Arkansas Ride. Anyone interested?

[Kyle]

A POLL HAS BEEN ADDED. PLEASE VOTE SO WE CAN SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED.

We generally ride up and back. I know some peeps are probably more interested in trailering their bikes up there to ride, but I would definitely discourage this! We try to hit as many twisties going up and coming back as possible.

What I want to know is, who all is really interested in doing this ride? My vote is for late September or early October. Also for how long would you guys be interested in going? My vote is for leaving on a Friday and coming back on the following Monday. I need to talk to Tyler about the dates so that info will come soon, but for now I just want to get an idea of who wants to go. Please post if you are interested in going and if you want to ride up and back or trailer your bike.

I'd like to get this planned out fairly quickly so that everyone that wants to go can arrange for time off from work, get money together, logistics, etc.

As posted in the other thread, this will be the first day up to Arkansas:
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=da...4,5,6&t=h&z=10

[Skidmark]

Do you guys have some decent places to stay overnight? Preferably where I could roll the bike inside.

How many hours are ya'll typically riding a day?

[lowthreeohz]

Brien, just get a handicapped room on the floor level of a hotel with outside entries. I did that twice on my ride up to vegas and back, worked like a charm. only got one weird look from the cleaning crew in the morning when i wheeled it back outside.

[Kyle]

Do you guys have some decent places to stay overnight? Preferably where I could roll the bike inside.

How many hours are ya'll typically riding a day?

To be totally honest with you, I've never really stayed anywhere that gave me a bad feeling. Typically we park the bikes right outside the rooms and leave the windows open so we can hear if anyone is messing with the bikes. I keep my gun on the nightstand just in case! Seeing as you have some theft protection, I would think you would definitely be fine. We can discuss security concerns more in depth if everyone wants.

As for riding. I would plan on being on the bike 12 hrs the first day and riding around 500 miles. 6-8 hours a day max on the 2nd and 3rd day. Then I would count on 12 hrs coming back. That won't be riding the entire time. There will be fuel stops, lunch, etc through out the day. Basically we will run a whole tank out and then stop for 30 mins to an hour and then get back on. If I had to guess 3-4 hours at a time without stopping. You'll be riding so many miles so fast that the time will fly by. If we travel with a group, then we will probably plan out stops a little better.

Eureka springs is a great jumping off point. If we wanted to ride up there and stay every night, then most roads are accessible from that area. Its a bit of a tourist trap there as well! They have a small "downtown" area with a bar or two and the liquor stores are open until 2am (if my memory serves). We won't be doing any (or very little) riding at night so by 7PM every night we will probably be off the bikes unless we are riding to dinner vs walking.

[Kyle]

I should also add!

Plan on doing 1200-1500 miles of riding if we go for 3-4 days. Everyone will need to make sure their machines are caught up on maintenance. ie oil and fluid changes, get a good look at your brakes, and fresh tires are a must (or at least 50%+ wear)! I have ridden back on cord before, so please don't make my mistake!

Once we get out there, there isn't gonna be a lot of places to stop if something goes wrong with the bike. We will have chain wax and tire repair kits, but if something major happens then we will deal with it when the time comes.

[SNEAKY]

Y'all should check out some of the cabins in mena. Cheaper and you park right infront of the doors. Sit out side at night around fire and bullshit. I really like mena. Been up there riding four wheelers like four time in less then a year.

[Buick355]

Y'all should check out some of the cabins in mena. Cheaper and you park right infront of the doors. Sit out side at night around fire and bullshit. I really like mena. Been up there riding four wheelers like four time in less then a year.

When are you going and how long are you staying? Who's all going?

[Kyle]

When are you going and how long are you staying? Who's all going?

This is the point of the thread. Trying to get a head count of those interested in going. For me, late Sept or early Oct for 3-4 days will be best.

[Aceman85turbo]

im up for it, I cant do mondays however. does not mean i can not ride back early solo.

[Hobie]

Brien, just get a handicapped room on the floor level of a hotel with outside entries. I did that twice on my ride up to vegas and back, worked like a charm. only got one weird look from the cleaning crew in the morning when i wheeled it back outside.

I did this in Austin a few months back. Could've parked the bike in the bathroom if I wanted. Although I was on a sportbike

[lowthreeohz]

I did this in Austin a few months back. Could've parked the bike in the bathroom if I wanted. Although I was on a sportbike

I was on my 600rr... i had a good time but my ass/back weren't too thrilled.

[Kyle]

im up for it, I cant do mondays however. does not mean i can not ride back early solo.

Definitely. I'm sure you wont be the only one that has to leave on Sunday so I doubt that you would be by yourself coming back.

[Kyle]

http://www.touringdepot.com/mcarkansas.html

Here's a pretty good link. I think I've been on most of these roads. This will give you a pretty good idea of what we are looking to ride.

[Kyle]

Here's the weather info for Arkansas during these dates. As a precaution, you should definitely bring rain gear. Unless its a down pour and unsafe for riding, we will press on to a safe location to wait out the rain. This may require riding in the rain for an extended distance.

September

* average maximum temperature 84.4
* average minimum temperature 64.0
* average precipitation 3.40 inches
* south/southeasterly winds

September is the slow transition from summer heat to the pleasant temperatures of autumn. During the first half of the month, summer usually tends to drag on; however, pleasant conditions usually prevail by the last week of the month.

October

* average maximum temperature 74.4
* average minimum temperature 52.9
* average precipitation 2.91 inches
* north/northeasterly winds

October truly signals the beginning of autumn. Fall colors begin to appear in the northern sections of the state by the second week in October and continue slowly southward. Mid to late October generally provides peak fall color in the northern portions of Arkansas. October and November are two of the most popular months for visitors due to the beautiful fall colors and pleasant temperatures.

[Mach1]

Historical Summary for September 30 - October 03

The Average High Temperature is 76 F with a historical range of 60 F to 87 F
The Average Low Temperature is 54 F with a historical range of 37 F to 69 F
There is a 0% chance of a Hot Day (temperature over 90°F / 32°C).
(0 days out of 60 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0
There is a 0% chance of a Freezing Day (temperature below 32°F / 0°C).
(0 days out of 60 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 0

Daily Precipitation:
The Average Daily Precipitation is 0.02 with a historical range of 0.00 to 0.34
There is a 3% chance of a Precipitation Day.
(2 days out of 60 in historical record)
Most consecutive days found in historic record: 1