mn-msta.com
General Category => General Banter => Topic started by: Chris on July 22, 2010, 10:10:28 AM
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I heard a rumor that, a group of you guys went to Arkansas, I am thinking about doing that and have a few questions
1st - did you trailer down there or ride?
2nd - what time of year?
3rd - where did you stay?
4th - is there anything you would change?
5th - would you go again?
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1st - did you trailer down there or ride? Trailer
2nd - what time of year? May
3rd - where did you stay? A cabin in Henderson
4th - is there anything you would change? Nope
5th - would you go again? September
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I heard a rumor that, a group of you guys went to Arkansas, I am thinking about doing that and have a few questions
1st - did you trailer down there or ride? TRAILER
2nd - what time of year? APRIL & SEPT
3rd - where did you stay? Harrison and/or Mountain Home
4th - is there anything you would change? Riding for a whole WEEK!
5th - would you go again? DEFINATELY!!
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Been there a dozen times. I concur with everything Roger & Denyse said. :headbang:
1st - did you trailer down there or ride? Trailer
2nd - what time of year? May and September
3rd - where did you stay? Harrison, Mountain Home & Eureka Springs (my favorite is Harrison)
4th - is there anything you would change? Nope, it's sportbike nirvana. Little traffic, lax LEO, zero gravel shoulders (clean corners!) cars that (almost without fail) pull over for you so you can zip by. How often does THAT happen in Minnesota or Wisconsin?
5th - would you go again? Yepper, going again this September
PM sent.
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1st - did you trailer down there or ride? Ride - 10 to 11 hours depending on destination...but with a trailer available I'd be tempted to go that route.
2nd - what time of year? Sept; each of last 3 years
3rd - where did you stay? Mena, Mtn Home & Heber Springs
4th - is there anything you would change? Many counties are dry. Blasphemy!
5th - would you go again? Absolutely. Many great roads in terms of layout, scenery, condition and lack of traffic
*note* there are a couple of MSTA events held in AR in the fall & one in the MO Ozarks in Oct
There is also a monstrous cruiser-fest in late Sept (Bikes, Blues & BBQ) that will clog the main highways but the fun stuff is usually still OK.
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I've done this at least a half dozen times.
1st - did you trailer down there or ride?/Trailer
2nd - what time of year?/April,June, Sept, Oct
3rd - where did you stay?/ Generally a different town every night
4th - is there anything you would change?/No
5th - would you go again?/Yes
Typically I've done trips in conjunction with hitting one of the MSTA AMA sanctioned rides (http://www.sporttouring.us/forumdisplay.php/99-MSTA-Events) that are held in the Ozarks and made it a full week of riding the Ozarks.
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I should really get down there one of these days, haven't been there since I was born (I was born in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO)
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I've done this at least a half dozen times.
1st - did you trailer down there or ride?/Trailer
3rd - where did you stay?/ Generally a different town every night
So do you leave your truck and trailer at some place then ride back to it when your ready to leave Ar?
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I've done this at least a half dozen times.
1st - did you trailer down there or ride?/Trailer
3rd - where did you stay?/ Generally a different town every night
So do you leave your truck and trailer at some place then ride back to it when your ready to leave Ar?
Yes. drop the truck and trailer and ride a multi day loop from it and back to it. Cover the entire riding area with as little repetition as possible. Different route sheet for each day.
I used to do these trips every year, but haven't been able to for the past of couple of years. Next year I'll be putting at least one of these together for MSTA members. Pull together trailers and tow vehicles, route sheets for each day, planned lunch stops, and hotel reservations for each night around an MSTA national event. Probably be to an event near the Appalachian Ridge. In the past, I've done them to the west coast, Colorado, Ozarks, Nova Scotia and Appalachians.
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I have been down there several times. Street and dirt. Can't beat it. I am up for a trip this Sept or Oct. We could take the RV.
Dick Roles
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I've done this at least a half dozen times.
1st - did you trailer down there or ride?/Trailer
3rd - where did you stay?/ Generally a different town every night
So do you leave your truck and trailer at some place then ride back to it when your ready to leave Ar?
Yes. drop the truck and trailer and ride a multi day loop from it and back to it. Cover the entire riding area with as little repetition as possible. Different route sheet for each day.
I used to do these trips every year, but haven't been able to for the past of couple of years. Next year I'll be putting at least one of these together for MSTA members. Pull together trailers and tow vehicles, route sheets for each day, planned lunch stops, and hotel reservations for each night around an MSTA national event. Probably be to an event near the Appalachian Ridge. In the past, I've done them to the west coast, Colorado, Ozarks, Nova Scotia and Appalachians.
So your not worried about anything happening to the Truck\Trailer while your out and about?
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A couple of times it was my truck with trailer.
No worries.
We would stay at a hotel the night of arriving and the night before heading back and they would keep a eye on the rig.
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I've done this at least a half dozen times.
1st - did you trailer down there or ride?/Trailer
3rd - where did you stay?/ Generally a different town every night
So do you leave your truck and trailer at some place then ride back to it when your ready to leave Ar?
Yes. drop the truck and trailer and ride a multi day loop from it and back to it. Cover the entire riding area with as little repetition as possible. Different route sheet for each day.
I used to do these trips every year, but haven't been able to for the past of couple of years. Next year I'll be putting at least one of these together for MSTA members. Pull together trailers and tow vehicles, route sheets for each day, planned lunch stops, and hotel reservations for each night around an MSTA national event. Probably be to an event near the Appalachian Ridge. In the past, I've done them to the west coast, Colorado, Ozarks, Nova Scotia and Appalachians.
So your not worried about anything happening to the Truck\Trailer while your out and about?
The only time I worry about the truck and trailer is when it is loaded with all the bikes. I've always thought when everything is loaded it makes a particularly tempting target.
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I would love to do a Canadian Maritimes trip.
Tim...
I used to do these trips every year, but haven't been able to for the past of couple of years. Next year I'll be putting at least one of these together for MSTA members. Pull together trailers and tow vehicles, route sheets for each day, planned lunch stops, and hotel reservations for each night around an MSTA national event. Probably be to an event near the Appalachian Ridge. In the past, I've done them to the west coast, Colorado, Ozarks, Nova Scotia and Appalachians.
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I've been to the Ozarks 5 times.
1 Trailer or ride I rode there and back once and trailered 4 times
2 Time of year I usually go in September. Too hot in July/August. Last time I went in May because an opportunity popped up
3 Where did you stay Last two times Harrison, AR. Other times moved around between Branson, MO and Petite Jean S. P. AR
4 Anything I would change No
5 Would I go again Absolutely
Others have mentioned the smooth, clean road conditions and relaxed law wnforcement. I'll just say a few words about the roads. You can ride
twisties all day without going on more than 5-6 roads. You don't need a two page routesheet in AR. There are some roads that are particularly
fun and challenging (123, Push Mt road, 125, The Pig Trail to name a few) but even the connector roads used to get from, say Push Mt Rd to
123 are exceptional. These lesser roads would be raved about if they were in MN. Also some roads have a positive camber which encourages
aggresive riding. Most of the fun roads are mostly free of traffic. Two really fun roads (AR 7 and MO 160) have traffic but with careful timing
they can be ridden hard.
Bottom Line. If you have not been there go. If you have been there go again. It is that good!
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Others have mentioned the smooth, clean road conditions and relaxed law enforcement. I'll just say a few words about the roads. You can ride
twisties all day without going on more than 5-6 roads. You don't need a two page routesheet in AR.
Bottom Line. If you have not been there go. If you have been there go again. It is that good!
This is an excellent point, Tony. You can ride all day on a few roads.
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It is hard to convey the thrill of riding the Ozarks in words. I'm no writer. All I can say is a huge shit-eating grin broke out on my face about 3 corners into
MO 125 the last time I rode it. ;D
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thank you for all the input. Sounds like a good place to ride.
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So, Next month, Josh, Ken, Grant (not on the forum) are all going to Arkansas for 4 days of riding, Does anybody have any old route sheets or roads that are must hit?
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Clicky1 (http://www.harrisonarkansas.org/motorcycling.html)
Clicky2 (http://www.arkansas.com/outdoors/Motorcycling/)
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So, Next month, Josh, Ken, Grant (not on the forum) are all going to Arkansas for 4 days of riding, Does anybody have any old route sheets or roads that are must hit?
I don't have any route sheets to share, but here are some must ride roads.
* Ride Hwy 14 all the way between Omaha (Ar) and Mountain View. This is my 2nd favorite road.
* From Hwy 14 ride Hwy 341 (near Big Flat) 12 miles north, turn around and ride it back (it straightens out after the 12 mile mark)
* Ride Hwy 16 all the way from Clinton to St. Paul. This is my favorite road, even better than 341. Hardly any traffic but be advised that it goes through a national forest and you will run into some logging trucks from time to time. Also keep in mind that if you go down in some of the more desolate areas, it will be 30 minutes or more before EMT's reach you.
* Hwy 23 from Eureka Springs to Ozark
* Hwy 21 from Berryville to Clarksville
* Hwy 123 from Western Grove to Clarksville. I highly recommend you ride this road from north to south the first time you run it. There are some STEEP switchbacks just south of Mt. Judia.
* Hwy 27 from Harriet to Russellville
* Hwy 7 from Harrison to Russelville
* Hwy 263 from Big Flat to Hwy 92.
You will never enjoy Wisconsin and Minnesota roads as much after you have ridden the Ozarks. The best (IMO) pure sportbikes roads in America. The Rockies and Appalachians have better vistas, but more LEO and car traffic.
mmmmm, my palms are sweating. :headbang:
Greg
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I just added a bunch of routes from an Arkansas Riders guide book, see my post here:
http://mn-msta.com/index.php/topic,285.0.html
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So we are down hear, you guys could have told me it's a Dry county in Harrison :(
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So we are down hear, you guys could have told me it's a Dry county in Harrison :(
Yup, you only figure that out after you find a room for the night.
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So we are down hear, you guys could have told me it's a Dry county in Harrison :(
LOL. If you go downtown there is a place called JP's you can drink at. It's in a hotel that I think is called the Seville. Otherwise if you head straight north and take the exit before Branson there is the biggest liquor store I think I've ever seen in my life right off the highway.
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hi y'all
hi y'all
We just got back from and awesome time in Arkansas and Missouri, what a blast!! The four of us staid in Harrison at the Super 8, great place nice people
Day 1 (Fri)- in the truck for 12 hours, got to Harrison about 8:30 and unloaded the bikes, got some supper and found out about Boone county being dry.
Day 2 (sat) - Up and out the door about 8:30, it had rained hard over night, we were able to park our bikes by the front door, they were all nice and dry. I had made up route sheets but looking at the radar, we decided to call, make up a new route. So the four of us took off north up 65 to 62 to Eureka Springs, it was a zoo there was some car show going on there, we headed south, on 23, hit 74 then 16 got gas at this little place on the corner of 23 and 16, man that guy was a hoot, we also saw the this big red wasp, it was a scary looking thing. From there the four of use took off on 16 to Fayetteville, for some supper\lunch (we had to have buffalo wild wings), from there we when down 540 to 170 then road through Devil's Den state park, from there we took 71 south to Alma then took 64 to 123 north to 65, we got home about 8:30. We then jumped in the truck and headed off to Wild Bills in Missouri to get some beer and captain Morgen
Day 3 (sun)- On the way home Saturday night Josh's (YZF600) speedometer broke, we looked at it and the cable had come undone, but the part inside fell out, a trip to Nappa fixed that and then we had also noticed that the Break lights and running lights were not working on Ken's bike (Ducati 999), so we messed around with them and got them all working then we were on the bikes heading out of town on 7 we road this all the way down to hwy 5 just out of Hot Springs, we were going to go there but while we were stopped a couple pulled up on 2 GSXR 1000's (we had seen them the day before on the road at Pelsor, Ar) they told us to stay out of Hot Springs there was Harley thing going on and it was nuts down there, with that info we turned around and headed north on 7 to 289 then headed north up 27 to 65, we got home about 9:30 that night
Day 4 (Mon)- We pulled out one of the route sheets and used it for part of the day, took off on a nice little ride through the country and ended up on 14 to 125 then we took the fairy over to Missouri, then took 162 through Mark Twain National Forest over to 86 over to 21 we road 21 all the way down to 164 the up to 7, and stopped at a place called Blue Mountain Bakery & Deli, they had the best sandwiches there an the owner was from Ellsworth Wi, so we could understand her ;). We got back around 6:30
Day 5 (Tue) - We were going to put some miles on but mother nature had other plans for us, we got up ready to hit the road at 6 it was raining so we jumped in the truck and drove to a dinner to get some breakfast we went back to the rooms and took a nap, then took off about noon, when to 43 then to 16 to 123 got to Mount Judea, and I had a dog run out on me, I panicked hit the binders and put the bike down (and the dog), that was the end of the ride for that day, I gimpped the FZ home, loaded up the bikes on the trailer and we got some supper at Western Sizzlin Steak House, where we ate too much, went back to the to the hotel about 8:30 or 9:00
Day 6 (Wed) - left Harrison about 5AM back in Saint Loise Park about 5PM.
Pic's(linky) (http://picasaweb.google.com/CWiz1974/ArkansasTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCImKyMfvuPjB0AE&feat=directlink)
We all had a blast, we are thinking about our next trip next year. Thinking about Idaho...
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I'm glad you guys had a good time. We'll have to check out that Blue Mountain Bakery & Deli. I know the place after seeing it in your pictures, though every time I've been down there it's just been a general / convenience store.
*our groups leaves tomorrow, woot!* :headbang: