The Benton County Daily Record reports that Star Touring & Riding, the official riding group sanctioned by Yamaha's Star Motorcycle line, was paid $15,000 to hold their 2008 rally in Rogers, Arkansas.

The town is so desperate to become a tourist mecca for bikers that it's willing to give out incentive money.

$7,500 came from the local Convention and Visitors Bureau, while another $7,500 was paid by Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission.

According to the newspaper, Star Touring expects to bring about 1,600 riders with them, and this is translating into big dollars...

The group is expected to attract 1,600 Yamaha riders to town. Using the bureau's $200-per-day multiplier, spending from attendees could generate a $ 1.6 million economic impact, executive director Tom Galyon said.

Labels: Arkansas Motorcycle Rallies, Star Touring Riding

There's a forum just for people who got kicked out of, or left on bad terms, Star Touring. It's called, "Got My Ass Kicked Out Of Star"

Star Touring is the riding club endorsed by Yamaha's Star Motorcycles line. It's a huge organization.

While there's a fair amount of people posting their bad experiences with Star Touring, the GMAKOOS forum is more than just banter. They're still folks who like riding their Yamaha bikes, and many of them have moved on to form their own clubs, or joined up with International Star Riders Association (ISRA).

While I do own a Yamaha Road Star, I've never participated in Star Touring. I can't really corroborate the things that get said on GMAKOOS. I do know some Star Touring guys, mainly in the Riverside, CA chapter (#345), and they seem like good guys.

But then again, forums like GMAKOOS just don't happen for no reason.

Check it out for yourself...

http://forums.delphiforums.com/GMAKOOS/messages

Labels: Star Touring Riding