http://picasaweb.google.com/2007xl50/2009TripToHotSprings#
Halloween night about 11:30 Carla and I decided to go for a three or four day ride. After looking at the map we decided to ride to Grove, Oklahoma the first day.
We would leave the next morning about 9 after it warmed up a little and head south. We had heard of sand dunes and nice lakes in Northeast Oklahoma but had never seen them. That sounded like a good place to start and then maybe we would go over to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
It was pretty cold when we left Saturday morning but by the time we got over to Highway 75 and South of Topeka it had warmed up a bit. We stopped to say hello to Carla’s uncle Ivan in Caney, Kansas which, is on 75 highway and the Oklahoma border. After the chat with Uncle Ivan and the gas stop it was about 2 and the weather was getting real nice. The 125-mile ride down the 4 lane to Bartlesville and the 2 lane over to Grove was really uneventful and not too much for scenery. Grove was located on a pretty neat lake but I guess we weren’t really looking for any water sports. We had ridden about 350 miles Saturday.
After a nights rest in Grove we headed for the Arkansas Ozarks. We had to go south to Jay OK before going east so we missed Missouri. The plan was “no helmets” and that means no Missouri. We rode through Bentonville and admired all of the super nice homes probably built with Wal-Mart money. Carla had not been to Eureka Springs before so she enjoyed the ride along main street and it’s winding multi level layout. The shops and streets were crowded with people even though it is officially the off season and the economy is the way it is. Before leaving Eureka Springs we checked out “The Bikers Rest” I think that’s the name of it. The info on it is in the saddlebags. (More on the where abouts of the saddlebags later)
We stopped at another bikers motel/wateringhole/campground on Highway 62 east of Eureka Springs but that info is in the saddlebags too. (see above)
We got to Harrison and started south on Highway 7. (Highway 7 is one of the main reasons to ride in the Ozarks). Someone somewhere had told me to try Highway 123. South of Jasper I happen to see a sign that said “374 to 123”. After getting on 374 it said 7 miles to 123. We went 7 miles and came to a Tee. The sign said Highway 123 and arrows pointing both ways. To the left it said “To highway 7 and Jasper” to the right it said “NO TRUCKS, impassable for trucks, 23 miles of bad road”. Naturally we went right and rode some of the best road with the best scenery we had EVER seen. After the 23 miles of bad road we ended back on Highway 7. I think we skipped about 10 miles of Highway 7 going on 374 and 123 but that is definitely the way to go. Back on 7 we were about 40 miles north of Russellville.
The noise in the Sportster motor that had started the day before was starting to get louder so it was time to figure out which way to go from Russellville. Hot Springs was 80 miles south and Fort Smith was 80 miles west. Fayetteville (where we were planning on staying one night before heading home) was another 80 miles back north of Fort Smith.
Since we were not ready to start home we went south to Hot Springs. By the time we got to Hot Springs it was late afternoon Sunday and obvious the noise in the motor had to be looked at by a Harley Dealer. We rode by the Harley shop and the sign said open Monday at 8 o’clock. We found a Comfort Inn close by and checked in. There were two super good looking Harley’s parked on the sidewalk right outside of the lobby door. The lady at the desk said just park out there next to those bikes and no one will mess with yours.
After we parked and took the bag to the room it was time to eat. We got directions from the nice lady at the desk to The Cracker Barrel which happened to be just on the other side of 270. When we got back to the Sportster the owners of the other Harleys were outside on the Street Glide. They were husband and wife from Memphis and were going to eat at the Outback. They were super nice people and we talked about 5 minutes or so about riding and where we had ridden. They had been doing the Harley “ABC’s” and racked up loads of miles. His bike was two years old? So was mine? Mine will be 2, Nov. 4th. His too! She got her bike in April and had 12,000 miles already. They were the same age as our kids. It was really nice talking to them and it would be nice to ride together some day. We parted ways and that was it.
Carla and I rode over to the Cracker Barrel and “I’ll be Damned, “ It’s right next to the Outback. We thought about eating at the Outback but just parked in their lot and walked to the Cracker Barrel. (Same walking distance)
Monday morning at 7:30 we were at the Harley Shop. We had eaten a nice breakfast at the Hotel and left a note for the nice kids with the bikes parked next to us. “It was a pleasure to talk to you last night. Maybe we’ll get to ride together some time. We’re going over to the Harley Shop”
At Landers Harley, Hot Springs, at 8 o’clock Chris came out to look at my bike. I told him it was making a noise and as soon as I started it up he said “shut it off”. He said I’ll push it inside and see what is wrong. Chris said right away it wasn’t going to be pretty.
After a half hour or so the kids from the hotel the night before showed up. We just started off from our conversation the night before. His name is Dave, her name is Alison. She’s retired Coast Guard, he has 2-1/2 years left before retirement from the Coast Guard.
Alison’s right rear turn signal doesn’t work so Dave gets a new 1157 bulb and puts it in. Light still does work. Alison’s Fat Bob has been lowered and the tire has worn the wire in two. Landon, the service manager says we can fix that, it should not take too long to get on it.
It was sometime after noon when the Dave and Alison took off and by that time we had about 4 hours of time to talk about everything from bikes to jobs to family and friends. They were truly fun to be around and they definitely made our time at the dealers go faster. We found out our troubles with our bike where just starting. The upper end looked good. The cams where in good shape. The hydraulic lifters had been replaced and the motor started and the noise was still there. Chris was tearing the motor down further to look at the lower end.
The motor work was going to be under warranty even though it was the last day of the two-year warranty. Carla and I were in talking to Becky about an Extended Warranty when my cell phone rang. It was Dave. He had gotten about 5 miles from the Harley shop, had run over something on the highway and blown a tire. Lander’s Harley didn’t have a towing service but Landon gave me the number of the service they use and I passed the number on to Dave. We said we’d see each other again soon.
Carla and I had decided to buy an extra two-year warranty. Under this warranty it would pay for motels, food and car rental for the time our bike was in the shop.
Chris got to the bottom of our bike problem and found a rod bearing had failed. That’s bad news. 7 to 10 days to fix.
Landon was on the phone with Harley while they were trying to figure out how they where going to handle it. Landon said they were going to have a meeting about this in Milwaukee or wherever these decisions are made.
Dave’s bike came in on a rollback and Dave came riding Alison’s bike in. I suppose Alison was in the truck.
It must have been around 2 or 2:30 and Carla and I went down the street a ways to Enterprise Car Rental. We rented a 2009 Caravan and looks like we will have it the maximum 10 days allowed under warranty. We got our room back from the Comfort Inn and went back to the Harley shop.
Dave got his tire fixed and since Alison’s rear tire was getting worn they had it changed too. Dave and Alison thought about staying another night but her bike was done around 4 o’clock and they had a 3-1/2 or 4 hour ride to Memphis so they took off again. We definitely enjoyed our time spent with Dave and Alison and hope be able to ride with them sometime. They are really a COOL couple.
Carla and I stayed around the Harley shop waiting for the latest word on our bike.
Brian, a salesman at Lander’s started trying to trade bikes with us. He had seen us looking at a Dyna Lowrider and a Softail Custom. Brain came up with figures for financing either bike for 2 years to 7 years. He followed us around like we were hooked together or something. Naturally we were NOT interested in getting another scooter. I finally told him NO and I didn’t want to talk to him any more.
It was after 5, they closed at 6 and Landon had gone to a dentist appointment. He would know more about the bike repair tomorrow. We already knew by then that Harley wanted the old motor back and they would ship out a new one with my serial number on it.
Our mission for that day at Lander’s was done. We were hungry so we ate bacon and eggs at Ihop. After dinner/breakfast, we drove the Van downtown and did a little sightseeing in Bill Clinton’s boyhood hometown of Hot Springs. The history of Hot Springs is rich and abundant, it was an enjoyable ride even if it was in a CAGE.
Tuesday morning we woke up, had breakfast in the Lobby then headed over to the Harley shop. I looked up Brian, apologized for turning him off yesterday and told him to figure up payments on the Softail Custom without trade. Brian said while Becky and I are figuring this up you guys take the Softail for a ride. What? The bike was on the showroom floor, it had 3 miles on it. I had no idea there was a dealer that would let you Demo a bike off of the floor. We had one helmet with us, borrowed one from Lander’s and went for a test ride. We rode about 3 miles on the residential street behind the shop then headed back to get our jackets, we were going out on the Interstate. After 15 miles on the highway I was sold on the handling and the power of the bigger bike. It handled as easy as the Sporty and rode better and easier two up.
We went back inside the Harley Store, (Now it is a Harley Store as well as a Harley Shop) and were directed to see Becky for the details of their sales proposal. We decided that we could make the payments but we would need a windshield, engine guard and a luggage rack too. About that time Jim, the general manager, came in a said he would throw in the accessories (over $700 worth) for the first amount. Without thinking, I said we would need Stage 1 equipment too. Stage 1 consists of improved air intake, mufflers and a remap of the computer. (another $700). Jim flinched, shook his head then smiled a little and said OK. It is about 9:30. The bike was sitting outside so Jim had a guy from the shop go get it and start getting it ready to put the new parts on. Becky started writing up the order. Two of the parts guys were helping me pick out mufflers and other parts we needed and making sure they had them in stock. Carla and Becky had picked out the FREE T-shirts that we would be GIVEN for buying a new bike at Lander’s. It’s now after noon and once-in-a-while somebody ends up missing. Guess they have to take time to eat a sandwich or something. After the bike has been in the back room for a couple of hours, close to 1 o’clock, Becky says the papers are ready to sign. I am about to sign but ask what the $370 is for. After Becky says for LABOR to install the extra parts and I explode saying NO WAY am I paying $370 to install parts I could install myself in the parking lot. Becky says you will have to talk to Jim. I’ll go get him. Becky left and it was a while before I see her again. Jim walked in and after I told him I wasn’t going to pay for that labor, Carla saw the look on Jim’s face and she left. It was just Jim and I. He blinked first but didn’t smile this time. After it was over we both agreed the labor charges should have been included in the original negotiations and could still be friends.
The new bike was ready at 4 o’clock. As we had decided earlier that day we would keep the Van to haul the extra baggage (original mufflers and such) and head off toward Richard and Kay’s place north of Oklahoma City. Mena Arkansas was on the Oklahoma border about 150 miles west of Hot Springs and would be a good place to spend Tuesday night. Kay knew we would try to be at her place Wed.
The break-in period for the Harley was 500 miles. The key was varied RPM under 4000 RPM. Highway 270 west out of Hot Springs was perfect for the break-in, winding roads with small towns every 10 miles or so. Somehow we did get to Mena just before dark. Mena was a small town but had lots of Mom and Pop Motels and they were all just about full. (Never did figure out what was going on there) We got a nice room at the Limetree Inn. Wed. morning we both got on the bike, left the Van at the Limetree and went for a ride. We went west on 88 to 8 and headed off to a mountain in OK (can’t remember the name). Out of town a ways the sign says Mount ? 55 miles. We were wanting to go to Fayetteville also so figured we didn’t have time for everything. We turned around and headed back to Mena. In Mena highway 18 took off to the left and we had heard it was a good ride. We followed 18 up and out of town. We went up for a couple of miles and we ended up looking down at some clouds then next thing you know we’re in the clouds. Wonderful feeling and a spectacular view of the autumn leaves on the way up. Since we couldn’t spend all day in the clouds we went back to the motel, got the Van and headed north to Fayetteville. Forth Smith is 80 miles north, I thought it was closer. Highway 71 in Arkansas is NOT the highway to make time on (but nice place to break-in new motors) so it was almost noon by the time we got to Fort Smith. HOLY CRAP! 180 miles to Oklahoma City. That really doesn’t leave time to go up to Fayetteville. We’ll have to cancel Fayetteville or tell Kay we will be ANOTHER day later. We decided to go to OKC. The ride to OKC is on Interstate 40 so my varied speed is from 65 to 85. I’ve got almost 300 miles at 45 to 65.
After we get to OKC but before we get to Kay’s house (Kay lives about 40 miles northwest of OKC and we came in from the southeast) we can see it is going to rain SOON. We made pretty good time going north on I-35 but shortly after turning on to Waterloo and heading west the 15 miles to Kay’s it started to rain. Then it was HAIL. After getting wacked in the face by a hailstone I started looking for a place to pull off of the highway/street. It was raining hard enough I couldn’t see real good but did finally get off into a paved driveway for VERY nice ranch house. I got in the Van and we drove the last 10 miles to Kay’s. After an hour or so the storm was over the sun was out and we went back and got the bike. There were still piles or drifts of hailstones in all of the ditches over by where I left the bike.
Kay’s husband Richard’s mother was having surgery in Florida so he has gone to visit her. We went into Piedmont OK and had dinner Wed. evening at the local seed store and restaurant. Thursday Carla and Kay drove to town in Richard’s Icon and I rode the bike in. The bike had 455 miles on it when I left Kay’s so I knew I would get it broke-in that day. The ride into OKC and back to Kay’s then into Piedmont and back yielded 120 miles. The short stay with Kay was enjoyable to say the least. Kay is a very good friend and one of the kindest and nicest persons we know. We never see enough of her.
Friday morning it is back to Kansas and an overnight stop in Salina to see brother Jim and his wife Betty. I think it was about 50 degrees when we left Kay’s and in the 30’s by the time we get to Salina. PDCold…. The new bike stayed overnight next to Jim’s Studebaker Avanti and it liked that!
Friday after we got to Jim’s I called Landon at Lander’s Harley in Hot Springs to ask what he had found out about the Sportster. He said the people at Harley Headquarters really appreciated the 72,000 miles in two years. He said Harley was building a motor especially for me with a bigger bottom end. It should be here Monday and Lander’s should be finished Wed. or Thursday.The stay with Jim and Betty was fun and enjoyable as always but the ride home Saturday was a different story. I think it was 37 degrees in Salina and 34 in Marysville when we got home. We did stop in Junction City at the Harley Shop to get Harley Oil for the 1000-mile service on the new Softail. 950 miles on the bike when we got to Marysville so Carla and I plan to service it next time we get it to our shop in Home City.
NO planning went into this trip. Except for the visit with Uncle Ivan and maybe spending the first night in Grove, OK we really didn't care or know what was coming next. We had not planned to visit Kay (Kinnison) or Brother Jim but both were a BIG plus to the trip....
Mike Gregory and I are making plans to go down and pickup the Sportster next week.
