Texas Adventure Ride

[Tomcat]

Any of you guys going to this? I registered and got the ride program. Looks awesome. The hotel rooms are booking fast. Be nice to see a few more strommers out there. Let me know and we could put together our own Strom Rides.

http://www.texasadventure.net/

[Gilk51]

I'm registered and have a room at Hill's. I will be riding down with a group from Ft. Worth.

[Tomcat]

Cool, I think it will be fun.

[PonchoV]

There are two, at least, V riders coming from FL for the ride.
We are planning on I-10 except for the by pass I-12 all the way to Junction, TX. Question: Is it permited to drive in the HOV lane in Huston while one up on a motorcycle?
thanks,
PonchoV

[Gilk51]

Question: Is it permited to drive in the HOV lane in Houston while one up on a motorcycle?
Motorcycles can use the HOV lane either 1-up or 2-up.
However, have all your defenses in prime condition - Houston traffic (and Houston drivers) is terrible. Because, of the restricted space, I would not recommend the HOV lane, depending on what time you come through town.

Just be very careful! Hope to meet you anmongst all the folks (estimated 75 or so) in Junction...

[PonchoV]

Thanks Chuck,
We plan on dinner east of Huston & a late attack on Huston's freeways.
Timing is everything. I have been through Hustons dozens of times, years back in my truck. It was a pure pain to hit that town in the day time.
Any count on the Vs that are going to do the Junction meet?
later,
Wolfgang

[Gilk51]

Any count on the Vs that are going to do the Junction meet?
Dunno - I suspect there should be a good showing. I'm riding down with a bunch of KLR riders... :shock:

[Katy Strommer]

Thanks Chuck,
We plan on dinner east of Huston & a late attack on Huston's freeways.
Timing is everything. I have been through Hustons dozens of times, years back in my truck. It was a pure pain to hit that town in the day time.
Any count on the Vs that are going to do the Junction meet?
later,
Wolfgang

Wolfgang, I live in Katy, which is West of Houston, just off Mason road. I can not make the event that weekend due to work &*#@ If you have the time and inclination, I would like to ride up to any spot on Mason road and share a soda and say hello. What do you think?

Charlie
82 Gl1100 Goldwing
83 XL600
85 XR350
05 DL1000

[PonchoV]

Charlie,
We will be in your area on the 26th, Thursday around 7am-9am. Hopping it is nearer to 7am but Gary may not be as early a rider as I am. I'll try to talk him into grabing breakfast in Katy on Mason. We should be nightint it off I-10
on 6 aka exit 751. I let Gary make those arrangments. We could be staying someones boat slip or a 4 star joint. Hey, it's an adventure. I figure it may be 300 miles from Katy to Junction. Sound about right? Say 4.5 hours? Just one fuel stop. I'll get w/ him Sunday to better lay out this plan. When I ride LD, I made my riding partner a #1 concern, but stopping to say hello I think makes traveling interesting.
Do you have a place in mind, that will serve food, if I can get Gary to wait?
later,
Wolfgang

[PonchoV]

Charlie,
Yes, we are good to stop in Katy at Mason for an eat & meet. Should we go north or south on Mason? Any land mark?
Wolfgang

[Katy Strommer]

Great Wolfgang, I look forward to meeting you two. How about we meet for breakfeast at 7:00 am at a Cracker Barrel just West of Barker Cypress Road? Barker Cypress is 5 minutes West from Hwy 6. Go past the Barker Cypress exit up to Greenbriar. Exit at Greenbriar and take the turn-around loop underneath I-10 and take the feeder road back East toward Barker Cypress. This puts you on the South side of I-10. The restaurant is on the right just before you get back to Barker Cypress. I start work at 7:30 but woudn't mind being late to have the chance to meet and swap bike stories. Let me know if this works for you guys.

Charlie

[Katy Strommer]

Hello Wolfgang,

Sorry for the late reply. Great news, I look forward to meeting you guys. How about we meet at a Cracker Barrel that is South of I-10 just past Barker Cypress Road. Barker Cypress is less than 5 minutes West from Hy-6. To get to the restaurant just go West on I-10 and exit on Greenhouse road just past Barker Cypress. Take the loop-around at Greenhouse and go back East on the feeder road toward Barker Cypress (this puts you on the South side of I-10). The restaurant is on the right just before you get back to Barker Cypress. I start work at 7:30 but would like to meet with guys at 7:00 and get into work a little late. Let me know if this works for you two.

Charlie

[PonchoV]

Katy Strommer, sorry for the late reply, been real busy.
Yes, that sounds fine, looking for ward to meeting w/ you.

[PonchoV]

Charlie, is it about 2.5 hours from Cracker Barrel to the 1604 on-ramp east of San Antonio?
Thanks,
Wolfgang

[Katy Strommer]

Wolfgang,
I'm at work now and will look up 1604 on my atlas and pop a message back. Also, I didn't realize both of my messages about directions to the Cracker Barrel made it over to you. Had some PC problems and thought the first one I sent at 8:49 on the 14th got lost. The correct street name is Greenhouse and not Greenbriar.
Charlie

[Katy Strommer]

Wolfgang,

Yes, loop 1604 is about 2.5 to 3 hours straight out I-10 West from Katy. I'll see you at the Cracker Barrel on Thursday morning at 7:00 am unless I hear from you guys otherwise.

Charlie

[Gilk51]

Quite a few 'Stroms in Junction last weekend. Staying at the Hill's Motel, our room had a blue 650 and 1000 and the room next to us had a red 650 and 1000. We saw those bikes in Llano on the way down:
http://www.texasarlingtoncs.us/pics/mc/trips/tar070426-29/red_stroms_2550q.JPG

There were crazy people from Florida:
http://www.texasarlingtoncs.us/pics/mc/trips/tar070426-29/florida_2565q.JPG

Yours truly on a water crossing:
http://www.texasarlingtoncs.us/pics/mc/trips/tar070426-29/S4300012q.JPG

http://www.texasarlingtoncs.us/pics/mc/trips/tar070426-29/DSCN0257q.JPG

http://www.texasarlingtoncs.us/pics/mc/trips/tar070426-29/S4300013q.JPG

...
and it looks like I made it except, for the SAND! :shock:
http://www.texasarlingtoncs.us/pics/mc/trips/tar070426-29/S4300014cq.JPG

Gotta love guys that snap photos first before helping you up. :roll:

My first time for serious dual sporting & I was unprepared. I was glad to have survived. I hit another patch of sand and low-sided, ended up headed in the exact opposite direction. You gotta love falling in sand, because I wasn't even sore later. However, I took that as a sign & headed back for asphalt. My counterpart on the DL1000 graciously decided to go as well.

My score for the day:

Gilk 8 (maybe 9), watercrossings 0
Sand 2, Gilk 0 :???:
Riding on gravel, rock, dirt, sand - unnerving for a newbie... :o

Do I have to resign now? :oops:

[Katy Strommer]

Good job Chuck, I've ridden off road for 39 years and I don't think I'd like taking by Strom on anything worse than a gravel/light sandy road. The deep sand would be trouble. Gary and Wolfgang, did you two make it there and back to Florida OK.

Charlie

[PonchoV]

Yes Sir Charlie,
I made it back, Gary is in CO w/ wife for a while. That was Gary's red 1000 w/ all the rocket tubes facing backwards. I wondered why nobody ever tailgated him when I was leading. Gary had a good time in the TAR. I did the down & dirty riding. The Karoo T knobbies really made the difference. Still have the ft on but replaced the rear in T or C, NM. We did Big Bend after the TAR, but the rangers closed the river roads linking the south river area w/ the upper west end. The rains wiped out a few roads & the officials were not having anyone else in a stuck condition. Seems there was a car or two caught in the washout. So said the waitress at the lodge. So we saw what there was & cut it a bit shorter than expected. Met some neat folks from S. Africa. Had a great dinner & shared our primo selection of wines w/ them. It does pay to travel right w/ red & white, wines. Had little deer wondering through out camp site, after a while we just ignored them, can't eat them.
Saw your other post about the bracket & will get the name, PROMISE.
Can't say enough good about the way the bike preformed w/ the Ts. Really surprised me how well it kept up & passed many. The low rpm torque was always there. Sometimes I thought I was too low but the motor just burst out the power. I swapped form the highway 16 tooth to the stock 15 tooth primary. Very glad I did. I learned what the rear brake slide in the turns was all about. Doing the bump gates were just as Richard said. & never try to stop one in mid swing, they have a lot of different ones that require all 500lbs of my V pushing, while some, you could stare at it hard it & there was movement. We were able to time some so that 6 or 8 riders could squeeeeeze through. Other times the lead rider would hold the gate open while each rider would pass through. The lead or second position was always changing w/ nearly each rider doing the primary bump. However sometimes the rider opening the gate would be relieved by a rider who would better position his bike so he could leave the gate w/o the gate pushing him off balance. As I said before the gates were different in size & spring tension. It was easy to get pinned in a rough spot. So all riders would constantly check on the bumper to ensure they were good to go after the last rider.
I would say a rhythm of gate bumping started to form that made riding more pleasurable & a bond started building w/ all the riders in their respected groups. There was a term starting to emerge, I think it was "visiting private property". That's when someone couldn't make a turn & elected not to fall.
I believe skid plates are 100% necessary.
This was one very great ride. TAR-07!
Thanks again to Richard Gibbens
later, Wolfgang