(09-06-2026, 11:13 AM)emptysea Wrote: Just for fun, I posed this question to Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant:
Where would be a great place to base a weeklong motorcycle rally from in 2027? About 20 riders. Possible states TN KY WV VA PA NY. Base needs to be close to great riding roads, points of interest, and dining. Daily rides should be less than 200 miles round trip.
Copilot’s answer is long and largely confirms what I’ve experienced myself or have heard from you all and it didn’t mention TN or KY at all; I followed up about that but the response was too long. In any case, it was a fun waste of a few minutes and I thought it could be a conversation starter.
- For a 20-rider, weeklong rally with daily rides under 200 miles, I would focus on locations that combine:
- Outstanding motorcycle roads within 50-100 miles
- Multiple loop options (so you don't ride the same roads every day)
- Good hotels/lodges able to handle a group
- Walkable restaurants and evening activities
- Scenic and historical attractions for non-riding time
- My Top 5 Choices
- 1. Lewisburg, West Virginia ⭐ Best Overall
- This would be my first choice.
- Why it works:
- Centrally located near the best riding in WV
- Easy access to US-219, US-33, Highland Scenic Highway, Greenbrier Valley roads, and Monongahela National Forest. - Charming downtown packed with restaurants, breweries, and lodging.
- Group-friendly without feeling touristy.
- Less traffic than Virginia destinations.
- Sample day rides:
- Highland Scenic Highway loop (140-180 miles)
- Green Bank Observatory loop (150 miles)
- Seneca Rocks loop (180-190 miles)
- New River Gorge loop (160-180 miles)
- Points of interest:
- Green Bank Observatory
- New River Gorge National Park
- Cass Scenic Railroad
- Seneca Rocks
- For riders who like curves plus scenery, this is hard to beat.
- 2. Seneca Rocks, West Virginia ⭐ Best Pure Riding
- If the rally is mostly about the riding itself, choose this.
- The area sits near the junction of:
- US-33
- WV-28
- WV-55
- Smoke Hole Road
- These are among the most celebrated roads in the Mid-Atlantic motorcycle community. Advantages:
- Endless mountain curves
- Minimal traffic
- Amazing scenery
- Daily loops naturally fall in the 100-200 mile range
- Downside:
- Limited dining and nightlife for a weeklong base.
- Better for a hardcore riding group than a social rally.
- 3. Marion / Tazewell, Virginia ⭐ Best Technical Riding
- Home of the famous Back of the Dragon (VA-16). Why riders love it:
- Extremely twisty roads
- Multiple "Dragon" routes nearby
- Access to the Blue Ridge Parkway
- Southwest Virginia mountain culture
- Day rides:
- Back of the Dragon
- Claw of the Dragon
- Hungry Mother State Park
- Burke's Garden
- Blue Ridge Parkway loops
- Downside:
- Smaller dining scene than Lewisburg.
- 4. Roanoke, Virginia ⭐ Best City Base
- If your group wants:
- Nice hotels
- Walkable restaurants
- Breweries
- Live music
- then Roanoke deserves serious consideration.
- Nearby:
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Bent Mountain
- Peaks of Otter
- Route 311
- Floyd
- The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the region and offers world-class scenery and curves. Advantages:
- Easy logistics for 20 riders
- Lots of lodging choices
- Good support if anyone has bike issues
- 5. Wellsboro, Pennsylvania ⭐ Hidden Gem
- Often overlooked.
- Why:
- Pennsylvania Grand Canyon
- Route 6
- Pennsylvania Wilds
- Light traffic and beautiful rolling roads
- Route 6 has been recognized as one of Pennsylvania's premier touring routes and is especially popular with motorcycle travelers. Advantages:
- Very scenic
- Excellent historic downtown
- Great food for a small town
- Cooler summer temperatures
- Downside:
- Roads are more flowing than technical.
- Less dramatic than WV or SW Virginia.
- My Final Ranking for a 2027 Rally
- If I were planning it today:
- Lewisburg, WV → Best overall balance
- Roanoke, VA → Best amenities and logistics
- Seneca Rocks, WV → Best riding
- Marion/Tazewell, VA → Best twisties
- Wellsboro, PA → Best underrated destination
- Dark Horse Option
- Staunton, Virginia — It sits at the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, close to Shenandoah, US-33, and many of Virginia's best mountain roads. The historic downtown is excellent and very group-friendly.
For a group of 20 experienced riders staying a full week, I would personally book Lewisburg and build five ride loops:
- Seneca Rocks
- Highland Scenic Highway
- New River Gorge
- Green Bank/Cass
- Virginia mountain loop via Monterey and Warm Springs
- That would give you a full week with virtually no duplicate roads and every day comfortably under 200 miles.
Lewisburg would be a good choice. I’ve ridden all the routes mentioned. However, they are all in excess of 150 miles per day and don’t include any stops for rest or meals. They are significantly more than the amount the ferret advised me to plan for a rally group ride. Some of those were covered in the 2019 rally; therefore, it would be a repeat for most of those that attended.
Not mentioned around Seneca Rocks is nearby Spruce Knob, the highest point in WV. I considered those destinations in 2019 but later dismissed due to the mileage. I even contacted a restaurant manager nearby to see if they could accommodate a group of 15 or more.
During the 2019 rally, after we visited the New River Gorge visitor center, which has since been designated a national park, we traveled underneath the bridge via Rt 82, aka Fayette Station Road, and crossed the New River. At that time, the side across the bridge that will eventually connect you to Rt 19 was closed due to construction. It has since reopened. It is a very scenic ride underneath the bridge. Fayetteville, the location of the bridge, has an abundance of non- chain restaurants due to being a mecca for whitewater rafting. It is also near “The Talon”.
If I knew the group was open to longer rides with multiple stops throughout the course of the day for resting, refueling and lunch, the availability of scenic routes significantly increases.
Like I referenced earlier, I ride those routes from my home west of Charleston, but it is a day that starts at 8 am and ends around 5 or 6 pm and that is with only 3-4 bikes. You really don’t want to be riding here after 6 or so due to the abundance of deer.
Possibly routes could be planned for those that are open to longer rides and as well as routes for those desiring lesser mileage. Summersville may still be the optimum location.
Food for thought….plus the roads in WV are numerically assigned and more curvy than straight.