The kicker? Do it without stopping to test the riders, too. Although he was only able to convince five people on that inaugural outing, it has become a biennial event with nearly one hundred riders entering this year. The costumes and challenges just seemed like a natural progression to make it even more demanding.

Photo: Dustin A. Woods/Moto123.com

As one would expect, such an event attracts a vastly entertaining cast of characters with questionable sense and debatable psychological issues. While participants may be insane, they are also incredibly generous, as the rally raised over $15,000 for the Kids Help Phone foundation. Beginning and finishing in Barrie, Ontario, this year’s journey snaked through various regions of the province’s cottage country and did its best to avoid direct routes or major thoroughfares.

Always up for a challenge himself and no stranger to silly outfits, my buddy James ecstatically offered to join me on the trip, not knowing quite what he was getting into. A title sponsor of the event, Kymco generously offered up a Downtown 300i for myself and an Xciting 500Ri ABS for James, which made the journey significantly more luxurious than most. My experience with scooters is limited at best, but after traversing hundreds of kilometres over the course of 15 hours, I can certainly see the appeal.

Setting off in the rain at 4:30 am, we immediately realized that this was not going to be a walk in the park. While incredibly grueling and intensely challenging, it was also a heck of a lot of fun.

The rain may have soaked the many hilarious costumes, but it certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. While it was indeed a competition, rivals were seen sharing gas, directions, snacks and even margaritas once the rally was completed.

Winning teams were the dedicated (and debatably committable) few who rode the smallest-displacement scooters and soldiered on through the night to complete an additional bonus loop—getting pictures and receipts to prove it. Much like the old folktale of the rabbit and the hare, the MBSR has more to do with strategy and endurance than it does about speed.

Photo: Dustin A. Woods/Moto123.com