GWRRA Org. SHUTTING DOWN

[larryd]

GWRRA Customer Service <customerservice@gwrra.org>

Important GWRRA Annoucement

This is a SAD day for all bikers!!!

[pegasus1300]

So I just went there and it says the public office is shutting down for safety but nothing about the rest of the organization going down.

[canamjhb]

I posted this in another thread...... I have been a GWRRA member for many years. Today I got an email from them with a video attachment announcing the end of GWRRA. Not going bankrupt, just shutting down due to changes in motorcycle markets and interest in the club. Membership has dwindled from more than 80,000 to about 8,000. It was dying a slow death. Sad..... Jim

[rjinaz86323]

just watched video on their website and it appears that they are shutting the organization down.

[Excoastie]

GWRRA is having their 43rd "Wing Ding" here in Shreveport this week. I went yesterday, just to look around, and to see if there was anything that I may want to buy for the Spyder.

Nothing was said or announced.

--Exco

[larryd]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/80mu9e3frq...ement.mp4?dl=0

[FrogmanDave]

Truly a sad day for the Goldwing. A very proud motorcycle for many, many years!

[pegasus1300]

I could barely hear them, but what a shame. There are plenty of Gold Wings still out there and new ones being sold. Why are the owners not joining the association?
BTW Larry thanks for posting the video.

[Donbmw]

I got out of the f the BMWMOA after 30 years. It wasn’t in line with my interest anymore.

[hut1]

Unfortunately I have to admit that I am one of the many Goldwing owners who let my membership lapse years ago, and never renewed. It wasn't anything negative about the organization, I just became more involved with other organizations and activities. It's always tough to see established institutions disolve, but most will at some time. I thank the founders for their many contributions over the years, and wish them well.

[MSgtR]

. Why are the owners not joining the association?
BTW Larry thanks for posting the video.

My husband and I tried joining the the organization in SoCal years ago. We were surrounded by chapters, none of them very welcoming. I guess if you didn't wear matching vests full of pins and a funny Zebra hat, you weren't part of the in-crowd. We were in a crowd, yet still all alone. We had great fun at the Wing Dings, but those people were largely from east of the Mississippi. We're now a part of MSTA. Much smaller, but more fun.

[Bangorbob]

I belonged for a while and even though I never went to their events I felt almost as an outcast utilizing their website. I have moved on since. I'm sure if people who have similar likes will always get together and enjoy themselves.

[Navydad]

My wife and I enjoyed GWRRA for many years until we bought a Valkyrie Interstate. I know what the sign says, but we were suddenly the red headed step child that nobody wanted to be seen with. We left. We rode the Valkyrie for three years and 80K miles and then switched to European machines. I don't foresee ever buying another machine from the big four. Even though we felt shunned and made the decision to move on I hate to see them fold, but it has been coming for a long time. No organization did more to promote motorcycle touring and safety than the GWRRA in my opinion.

[bigbadbrucie]

Why are the owners not joining the association?.

I can’t understand why NEW owners are not joining, but I sure understand why they’re not renewing a membership. I found them to be a very cliquey group. I was at a GW rally (was riding an ‘86 wing at the time), and was a member at large with no particular group affiliation, and was totally, completely IGNORED. I was deemed an OUTCAST. My membership expired and I never did renew it. This after 5 years a member.

[ARtraveler]

yup! same experience here.

[Pooch]

Yup... cliquey is the term I would use also. But I have limited experience with them as we went to only 3 GWRRA area meetings. We got nothing but the cold shoulder at all 3 meetings even though we were each riding a 2008 GL1800 Gold Wing trike. We never knew if it was because of the the Gold Wings were trikes or if this bunch just didn't want any new members. No matter... 3 strikes and we took ourselves out of there... never looked back.

[pidjones]

I joined for one year for the road insurance. Their site had trouble logging me on for two months. I went to one local chapter meeting and was one of two to show up on a bike. Yep, matching outfits, pins, stuffed mascots - and meeting at Shoneys. I went to two WingDings. Had a ball watching Top Gun practice at one, but then it rained and their lawyers wouldn't let them have the competition. All Top Gun was canceled after that. Went to the 2018 WingDing in Knoxville (semi-local for me) and showed my '78 with '75 custom in Pistol Pete's booth to encourage folks not to let the old bike set and rust away - have fun with them. Learned that GWRRA was a corporation owned by and run for the profit of the originators that ran the home office. I guess they decided to retire on their wealth accumulated.

[Steve W.]

My wife and I enjoyed GWRRA for many years until we bought a Valkyrie Interstate. I know what the sign says, but we were suddenly the red headed step child that nobody wanted to be seen with. We left.

When my wife and I joined about 20 years ago, I was on a Kawasaki, she was on a Suzuki, our older son was on a Yamaha. Had to join as Associate members because we did not have a Wing, but it was still a welcoming bunch of friendly people. It was about 5 years later that we got a Wing, but nothing really changed. Good times all around. Our Chapter was not into all the matching outfits, but we did have T-shirts in the Chapter color and the Chapter name embroidered. I think some of the members (probably the officers) did have their "official" uniforms with the vests and patches for the major rallies and events, but we were mostly a casual riding group.

My wife just saw something on her FakeBook feed that announced that our chapter had re-named to something not related to GWRRA, this might have been the motivation for that move.

.

[2dogs]

In the very early 80's wife and I stopped by Sturgis. We were on a US tour riding a Venture Royal. We were shunned by the HD crowd as well as the GW'ers. Stayed there for a couple of hours and left. For what it's worth there may be a lesson in here somewhere for SRA. Even the BK's seem to be following the same path as GWRRA. Too many of the origination's top end playing musical chairs. Just a sign of the times I guess.

[pegasus1300]

In the Early 80's the HD crowd was snubbing everybody. I would have been on a Venture also at that time. The club I was riding with tho an all-bikes welcome group consisted of mostly Gold Wings. I was subject to a lot of ribbing about my Venture but today only about half of the members are on Gold Wings, The rest on an assortment of Harley's, BMW's, Triumph's, European and Japanese sport bikes, and adventure bikes and trikes and Spyders. I think that diversification, and the aging of the Gold Wing type of rider has probably done a lot to the demise of GWRRA.

[MrMagicFingers]

It's always tough to see established institutions dissolve, but most will at some time. I thank the founders for their many contributions over the years, and wish them well.

Well said!

Tim

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Why are the owners not joining the association?

For the same reason younger folks are not joining service clubs like Lions and Kiwanis and churches, and so on. They also have lost interest in school class reunions. The under 40 (50 maybe?) crowd is just not interested in being a part of an established organization that is largely based on getting together.

[canamjhb]

Interests have seemed to shift to social media and on-line games. Just go into any restaurant and look at family's sitting together. Most all will be playing with their phones. Sad..... Jim

[UtahPete]

Interests have seemed to shift to social media and on-line games. Just go into any restaurant and look at family's sitting together. Most all will be playing with their phones. Sad..... Jim

Better than arguing I suppose.

[UtahPete]

For the same reason younger folks are not joining service clubs like Lions and Kiwanis and churches, and so on. They also have lost interest in school class reunions. The under 40 (50 maybe?) crowd is just not interested in being a part of an established organization that is largely based on getting together.

Maybe because those organizations are controlled by old, stodgy curmudgeons. Just look at veterans' organizations...same thing