As you may be aware after a break the Green Mountain 400 is back.
Some history…
The Green Mountain was originally held in Vermont over Columbus Day Weekend. While we enjoyed a few successful years at the Ascutney Mountain Resort it became too expensive to continue. Generally for us to have a successful event anywhere other than in a campground we need go off season unless we want to spend quite a bit of money.
Considering that Columbus Day weekend is also peak fall foliage in Vermont the good folks at Ascutney were not willing to offer any big discounts for our group as they would be sold out regardless.
The GM 400 was sponsored by Max BMW Motorcycles and presented by the NELDR (North East Long Distance Riders) which is an internet list of Iron Butt types. As a team we also host the Minuteman 1000, a 24 hr rally.
Like the GM 400 the Minuteman also faced challenges when it came to finding a good host hotel. After four years we outgrew our hotel and last year we moved
the event to the
Clarion Resort and Conference Center in Northampton, MA, partly because our sponsor, Max Stratton of Max BMW Motorcycles thought the Greenfield in was a
"total dump." 
When the sponsor says up the quality we up the quality! 
The Clarion is a full service resort with two restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and they have a big party tent out back. Last year a few Minuteman Riders brought their wives along; while they were out riding Saturday night a group of us went into Northampton for a good time.
Now on to present times.
Because of the size of the Clarion (our banquet room can seat over 200) Max has encourage us to add more activities to the weekend. One request was that we add a vintage class and after discussion it was decided that it would be unwise to expect people to ride an bike with a 6 volt headlight all night in New England, plus we don't really think the folks that own them would want to.
The next logical step was to bring back the GM 400 which we are planning on doing this year. Because we do not want to dilute the MM1OOO, at this time we are planning of offering the GM 400 to Yankee Beemers and invited guests only; On the Minuteman 1000 site we will offer the 400 for vintage only.
The Green Mountain 400 is a 10 hour version of the 11 day Iron Butt Rally. Riders are provided a list of bonus locations, each with a point value. There are far more locations than any rider could visit in 10 hours, the key is choosing a route that incorporates the most points for the least miles. The ride usually has a theme, in the past the GM 400 was a covered bridge tour of Vermont and New Hampshire. To collect bonus points riders will have to visit a specific destination and obtain proof of their visit, either by making a small purchase or answering a question.
Our unconfirmed schedule is as follows:
Friday afternoon: Riders arrive and are sent on a short (<20 miles) odometer check.
Friday evening: Banquet and rider's meeting where rally books are distributed. Riders will receive the name of the towns and the point values via email prior to the meeting, the books tell you the exact location and what is necessary to claim the points.
Saturday morning: Brief rider's meeting followed by the first bike out. For the GM 400 this will likely be at either 06:30 or 07:00.
Saturday afternoon: Riders are due back by 10 hours after they start.
Saturday evening bike show in the lot followed by BBQ under the big top.
Sunday morning: Minuteman 1000 Riders finish
Sunday morning at 10:00 we have finisher's brunch and awards.
Our host hotel rolled out the red carpet for us last year and they look forward to our return on the weekend of June 7. They have offered us a discounted hotel rate of $119 per night no either a non smoking King or a room with two double beds.
The price of the ride itself is $90 which includes three meals, prizes and a shirt along with some extra prizes from our sponsor, Max BMW Motorcycles. This price
I am interested in your feedback on any aspect of the weekend. Full details are going to be sorted out shortly and posted here. There is going to have to be a cap on the total number of participants which will also be determined in the next two weeks.
I am holding 50 spots for Yankee Beemers. If you are prepared to commit now (reserve a hotel room) and would like to hold a spot please send a note to rallymaster at MM1K.com.
I also think it is possible for us to invite YB's and friends who just want to come out to Northampton and party with us. If this sounds like your cup of tea please sent a note to the rallymaster too.
The idea is to fill the joint with motorcycles and the wonderful people who ride them.
Best,
Rob Nye
Rallymaster
