The Yamaha Road Star Warrior Forum

This is turning into a great discussion. I am with you folks on the KickStand Lodge. I was 100% behind Mo and the folks who help her run the place, but the phone call I got the other day from her was out of line and very un-professional. There is one thing I will not stand being called and that is a theif nor will I tolerate being talked to in the tone she took with me. It is too bad, cause I had a great time at the KSL during the week. I am going to type up a Vendor's Review on the KickStand pertaining to after action's of Mo and her accusations. I will never step foot on KSL Campground again.

This is not about fixing what is not broken. This is about getting new and fresh ideas for a very successful event on how we can better plan Warrior Fest IV or where if the majority wants to move to another location.

As for ride plans that is a great idea. We could take it a step further as suggested and break it up in different groups, but plan the same ride for the day. What we can do is stage 15-20 minutes intervals between groups and pick designated stops for photo ops etc. We can all meet at the same restaurant for lunch, so we can get the group together as a whole. Keep the suggestions coming.

Mr Noize II:

Just a thought, if you have WF IV in Virginia, please start a bail fund.  Several of us will require assistance.  Virginia is not a great place/state for the type of riding that we have done at previous WarriorFest.  At least Tenn. troopers will allow you to come back; I doubt that VA will stop short of getting your finger prints and providing overnight accommodations

So where else can we rent a dragstrip for the day, cheap?

Where else can we get great photos of us riding through the twisties?

And with all the great roads in this area, we can always go away from the heavy patroled Dragon.

I think the fest is all about the people who attend. I go to ride, of course but, to ride with the people on this forum I have become very good friends with.  I also think a new location is a great idea not move WF but add another event for us to choose to go.  Finding a location maybe hard but Im sure it can be done with a little research.  Riding the Dragon is a great exp as is the Skyway and the Parkway but lets face it if its great scenery you want you wanna ride different roads not the same ones every year although those roads are challenging and a blast just a new adventure would be alot fun if you ask me

What might be missing here is that there is a group of people here who know the area "Not me, just ask JD or Dwight HAHA". If there is an area that has several riders who know the area and can help others with making accommodation arrangements as well as show people around then I would be all for it.

I know this is a bit out-of-the-way but has anyone considered a rally in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in mid-summer? That's some beautiful country and there are a lot of rural roads in the area. It would also give the northern members an opportunity to get together at a closer venue.

PWRCRZR :

Well I have never been to Warrior Fest but here is my 2 cents anyhow....I do plan on attending next year

I think that keeping the WF in the Southeast area makes the most sense. I understand that it is meant to be a Rally for evryone but it is still a long journey for alot of us. It seems that the masses that attended were from the central/southern part of the coast. But there are the exceptions that make the long journey.

It seems that beeing at the Dragon has become part of the WF tradition. I think it should stay there.

Darkstar and some others have created a Northeast Warrior Rumble to start this summer in Vermont.( All are welcome to come join us.) Maybe this is what we need to do, have numerous rallies in different locations at different times of the year so people can decide where they want to go and when they want to go.

 

Makes perfectly good sense to me. I would definately entertain other options but believe this place has become a tradition and that's what makes it special. Although I have no issues with where we stay, I would like to say that I thought the accomodations and treatment we recieved at KSL was very good. If anyone has issues with that please feel free to PM me with your concerns.

Warriorfest @ The Dragon is one of many rides I go on each year. While it is the one I look forward to most , it is not the only one .I go on a lot of local rides for charity but they are only one day rides. Also there are many here that go to Bike week and meet up there. As its been said , Ed  has a NE Warrior Rumble this Summer and theres also Bo,s Bash and Return to the Dragon in September for others to attend. The West Coast Brothers have thier Tahoe ride, among others and I'm sure if any of us wanted to attend that there would be accomadations provided for us when we arrived. 

In my opinion , there are several Warrior rides and activities to choose from around the country and even though Warrior Fest is possibly the largest gathering of Warriors , there are other Warrior rides to attend if you don't want to go the WF @ the Dragon.So I will not ride the fence , my vote is to keep location and dates.

 I've read the posts and thought about this since last years WFII ended. Kinda glad it has come up.

Though I dont think a revolving Warrior Fest can get a hard core base but a few years at one spot then a few at another could make it.

As far as Arkansas I have lived there, north central area, Cave City. Some great great rides. So as far as AR. I would suggest making Fairfield Bay the main hub and ride out from there. The last time I was there I rented a 3 bedroom condo for $50 a night. They have places that sit empty and are willing to make deals to fill them, if we booked ahead we could really get some perks. It is a dry county but they have Country clubs that you can get into because you are a guest. Oh and their are a lot of state parks there for campers, Fairfield is on a lake, Greers Ferry Lake.

Up in Dangunmans area, they can handle the number of bikes we put together (but it would be a motel or B&B I think). That would give us rides in NC, KY, TN and WV.  Also if someone wanted to they could make it down to the Dragon to ride it but that would be a long ride for a few passes.

Just my .02 guys but am open to anything. Oh we do need to have it near good medical facilities.  

I ride 500+ miles each week in Fl and love it, so you can see I'm easy as long as I ride, I'm taking a trip in June to The Grand Canyon and will be returning thru the Ozarks(my first time there) and will post what I think of the riding there vs the Tenn and NC area. General info..I have riden the Tenn, NC, W.Va and North Ga area many timmmmeeeesss. So comparison should be easy. But wherever we decide to meet you can count me in..

Sorry for your bad experience. I talked with Warrior Dog once about possibly moving Warrior Fest to Alabama. There is a very nice musem there and a track out back. We talked about possibly renting the track for a day so that all you knee draggers could go as fast as you want in a controlled enviroement. Of this was just a discussion between two guys and only a suggestion. Let me also apologize for not being able to stay Tuesday after the wedding. My wife was really sick so I had to get home. I made it from the wedding site back to Chattanooga around 1710, which was about one hour and forty minutes. No I wan't speeding because that is against the law!

My vote is to keep Warrior Fest where and when it is, but perhaps change the name to DragonFest, this would free up WarriorFest to be any place in the country not just TN/NC.  I would love to have the opportunity to show you folks all of the roads that I grew up riding on around Chattanooga, like we did at StarDays last year.  I have a weeks worth of rides just as good as that one that we did then plus some we wouldn't be able to get it.  And Chattanooga is only 120 miles from the Dragon area.  I for one would like to go to various locations around the country to ride and  still keep the annual gathering of some of my closests friends in and around the Dragon.  How about a once a year meet at the Dragon in April and a Warrior gathering in the late summer/earlyFall at a voted on location, mush like we do now with the Return to the Dragon.  I'd vote for the Ozarks for this fall late summer meet.

 right on bro.....i would be down for a Vermont trip....i hear a lot of good things about it...i know its beautiful there...and its closer to Ed as well....you wont have to travel for 3 days to get there

I will re emphasize my opinion here. Keep Warriorfest like it is !! If you want to start another Warrior gathering somewhere else then get it organized , name it , pick a date ,and I'll be there , otherwise as far I know Warriorfest will be approx the last week in April every year @ The Dragon , unless for some reason the majority decides otherwise. We can talk about it all year and get 100 other options so why don't we take a vote to move it or keep it  and then if the majority decides to move it then we can talk about options. IMHO

I was typing my post and after I posted I read Cadfathers post and like that idea , kinds of keeps everyone happy.

Warrior fest is a tradition and date date that even the Locals have grown to know, its Not just about the KSL, I am  KSL snob because they have been like family to me.  I will continue to stay there no matter what happens

I think the Fest should stay there and the dates remain about the same, there are pleanty of places to stay besides the KSL if ya want too.(but your not going to have as much fun imho) The Skyway and Dragon and 64 and 1310 and 215 and the parkway are all nice but we still have some great untapped roads in north Ga and SC that we have not hit yet, and I dont mind showing the newer people some of the stuff thats old hat to most of us either - I really wanted a group photo @ Bald River falls but when you get a lot of bikes together - trying to keep them together and focused is a nightmare.  Smaller groups split up by skill level is a great idea.

I would be willing to go to AR, WV, KY too but I think WF is, and should reamain @ the Dragon