Motorcycle Riders --- Rolling Thunder to end in 2019

[DR Buck]

Sadly the annual Rolling Thunder ride in Washington DC is coming to an end. The attached image is confirmation I received via email this evening. I have ridden several times and it is an awesome ride around downtown DC  paying tribute to veterans and MIAs and doing it with 700,000 other motorcycles is an overwhelming experience. I will be there for sure on the 2019 Memorial Day weekend and hope all of you that have been wanting to do it but have not yet taken the initiative will do it as well.  There will be no other chances.



 

[Raider Bill]

I've made that run a couple times before. Quite a sight seeing that many bikes. Too bad.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 I heard about that on the news yesterday.
Rumor has it that a lot of local chapters of Rolling Thunder ( I never knew there was such a thing)
will try and continue the tradition.

I have never ridden in one mainly because I hate crowds and traffic jams.
But I am considering it this year.

[Raider Bill]

It also goes by "run for the wall".

Huge crowd Jon. Last time I swore never again.. It's like bike week times 10.

[DR Buck]

........ It's like bike week times 10.

It is and the "rolling thunder" sound is something hard to imagine.     But, this past summer we went to the Sturgis bike rally and the number of motorcycles was UNBELIEVABLE!  It appeared there were many more bikes that I've seen at Rolling Thunder.   And, it wasn't just in Sturgis.   Every place we went within 100 miles of Sturgis had thousands of bikes.   The rolling thunder sound was everywhere.     

[customsawyer]

I'm not a fan of riding in crowds but I might have to do this one. It will probably be the biggest one if it is the last. Where would you recommend booking a room. Hidden acres VA. lol

[DR Buck]

I'm not a fan of riding in crowds but I might have to do this one. It will probably be the biggest one if it is the last. Where would you recommend booking a room. Hidden acres VA. lol

Even though the ride actually starts at 12 noon, you need to be in the parking lot at the Pentagon as early as possible.  They let you go out  in the order you arrive and the far lots filled last usually don't get moving until after 3PM.   I'm about 3 hours south now that we've retired and moved.   Last years I just got up real early and made the ride up there.  Not sure about this coming year as the wife will probably want to go along and she don't do "early" very well. So, we may stay with a friend west of D.C.    And, as a former resident of the area I never used the hotels but I would think with the crowds everything in toward D.C. will be booked and EXPENSIVE.    I'd say check around Manassas, Warrenton, or even Culpeper VA.     If you do come up and stay west of DC, maybe we can meet up in the morning and ride in together.