Talimena Rally 2008!!!

[yadada]

Big Thanks to Tod ! It was good to meet all the new folks and get to know the rest a little better. Steph and I made it home a little before 5 without too much trouble.

[Bob Falter]

Dittos to all of the above. It was my first Talimena and it was great. Thanks to Tod, Vince, and anyone else that helped to make it happen. It was quite a turn out. On Saturday night I was wishing that I could stay up and party longer but from the looks of Vince at 6:00 AM on Sunday morning I was glad that I hadn’t. Still, I may have to stay one more night next year.

Oh yes, I want to see Tod eat that 2 pound burger too. Next year, Friday night, Tod and Russ, two pound burger eating contest.

Bob

[Charger Arms]

I am not a myspacer or facebooker. I am socially inept. (fat and ugly to boot. )

Maybe Adam could link them here.

OK. I joined so I could figure out a way to post the pics I took riding with all the XS-XJ ers this weekend. Do you want the photobucket link or just posted up on here?

Adam
05 HD Night Train

[Bigfoot]

Hey Adam,

You are welcome here even if you don't own an XS. You never know, if you hang around here long enough you may come around.

[Yamaniac]

more pics

okay, I posted the pictures I took at:
http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/c...Trail%20Oct08/

and at:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...lbumId=1725621

not real exciting pics, but hey, navigating a cycle and taking pics at the same time is not something I have done before.

[Wildkat]

My pics

Some pre-ride pics at Hot Springs thrown in too... just because I can...



Hot Springs and Talihina

Is it just me... or is anyone else ready to go again?

[trbig]

Small ride report...

A few of us met in Arkansas a couple days before the rally to ride around there. Friday, we rode north to a place called Petit Jean State Park, and took a little bit to look around.


Bob Falter at one of the lookouts...






Then I walked out to the edge of the cliff to take a few pics.. looked right and saw this. Remember the rock guy in the Fantastic Four movies/comics? This is a natural rock formation...






Here's Bob Falter trying to translate the pretty pictures for Russ79 in words he can understand... : )







I don't remember the name of this waterfall... but here it is anyway. lol. Cedar Falls maybe??







We then rode west to Havana Arkansas and headed north up HWY 309 up to Magazine Mountain. The view here is spectacular, and the twisty roads are hard to beat. Too bad I didn't actually take a picture to show you huh!? lol..I'm sure someone else will post one eventually.

After this, we pointed to the southwest to meet up with everyone in Talihina Oklahoma. We ate at a restaurant that advertised a two pound burger. They showed me the bun the last time I was there and it comes in a cake box! So.. copntrary to popular belief.. Russ and I were going to SHARE ONE of these behemoth assaults on our cardiac system. Unfortunately, they were out of the buns. So.. back to the hotel and caught up on lost time with everyone.

Saturday, we met up at the Pam's Hateful Hussy Diner for some decent food and crappy, long service... lol. We headed out on our ride after that. I think someone counted 25 bikes total. There kept being a split in the group. I tried to ride mellow at a pace everyone could keep up with... it just didn't turn out that way! lol. Here's a pic of several of the bikes, and you can see the next group just topping the hill in the background. Hmmm.. with the pic this size.. maybe you can't! lol.








Here are the 19 that actually stuck with us to Mena Arkansas at an overlook on the Talimena trail.







One of the views at one of the lookouts on the way back to Talihina...







The rally officialy ended in Mena Arkansas so everyone could enjoy riding the Trail at their own pace, and stop and look at any/all of the lookouts they wanted to. Bob Falter led the pack back... for a while... RIIIGGGHHHT up until the cops pulled us over! lol. No tickets though. Yamaniac and Adam said they got pulled over after that also with no tickets. Here are a few pics of Bob in front before the cop incident..















As we were pulled over... saving our dear friends from the local law enforcement finding out about all their past felony warrants... several of them rode by pointing and laughing. We met up with them at the next overlook. They seemed surprised and a bit disappoined that we were riding our bikes instead of the back seat of a cop car. We were pulled over for several minutes on the back side of a hill. It was pretty hilarious to hear all the various bikes coming.. then as they topped the hill, you could hear them all decellerate as they saw the cop car. Anyway.. here's the overlook the guys met us at afterwards.












And here's Bob again....







I told Bob, "You don't need to salute me.." He said, "If I don't, I get that squinty eyed thing going on.." I told him that would be OK. What I SHOULD have said was, "Russ... I'm taking a pic.. don't pick your nose for just a sec.." : )







The last overlook we stopped at on the Trail...







And here's the pic you all hate. You know the guy... always pulling out his wallet to show you the pic of his ugly kids, and you have to lie and say, "Hmmm.. good looking family you got there.." Here's my kid.. lol







I had a great time meeting people I hadn't.... and seeing ones I had. Good times.. good friends. I hope to see you all again next year.



Tod

[Charger Arms]

http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n...il%20Oct%2008/



See if this link works.

[trbig]

Yup.. that worked. I personally liked #4 the best! lol..

Tod

[Charger Arms]

Yup.. that worked. I personally liked #4 the best! lol..

Tod

I forgot that one was on there. My Bad.

[GrayWizard]

Thank's Tod great ride,great people,great time. Better late than never.

GOD BLESS:
Robert & Linda

[trbig]

Mark Your Calendars!!

OK...

One of the members here that went to Talihina with us has to put in for their leave a year in advance, and asked if we could do the rally again next year around the same time. So... Mark your calendars for Saturday Oct 10th of 2009 for the rally next year!

Hope to see you there. Maybe this is enough warning for everyone to get a hotel room there this time?? lol.


Tod

[Bigfoot]

Tod,
If you book yours now and then call them every week until next October, they may actually still have your room for you when you get there.

[Russ79]

Good call Bigfoot! Then maybe we won't have to listen to their snoring next year! Ha Ha Ha!

Russ

[classawinn]

Great week

Had a great time at the rally. Good to see all you folks and your XS 11's Thanks Tod for putting together a great rally and for checking on me after I broke down in Fort Smith Ar. I made it the rest of the trip with no problems. I'm ready to go again .As I told some of you I was taking the rest of the week and riding to St. Louis before going home to Southaven Mississippi. I ended up riding 2000 miles. The bike got 35 mpg on the trip but I took it easy most of the time keeping it under 70 most of the time.and a steady 70 mph, Springfield to St Louis and St Louis to Southaven Ms. ,these two day were the only expressway riding. I got home Sunday 10-19-08, 11 days after I started the trip Thursday,10-9-08.
Sunday, the day most of you went home I rode some more roads around Talihina before heading to Ft. Smith to spend the night. When I got to Ft. Smith the rear axle bearing was squeaking. Monday the bike shops are closed in Ft. Smith but luck for me I have a relative that lives in Russellville Ar. 60 miles away that I could stay with while I fixed my bike. The bike made it to Russellville no problem . Got the wheel off but the Yamaha shop did not have the bearing and it is discontinued. Lucky for me I have a spare wheel at home and my wife shipped it to me on the Greyhound Bus and I had it the next day. I put it back together Tuesday and I am back in the road Wednesday. Wednesday I rode to Ozark Ar. and take hwy 23 the Arkansas Pig Trail to hwy 16 to Springdale Ar. Right before I got to Springdale was the only time it rained the whole trip .Thursday I road around Roger's and Bentonville and went to Walton 5-10, where Walmart started, and the rode to Springfield Mo to spend the night. Friday was the coldest day of the trip and I wore my rain suit all day over my clothes and leather jacket to keep warm. I rode Springfield to St Louis on Friday. It got down to 38 degrees in St Louis that night.My wife rode the Greyhound bus to meet me in St. Louis Friday night. My son had a school band marching contest in St. Louis Saturday that we went to .Sunday I took my wife to the bus station to ride the bus home and I headed home myself on the bike and stopped at Lambert's for a good dinner, Lambert's in Sikeston Mo. "HOME OF THE THROWN ROLLS". Then made it home about 7:30 PM, I got home before my wife made it to Memphis.