Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to 
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2003
- Messages
- 51,641
- Reaction score
- 9,214
- Location
- Huntsville
- First Name
- Scott
- Last Name
- Friday
Howdy,
Thanks to everyone that made it out despite some iffy weather. It is always great to meet new folks and put faces to strange usernames 
Beth and I made it to Kerrville around 12:30am to find folks soaking in the hot tub. Exhausted from a few late nights before getting here, we opt to head up to our room and call it an evening. Sometime around 4:30am, I hear LOTS of rumbling over the sounds of the room's air conditioner...
The wake up call comes way to soon as usual. A quick peek out the window reveals a gloomy grey overcast and slight drizzle. Cool. I'm always up for riding in the rain! We head down to the hotel lobby to meet up with everyone and take care of last minute registrations. A few people have snuck in at the last minute to join us. Looks like we have around 13 bikes and riders.
Tomoko paid us a surprise visit. She was already in the area with other friends without her CBR600RR.
Kelly and Glenn
John's banana rain suit has some serious reflectors
Paul and his Sprint RS on the left, John's purty new FZ1 in the foreground
Glenn and Donnie decide to wait out the bad weather. Being on new bikes with low experience, prudence is the wise choice. The remining riders head out of the parking lot around 9:30am. We cruise through town on Hwy 16, head West on Hwy 27 out of town, stopping to get batteries for Squeaky's communicator, and then we finally reach Hwy 39. Hwy 39 is where the fun should start, even on wet roads. However, the SUV in front of us has a better idea. They decide to run 10-15mph UNDER the speed limit :angryfir: With no where to pass, we make almost the entire run on 39 sitting behind this SUV getting soaked with road spray 
Squeaky comments that she loves this pace 
Leaving the twistiness of Hwy 39 behind, we head South on Hwy 187. The wind is really blowing good out of the East. That's a little odd because the front was moving West to East... :scratch It is no longer raining but the clouds are still thick and low. Looking out in the distance I am struck by how green it is out here. Normally, at the end of the Texas Summers, brown is the dominant color of the landscape. The green and other colors stand out all the more as a result of the wet conditions. Hwy 187 has some really nice views and the curves are not so serious that you don't have time to appreciate the views. Soon we reach the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum and make our first stop.
The museum is basically the private collection of the owner and his wife. Only three or four of the bikes are on loan from someone else. If you like old BSA's and Nortons, this place has some real nice ones. Sure, smack me because I don't have any pictures. I set my camera down to eat some of the complimentary cookies, then got distracted talking with the owner about all the bikes, and did not remember the camera until we were about to leave The owner knows every little thing about every single bike and he loves to talk about bikes, any kind of bikes. We hang out for about thirty minutes and then get back on the road. As we head out, it starts raining lightly...
We pass by Lost Maples State Park and then through Vanderpool. We pass by FM 337 and continue South towards Utopia. This section of 187 is relatively flat as it follows the Sabinal River, but it has some really nice curves and is great fun, even in the rain. Looking further South, the clouds are getting darker and more ominous. In Utopia, we head West on FM 1050. We barely make it out of town before the skies just open up and dump on us. I slow the pace a bit and focus on staying smooth. As crazy as it sounds, riding in the rain is really a neat experience. I mean, how many of us have played in the rain since we were little kids? You know what I mean, where you just go outside and frolic around and enjoy getting wet. That's kind of how I feel when riding in the rain, like that little kid so many years ago running through mud puddles and jumping in the creek.
We reach FM 2748 and pull over to wait for the rest of the group. Then we head North to FM 1120 for the run up to Leakey. The further North we get, the less it rains. When we reach Leakey it has stopped and there are patches of blue sky appearing off to the North. It looks like the worst of it is over and the rest of the day should be nice. While stopped for gas, I spot this beauty for sale on the side of the road.
Think they use chain lube or WD-40 on that chain?
It's a rebar framed hardtail with a sprung seat
Imagine the heat on your private parts from that rear cylinder
Love that front tire for when you get the dualsport urge!
I rejoin the gang to let them know where we will be stopping for lunch. The gas station does not have very many pumps so it will be a while before everyone is done. I go on ahead to let the restaurant know a large group is coming. I park the GS out front where everyone can see it as the approach, but no sooner than I get off the bike, A truck pulls in right next to me and hides the bike. Right about that time Paul goes zooming by me I stand out in the road and wave everyone down, Paul spins back around to join us. Today, lunch is at Mama Chole's Mexican Restaurant, a favorite of the locals and well thought of by most bikers.
Glenn and Donnie show up as we are eating...
This is Glenn and his new FJR 1300 in the fast pretty blue 
Kieth "Leeroy" with his VFR 800 and Donnie way back there behind him.
John rolling up his banana suit
James, Achim (waving) and Brian "Skid"
With full bikes and bellies, we make ready to head out of town on FM 337 toward Campwood. Bob notices some spots of oil on the sidewall of my rear tire... 
It looks like my final drive is leaking a little oil. It was clean this morning so it must have just started. I pull the filler plug to check the oil level and it is completely full so it has not been leaking long or very bad. Still, it is making a mess. Since it is still full, I decide to ride on and keep an eye on it. We head out of town and into the twisties.
The first couple of miles of FM 337 out of Leakey are great fun. The road climbs up onto the top of a ridge by way of a lot of 20 mph corners. I seldom try to run through here fast because the local ranchers have a nasty habit of drifting over the double yellow when they are making left hander corners. Several riders have met their demise in head on collisions on these curves. As we reach the top of the ridge, the road straightens out and runs flat off into the distance. Coming over the last little rise, I get on the gas...
The feeling of the back end of the motorcycle doing bad things at 70mph is a bit unnerving. I've had flats where the back end starts to wallow around and feel like a soft marshmellow is holding up the bike. This is different and not so gradual. The rear tire makes an audible clunk and then I can feel it hopping up and down off the road. That sinking feeling of gloom creeps up in the back of my mind. As I am pulling over to the shoulder, I glance to the North where we will be heading and sunshine is breaking through the low lying clouds. Nuts!
Everyone pulls over wondering why we are stopping. One look at my back tire tells all. Game over for me. The final drive hub has apparently blown the seal and from all the hopping around, I imagine the internals are pretty well trashed. I make a quick call to Beth to let her know to start heading this direction with the truck and trailer. She's still in Kerrville. I tell her to just meet me in Leakey at the bike stop place by the Exxon, she knows what I's talking about. Paul agrees to lead the pack for the rest of the route. All I have left to do is limp the bike back down through the twisties to Leakey James decides he will accompany me, a much appreciated gesture.
The rest of the gang heads off towards Campwood while James and I spin around for the trek back to Leakey. In a straight line, the bike feels fine. I am putting along in 2nd gear at about 15-20mph. As soon as I hit the first corner, I can see this will be an exciting ride back to town 
The rear wheel is wobbling side to side making the back end of the bike wallow all over the place. I just stay even on the gas and keep looking through the corners. James hangs back a bit and watches. It seems to take forever to reach town, but soon we come around the last corner and I can see the bike stop. We pull in among a crowd of other bikes and I park in the grass next to the road. It looks ugly...
Oil is now pouring out pretty fast making stinky puddle in the grass under the bike.
I put the bike up on the center stand and leave it.
A few people come by to have a look, make a few comments about BMW reliability, and offer their condolences. James and I head inside to get a cool drink and to wait for Beth's arrival. During the next hour or so, tons of bikes come and go. The whackiest group of all is a huge herd of Cushman scooters. We had passed them on the way out of town on 337 as we were heading into the twisties. They were here when James and I returned. The racket when they pull out to leave makes straight piped Harleys seem tame in comparison. We're talking lawn mowers on steroids with wild paint jobs. All talking stops while everyone waits for the last of them to leave.
After sitting around for a while, I get bored and decide to pull the rear wheel off the bike just to see how bad the damage might be. No sooner than I remove the wheel, the main seal falls out followed by bits and pieces of metal debris... 
Bummer... I have been reading of other GS riders having this problem, but there were always the guys with 90K miles on their bikes and never a hint of trouble with the final drive. I had hoped to fall into the latter group I call the BMW dealership in Houston where I take the bike to let them know what has happened and to see if they can start the process of ordering parts only to be told that they have to see the bike first when the repairs will be over $1000!! Thank God this is under warranty!!
After a few hours, Beth shows up and we start loading the bike. We plan on waiting for the main group to rejoin us here before we head out. They should be along any moment now.
Oh the shame...
Oh the pain...!
Resignation to the dismal reality...
We hang out and chat with the couple running the bike stop. Shortly, the rest of the group starts going by on US 83 heading South. I guess they don't see the truck and they start zipping by one after the other. I start jumping up and down waving my arms and someone finally sees me, hehe. They loop back to see what's happening. Eventually, everyone goes and fills up their bikes and then rejoins us at the bike stop. Paul has decided he is going to ride with Beth in the truck of the remainder of the afternoon and graciously allows me to ride his Sprint RS for the rest of the day 
Beth and Paul head South on U s83 for FM 1050 where they will cut over to Utopia and pick up FM 470 to Tarpley to meet us for dinner at Mac & Ernie's. We head East on FM 337 to run the really fun twisty stuff between here and Vanderpool. This section of 337 is probably the most like section of road in Texas. It has a lot of elevation changes and numerous 20 mph corners strung together for several miles. Going into the corners, almost everyone has skid marks on the pavement going in either direction. Some of the corners on this section of road eat bikes on a regular basis when the riding season is in full swing, especially that one 10mph curve...
As we start the climb up the ridge, we come around one corner and there is loose gravel all over the place. I aim for the tire tracks made by the cagers and hit the least amount of gravel, but it is still enough to make the bike do a little jig while leaned over. I stay on the gas and everything works itself out just fine. Rebecca must be a good ways behind us because I can't raise her on the communicator. Looks like she will have to use her own road reading skills to keep her upright.
The next corner I am looking for is a nice right hander. Well... It starts out nice and then right around the far side of the rock wall, it gets real tight and is immediately followed by a sharp 20mph left hander. A few years back, I almost got burned here but managed to save it. Now I poke through here until I find it. Strangely enough, even when expecting it, it is still a tricky curve. Once past it, I can relax and enjoy the fun pace. When we reach the scenic overlook pull off, I stop to wait for Rebecca, James and Michael to catch up with us. Looking out into the distance, the clouds are stretched thin and low, catching the late afternoon sunlight and creating a soothing soft glow to the landscape. The air is nice and cool against my skin.
Our trailing threesome catch up and we run the rest of 337 down to Vanderpool. We head South on Hwy 187 until we reach the turn off for the continuation of 337 towards Medina. Here, Kelly has to split off from the rest of the group. He has to be in Austin this evening and still has to go back by the hotel to pick up his luggage. Since we won't be getting back until late, he is going to cut over on 337 to Hwy 16 and take the short way back to the hotel. We say our goodbyes, I warn him about the nasty 15mph corners on 16 and then he is gone. We take off again heading South to FM 470.
I am really enjoying the ride. I love this time of day when the shadows start to grow long and everything gets that orangish glow about it. We're following the winding path of the Sabinal River. The trees showing evidence of recent high waters. Big clogs of branches and debris are stuck up high in the branches of the living trees. I would not wan't to be near here when that kind of river flow is coming downstream Several places on the road would be impassible as even now the water is only a few inches lower than the surface of the road. I steal a glance or two into the water as I am leaned over on the low water crossings. It is crystal clear and always makes me have the urge to go for a swim. I hate swimming pools with their stinky chlorine. Lakes, creeks and rivers are where I prefer to play. Must be a hangover from my days as a kid in Central Texas...
We reach FM 470, wait for the tail end of the group, and then head East towards Tarpley. Now it's time to have a little fun. The road starts out innocently looking enough, and then we crest a small hill... From this point on it is like a roller coaster! Cresting the hills causes a light tickling in the guts, zooming down into the draw on the backside of the hills makes me crush down into the seat. The Sprint's front suspension is a little soft and I am having to use my legs as secondary suspension to keep things settled as I carve through the corners. Rolling on the gas is always a treat with this bike. The Triumph triples pull like freight trains 
The scenery fades to a green blur with an occasional patch of yellow along the fence lines. Everytime I check my mirrors, all I see is Achim right behind me on his Speed Triple, the grin behind his visor obvious. He loves this kind of riding.
In what seems only like moments, we arrive in Tarpley to find Beth and Paul waiting for us, as well as Kieth's wife and daughter. We carefully pull into the gravel parking lot, and then I walk back out to the road to falg down the others as they come along.
Bob trying to decide what he wants
Kieth's wife waits for us in the "dining room"
The little Cowboy's and Cowgirl's rooms
Ignoring my pleas for them to turn around...
Mumbling something about how bright the sun is
After placing our order, Beth and I wander down to the nearby river to check it out.
Swallow nests under the overpass and a GIANT Wasp nest (next to four bolts).
Pretty purple flowers, there you have the extent of my knowledge of botany.
Looking downstream
Pretty yellow flowers, I think I missed my calling...
The flowers on our table
B.J., Grace and Kieth
Precocious factor off the scale Captain!!
Yep. She's gonna be a heart breaker someday... Good thing most of Kieth's hair is already gone
Relaxing after an incredible meal...
It's startign to get cloudy again... hopefully no rain is waiting for us!
The food is fantastic as usual. The Pork Tenderloin is so tender it pulls apart with a fork and melts in my mouth, especially when covered with the creamy Jalepeno and Cilantro sauce :hail I forgoe the Blueberry something dessert, but most everyone else indulges, hehe. Soon we are slowly making our way back over to the bikes so we can leave. It is now a race to see if we can get back before dark... Not likely.
The clouds are blocking out the remaining evening sun as we get on the road. The temperature has dropped considerably and it is quite cool wearing just a mesh jacket. I find it invigorating. Just cool enough to give an edge to the air but not so cool that I am chilled. With the light fading, I am now in full deer scan mode. The run over to Hwy 16 is uneventful. The road is mostly big long sweepers with few elevation changes. The same is true of Hwy 16 until we get North of Medina where we get back into the hills. Before we hit the really fun stuff, we pull over so everyone can make sure they are wearing their clear visors instead of the tinted ones.
I come over a quick hill to see a large doe standing on the side of the pavement. I swerve left with a slight tap of the brake to warn Bob behind me. The doe freezes for a split second and then leaps off into the woods. A few curves later, several tiny fawns are in the road and on the shoulder. I actually have to slow to a stop for these. A few good blips of the throttle from the Staintune sends them running deep into the woods. Shortly after this, we reach the start of the really tight twisty and steep section of Hwy 16. If you've ever ridden there in a car or on a bike, you know exactly where I am talking about. I pull over so we can regroup. I like everyone to be close so they can see the hand signals and pass them down the line.
The road starts out with a steep ascent. The pavement surface is fairly rough in most of the corners. No doubt this is a result of the many RV's that come through here stomping on their brakes and rippling the pavement. I keep the pace nice and sedate. It is now totally dark and the headlights on the Sprint are pretty much worthless, even on highbeam. We take our time and go extra slow in the sharp corners. Near the end of the really tight stuff, there is one last nasty corner. As we come over a rise, the road drops sharply down and to the left, then makes a fast switchback to the right as it continues to drop. Even expecting this, I still have to really focus at looking through the turn, cracking open the throttle slightly and rolling out of the turn. The bumpy road surface just adds to the fun Bob, John, and Kieth are right behind me, but the others have dropped off a bit. As I start to slow and pull over to wait for the others, I hear what I hate hearing in the communicator...
"OH SH--!" and then static...
Few things feel quite like that moment where you realize something really ugly may have just happened. There is a rush of sensation over the surface of the skin as the adrenalin surges through the body, the heart rate immediately starts to rise, your senses go on high alert... We've all been there. When I pull over, I sweep off the road enough that I can make a fast U-turn and take off back up the road. All the while I am talking into the communicator trying to raise Rebecca and fearing the worst. If she has blown that corner, there is a nasty guardrail sitting there waiting for her and the bike. As I make the corner that leads up to the bad corner, I am greeted by the headlights of Rebecca's SV650 and a flood of relief sweeps over me. James and Michael are right behind her.
The rest of the ride into Kerrville is without incident. We arrive to find once again that Beth and Paul have beat us here. They took the boring straight shortcut, Hwy 173. With dinner out of the way, everyone agrees to just meet back in the area around the lobby or pool to hang out for the evening. When Beth and I get back outside James, Michael and Brian are all gone already, DOH! I never got around to thanking James for hanging back with me after my bike broke down. I owe him a beer. The rest of us hang out by the pool until sometime after midnight swapping stories and getting to know each other. I seem to have lost the hot tub pictures...
Sunday morning rolls around and it looks like another gloomy day. The clouds are thick and low, making a solid overcast. I am not feeling 100% so I will be riding in the truck. Rebecca wanted me to ride her bike so she could ride in the truck with Beth and do the girlie chit chat thing, hehe. Instead she gets to follow us and enjoy the diesel fumes. 
Whenever I get the chance, I tell her to go ahead of us so she can enjoy the road. Everyone else has scattered to the winds to find their own way home. We are heading to Austin for a visit with John "Irondawg" Morin and Art, neither of which have we seen in far too long.
We head up Hwy 16 through Fredericksburg. At FM 1323, we head East through Willow City. This is a really nice ride, except for the sheep farm, about which we forgot to warn Rebecca. Imagine the worst ammonia, urine and feces smell you've ever encountered. Now imagine that being even worse and right in your face. At least today it is not really hot... Once past it, we have to roll down the windows to air out the truck and our noses. We continue heading East towards US 281. The clouds seem to be thinning ever so slightly.
When we reach US 281, we head North. This is a long, straight, and boring stretch of highway that is usually fairly well patrolled. I stick the cruise on 70mph and we just zone out for a while until we reach Marble Falls. Being pregnant, Beth has to stop fairly often, hehe. She's been doing real good so far but nearly two hours is more than she can take. We pull over when we reach FM 1431 in the middle of town. We just passed by the Blue Bonnet Cafe and the place was packed, bikes everywhere in the parking lot. I tried calling John earlier to let him know we are coming but got now answer. We head out of town and get to the section of 1431 where the road has been widened into big fast sweepers. As we are chugging up a long hill, I spot a bike that looks like it might be a VFR... John and Art go zipping by us travelling in the other direction! DOH!! Where the heck are they going?!
I pull over hoping that John will have seen the GS on the trailer and realized it was us he just passed. A minute or two goes by and they never show up... Rebecca wants to know if she should try to chase them down :rofl Gotta give her credit for havign a sense of adventure We decide to just head back to Marble Falls and see if they might have gone to the Blue Bonnet Cafe for lunch, either way, we'll stop for lunch and waste some time before trying to get ahold of them. We send Rebecca ahead so she can enjoy the road.
They're not at the Blue Bonnet Cafe, but I take the opportunity to hand out some TWT cards With the crowd being so large, we decide to head across the road to the River Cafe, or at least I think that is what it's called. It sits on the cliff over looking the river next door to a Chilis. John returns my call while we are getting lunch. He and Art ran up to Park road 4 around Inks Lake. They'll be here shortly. So we enjoy a nice relaxed lunch and the beautiful view out the window over the river. The sun is coming out and it is starting to be a really nice day.
After Laurel and Hardy arrive, we hang out for a while visiting before we head back to John's place. He and Art live off of Lakeline Drive just North of FM 1431. With us being in the truck, I figure they will be there long before us, especially with John leading the way. Running down 1431 really makes me wish I was on the bike, well... the bike when it was working properly The roller coaster style ride is a blast. I don't know how much longer it will last though because the development between Marble Falls and Cedar Hill keeps creeping farther and farther into the fun stuff and the road keeps getting wider and straighter. We arrive at John's to find that we have arrived first!!??
With time to waste, we head across the street and check out a new house being built. The neighborhood is still quite new and there are numerous houses being constructed. After a short while, we hear the sound of the bikes pulling up out front. Geez, we've been here nearly fifteen minutes! What happened to them? Well... it seems John took them down some backroads, hopefully all paved, hehe.
After checking out the garage full of bikes, and I mean full, we head inside. Minutes after sitting down, folks start dropping off like flies. John and I watch the MotoGP race, see Rossi crash out in spectacular style, and Colin Edwards take second place!! With most of the afternoon wasted, we decide we should get back on the road around 4:00pm so we can get home before too late. We say our good byes and head East on Hwy 79. When we reach Rockdale, I decide to head down FM 908 to Hwy 21. It won't be much fun in the truck, but at least Rebecca can have some fun before we get home. I send her ahead again and she takes off!
Beth and I bounce our way down FM 908. The road surface has gotten rougher since I was last here. It doesn't seem to bother Rebecca, hehe. She seems to be having fun zooming around the big sweepers and some of the tighter 35-40mph curves. I can only just barely keep her in sight. When we reach Hwy 21, she pulls over so we can resume the lead. Rather than just run 21 into Bryan, I decide to lead her down another fun little road, FM 166 between Caldwell and College Station.
As we leave Caldwell, there is a little railroad trestle that passes over the road. For some strange reason, the road is only one lane wide under the trestle. Being in a big truck, the oncoming car sees us and yields. But when Rebecca tries to follow us through, the car is not having that! They meet head to head under the trestle and Rebecca has to squeeze by on the side. After that it is smooth sailing. She hangs back to avoid the diesel fumes as much as possible. I would send her ahead here but there is a turn off that easy to miss just after the speck of a town, Tunis. When we reach Hwy 50, the road is freshly gravelled, no doubt Rebecca is thrilled. We reach Hwy 60 and head on into College Station. A lone thunderstorm sits off to the East of us. I stop to see if Rebecca wants to mess with her rain gear, she doesn't. I ask if she wants to stop at Rudy's BBQ for dinner, she does!
Dinner is great, as usual with Rudy's. We think about trying to reach some of the Bryan/C.S. TWT folks to see if they would like to join us, but none of us has any of their phone numbers. So we pig out alone. The ride back to Huntsville on Hwy 30 is dark and long. It always seems like the miles get longer and longer the closer one gets to home at the end of a trip. We get home to find Paul and my parents waiting at the house. Paul put his luggage in the truck so he needs it before he heads home. Dad wants the truck so we have to unload it before they can take off with it.
Despite the bike problems, I still had a great time. We got to see a lot of new people we've never met before. Hopefully, next time we can get a little bigger group. But this was a nice size. I think we might head back in April. Till then...
Adios,
Thanks to everyone that made it out despite some iffy weather. It is always great to meet new folks and put faces to strange usernames Beth and I made it to Kerrville around 12:30am to find folks soaking in the hot tub. Exhausted from a few late nights before getting here, we opt to head up to our room and call it an evening. Sometime around 4:30am, I hear LOTS of rumbling over the sounds of the room's air conditioner... The wake up call comes way to soon as usual. A quick peek out the window reveals a gloomy grey overcast and slight drizzle. Cool. I'm always up for riding in the rain! We head down to the hotel lobby to meet up with everyone and take care of last minute registrations. A few people have snuck in at the last minute to join us. Looks like we have around 13 bikes and riders.Tomoko paid us a surprise visit. She was already in the area with other friends without her CBR600RR.
Kelly and Glenn
John's banana rain suit has some serious reflectors
Paul and his Sprint RS on the left, John's purty new FZ1 in the foreground
Glenn and Donnie decide to wait out the bad weather. Being on new bikes with low experience, prudence is the wise choice. The remining riders head out of the parking lot around 9:30am. We cruise through town on Hwy 16, head West on Hwy 27 out of town, stopping to get batteries for Squeaky's communicator, and then we finally reach Hwy 39. Hwy 39 is where the fun should start, even on wet roads. However, the SUV in front of us has a better idea. They decide to run 10-15mph UNDER the speed limit :angryfir: With no where to pass, we make almost the entire run on 39 sitting behind this SUV getting soaked with road spray Squeaky comments that she loves this pace Leaving the twistiness of Hwy 39 behind, we head South on Hwy 187. The wind is really blowing good out of the East. That's a little odd because the front was moving West to East... :scratch It is no longer raining but the clouds are still thick and low. Looking out in the distance I am struck by how green it is out here. Normally, at the end of the Texas Summers, brown is the dominant color of the landscape. The green and other colors stand out all the more as a result of the wet conditions. Hwy 187 has some really nice views and the curves are not so serious that you don't have time to appreciate the views. Soon we reach the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum and make our first stop. The museum is basically the private collection of the owner and his wife. Only three or four of the bikes are on loan from someone else. If you like old BSA's and Nortons, this place has some real nice ones. Sure, smack me because I don't have any pictures. I set my camera down to eat some of the complimentary cookies, then got distracted talking with the owner about all the bikes, and did not remember the camera until we were about to leave The owner knows every little thing about every single bike and he loves to talk about bikes, any kind of bikes. We hang out for about thirty minutes and then get back on the road. As we head out, it starts raining lightly... We pass by Lost Maples State Park and then through Vanderpool. We pass by FM 337 and continue South towards Utopia. This section of 187 is relatively flat as it follows the Sabinal River, but it has some really nice curves and is great fun, even in the rain. Looking further South, the clouds are getting darker and more ominous. In Utopia, we head West on FM 1050. We barely make it out of town before the skies just open up and dump on us. I slow the pace a bit and focus on staying smooth. As crazy as it sounds, riding in the rain is really a neat experience. I mean, how many of us have played in the rain since we were little kids? You know what I mean, where you just go outside and frolic around and enjoy getting wet. That's kind of how I feel when riding in the rain, like that little kid so many years ago running through mud puddles and jumping in the creek. We reach FM 2748 and pull over to wait for the rest of the group. Then we head North to FM 1120 for the run up to Leakey. The further North we get, the less it rains. When we reach Leakey it has stopped and there are patches of blue sky appearing off to the North. It looks like the worst of it is over and the rest of the day should be nice. While stopped for gas, I spot this beauty for sale on the side of the road.Think they use chain lube or WD-40 on that chain?
It's a rebar framed hardtail with a sprung seat
Imagine the heat on your private parts from that rear cylinder Love that front tire for when you get the dualsport urge!
I rejoin the gang to let them know where we will be stopping for lunch. The gas station does not have very many pumps so it will be a while before everyone is done. I go on ahead to let the restaurant know a large group is coming. I park the GS out front where everyone can see it as the approach, but no sooner than I get off the bike, A truck pulls in right next to me and hides the bike. Right about that time Paul goes zooming by me I stand out in the road and wave everyone down, Paul spins back around to join us. Today, lunch is at Mama Chole's Mexican Restaurant, a favorite of the locals and well thought of by most bikers.Glenn and Donnie show up as we are eating...
This is Glenn and his new FJR 1300 in the fast pretty blue Kieth "Leeroy" with his VFR 800 and Donnie way back there behind him.
John rolling up his banana suit
James, Achim (waving) and Brian "Skid"
With full bikes and bellies, we make ready to head out of town on FM 337 toward Campwood. Bob notices some spots of oil on the sidewall of my rear tire... It looks like my final drive is leaking a little oil. It was clean this morning so it must have just started. I pull the filler plug to check the oil level and it is completely full so it has not been leaking long or very bad. Still, it is making a mess. Since it is still full, I decide to ride on and keep an eye on it. We head out of town and into the twisties. The first couple of miles of FM 337 out of Leakey are great fun. The road climbs up onto the top of a ridge by way of a lot of 20 mph corners. I seldom try to run through here fast because the local ranchers have a nasty habit of drifting over the double yellow when they are making left hander corners. Several riders have met their demise in head on collisions on these curves. As we reach the top of the ridge, the road straightens out and runs flat off into the distance. Coming over the last little rise, I get on the gas... The feeling of the back end of the motorcycle doing bad things at 70mph is a bit unnerving. I've had flats where the back end starts to wallow around and feel like a soft marshmellow is holding up the bike. This is different and not so gradual. The rear tire makes an audible clunk and then I can feel it hopping up and down off the road. That sinking feeling of gloom creeps up in the back of my mind. As I am pulling over to the shoulder, I glance to the North where we will be heading and sunshine is breaking through the low lying clouds. Nuts! Everyone pulls over wondering why we are stopping. One look at my back tire tells all. Game over for me. The final drive hub has apparently blown the seal and from all the hopping around, I imagine the internals are pretty well trashed. I make a quick call to Beth to let her know to start heading this direction with the truck and trailer. She's still in Kerrville. I tell her to just meet me in Leakey at the bike stop place by the Exxon, she knows what I's talking about. Paul agrees to lead the pack for the rest of the route. All I have left to do is limp the bike back down through the twisties to Leakey James decides he will accompany me, a much appreciated gesture. The rest of the gang heads off towards Campwood while James and I spin around for the trek back to Leakey. In a straight line, the bike feels fine. I am putting along in 2nd gear at about 15-20mph. As soon as I hit the first corner, I can see this will be an exciting ride back to town The rear wheel is wobbling side to side making the back end of the bike wallow all over the place. I just stay even on the gas and keep looking through the corners. James hangs back a bit and watches. It seems to take forever to reach town, but soon we come around the last corner and I can see the bike stop. We pull in among a crowd of other bikes and I park in the grass next to the road. It looks ugly... Oil is now pouring out pretty fast making stinky puddle in the grass under the bike.I put the bike up on the center stand and leave it.
A few people come by to have a look, make a few comments about BMW reliability, and offer their condolences. James and I head inside to get a cool drink and to wait for Beth's arrival. During the next hour or so, tons of bikes come and go. The whackiest group of all is a huge herd of Cushman scooters. We had passed them on the way out of town on 337 as we were heading into the twisties. They were here when James and I returned. The racket when they pull out to leave makes straight piped Harleys seem tame in comparison. We're talking lawn mowers on steroids with wild paint jobs. All talking stops while everyone waits for the last of them to leave. After sitting around for a while, I get bored and decide to pull the rear wheel off the bike just to see how bad the damage might be. No sooner than I remove the wheel, the main seal falls out followed by bits and pieces of metal debris... Bummer... I have been reading of other GS riders having this problem, but there were always the guys with 90K miles on their bikes and never a hint of trouble with the final drive. I had hoped to fall into the latter group I call the BMW dealership in Houston where I take the bike to let them know what has happened and to see if they can start the process of ordering parts only to be told that they have to see the bike first when the repairs will be over $1000!! Thank God this is under warranty!! After a few hours, Beth shows up and we start loading the bike. We plan on waiting for the main group to rejoin us here before we head out. They should be along any moment now.Oh the shame...
Oh the pain...!
Resignation to the dismal reality...
We hang out and chat with the couple running the bike stop. Shortly, the rest of the group starts going by on US 83 heading South. I guess they don't see the truck and they start zipping by one after the other. I start jumping up and down waving my arms and someone finally sees me, hehe. They loop back to see what's happening. Eventually, everyone goes and fills up their bikes and then rejoins us at the bike stop. Paul has decided he is going to ride with Beth in the truck of the remainder of the afternoon and graciously allows me to ride his Sprint RS for the rest of the day Beth and Paul head South on U s83 for FM 1050 where they will cut over to Utopia and pick up FM 470 to Tarpley to meet us for dinner at Mac & Ernie's. We head East on FM 337 to run the really fun twisty stuff between here and Vanderpool. This section of 337 is probably the most like section of road in Texas. It has a lot of elevation changes and numerous 20 mph corners strung together for several miles. Going into the corners, almost everyone has skid marks on the pavement going in either direction. Some of the corners on this section of road eat bikes on a regular basis when the riding season is in full swing, especially that one 10mph curve... As we start the climb up the ridge, we come around one corner and there is loose gravel all over the place. I aim for the tire tracks made by the cagers and hit the least amount of gravel, but it is still enough to make the bike do a little jig while leaned over. I stay on the gas and everything works itself out just fine. Rebecca must be a good ways behind us because I can't raise her on the communicator. Looks like she will have to use her own road reading skills to keep her upright. The next corner I am looking for is a nice right hander. Well... It starts out nice and then right around the far side of the rock wall, it gets real tight and is immediately followed by a sharp 20mph left hander. A few years back, I almost got burned here but managed to save it. Now I poke through here until I find it. Strangely enough, even when expecting it, it is still a tricky curve. Once past it, I can relax and enjoy the fun pace. When we reach the scenic overlook pull off, I stop to wait for Rebecca, James and Michael to catch up with us. Looking out into the distance, the clouds are stretched thin and low, catching the late afternoon sunlight and creating a soothing soft glow to the landscape. The air is nice and cool against my skin. Our trailing threesome catch up and we run the rest of 337 down to Vanderpool. We head South on Hwy 187 until we reach the turn off for the continuation of 337 towards Medina. Here, Kelly has to split off from the rest of the group. He has to be in Austin this evening and still has to go back by the hotel to pick up his luggage. Since we won't be getting back until late, he is going to cut over on 337 to Hwy 16 and take the short way back to the hotel. We say our goodbyes, I warn him about the nasty 15mph corners on 16 and then he is gone. We take off again heading South to FM 470. I am really enjoying the ride. I love this time of day when the shadows start to grow long and everything gets that orangish glow about it. We're following the winding path of the Sabinal River. The trees showing evidence of recent high waters. Big clogs of branches and debris are stuck up high in the branches of the living trees. I would not wan't to be near here when that kind of river flow is coming downstream Several places on the road would be impassible as even now the water is only a few inches lower than the surface of the road. I steal a glance or two into the water as I am leaned over on the low water crossings. It is crystal clear and always makes me have the urge to go for a swim. I hate swimming pools with their stinky chlorine. Lakes, creeks and rivers are where I prefer to play. Must be a hangover from my days as a kid in Central Texas... We reach FM 470, wait for the tail end of the group, and then head East towards Tarpley. Now it's time to have a little fun. The road starts out innocently looking enough, and then we crest a small hill... From this point on it is like a roller coaster! Cresting the hills causes a light tickling in the guts, zooming down into the draw on the backside of the hills makes me crush down into the seat. The Sprint's front suspension is a little soft and I am having to use my legs as secondary suspension to keep things settled as I carve through the corners. Rolling on the gas is always a treat with this bike. The Triumph triples pull like freight trains The scenery fades to a green blur with an occasional patch of yellow along the fence lines. Everytime I check my mirrors, all I see is Achim right behind me on his Speed Triple, the grin behind his visor obvious. He loves this kind of riding. In what seems only like moments, we arrive in Tarpley to find Beth and Paul waiting for us, as well as Kieth's wife and daughter. We carefully pull into the gravel parking lot, and then I walk back out to the road to falg down the others as they come along.Bob trying to decide what he wants
Kieth's wife waits for us in the "dining room"
The little Cowboy's and Cowgirl's rooms
Ignoring my pleas for them to turn around...
Mumbling something about how bright the sun is
After placing our order, Beth and I wander down to the nearby river to check it out.Swallow nests under the overpass and a GIANT Wasp nest (next to four bolts).
Pretty purple flowers, there you have the extent of my knowledge of botany.
Looking downstream
Pretty yellow flowers, I think I missed my calling...
The flowers on our table
B.J., Grace and Kieth
Precocious factor off the scale Captain!!Yep. She's gonna be a heart breaker someday... Good thing most of Kieth's hair is already gone
Relaxing after an incredible meal...
It's startign to get cloudy again... hopefully no rain is waiting for us!
The food is fantastic as usual. The Pork Tenderloin is so tender it pulls apart with a fork and melts in my mouth, especially when covered with the creamy Jalepeno and Cilantro sauce :hail I forgoe the Blueberry something dessert, but most everyone else indulges, hehe. Soon we are slowly making our way back over to the bikes so we can leave. It is now a race to see if we can get back before dark... Not likely. The clouds are blocking out the remaining evening sun as we get on the road. The temperature has dropped considerably and it is quite cool wearing just a mesh jacket. I find it invigorating. Just cool enough to give an edge to the air but not so cool that I am chilled. With the light fading, I am now in full deer scan mode. The run over to Hwy 16 is uneventful. The road is mostly big long sweepers with few elevation changes. The same is true of Hwy 16 until we get North of Medina where we get back into the hills. Before we hit the really fun stuff, we pull over so everyone can make sure they are wearing their clear visors instead of the tinted ones. I come over a quick hill to see a large doe standing on the side of the pavement. I swerve left with a slight tap of the brake to warn Bob behind me. The doe freezes for a split second and then leaps off into the woods. A few curves later, several tiny fawns are in the road and on the shoulder. I actually have to slow to a stop for these. A few good blips of the throttle from the Staintune sends them running deep into the woods. Shortly after this, we reach the start of the really tight twisty and steep section of Hwy 16. If you've ever ridden there in a car or on a bike, you know exactly where I am talking about. I pull over so we can regroup. I like everyone to be close so they can see the hand signals and pass them down the line. The road starts out with a steep ascent. The pavement surface is fairly rough in most of the corners. No doubt this is a result of the many RV's that come through here stomping on their brakes and rippling the pavement. I keep the pace nice and sedate. It is now totally dark and the headlights on the Sprint are pretty much worthless, even on highbeam. We take our time and go extra slow in the sharp corners. Near the end of the really tight stuff, there is one last nasty corner. As we come over a rise, the road drops sharply down and to the left, then makes a fast switchback to the right as it continues to drop. Even expecting this, I still have to really focus at looking through the turn, cracking open the throttle slightly and rolling out of the turn. The bumpy road surface just adds to the fun Bob, John, and Kieth are right behind me, but the others have dropped off a bit. As I start to slow and pull over to wait for the others, I hear what I hate hearing in the communicator... "OH SH--!" and then static... Few things feel quite like that moment where you realize something really ugly may have just happened. There is a rush of sensation over the surface of the skin as the adrenalin surges through the body, the heart rate immediately starts to rise, your senses go on high alert... We've all been there. When I pull over, I sweep off the road enough that I can make a fast U-turn and take off back up the road. All the while I am talking into the communicator trying to raise Rebecca and fearing the worst. If she has blown that corner, there is a nasty guardrail sitting there waiting for her and the bike. As I make the corner that leads up to the bad corner, I am greeted by the headlights of Rebecca's SV650 and a flood of relief sweeps over me. James and Michael are right behind her. The rest of the ride into Kerrville is without incident. We arrive to find once again that Beth and Paul have beat us here. They took the boring straight shortcut, Hwy 173. With dinner out of the way, everyone agrees to just meet back in the area around the lobby or pool to hang out for the evening. When Beth and I get back outside James, Michael and Brian are all gone already, DOH! I never got around to thanking James for hanging back with me after my bike broke down. I owe him a beer. The rest of us hang out by the pool until sometime after midnight swapping stories and getting to know each other. I seem to have lost the hot tub pictures... Sunday morning rolls around and it looks like another gloomy day. The clouds are thick and low, making a solid overcast. I am not feeling 100% so I will be riding in the truck. Rebecca wanted me to ride her bike so she could ride in the truck with Beth and do the girlie chit chat thing, hehe. Instead she gets to follow us and enjoy the diesel fumes. Whenever I get the chance, I tell her to go ahead of us so she can enjoy the road. Everyone else has scattered to the winds to find their own way home. We are heading to Austin for a visit with John "Irondawg" Morin and Art, neither of which have we seen in far too long. We head up Hwy 16 through Fredericksburg. At FM 1323, we head East through Willow City. This is a really nice ride, except for the sheep farm, about which we forgot to warn Rebecca. Imagine the worst ammonia, urine and feces smell you've ever encountered. Now imagine that being even worse and right in your face. At least today it is not really hot... Once past it, we have to roll down the windows to air out the truck and our noses. We continue heading East towards US 281. The clouds seem to be thinning ever so slightly. When we reach US 281, we head North. This is a long, straight, and boring stretch of highway that is usually fairly well patrolled. I stick the cruise on 70mph and we just zone out for a while until we reach Marble Falls. Being pregnant, Beth has to stop fairly often, hehe. She's been doing real good so far but nearly two hours is more than she can take. We pull over when we reach FM 1431 in the middle of town. We just passed by the Blue Bonnet Cafe and the place was packed, bikes everywhere in the parking lot. I tried calling John earlier to let him know we are coming but got now answer. We head out of town and get to the section of 1431 where the road has been widened into big fast sweepers. As we are chugging up a long hill, I spot a bike that looks like it might be a VFR... John and Art go zipping by us travelling in the other direction! DOH!! Where the heck are they going?! I pull over hoping that John will have seen the GS on the trailer and realized it was us he just passed. A minute or two goes by and they never show up... Rebecca wants to know if she should try to chase them down :rofl Gotta give her credit for havign a sense of adventure We decide to just head back to Marble Falls and see if they might have gone to the Blue Bonnet Cafe for lunch, either way, we'll stop for lunch and waste some time before trying to get ahold of them. We send Rebecca ahead so she can enjoy the road. They're not at the Blue Bonnet Cafe, but I take the opportunity to hand out some TWT cards With the crowd being so large, we decide to head across the road to the River Cafe, or at least I think that is what it's called. It sits on the cliff over looking the river next door to a Chilis. John returns my call while we are getting lunch. He and Art ran up to Park road 4 around Inks Lake. They'll be here shortly. So we enjoy a nice relaxed lunch and the beautiful view out the window over the river. The sun is coming out and it is starting to be a really nice day. After Laurel and Hardy arrive, we hang out for a while visiting before we head back to John's place. He and Art live off of Lakeline Drive just North of FM 1431. With us being in the truck, I figure they will be there long before us, especially with John leading the way. Running down 1431 really makes me wish I was on the bike, well... the bike when it was working properly The roller coaster style ride is a blast. I don't know how much longer it will last though because the development between Marble Falls and Cedar Hill keeps creeping farther and farther into the fun stuff and the road keeps getting wider and straighter. We arrive at John's to find that we have arrived first!!?? With time to waste, we head across the street and check out a new house being built. The neighborhood is still quite new and there are numerous houses being constructed. After a short while, we hear the sound of the bikes pulling up out front. Geez, we've been here nearly fifteen minutes! What happened to them? Well... it seems John took them down some backroads, hopefully all paved, hehe. After checking out the garage full of bikes, and I mean full, we head inside. Minutes after sitting down, folks start dropping off like flies. John and I watch the MotoGP race, see Rossi crash out in spectacular style, and Colin Edwards take second place!! With most of the afternoon wasted, we decide we should get back on the road around 4:00pm so we can get home before too late. We say our good byes and head East on Hwy 79. When we reach Rockdale, I decide to head down FM 908 to Hwy 21. It won't be much fun in the truck, but at least Rebecca can have some fun before we get home. I send her ahead again and she takes off! Beth and I bounce our way down FM 908. The road surface has gotten rougher since I was last here. It doesn't seem to bother Rebecca, hehe. She seems to be having fun zooming around the big sweepers and some of the tighter 35-40mph curves. I can only just barely keep her in sight. When we reach Hwy 21, she pulls over so we can resume the lead. Rather than just run 21 into Bryan, I decide to lead her down another fun little road, FM 166 between Caldwell and College Station. As we leave Caldwell, there is a little railroad trestle that passes over the road. For some strange reason, the road is only one lane wide under the trestle. Being in a big truck, the oncoming car sees us and yields. But when Rebecca tries to follow us through, the car is not having that! They meet head to head under the trestle and Rebecca has to squeeze by on the side. After that it is smooth sailing. She hangs back to avoid the diesel fumes as much as possible. I would send her ahead here but there is a turn off that easy to miss just after the speck of a town, Tunis. When we reach Hwy 50, the road is freshly gravelled, no doubt Rebecca is thrilled. We reach Hwy 60 and head on into College Station. A lone thunderstorm sits off to the East of us. I stop to see if Rebecca wants to mess with her rain gear, she doesn't. I ask if she wants to stop at Rudy's BBQ for dinner, she does! Dinner is great, as usual with Rudy's. We think about trying to reach some of the Bryan/C.S. TWT folks to see if they would like to join us, but none of us has any of their phone numbers. So we pig out alone. The ride back to Huntsville on Hwy 30 is dark and long. It always seems like the miles get longer and longer the closer one gets to home at the end of a trip. We get home to find Paul and my parents waiting at the house. Paul put his luggage in the truck so he needs it before he heads home. Dad wants the truck so we have to unload it before they can take off with it. Despite the bike problems, I still had a great time. We got to see a lot of new people we've never met before. Hopefully, next time we can get a little bigger group. But this was a nice size. I think we might head back in April. Till then...Adios,
)Went on one of my Comfort - Medina - Vanderpool - Leakey - Hunt loops today and encountered a new obstacle going over the mountain to Leakey. Tarantulas were on the move ! Saw a few crossing the road late afternoon and had to do some line adjusting to miss them. They look big enough to upset tire grip, and I have this fear of flinging ~ 10000 young'uns on the underside of my bike.
