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BMW bikers to rally in Allen County (Ohio)
The Lima News ^ | 9-4-04 | By JIM SABIN

Posted on 09/04/2004 5:01:22 AM PDT by Slump Tester

LIMA — The Allen County Fairgrounds is no stranger to the throaty roar of motorcycle pipes.

But next year, a different kind of bike will be rolling in, something far quieter but with every bit as much muscle.

In July, the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America will hold its annual rally in Lima, bringing around 7,000 people and 4,000 motorcycles to town. Despite the name, the group is an interna-tional organization with members in 40 countries, many of which send at least a few to the rally, organizers said.

“We’re going to transform the Allen County Fairgrounds to Beamerville, USA,” said Sue Rihn-Manke, of Wisconsin, chairwoman of the rally. “You’re going to have license plates from Canada to Mexico.”

The majority of the attendees will ride their bikes in from across the continent, said Ray Zimmerman, of St. Louis, executive director of the group.

“BMW owners are a unique group of people that ride a unique bike,” he said. “Primarily, we socialize. We’ll have probably 4,000 people camped out here in tents.”

The rally won’t be open to the public, Zimmerman said. Vendors will set up shop for the du-ration, and seminars on cold-weather riding, traveling around Europe and other topics will be conducted.

Otherwise, the bikers will simply “hang out,” he said.

“Basically, we’re a big family of BMW riders that like to get together once a year,” he said. “We’ll spend about a half a million dollars a day while we’re here.”

The rally will be held July 21-24, though some will be in as early as July 18 to start setup. Overall estimates put the direct economic impact between $4 million and $5 million, said Christine Pleva, director of the Lima-Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

That figure should be multiplied by 2.9 to figure out the overall impact, she said.

Lima was chosen after club members met with Allen County Fair Manager Jay Begg at a convention in Las Vegas a few years ago, Zimmerman said. While a lot of contacts were made, Lima stood out because of its central location and Begg’s cooperation, he said.

“We think this is going to be one of the best rallies we’ve ever had,” he said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: bmw; motorcycles; ratmath; rustbelt
Not taking anything away from the riders, but this is typical rat math.

4000 - 7000 folks camping in tents are going to pump up the local economy (of a DEAD town), by spending 4 to 5 Million dollars.

But wait - multiply that by 2.9! They're EACH going to spend $700 a day here for 3 days, buying gas, camping in their tents and probably grilling burgers!

Lima is so fortunate to have a rat mayor and his rat minions.

1 posted on 09/04/2004 5:01:23 AM PDT by Slump Tester
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To: Slump Tester

Never been to Lima.

Whats there besides the penitentiary?

2 posted on 09/04/2004 5:17:46 AM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: martin_fierro

hooligan bimmer bump


3 posted on 09/04/2004 5:18:49 AM PDT by pt17
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To: Slump Tester
“BMW owners are a unique group of people that ride a unique bike” ...

Yep ... like Volvo owners are "unique".

4 posted on 09/04/2004 5:30:53 AM PDT by G.Mason (A war mongering, red white and blue, military industrial complex, Al Qaeda incinerating American.)
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To: Slump Tester

Sorry but WideGlide will be ignoring this entire thread. LOL


5 posted on 09/04/2004 5:47:38 AM PDT by WideGlide (That light at the end of the tunnel might be a muzzle flash.)
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To: mylife
"Never been to Lima. Whats there besides the penitentiary?"

The BEANS of course!

6 posted on 09/04/2004 5:53:55 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: Jimmy Valentine; mylife
"Whats there besides the penitentiary?"

Lots of empty factorys, an empty prison, a nut house, a plant where they make/made the M1 tank, a giant hospital that always wants to cut on everyone, an old refinery, and several deep wells that they've been pumping toxic waste into for about 30 years.

Lima sits on top of some giant limestone caverns that are several thousand feet underground. During the war they used to store natural gas and propane in them. Now they pump them full of toxic waste.

Doing the math with the amount of toxic waste they actually ADMITTED to having pumped in ground (20 years ago), if you walled up a square mile, it would be 20' deep! (then) Since then they've drilled several more. It's a big business - they truck it in from everywhere.

Lima does have the headquarters of the Kewpee hamburger franchise though! Dave Thomas copied Kewpee when he started Wendy's.

7 posted on 09/04/2004 6:31:10 AM PDT by Slump Tester
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To: Slump Tester

Its a shame to see the way the land was abused in ohio.

I was born in youngstown so I know about dead cities


8 posted on 09/04/2004 7:17:50 AM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: 68 grunt; angry elephant; archy; Askel5; baddog1; basil; beowolf; BikerNYC; Bikers4Bush; ...
FReeper
Motorcycle
Hooligan
Send FReepmail if you want on/off FMH list

9 posted on 09/04/2004 7:37:50 AM PDT by martin_fierro (A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
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To: mylife
Never been to Lima.
Whats there besides the penitentiary?

Peruvians.

< |:)~

10 posted on 09/04/2004 7:40:17 AM PDT by martin_fierro (A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
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To: martin_fierro

lol


11 posted on 09/04/2004 7:40:36 AM PDT by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
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To: martin_fierro

Hey - Is that an R69s/2? (I can't quite tell, but it looks like it has an Earles!)


12 posted on 09/04/2004 10:21:09 AM PDT by Slump Tester
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To: Slump Tester
Dunno -- ask these guys. < |:)~
13 posted on 09/04/2004 10:27:15 AM PDT by martin_fierro (_____oooo_( ° ¿ ° )_oooo_____)
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To: Slump Tester

I ride a Kawisaki.


14 posted on 09/04/2004 12:34:42 PM PDT by Abcdefg
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To: Abcdefg

Come on over anyway!

I ride a 1991 BMW K-100-LT-abs and my wife rides a 1999 Honda Shadow 600 VLX. We both plan to be there and hopw that we see many Freeper Bikers in Lima next year!

RamS


15 posted on 09/04/2004 7:51:52 PM PDT by RamingtonStall (Ride Hard and far! ..... and with GPS, Know where you are!)
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To: mylife

Skyline Chili!...mmmmm


16 posted on 09/04/2004 7:59:28 PM PDT by Hotdog
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