A Really Loud Homecoming
Boss Hoss Motorcycles rallies around its owners and distributors

In 2005, Boss Hoss owners joined company founder Monte Warne (pictured) for Dyersburg’s first Boss Hoss National Rally.

For its first five years, the Boss Hoss National Rally struggled to find a perfect home. Somerset, Pa., its first location, was tucked too far in the Northeast for a national event. And Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., where it stopped for two years, was not ideal motorcycle country.

So for the 2005 event, Boss Hoss officials determined the best spot was right outside the office door.

The 2005 Boss Hoss National Rally and Mid-South Motorcycle Festival was held in Dyersburg, birthplace of the famed bike that spurred the rally.

“This was our largest rally yet,” says Rad Hunsley, chief operations officer of Boss Hoss Motorcycles Inc. “It was a pretty festive street party.”

The Boss Hoss is only 15 years old, but it’s already earned a valued place in American motorcycle lore. Monte Warne, a local pilot and aviation airframe and power plant technician, created the cycle.

Unfulfilled in his quest to find his dream bike, Warne removed the V-8 engine from a stock car he owned and designed his powerful machine.

His dream, which he displayed at Daytona Bike Week, turned about to be the dream machine of others as well. They begged him to produce a similar bike for them, giving birth to Boss Hoss Motorcycles.

The growth has been steady and spectacular. The novelty bike created in Warne’s garage spawned a 22,000-square-foot facility, which now turns out 350 special-order bikes each year.

To say “thank you” to customers, Boss Hoss officials created the national rally. But it wasn’t until two years ago when they realized, Hunsley says, “what better place than Dyersburg, where it all began.”

With help from the Downtown Development Association and the Dyersburg/Dyer County Chamber of Commerce, the Boss Hoss National Rally was conducted in downtown Dyersburg. Its combination of motorcycle events and shows plus vendors, entertainment and other attractions lured bikers and non-bikers alike.

“This was the biggest event downtown has ever hosted,” says Lori Vaughn, director of the Downtown Development Association. “And it was, by all accounts, a success. We heard from all over the world how friendly we were.”

But Hunsley is convinced the 2006 rally will be even more of a success than its predecessor.

“It presented a lot of challenges,” Hunsley says of hosting the rally.

“We learned some ways we can make it better.”

Included in the changes is the date. The 2006 event will be held Sept. 20-23, a date that should help attract riders as it distances itself from the popular Myrtle Beach Fall Rally.

But, as Vaughn says, there really is no chance for confusion when it comes to the Boss Hoss National Rally.

“The Boss Hoss isn’t your typical motorcycle, and this wasn’t your typical motorcycle rally,” she says.

Story by Dan Markham
Photo by Greg Emens