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Laughlin or was that Laugh in?

Discussion in 'Pull up a chair and sit for a spell' started by CD, Apr 25, 2004.

  1. CD

    CD Guest

    Met SK up at Harrah's for some lunch on Friday. The attendance was markedly down on Friday from any year I have ever been. Saturday was more crowded but still not as many people as in years past IMHO. As far as the vendors it was just the SOS. I guess after so many trips to Laughlin I am about toasted on it. The riding in the area sucks compared to about anywhere else. You can only do Oatman, Moon Valley, Route 66, Lake Havasu only so many times before you get bored to tears.

    Security at the event was big time this year. To get into any of the rooms at Harrahs you needed wrist bands. Guests had to pay $20.00 to get a wrist band to a room you rented! No colors, weapons or attitudes allowed. In other words, you must comply with their interpretation of colors. Watched a HOG member get escorted out of the Edgewater because he was wearing "colors" according to the rent a cop.

    If you think I have become bored with Laughlin you are correct. I would not have gone if I did not have a meeting with some distributor big wigs. Compared to Daytona or Sturgis or about any other event, Laughlin has very little to offer other than partying. As I said, riding in the immediate area bites...

    The activities are limited.
    1. Drink.
    2. Ride aimlessly down an under two mile main drag that is heavily policed and restricted after Midnight.
    3. Drink some more.
    4. Listen to some almost good bands and drink.
    5. Gamble, drink some more.

    Listened to one report on the live feed that the same old tricks were being used to steal bikes. No count on the total stolen but you can bet it was the normal amount as nothing slows these guys down.

    Everywhere you looked there were rent a cops galore....

    Did I mention it was boring?
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2004
  2. SK

    SK New Member

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    God..no kidding. I'll still go each year as a day ride from Las Vegas (it takes barely 90 minutes from the house), but no way I'm ever staying there again. Can't believe Harrah's wanted $20 for a guest to go up to your room..insane. I only went last Friday to hook up with you and another friend Alan..also from Tucson. If not for friends..I wouldn't go at all. Man were the cops patrolling the roads all the way to Searchlight north of town (half way to Vegas). I got pulled over going up the hill right out of town..didn't realize I was doing 78 in a 65 as the FJR is just too smooth. The cop asked if I had any priors and I told him I had a seatbelt violation about 3 years ago. He checked..I was clean..he let me go with a warning. I kept it to no more than 70 all the way to Las Vegas where if I didn't do 80 riding US95 into town I'd get run over..ironic..eh?

    Any way..good to see you as usual CD..give Tish my love. Hope to get down your way around the end of June.
  3. Goose

    Goose New Member

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    Well, that's why I never went back. Loved meeting everyone out there that year, though. Sturgis has fine back roads, sites, racing, riding, drinking, tests, vendors, whatever. I really enjoyed that trip. A might far, though. Daytona is all about racing for me. All I go there for is the racing. The vendors, test rides, now that's cool. They have a MUCH larger variety of vendors. Go to the track and the parking lot has all the sport stuff, metric brands and tests. Bought a set of $250 race boots there for a little over a hundred at one place. Race leathers, gloves, tank bags, soft saddle bags, it's the sport biker's version of Laughlin. All the cruiser stuff, Harley display, Victory, etc, are at the Main Street Zoo down town. Laughlin is cruiser city, of course. If you ain't into fringe, well.....

    There's some local stuff now days in Texas. There's a rally in Galveston now that I want to go to cause it's just up the road. I'll check that one out this summer. Missed the Honda "ride for kids" in Kemah, rained all weekend. Just didn't feel like getting wet. Good cause, though. There's a deal at South Padre in October every year I've never done and one in Austin, the ROT. That one is the SOS every year. Cool the first couple of times though. I really enjoyed myself there and with the wife. Sixth street gets a little crowded, LOL. Walking by the front of the *** bar and watching the pretty boys staring at all the leather clad bikers was hilarious! LOL! Glad I had my wife with me for protection. :eek:

    I'd like to do the Golden Aspen rally again. That was fun and the roads and mountains around Ruidoso, NM are beautiful.
  4. JunkerDave

    JunkerDave New Member

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    Another reason to ride.

    For anyone to think one of these bike runs is boring misses the point completly. Unless your one of those guys who's into parking lot jewelry "trailering your bike" to a run and riding it up and down mainstreet til your ready to trailer it home, then you'll understand the meaning of these runs man... ANOTHER REASON TO RIDE.
  5. Sleepy

    Sleepy Well-Known Member

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    no questioning the reason to ride part .....done that and the ride is the thing but it was such a blatant cash grab...*disclaimer..this is just one man's opinion* the actual event was a let down after a great ride. I'd rather ride to Springerville thanks..there's more there for me.
  6. Goose

    Goose New Member

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    Well, I never really needed a reason to ride. Sometimes I'll just go out and get on the bike and ride around aimlessly. I ride every day, though, for transportation. It's 32 miles over to my shop in Edna. I like to ride the SV over there cause there's curvy roads, unlike any other destination around here. There's a railroad crossing on a little elevated part of the road that's fun, too. Get up one side of it and gas the bike a little in third gear, weeeeeeeeeeeee! :D Can't do that on the wing.

    I had a lot of fun at Laughlin, but it had more to do with the company than the actual event. Sturgis was MUCH more fun of an event! I had an absolute blast there. I rode the VX up there, 1500 miles. On the way back, I stopped at the badlands to tour that. About 9pm I was in Russel, Kansas and finally found a room vacancy. Got up and was on the road by 6am. I rode into Port Lavaca over 800 miles later around 8:30 pm. That was a ball busting ride! I thought I had hemoroids for a week. :D
  7. CD

    CD Guest

    Huh:confused: I think you miss the point by about 359.99ยบ. Have you ever been to Laughlin? I started going in 1991 and have gone many times since. Originally for the ride, party and more riding. My trips have become more like business trips and I have watched the event become a circus act looking for a big tent. The event has outgrown the area period. The vendor areas are lock step and you get very little face time before someone is grabbing their attention from you.

    If you have been to Laughlin then you must enjoy the limited riding in the area. You can only ride to Oatman so many times with one or more sobriety check points and no room to walk much less park in the town.

    I would rather ride to Sturgis or Daytona than Laughlin because the riding is so much better there. You can do the main street thing on Sunday and ride the are the rest of the week and not ride the same place twice.

    As far as needing a "reason to ride"? Between Goose, Sleepy and SK alone they will probably log about 50-60k miles a year or better. All three are coming to Bike Talk on Labor Da weekend so, if you need a reason to ride that weekend, come on down:D
  8. SK

    SK New Member

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    I finally got to ride for fun this past week plus. After riding over 800+ miles a month just to go to school..you get tired of the Las Vegas freeways. :eek: That 1300 mile trek to see friends and family..a real reason to ride.

    The only reason I go the St. Vibrations rally in Reno is to hook up with friends from 3 states or more and just hang together and have fun. I have to admit though, that the riding up by the Reno/Tahoe area is pretty nice. But the vendors get to be the same ole stuff all the time..I rarely bother looking at em.

    But the best ride is with like-minded riders to hook up on their own and make up their own ride.

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