I Am Living My Dreams...

[luckylindy]

Ailkel-The trip was incredible and there will definitely be many more.  You could not ask for better weather, roads, food, and friends.  I did about 1,000 miles on the NH and loved every minute of it.  Pants FJR is an awesome bike.  Electric smooth and fast.  Can't twist the throttle on the 1300 like the 750.  Thanks for the great report and pics Pants.  Since he was busy taking pics, didn't get many of the Pantsman.  No Pants report is complete without this pose.

Pants off the ground and back in the proper place.  Don't be sagging. 

Pants in pursuit of more pics.  The only drawback to the beautiful scenery is the lack of places to pull over.  He was searching hard for a Buffalo River overlook.
   

[luckylindy]

One more of the Oark store.

Another view from Talimena.

It was tough to go back to work today after living in motorcycle nirvana 4 days.  Lots of great memories and many more to come.

[creaky]

Wow! Great pics and write up, I'm ready to head for the Ozarks right now. If an Ozarks ride comes up next year, I'll do my darndest to show up.

[hppants]

Thanks for the kind wishes.  This trip was special for me, but for wildly different reasons.  Of course, the scenery and fellowship were great - it always is.  But I spent the whole weekend re-learning how to ride.  At times, it was hard not to really twist it.  But I kept riding within my limits, and the trip was much more enjoyable.  I remember at one point, the road was especially challenging.  I was in my grove, choosing good lines, leaning back and forth - really enjoying the bike.  I wanted to pick up the pace and stretch the bike a little.  But the tree line was a little closer to the road, and pushing it would have limited my reaction time around the curves.  So I bided my time.  Not 10 minutes later, we changed roads and this time, the new road was a little less twisty, with no tree line.  Now I can see all the way around the curve long before I get to it.  So, I dropped a gear and let her rip for 10 or so miles.  At the next town, I dropped back behind Lucky and calmed down.  I was proud of myself for riding between my ears, and not between my wrist.

Beautiful pictures hp and your description of AR roads make me want to go but don't mess with Colorado 2012

Burgi - I'm planning to attend Rocky Mountain Rally myself.  Hopefully, there's room next year for both.

Shoot, I always stand up to stretch, I had better look at mine ?

T/R - you are prolly OK.  Lucky broke that peg last year at the Hill Country Rally, and he tried to fix it with JB Weld.  His fix worked great until Mr. Spastic here tried to stand on it.  Now it's welded and I don't think that will happen again.

looks like you have gotten your confidence back on the fjr

I think so HH - I'm much more familiar with the brakes now.  The FJR is the perfect bike for the way I like to ride.

I so have to go East again at some point

Plenty to see out here Mr. Bee.  Not as desolate as you are accustomed to, but quite beautiful none the less.

The whole trip was just incredible.

Really was Ailkel.  I enjoyed your company tremendously.  I’ll ride with you anywhere, anytime.

Thanks for adding your pics, Lucky.  As you know, when one gets older, “sagging” is inevitable.  Equally hard for me to go back to work this week.  Good times for sure.

[Burgi]

hp you are no longer glaring at the camera! Good to see you looking so happy. 

[LOKi]

Sorry I had to miss this ride. I only have 3 days of vacation left. I could of use 2 of those days to go ride but then I would miss out on a solid 9 days of deer hunting. (Thanksgiving week so two days holiday + 3 days vacation + two weekends). It was a tough choice. But Bambi on the grill trumps a couple days riding.

This year there where some things that ate up my vacation time. One wedding and a family thing I had to do. Next year I'll have much more time to ride. Maybe I'll do both Colorado and Ozarks.

I like the Ozarks idea. There are some good climbing routes in the Ozarks.

Good ride report. Thanks for sharing.

[Ol School]

HP I was there with Bro inlaw ..we base camped at the Ramada Inn in Mountain Home Fri and Sat nite .
Great roads ..both my Honda`s love those Ar roads .
I was on my new to me Magna and bro inlaw was rideing my old Nite Hawk 550
It was bro inlaws first time up there ...he had a smile on his face the whole trip .....................I was glad his Harley was broke down so he would have to  ride my spare Nite Hawk . those roads are made for a Honda .
we may have crossed paths over the weekend but there were so many bikes up there ...the weather was great all weekend ..Sunday morning when we got ready to leave my  ol Nite Hawk didn`t like the cold weather eaither had to jump her off with a set of cables ..there was frost on the windshields Sunday morning .
I had my camera but never took it out of my tail bag .....I was haveing too much fun .  glad you got some pics ...no doubt a great place for a Honda rally .
I`m starting to really like the looks of the VFR ....may have to put one on my wish list ...

[mattrowe19]

Wow. Looks like it was a great trip! Pants, I'm glad to see you've shaken off the effects of your last off. I was disheartened to hear you were considering giving up riding. But I had a feeling you'd get back on that horse. I have a feelin Loki wouldn't have let you give up completely! After seeing your ride report, and reading the rally threads of this year, it really has me wanting to get out for a multi-day trip. Hopefully life will let me do so someday. It's tough with a wife and kids at home. But eventually it will happen.

[hppants]

Ol School - sorry to read that we missed you.  It would have been cool to ride together for a while on Sunday.  There were a lot of bikes out - especially with that H/D Rally in Fayetteville.  In spite of that, Lucky, Ailkel, and I found the roads to be very light on traffic.  Maybe that is because we were runing North, and the H/D's were running south?  I think it's really because most H/D riders like to kick tires instead of riding the dog gonned thing.   

Mat19 - I don't know how I even considered giving up riding.  Last weekend was epic, A renewal of my passion.  Most of the time I was riding, I was thinking "Man, this is fun."  SOQS says she knew from day 1 after my last off that I wasn't going to stop riding.  She usually knows.

As for 2012 - my next challenge is to find a "Kickstand Lodge" in the middle of the Ozarks.  Once that is done, then we can chat Rally.   

[Ol School]

HP//maybe you have learned a good lesson from the last off ....it just happened to a good friend of mine and he is giveing it up ..
I would rather just ride safer than give it up ...nothing beats the feel of being on 2 wheels ...
I hauled gas for years ...everyone says I drive like I have a 45 foot tanker of gas beind me ....maybe I do ...and maybe its a good thing I do .
I found a map of all the good motorcycle roads in my room at the Ramada Inn...
we didn`t care if we were lost most of the time ..as long as there was plenty of gas stops ...lol  those long sweeper curves are nice ..then the back roads offered as much twisty as NC I thought ....

[gammer]

Great ride reports lads and some fantastic pics 

[hppants]

Here's some action shots from a photo-vendor on the Pig Trail last weekend (thanks Ailkel for finding these):

Looking very good, Madam:





Lindy, your black wheels look sharp



Way to look through the curve



How about a FEEJER shot?




Good times...

[Bumblebee]

Not as desolate as you are accustomed to, but quite beautiful none the less.

Definitely. I use to travel the eastern states every year growing up. It's time to go back again.

[ailkel]

Here's some action shots from a photo-vendor on the Pig Trail last weekend (thanks Ailkel for finding these): Good times...

Thanks for re-posting Pants.  I'll have to look for the second shots I missed them the first go around.  Those are the results I should expect when I begin my search 3 minutes before I leave for work.
Ailkel

[luckylindy]

 Wish we were back on those great AR twisties.

[green427]

Wish we were back on those great AR twisties.

Oh yeah, I don't blame you. Those were great pics and a great report. I wish I went with you guys.