Motorcycle group to hold rally

By Emily Baldauf
Staff Writer

There’s no other feeling like it in the world.

The cool wind on your face, the power of being in control of your racing speed and the roar of the powerful engine beneath you.

"Motorcycling provides you with a degree of freedom you can’t obtain in a closed vehicle," said Joe Hamilton, a member of the Purdue Motorcycle Alliance and a junior in the School of Education. "The wind is the only thing between you and the road."

Local motor-enthusiasts will be able to participate in one of the first runs of the motorcycle season this weekend. The Purdue Motorcycle Alliance will be sponsoring its 7th Annual Jelly Bean Run on Sunday.

People interested in being part of the Jelly Bean Run can register from 11 a.m. to noon on Sunday in the parking lot north of Ross-Ade Stadium. Admission is $5 and will cover food, drinks and jelly beans.

The scenic motorcycle ride will cover approximately 70 miles of Tippecannoe and surrounding counties.

The event's unusual name was chosen because the alliance wanted to model the run after a traditional poker run. In a poker run, riders stop at several designated stops on the way to pick up cards. The rider with the best poker hand "wins."

Because the alliance is a Purdue student organization, any form of gambling in prohibited by the University. So the creative alliance came up with the idea of using the popular Easter candy to serve as point markers instead of cards.

"Whoever has the most points with their jelly beans at the end will win prizes," said Devon McDonald, a member of the alliance and a sophomore in the School of Agriculture. "Using jelly beans make the race a little more fun."

After the run, the alliance will sponsor a motorcycle skill competition and a barbecue picnic.

The skill competition will consist of several events. The "slow run" requires contestants to test their balance and sense of control by riding as slow as possible. Another popular event, the "ring toss," makes riders try to maintain their balance and concentration while their passenger plays ring toss with tires.

"This event is something we do to promote our organization on campus and motorcycle safety, but the main focus it to just have fun," McDonald said.

Andy Getz, the group's president and a junior in the School of Technology, said, "We hope that everyone has a fun time because we want to provide these activities so motorcyclists can have a good day together. It’s also important to us that we continue to carry on the tradition of the Jelly Bean Run."

Other motorcyclists are looking forward to the event because it will give them a chance to explore new roads with a group of people.

"It is a real fun way to explore the roads around the Lafayette area," Hamilton said. "Fellowship of other riders makes riding much more enjoyable because it’s fun to experience riding with other people who like it as much as you do."

Friday afternoon the group is sponsoring a motorcycle awareness day in Academy Park behind the Purdue Memorial Union.

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