The Honda Owners Club

Alan D wrote:

No allowance was made for learners or newly qualified riders

And they thus get experience of group riding how
Mayhap thats part of the problem, if newbies don't feel welcome on a ride out then they will not join in future ones, as such the number of people who will go on a ride-out starts to dwindle, until such time as you get no-one.
@Red V Four : Maybe its worth making contact with the local training schools, get the bikers when they are "fresh out of nappies" so to speak

If they don't even make contact in the first place, then what would you do? It's not that they aren't welcome, it's where are they?
If I knew who was coming along beforehand, and what they were like as riders (as I said so previously) then I would make allowances accordingly. As no "new" riders (or any others for that matter) have made contact, why should I?
I know of one rider who thinks that a good days ride-out is about 20 miles each way. That's a pre-oil-change warm-up ride for me. They had a list (with my number on it) and showed interest at the time,but no calls.............
Sorry, but I don't want to be a club "recruitment officer", I was already a member who just volunteered for planning ride-outs. If getting more members locally were to get just the same response (virtually none) then why bother?

Barry wrote:You do not go to local bike meets. You don't wish to associate with sports bike riders. Plenty of local members but none of them interested

One reason I gave up organising rides or getting involved in organising club events was because I am too old and could no longer contribute to other club members biking enjoyment - we have different needs, standards and outlook. Have you considered your own position vis the members?

It's not sports bike riders as such that I don't wish to associate with, it's some of the t*ats that ride them, not all of them. I don't care to ride like them or get involved in their antisocial antics (or accidents).

Now, if we can't get any response from local members at all on any subject as to what they want to do as a branch, then what has my position got to do with it? They were asked. I'm not stopping them or putting them off.

Sorry Red, that comment was supposed to be aimed more at Barry, being the one who made the "quote" but also in general, I apologize if you took it personally.

My intention was to highlight that if you ignore the newbies then your "club" will naturally die off due to no new members sticking around.

As to your own situation, it seems to me you have done what could be reasonably expected from a volunteer, you can't force people to join the rideouts.
Hence the idea of training clubs, teach the "newbies" the way of the man (or woman, Erica ) that likes to ride for the pleasure of the ride, not the death-wish-pocket-rocket-idiot brigrade, and maybe that would generate more interest, just a thought anyway.

As for the person who thought 20 miles each way was a good ride out, unless thats over the Alps it aint worth putting your boots on for

Alan D wrote:My intention was to highlight that if you ignore the newbies then your "club" will naturally die off due to no new members sticking around.

Learners and newbies come and go. Any club needs a hard core of experienced riders. Not all those riders want to act as nursemaids and do not enjoy being hindered and inhibited by their antics. There are those riders who like to shepherd people about and most clubs that run weekly ride can find rides that suit most - but not everyone, all the time. In fact it is quite possible to have two different runs on the same day.

The club I am thinking of is really a camping rally club with a rally in every month of the riding season - sometimes two.
But even on rally weekends there is always a ride out for those who do not rally. Variety and choice is what keeps members interested.

Hence the idea of training clubs, teach the "newbies" the way of the man (or woman, Erica ) that likes to ride for the pleasure of the ride, not the death-wish-pocket-rocket-idiot brigrade, and maybe that would generate more interest, just a thought anyway.

Why would a member wish to take on the responsibility - and liability? - of teaching newbies how to enjoy their biking? What sort of person would have the gall to think that their way of biking was the only way to enjoy biking?

As for the person who thought 20 miles each way was a good ride out, unless thats over the Alps it aint worth putting your boots on for

That is a bit elitist, isn't it?

Many would consider 20 miles a good ride - if you got your knee down on every corner

Yes back to the calendar, and it was a great facility, if only we could get it to work.