Summer Tour, 2002

Trail of Tears to Georgia Mountain Rally and Home

Lee Kubicki

Most, the GA. Mtn part, should have been written last year. I left Alma, picked up Readland, Arkansas, No. 6 in the 6 corners contest, finally after 5+ years and 3 bikes. Rode a goodly part of the Natchez Trace. Got over to Russell Cave, Alabama, an archeological site I’ve wanted to visit since High School. Then over the hill into Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the clutch went out. I had no luck using the BMW or Guzzi version Anonymous Books, so I U-Hauled the old Eldo home. I could try to write of this trip in greater detail, except I start crying and the typewriter gets wet and starts smoking, sparking, etc.

June, 02, I bought a 2000 Moto Guzzi Jackal, (why would anyone name anything after a carrion eating dog?) which was all tricked out for touring, had just under 6000 miles and at what I felt was a good good price. The bike had been on consignment at Bentonville BMW since February. I’d looked at it 4 times, and by June figured now or never. I’ve changed the seat for a Tom Simmon’s rebuild, an ABSOLUTE MUST. The same guy who named this bike probably designed the seat. A tank bag, tank panniers, horns w/b**ls, taller clear portion of the barn door like Swanee windshield, that needs sawing off. Yes, yes, picky, picky, I know.Crash bars, and finally, straight from Dennis Kirk Scratch and Dent 19?? Honda hiway pegs. Gotta look cool dude! Did I mention that this cripple was all tricked out, ready to tour?

Thru the rest of 02, I put on 6000 + miles. Missouri State, Top of the Rockies, ( a first), Missouri/Kansas Guzzi, Falling Leaf, and around. This shakedown went well except for finding out too much about the state of Italian Seat Ergonomic Development, I was a happy biker, the bugs on my toothbruch proved it.

Were you curious about this article’s title? Well, wait no more lucky readers, the saga begins, after Jeopardy, that is.

Proceeding to the Trail of Tears via as many less traveled roads as possible, including those neat alphabet Missouri county by-ways, I got to the rally ok. Picked up Mammoth Springs State Park for the Travel Arkansas and Win contest, had lunch at the Dairy Queen right close by. Fine cusine being a magnet for the best of the best road riders, it happened I was able to dine with Fred and Carolyn Counts, Harlon Brown and our own esteemed newsletter editor, Mike Wingfield. Boy, I hope that kind of kissy, kissy keeps him happy in his job, bet the former editor does too!

The rally was nice, only rain was a light shower Friday, and a pretty heavy rain on the way in on Missouri 34 for about 20 miles. The weather Gods just reminding us who’s in charge. I took a short ride up the ABC roads to Fredericktown. My air mattress had let me down for the last time, yuk, yuk. I visited The Indispensible Roadrider Friend, Walmart and picked up the $12.00 super pad. I hate to say it, but it’s just ALMOST as good as my Thermarest, the concept is great. The sleeping pad zippers to the mattress, the price is better by $20.00, but alas it failed under pressure.

While busily engaged in socializing about the rally site, (ie. Loafing), I found out there is a new BMWMOA club in Arkansas, the BMWRATS. BMW Road Animal Touring Society. Contact Charlie Parson, 870-933-7038, bmw143@fastdata.net. He told me, after a brief oral test that I was a shoo-in for membership, which should tell volumes about the caliber and qualifications of the people they’re accepting, crème de la crème and all that.

The rest of this narrative I’ll do by each day, as hopefully I can remember it better. First though, all the eye crossing boring stats. Oh pooh, first of first; at Mammoth Springs, a favorite pit stop, the Railroad Museum. In the back has been redone very well and now, instead of a couple of glass cases there are life size diorama, videos, and nice short historical pictorial charts. Anyhow, it’s a very well done job and a vast improvement from a few years back and for $2.50 worth it.

Stats: Left 4/25/03 returned 5/4/03 for Europhiles and Military types, transpose #’s 1 and 2……

Total miles: 3343. This bike has a odometer gain of 1.5%, but I’m sticking with my grease pencil scrawls on the windshield.

MPG: Well the story gets a bit fuzzy. I’d been rather unhappy with the MPG last year, until at higher altitudes out west, after all, electronic ignition, fuel injection, 350 more CC’s, and running it no harder than the Eldo’s and I’m down 10+mpg, as it were though, as the trip progressed, the low fuel light didn’t come on as soon and fillips showed a steady increase to where there were normal runs between tanks of 40-42 mpg..Hah, you say, well beats the hell out of the 35 I’d been getting, a major consideration when diddybopping along with 1.1 less gas. Why you ask did Guzzi build a touring bike with a smaller fuel tank than was standard thirty years ago, besides getting worse gas mileage than it’s carbed cousin, perhaps the seat designer brother in law? The best was up in the Blue Ridge, even cruising, 4^th gear,, rpm’s just so smooth, ENJOYING the super scenery, worst coming west from Memphis on I-40 against terrible headwinds into what turned into one of the wettest frogstranglers I’ve Ever rode through. Normally, the low fuel light had been glowing at 130-140 miles, (this ingenius accessory, hereafter referred to as “The Dumbshitlite or DSL) came on at mile 106. I don’t even care to think of how fast those winds were sucking gas out of my peanut sized “touring” tank.

Roads: Good and bad, I’ll get more details later, and try not to be too yawn yawn about it. BUT, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the portion I traveled thru in Virginia and North Carolina is some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever been fortunate enough to see in this country, which is the most fortunate place in the world to live.

Sunday: Left the rally, crossed into Illinois at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. This day was just beautiful and it seemed that lots of others thought so too, as hoards of people were out riding and enjoying the day. I stopped at Cave in the Rock State Park on the Illinois bank of the Ohio River. I’d been here on my way home from Vicksburg, Mississippi, my first “real” long distance trip in 1970, on a 1949 H-D hand shift 74. This is a pretty spot, high on the Illinois bluffs and once a major hangout for some very bloodthirsty gangs of river pirates. This was in the early 1800’S, when flatboats were the river traffic, before the steamboat era.

Crossed the Ohio on a ferry, always, fun, into Kentucky and mostly rode U.S. 60 E to Owensboro, KY. US 60 thru this area is a nice winding 21a. thru pretty rolling farms, woods and from Henderson to Owensboro there are some of the beautiful horse farms Kentucky is noted for. Talked to a Royal Star rider, while gassing up in Sturgis, Kentucky and found out this is the location of the “Little Sturgis Rally”. He said they get about 20-25,000 riders there each August, so if you can’t make it to South Dakota, here it is.

Crossed into Indiana at Owensboro on US231 North to IN 66. This the “Ohio River Scenic Byway”, and boys and girls, I’m here to tell you, it’s all that and more. The land on this side of the river is much rougher and broken, so the road curves, winds, up, down and around. Goes inland thru woods and valleys, over the ridges for some long views, then back to the river bluffs for more neat looking. You sure get your eyeballs worth on this narrow two lane. One real postcard spot in at Derby, Indiana where the road is at the edge of a high point overlooking an oxbow of the Ohio. IN 66 junctions up with IN 62, which takes up the scenic byway, I followed 62 to a turnoff to Harrison Crawford State Forrest and a good campground, showers and a café where I had Bison burger and a real good laugh over the tales of a turkey hunter and the gobbler who was putting the hex sign on him.

Monday: Ran east on IN 62 until Corydon, Indiana. Took I-64 and I-265 and rejoined IN 62 NE of Jeffersonville, now 62 angles NE and varies from rolling open farms to down into rough wooded creek bottoms. Picked up US 50E to I-275 around the Cincinnati area to US52E. This is also designated an Ohio River Scenic Byway, but here it stays on the river bank, on the valley floor. It’s a good gentle slow road and since everyone was staying at the 55 speed I deemed the Ohio police were serious about it. Following so close and so far right on the river, I started to notice how the founding dates of the towns kept getting lower, down into the very early 1800’s, and power plants, man, it’s mindful of reading about the Roman watchtowers, one always in sight of the next. Shifting away from the river at Portsmouth, Ohio to Ohio numbers 140, 279, 554, OH 7 from Rock Springs to Porterfield, where it comes back to the Ohio and turns 4 lane into Marietta, OH. Here I moteled it, $30.00, not bad, since last nights camping was free.

Tuesday 4-29-03: OH26N north of Marietta shows on the map as a twisty, the man at the motel told me, “It’s a good bike road, You’ll like it”. Well, it’s all that, wow. Here and on the next segment the redbuds were really coming into bloom. OH 26 to 148 to OH 9N just a short run on this road, but again, but so curvy, now with the redbuds out and to sweeten the pot, COAL TRUCKS. They are so big on this narrow road and the dust they leave gets ever so slick on the turns in the sprinkling rain. OH 9 to I-70E 10 miles, then across the neck of W.V. passed Wheeling on into PA at Washington, PA. I got off the I-road, goat a picture of the bike at the PO for the ongoing IBET album, and got lost. By and by I finally meandered back to I-40 and headed out. This is the National Road, or Pike, and the first government build road in the US. I don’t know what the spec’s were here, but on the Natchez Trace, it’s for a wagon road 8’ wide and stumps cut off to 10” off the ground. There are still lots of the old taverns and roadhouses along thru here, many as B&B’s, antique shops and private homes. The ranger at Ft. Nessity National Battlefield said that one time the 300 miles from Washington City, (now D.C.) there were 291 road houses in operation. Barhopping back then could turn into a real chore! This might have been a real pretty stretch, what with going over part of northern Appalachans, but as luck would have it the higher the road the lower the clouds, to where I got in some of the thickest fog I’ve ever been in. Ever so exciting when a semi came looming out of this gloom. Just over the Mason-Dixon line in Maryland, I took US 219S into Garrett county, MD. This has to be the latest yuppie-scum capitol of this part of the civilized world. The place is awash with SUV’s, designers clothes, 7 figure houses, gated here and guardhouses there. Lord, the reek of money would bring an Ox to his knees. It’s only a short way thru this area into West Virginia, and the contrast is unreal, at the border the road narrows 4 inches, shoulders vanish and the forest rears up right now, dark and primeval as the saying goes. US 219 winds along, thru, in and out of the Monongahela National Forest, down along a valley floor then up and over a ridge to a different watershed, easy and loafing, then snakey, then back. The Tygart river valley and the ski areas from near Mindo to Slatyfork are especially nice. I had planned to camp at Watogs Start Park, WV, so I took WV 39 at Martlinton and went to Huntersville, which got it’s name as it started as a fur trading post in the 1790’s. Rode the 20 mi. to the park and found the campground locked up, so backtracking I go. Kept on with 39 and now the road was crossing over the ridges, creek to creek, truly had to pay heed or it would be a short fast trip to the bottom, challenging don’t you know.

WV 39 becomes VA 39, and the same keep your mind on what your doing roadwise, but man when you top out of a ridge the views were wonderful. Stayed at a motel in Hot Springs, VA. Where there were 5 Beemer riders from Philly, they also headed for Georgia Mountain.

Wednesday 4-30-03: I wanted to get a picture for my IBET silliness, so I ran N. on US 220 to Monterey, VA, got the photo, gas, the old boy at the repair shop had 15/40 oil and a pan, so got that changed. Boy, I was ready teddy! Rolled E. on US 250 to Waynesboro and got lost again, well fiddle & damn, got reoriented and THERE IT WAS….The Blue Ridge Parkway, this truly is a absolutely fantastic work or art road. One sweeping vista after another, the mountains just roll on like waves until they’re lost on the horizon. Traveling N. to S., it just gets better right along. The road was built as a WPA project in the 30’s and a great job they made of it, there are places now where housing developments are right on the fence, the easement only 50’ wide or so over much of the parkway, but it still a great ride. There are a few places on the parkway to get gas, food, etc. but you’ll be well off to get one of the PKWY Guides, that show all the services available at places just off the PKWY. The speed limit is 45,quite ok really, I rarely got to 50, or out of 4^th gear, or wanted to. Man, there’s too much to see. If you want to speed on this road, you’ve got the wrong attitude. Go elsewhere and leave this one to us gawkers. Anyhow, there I was toodling along, gazing and gauking and exclaiming to myself that this is good, when just shy of the North Carolina line it started to rain, then more harder. Well, they don’t call me light bulb for nada, pulled off on a cross road and put on the rain gear including the $35.00 Belstaff pants I’d bought at Trail of Tears. Lucky me, only 2 to 3 minutes and it commenced to pouring, made the 20+miles on in to Doughton Park, one of the major pit stops on the Parkway. I was so glad to stop as the DSL had been lit for a long time, my raingear worked well, especially my boots and pants. It being 6:30pm, raining, I’m a truly tired puppy and there is a nice lodge right here, I bit the bullet for a pricey, but nice room. There were three fellows there on Beemers from Richmond Virginia also going to the rally. The lodge owner let us all put the bikes under the large porch overhang, then made a run for some of the biggest burgers I’ve ever seen, their kitchen being remodeled. Finished up the day sitting on the porch, eating burgers and watching the deer and wild turkey right there almost in rock chucking range.

Thursday 5-1-03: Shortly down the parkway, off onto US221S, this is Blowing Rock, North Carolina. I could have kept on the 20 miles more then came onto this same highway, but the twisty gods were watching and made me do it. While at the rally I didn’t run the Dragon as I felt it would be redundant. It is 19 miles from Blowing Rock to Linville, NC and for the first 16 miles I rarely got into 3^rd gear, and never for long, the other 3 miles 3^rd and a little of 4^th, just to see if it still worked. You have here either a joy or a terror depends on your outlook. It was a hoot, but a teeny bit scary, if perchance, you were a flatland trucker with a load of nitro, it would turn your hair white. The rest of US221 S to South Carolina and SC11 is an ok much more easy going. Once on SC11W the road is easy enough and faster, running the valley floor, it the spectacular bare rock cliffs your going past that makes this portion of the trip stand out in memory. I really think this is the area where the mountain scenes from the movie, “Last of the Mohicans” (Daniel Day Lewis) was filmed. The Ranger lady, (ok, I’m a sexist pig) said she didn’t know, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Just prior to stopping at the state park to inquire about the movie thing, I’d gotten a picture of the bike by the “Worlds Largest Rocking Chair”, for the (drumroll) “Worlds Largest-Grand Tour”, Pumpkintown, SC. I have goals, I have a reason to ride these deathtraps, I probably have a mental condition.

The rest of SC11 to US76W went well, I didn’t get lost. US 76 is a good road with nice sweeping curves, truck passing lanes and some very scenic overlooks. I made the rally side by mid-afternoon, got set up on the high spot by the lake, ate looked around and zonked out with a dozen or so bullfrogs singing lullabys.

Friday: Loafed. Worked KP for the Friday night supper to get a rally t-shirt, tough day, ubet!

Saturday: Rode the poker run, fun 80 mile backroad trip, had a club flush going, ace-king high, this is the best ever in 30 plus years of trying and busted out on the last card. I did win the hard luck hand award, a Georgia Mountain Rally clock. It doesn’t run. Helped set up and serve at supper for something to do. Steak supper, damn cook got mine too well done, clod. Yes, right it’s cook your own……

Rained every afternoon and very hard Friday night, sit it was on the high ground and tent stayed dry, so all was well.

Sunday 5-4-03: Rolled out early, coffeed up and was packed and headed west by 7:30am about. The plan got this, “THE PLAN” was Us76W, go to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, then see what goes. Well there I am blissfully buzzing along enjoying the sites, the nice sunshine and lo and behold a sign which said, “YOUDUMBASS”, actually it said, Atlanta 52 miles. So, 100 lost miles and too many hours later and I’m in the Tennessee Welcome Center looking at evil tidings on the Weather Channel. There is a point in every trip when it’s time to go home. This was it. It was I-75, I-24, US41a, US64W and I-40 just as hard as I dared. The police were much in evidence in Tennessee, so I wasn’t too disrespectful of the speed laws. East of Memphis the headwinds became terrible, the DSL came on 30 miles early, so the bike was really working. I needed gas again in Mayflower, and none too soon, after gas and coffee, it was starting to rain, with some serious thunder and lightening to the west. Raingear time and not a minute too soon, back on the slab near Conway the bottom fell out. This one ranked right up there with the top ten storms. Since almost everyone else pulled off, I felt I was better moving, only one car in front of me and no one in the mirrors. Just kept on trucking. Things eased by Plumerville, better at Morrilton and all done by Adkins, home by 9 pm. 814 miles. Way too much really, but the new seat sure paid off.

I enjoyed myself, saw lots of new and pretty scenery, went thru 7 states I’d not been to on a bike. Hey, don’t give me that, even only 40 or 50 miles counts! The Georgia Mountain Rally is a good one, in a very nice area, so if you can, GO!

There is Hope

Charlie Bishop

As the wife and I were tooling north through Ohio on our way to northwestern Pennsylvania I became confused on the route to take. South of Akron we pulled into a rest area. There at the coffee stand was a black motorcycle gang called the Vultures. I walked up to their leader (he had “Pres” tattooed on his denim vest). “What’s the best was to get on Interstate 80 east?” They all chimed in noticing I was attired in road worthy gear for motorcycling. Just like the map, their directions confused me. “Heck” their leader proclaimed, “We’ll take you there”. Picture this: One fully loaded two up K1800LT amid several straight piped Harley cruisers pushing our way through afternoon rush hour traffic. Frankly, it was quite thrilling to watch the horde of cars part like the Red Sea for this intimidating gang. The route was confusing, sometimes heading west to accomplish east! When the way became obvious, we pulled over. “Moses” invited us to his home for coffee or to stay the night. As we parted I felt a broad smile spred across my face and my soul. Here we have tourer and cruiser, black and white, and north and south all brought together by 2 wheels and a request for assistance.

Charlie

BMW MOTORCYCLES OF LITTLE ROCK

I spoke with James Wilbanks, President of BMW Motorcycles of Little Rock, and he invites you to stop by the new dealership at 710 Jones Street, Little Rock, AR. They’re putting the finishing touches on and expect to have a Grand Opening Gala sometime in October, but right now they’re ready to assist you with your motorcycling needs. The telephone number is 501-374-4BMW!

From the Editor’s Desk

by Mike

2003 Dues

Please Pay Your Dues! The rates are still the same bargain at $10 per individual and $15 per family. Send to:

Jerry Reynolds

1200 Donaghey Ave

Conway, AR 73034

Wanted Newsletter Material: Always

We are always soliciting for newsletter articles. Send that article you have always intended to write. Many thanks to those of you; who have submitted material already. You are allowed to send in more. Send the materials to: Mike Wingfield, 2402 S. Taylor, Little Rock, AR 72204, or e-mail to: CMWINGFIELD@UALR.EDU.

New Members

Gary Wyatt, Independence, Missouri

Russell Wilson, Little Rock, Arkansas

Activities

September 26^th to 28^th- Naturally Beemer Fall Club Rally- Natural Falls State Park in Oklahoma, five miles west of Siloam Springs on Hwy. 412. Dinner on Saturday night at Calahans Steak House. For information contact rally coordinators Gwen and Doyle Rakes at 479-248-6617 or e-mail at beemerbeaver07@yahoo.com

Be there or be square!

FLEA MARKET

There is no charge for the ad; we only ask that you be honest and fair. Naturally Beemers is not responsible for the quality of the items or any transactions made because of the ad. Ads will run for two issues of the newsletter unless extended.

Don’t forget the 10% Club Member Discount at Bentonville Cycle Sales

1998 R1200C with ABS for Sale. Contact Jeff Tarlton via e-mail JTTarlton@aol.com

……

Motorcycling Tips

Submitted by Harlan Brown

Motorcycling TIPS written and translated by Honda and taken from a 1962 Honda Motorcycle Instruction Book. Translated by Honda for the American Motorcycle Rider.

The following rules for motorists are so successful in Japan, that American motorcycle riders might profitably paste them in their hats.

At the rise of the hand of a policeman, stop rapidly. Do not pass him by or otherwise disrespect him.

When a passenger of the foot, hooves in sight, tootel the horn trumpet melodiously at first. If he still obstacles your path, tootel him with vigor and express by mouth, warning, Hi, Hi.

Beware of the wandering horse that he shall not

Take fright as you pass him. Do not explode the exhaust box at him. Go soothingly by.

Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in the roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes.

Go soothingly on the grease mud, as there lurks the skid demon. Press the brake foot as you roll around the corners, and save the collapse and tie up.