Modern Vespa

Does anybody know the exact details about the IOW scooter rally 2013? I haven't been before, so I don't know how it actually functions.

Can anybody enlighten me?

Thanks

The dates for 2013 won't be around until the early part of next year........

The dates are released? 22nd - 24th August. I just needed to know how much it is and how I book.

For the last fifteen years, I've spent a week or so on the Isle of Wight almost every year. In fact, I may be there this Christmas.

Just a perfect place for a bike. Not sure, though, about late August, if that is when the rally is being held. The island will be overrun with people on holiday. Would be a much better idea to do it in September or October.

From what I can gather, you need to get hotels and B&B's booked sooner rather than later as lots of people book for next year when they leave (left) this year, so beds can be hard to come by. Red Funnel ferries do deals for scooterists, so check with them nearer the date for crossing times/costs.

Keep an eye out for the ad in Scootering or on the VFM website for camping and event details, but I doubt whether this will be available yet, I'm guessing next spring would be more likely.

Been to the IOW rally countless times, it always falls on the august bank holiday weekend friday-monday which is always right at the end of the August.

Two best places to stay are, most common first "smallbrook-stadium" it's PACKED solid with scooters and people camping there, then you have a place called kitehill farm about 2 miles away which is a massive camping site again with loads of scooters but you have a lot more space to move there as it's so big, both have showers, washrooms etc etc so dont worry.

But if it's your first time i'd say stay at smallbrook and get the real taste of what it is like, you wont regret it

You can get the Red funnel ferries from southampton or you can get the Wightlink ferries from portsmouth over to fishbourne then it's a 5 min ride into Ryde which is the centre of it all, also the kitehill campsite is 1 min ride from fishbourne, i always go from portsmouth but a lot go from southampton also.

The main rideout is always on the sunday and that leaves from the ice rink, and thousands do the ride and i mean thousands, if you aint been before you aint seen anything like it.

It's my favorite rally and is the best by far, the whole island just gets packed out with scooters all over the place, and 90% of the time on the bank holiday weekend it's roasting hot apart from in 2011 when i got SOAKED.

PS: As for B&B's and hotels your having a laugh aint you, it's a scooter rally 95% of the people that go all camp as that's all part of it all...I myself have never know one single person stay in a B&B or hotel when the IOW rally is on or any other rally for that matter.

The average high temp in IOW for the month of Aug is 20°C (86°F). Around here that would not be anything close to"roasting." It's funny how peoples perceptions change, based on locale.
I would so like to go the that rally someday, hot weather and all!

Or, if you have some time, you can ride through New Forest to Lymington, take Wightlink to Yarmouth and from there scoot to the area around Ryde. That woud be a really nice trip, and the Lymington/Yarmouth ferry is quick and less congested.

Interesting that a lot of people go Southampton/East Cowes instead of Portsmouth/Fishbourne. On the face of it, that doesn't make a lot of sense, unless it's attractive due to Bank Holiday traffic.

Dont belive everything you read forget "average temps" as when i was there in 2007/2008/2010 it was over 30°C on the bank holiday weekend, which for England is HOT.

I'm willing to bet that lots of people said the same before this past summer's Isle of Wight Festival. You know, the three day event that, due to torrential rain, turned into a mud bath for the thousands of people who were camping.

I was warm and dry in a house in West Cowes, thank God

Yes supose but that's all part of doing a scooter rally, i went in 2011 and it pissed down solid and i mean heavy, but then what's a rally without camping and if you have a good big tent you should have no problem.

As for the isle of wight festival, yeah that is a music event in the mud so yeah i'd opt for a hotel for that but for a scooter rally never