I’m a bit of an oddball MSTA member. Most of the members I’ve met in my 10 or so years of being part of the organization like to ride in groups. At MSTA rallies, most of the riders I’ve seen depart the hotel parking lot are doing so in packs of three or more. Then there’s me, who enjoys doing my own thing in my own time. So why do I continue to pay dues to be a member of a club whose main activity I don’t partake in? It’s for the camaraderie and resources an MSTA membership offers to all its members.
I’ve ridden with one or more other riders on a dozen or so occasions in my 17 years and about 175,000 miles of riding, but it’s never jived with me. I got into riding because of a friend who, at the time, lived in Texas while I was residing in upstate New York. I learned to ride by myself and didn’t have my first group riding experience until years later. By then, I’d gotten used to setting my own pace and schedule and found I didn’t enjoy trying to match someone else’s pace.
Some groups I’ve ridden with set a pace that had me near the limit of my abilities, while some newbies I’ve ridden with have drained a lot of the fun out of a ride from not keeping up with me. Also, trying to make sure a whole group gets through a stop light can be annoying and unnerving in circumstances where normally I’d rather get on the brakes than try to beat a red light.
But an MSTA membership pays dividends in lots of ways beyond offering other riders to ride with. I’m also an oddball in that I like to plan my own riding routes at rallies. For those who don’t have a Google Maps addiction like I do, MSTA rallies reduce a lot of the challenge of riding a new-to-you region by providing route sheets (paper and GPX) that have been tested and ridden by seasoned members.
You also get to spend time around other motorcycling enthusiasts in the morning and evening at an MSTA rally. Even if you ride by yourself during the day, I find it’s fun having other riders to talk with about where I’m planning on riding for the day over breakfast, as well as discuss your day’s ride in the evening.
Another member benefit is the MSTA’s Blue Book. It’s great having a PDF directory of MSTA members downloaded onto my phone in case I need assistance while on a trip. And the member discounts on various goods and services are worth the price of a membership. I usually get back my annual membership dues with the hotel discounts alone.
If you’re one of the thousands of riders in the MSTA Facebook group that haven’t joined yet, you need to know there’s a lot more to gain from being an MSTA member than finding a group to ride with. The MSTA has a lot to offer to sport touring riders, including those who like to ride solo.