MAD BASTARD SCOOTER RALLY
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1/18/2019

The good, the bad & the ugly

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​Happy New Year to everyone!  We know that you have been patiently waiting for news about the 2019 Mad Bastard Scooter Rally, so we are writing this post with some news.

first, the good

​We are working diligently behind the scenes with the hopes of opening registration on March 1st.  We are so excited to bring the MBSR to the city of Peterborough and explore this part of Ontario on two wheels.  In the coming weeks we will release further information about our hotel HQ, details about the weekend itself and pricing.  So stay tuned!

the bad

​Although we love this rally with our entire heart and soul (and we know that you do too), we are sad to announce that this will be the last Mad Bastard Scooter Rally.  As we/BECO Motors are no longer the importer for KYMCO in Canada, KYMCO is no longer the title sponsor of this event.  The cost of the rally and lack of sponsorship makes it an incredibly costly event and much (scratch that) ALL of the time that we put into the event is completely voluntary.  Putting together this rally is a two year affair, and though it is a labour of love, we have made the difficult decision to forego planning any future rallies at this time.

the ugly

​That's you!  (kidding).  We couldn't be more excited about MBSR2019 and are really hoping to see everyone come out for one last hurrah.  All of our heart and soul will go into planning this amazing weekend and we are counting on you bringing all of your amazing energy and enthusiasm to this event that is so close to all of our hearts.
​So - start prepping those scooters, getting your teams together and planning your strategies (if you haven't already) because the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally 2019 countdown has officially begun.

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6/28/2017

Diary of a Rally Master

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Picture it:  it's the Thursday morning before the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally.  We are standing in a room in the office completely dedicated to housing everything Mad Bastard as we prepare to load all the supplies into the transport truck.  We look around, we look at each other.  We know what's awaiting us:  3 days of no sleep, a lot of hard work, and ultimately, an amazing weekend!
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Rally Masters Sabina & Carol Anne
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Rider packs stacked in orderly fashion.
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Amanda's masterpiece!
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Rui managing the tech side of things!
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HQ ready to go!
We wake up Friday morning in our comfy beds at the Four Points Sheraton in London and are ready to get to work.  We need to set up HQ, the banquet hall, as well as the registration desk, not to mention unload all of the KYMCO scooters that came to London with us.  All of this needs to be ready to go to welcome our 2017 Mad Bastards for registration at 3pm.
The 3-hour window of registration is pretty much a blur - it's like there's a huge party happening and we're the hosts.  Mingling with first timers, so excited to see familiar faces, getting a sneak peak of the costumes, ramping up our charity raffle, running up to HQ to fetch things, sorting out last minute details with our sponsors or the hotel... it's non-stop.  And the excitement continues to build because in a few hours we will get to reveal the route that we've been working on for the better part of a year to a group of riders who have signed up to ride it!
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Amanda (aka Baby Rally Master) was ready and waiting for the arrival of this year's crop of Mad Bastards.
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You can always find Dave wrenching before the rally willing to help ensure all riders make it on the road at 4am!

The Mandatory Rider Meeting

The first rule of the MBSR is simple:  if you don't attend the mandatory rider meeting, you don't ride the rally. 

At the meeting we go over important safety information, the rules of the rally, and go through the rally map in detail.  It's not all just work though, rider's attend dressed in their best (costume that is) and we do celebrate some unconventional awards including:
Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman & the Joker are among the characters you might meet at the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally!
Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman & the Joker are among the characters you might meet at the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally!
"The Best in Show" - Congratulations Wonder Woman (aka Jess Kline)
"The Do-Gooder", - Awarded to Todd McAlary for raising the most funds for our charity
"The Weary Traveller" - Awarded to Raph Kroll for traveling the farthest to get to the rally (over 3,000km)
"The Old Fart" - Awarded to Bob Davidson for riding the oldest scooter (a 1961 Harley Davidson Topper)
and "The Eager Beaver" - Awarded to Chris Marszalek for being the first to register the very moment we opened reg!

This year we also introduced the Rob Harris Spirit Award, in honour of the original Mad Bastard himself, Le Grand Fromage, and founder of the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally. Rob Harris passed away tragically last year and we miss him dearly.  The winner of this special award would be announced at the Sunday Awards Banquet. 
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Though we try to end the rider meeting in a timely manner so that we can all get some sleep, we inevitably find ourselves in our hotel suite listening to the sound of 2 stroke engines buzzing around the parking lot and fielding requests for last minute repairs (you try finding a spark plug in London around midnight on a Friday night).  If we sleep even an hour, we're lucky!

Saturday Send Off

Before we know it, it's 3:30am and we're getting ready in the parking lot to send the Mad Bastards and their scooters on their 550+km journey through some of South Western Ontario's best roads.  This is when the real "Show & Shine" begins!  Not only are riders clad from head to toe in their costumes, but in recent rally years, the level of, shall we call it "performance art" has been second to none.  From old fashioned bribery (thanks for the candy Green Goblin), to lessons about french oars from the Codfathers, these Bastards brought their game!
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Our boys from Yamaha Canada - the YAMigos!
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Belle's beauty was rivaled by none!
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A newbie Codfather!
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Sabina & Bella managing the route.
But the work doesn't end for us there.  Once all riders are on the road, we are back in Rally HQ, inputting rider information and judging both rider costumes and scooter decoration.  We're also tending to our dispatch line ensuring that we are available immediately to any of our 60+ riders on the road should they need on road assistance (and they did)!  From sweep truck pick ups to checking ferry schedules, from mass text messages alerting riders about cancelled clue stops due to unforeseen events (a funeral, for one), to managing social media - the list goes on and on.  Oh ya, did we mention that there was a freak hailstorm in there as well?
Needless to say, our volunteers were busy all day long, as were we!

Rider Return

As rally masters, probably one of the best moments for us is when the riders start returning back to HQ!  Hearing their stories, seeing how exhausted they are, while at the same time seeing the sparkle in their eyes from the excitement and exhilaration - they completed the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally - what an accomplishment!
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Return of the YAMigos!
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Pure joy at rider return!
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Riders have their ODO and time checked upon return.

Up All Night

Once all rally participants have been accounted for (roughly 3am) then rally headquarters gets to work.  We have photos to sort & judge, video submissions to watch, clue sheet answers to check, and challenges to go over.  Before rally riders are awake for the Sunday Awards Brunch, we are well on our way to establishing the undisputed winners of the 2017 Mad Bastard Scooter Rally.

The Cold Hard Facts

61 - number of riders registered for the rally
3 - did not start
1 - did not finish
12 - finished but did not qualify
45 - survived
3 - attempted wild card
7 - attempted bonus route


THE UNDISPUTED WINNERS

The whole ballroom buzzes with excitement as riders await to see highlights from the previous day, and learn the results Maddest Bastards of 2017!  Congratulations to each of the amazing people (and the one animal - shout out to Misha the Mini-Schnauzer) who rode the 2017 Mad Bastard Scooter Rally!

The Rob Harris Spirit Award

We were unsure of the criteria for this award going in - but that, in and of itself was very Rob-like!  We trusted our gut, and chose the recipient(s) of this award for their commitment, spirit, and love of this event.  It is a true family affair for these two,  so it was only fitting that the first Rob Harris Spirit Award be given to husband and wife team Chris & Deirdre Marszalek - Congratulations!
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Day Release (200+cc) 
Rider #52 Jamie Leonard & Cindy Wilson

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Therapy Required (111-200cc)
Rider #41 - Greg Moss

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Heavily Medicated (51-110cc)
Rider #24 - Kevin Burnett

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2up2crazy
Rider #36 - William & Shawna Valoppi

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Maddest Team
"Attack of the Martians"

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Media Class
Rider #26 - Jess Kline

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Straitjacket Class (up to 50cc)
Maddest Bastard of them All!

Rider #19 Lee Martin

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So here we are - not even one week after the rally, most definitely suffering from an MBSR hangover.  Loving all of the posts on social media and enjoying the fact that we get to stay in touch with many of you in between rally years.

We wish to extend a very special thanks to all of the sponsors and volunteers without whom this rally wouldn't be possible.  We would also like to commend all of our Mad Bastard riders for raising over $10,000 for this year's charity Big Brothers, Big Sisters of London & Area.

In a few months we will be starting up again - honing in on our new HQ location, scouting the mad route, and before you know it, 2019 will be here and we will be ready to embark on another great adventure.

We hope you will join us.

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6/13/2017

Where there's a Bastard, there's a Beer!

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It's been a long standing tradition - one that Rob was quite proud of - that the winners of the various categories of the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally were rewarded with BEER.  But when our long standing sponsor was no longer able to jump aboard on our crazy adventures, we went out in search of a new one.

Keepin' Things Local

You have no idea how awkward it is to make a cold call to a potential sponsor and tell them about the rally - we never know how it's going to be received.  Sometimes, the conversation doesn't go so well, but when we got on the phone with Scott from Railway City Brewing Co. out in St. Thomas, ON (just south of our London HQ)  he GOT IT and we were thrilled when they jumped on board as a sponsor for this year's rally.

A Natural Fit

Have you checked out their website?  With beers called "Dead Elephant Ale", "Double Dead Elephant Ale" "The Whitty Traveler", and seasonal specialties with equally cool names such as "Mov-amber ale" and "Hoptoberfest" we knew even before they did that this was the perfect fit!
So thank you Railway City Brewing Co. for jumping in bed with us before we even met face to face.  Must be GOOD beer!

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6/1/2017

Points Structure Announced for MBSR17

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We all know that the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally is not just about riding around on your scooter all day - it's riddled with challenges, scavenger hunt style clue stops, as well as mandatory stops along the top secret route.

Although we reveal very little about the route ahead of time, we do reveal the points structure for the rally.  We've made a few notable changes since last year, with the addition of a new category (video entry) and a nod to senior citizens! 

Check out all the details below:
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Charity: 

It's no secret that we're big fans of raising money for local charities in conjunction with organizing and running the MBSR.  We anticipate that each Mad Bastard will raise at least $200 for Big Brother Big Sisters of London & Area this year and for their efforts they will earn 50 Mad Points.  The rider who raises the most funds wins a luxury Bulova watch courtesy of Quality Jewellers (thanks Tony).
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Age of the Scoot & Cubic Capacity: 

... because it's easier to ride this rally on a 2017 500cc scooter than something made a few generations ago... with pedals!

Rider (Costume, Scooter Decoration, Age): 

We've added a new element to this category - we've decided to take into account the age of the rider.  Old Mad Bastards are crazier than the younger ones and deserve a bit of extra recognition!
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On the Route: 

 Mad Photo Submissions (2 photos)
- each photo is worth up to 50 Mad Points
- there is an automatic deduction of 25 points for photos without a scooter in them

Video Diary Submissions (2 videos - max 60 seconds long)
- each video is worth 25 points per submission
- there is an automatic deduction of points for videos without a scooter in them

Clues (what's a Mad Bastard Scooter Rally without the scavenger hunt style clue stops)
- along the route there will be 30 questions, with each question valued at 5 points

Challenges
- we're keeping the details about these a secret for now...
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Bonus Route:

Details about the bonus route remain TOP SECRET and are only revealed to riders upon their return to Headquarters after a gruelling day of riding.  We're excited about this one though!
There you have it folks - the points breakdown for the 2017 Mad Bastard Scooter Rally!
What are you waiting for?  We've extended registration to June 10th - don't miss out on this amazing adventure!

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3/9/2017

MBSR17 - Let's Talk Charity

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It's official!  The chosen charity for the 2017 MBSR is Big Brother Big Sisters of London & Area!
 
It was in 2015 when we connected with Big Brothers Big Sisters for the first time.  We really wanted the charity portion of our rally to benefit the local community that we were swarming rally weekend.  We reached out to the fabulous people at BBBS Guelph and began our fundraising efforts.  The incredible MBSR15 riders raised over $16,000 for the Guelph chapter and it was amazing to see how that money could be spent changing the lives of young girls and boys in the local community on a real grass roots level.  It was our experience with BBBS Guelph that made this year's choice for our charity a no-brainer. 

We look forward to raising funds for the children of London and the surrounding communities.  Our goal for 2017 is to raise over $20,000.   This year's rally participants will have an opportunity to set up their fundraising pages upon registration.  Stay connected with us through our Facebook and Instagram pages for more details on how you can contribute!

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6/28/2016

What's new, you ask?

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Plans for MBSR17 are well underway, and we are thrilled to announced that rally headquarters will be in London, Ontario on June 23-25, 2017!

What's new for 2017? 

NEW LOGO
Super talented Mad Bastard alumni Gary Davidson has once again captured the essence of the rally with his incredible logo design for MBSR17.  His tribute to Rob makes this logo particularly special with the incorporation of an image that may be familiar to some alumni from the first Mad Bastard Scooter Rally.

NEW HQ
We are thrilled to be taking the rally to London, ON and are excited about our headquarters location for this year (which, by the way, we will not be disclosing as of yet - we can't give it all away in one day).

NEW REGISTRATION OPTIONS
For all the die hards (aka the #RealMadBastards) we have added the option of a HOLD MY SPOT registration.  What exactly does this mean?  Well, you know the dates of the rally now, and you know the HQ city, which means that if you are so inclined you can reserve a rider's spot in the rally with a $100 (refundable) deposit (see full details on the registration page.  No need to know what class you're riding in, just sign up and we'll hold your spot!

NEW VIDEO
Check out the official video from the 2015 Mad Bastard Scooter Rally from the amazing people at What A Ride!  Check out their latest write up about the rally here!

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5/20/2016

Losing Rob Harris

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It has been a difficult week for many people as we all come to grips with the fact that Rob Harris isn't here in this world with us anymore.  So many beautiful tributes are being shared on social media and on the CMG website - a testament to Rob.  He was really something.  He was more than a Mad Bastard though, he was our friend. 

As we work on completing the new Mad Bastard Scooter Rally website, it saddens us that the first blog post we write is about losing the original Mad Bastard. 

Rob, we will miss you terribly.  Your spirit will continue to live on through the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally.  You will always be a part of it's past, and we will ensure that you will always be a part of it's future.

Rest in peace Rob Harris.
1967-2016
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Read Mark Richardson's beautiful tribute to Rob HERE.
Don't miss out on watching Sarah Thomas Moffat's bitter sweet tribute to Rob below:

Rob Harris Tribute, MBSR the movie. from TECK VLOG on Vimeo.

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