while to get the hang of it. Neither of us were impressed. To us, the most annoying part of that long ride we did was the fact that they were SERIOUSLY TOO REGIMENTED!!!!!!!!!! On that one ride, there was about 20 or so bikes. They broke into "groups". And each GROUP had a leader. And each leader was responsive to the main leader. Whenever there was an intersection turn, each leader of each group, HAD to report on the C/B to the main leader that they, and all parties in each of their subgroups, had made the turn.
If there was a lane change, again, each leader of each group HAD to respond to the head honcho that each rider in each group had made the lane change.
We'd ridden about 1/2 an hour with gang and I told the CEO, If this is the way they do it all the time, WE'RE OUT! I mean, it was like they were on parade and had to be totally uniform in all their movements.
This was the one and only time either just me or me and the CEO had participated in any of their activities. And we surely weren't impressed.
Scott
The CEO and I really only had one opportunity to ride with a chapter of the GWRRA in San Diego county one time and well, I guess you'd have to be a member for a while to get the hang of it. Neither of us were impressed. To us, the most annoying part of that long ride we did was the fact that they were SERIOUSLY TOO REGIMENTED!!!!!!!!!! On that one ride, there was about 20 or so bikes. They broke into "groups". And each GROUP had a leader. And each leader was responsive to the main leader. Whenever there was an intersection turn, each leader of each group, HAD to report on the C/B to the main leader that they, and all parties in each of their subgroups, had made the turn.
If there was a lane change, again, each leader of each group HAD to respond to the head honcho that each rider in each group had made the lane change.
We'd ridden about 1/2 an hour with gang and I told the CEO, If this is the way they do it all the time, WE'RE OUT! I mean, it was like they were on parade and had to be totally uniform in all their movements.
This was the one and only time either just me or me and the CEO had participated in any of their activities. And we surely weren't impressed.
Scott
I think the GW could have kept the Wingding as a once a year event and made it profitable without having the GWRRA association if managed correctly and made it a event for all brands of touring bikes and venders to support all brands, but the name would have to change so maybe that would not work, but there great people on every brand.
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AMEN!
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I attended The Great Western Bicycle Rally 32 separate years. It was held over Memorial Day Weekend in Paso Robles, CA. It was a LOT of fun for cyclists.
When Ralph and LaVerne Boethling gave up the event to new owners after running it for 49 YEARS, it DIED. The new owners wanted the income, but they were NOT willing to do the WORK involved in making the event special. I went to one more, and that was it. The magic was GONE. The covid zombie apocalypse was the final kill shot, and now it is only a distant memory.
Another "Wingding" would fail, because the "brotherhood" of Goldwing owners died along with GWRRA.
Joe
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I heard there is a group out now that is like the old goldwing club. Don't recall the name thou--
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The DQ Riders? 🤣
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Eagle Wings Motorcycle Association.
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