Murph
Well-known member
After hearing about the great roads in Arkansas, I made it a priority to ride there sometime this year. Wheaton and I had discussed it for a few months and, when the Twisty Butt Arkansas All Day get-together was planned, the deal was done and the dates were set.
Thursday, Oct 29th
Wheaton and I met in Northern Illinois and headed down to Arkansas.
An FJR pulled into our scheduled meeting place.
Let’s see … ’04 model? Check.
The new-ish signature yellow helmet? Check.
But I need to see this rider’s face. Ravishing good looks?
Yep. It was Wheaton.
So we took off under menacing skies and 50 miles later we found ourselves doing the “underpass shuffle” to don our rain gear. As we followed the slab south and around St Louis, cold air and steady rain was our companion the entire way to Bonne Terre, Missouri.
Wheaton raved about this place that served catfish:
Little did I know that they served mountains of grub with individual drinks the size of pitchers!
Yours truly…
Friday, Oct 30th
When we went to bed the previous night, we knew the forecast didn’t look good and when we awoke the weather delivered as promised and it was raining … A LOT! The newscasters reported 6 inches of rain in some areas and advised all viewers who encounter flooded roadways to “turn around, don’t drown!”
Wheaton was fearless and laughed in the face of the weather.
We departed Bonne Terre and planned to meander our way to the meet-up spot in Clinton, Arkansas by following the curvy roads all day. The rivers were high and there was a lot of standing water on the roads. The people we passed just shook their heads at the crazy motorcyclists. Wheaton barely noticed the rain. And then….
Fish were literally crossing the road and, as I stared at the flood and waited for an ark to float by, Wheaton asked a local if he could borrow a ramp and the bed of his pickup truck to cross the flooded roadway Evel Knievel style:
I reminded Wheaton to “turn around, don’t drown” and we had to backtrack about 12 miles to get around the flood.
Fortunately, the rain subsided after lunch and we were able to tear up Missouri Route 160 west out of Doniphan and Arkansas Route 9 between Melbourne and Allison. It was a great introduction to the roads of Missouri and Arkansas and the sun even started to shine.
We arrived in Clinton around 6pm and most of the group was already there. A greeting, some fried ice cream, and many stories made everyone feel like old friends. I wished I had my camera with me but, back at the hotel, some unbelievably attractive woman and her girlfriends asked to borrow my camera for some sort of fun they were having in the hotel room next to ours…so I didn’t have my camera to take photos of the group. Oh well.
unk:
Later, fjrrider and glory racing walked us through the official “Twisty Butt Arkansas All Day “ 500 mile route and we hit the sack early to rest up for the following day’s challenge.
Saturday, Oct 31st
The group gathered for breakfast, a pre-ride photo, and then promptly departed the hotel at 7am and into the chilly, dark Arkansas morning. The weather was perfect and clear skies were forecasted.
Just 4 miles in, I had a slight pucker moment in a right-hander when my front tire got squirrely and my rear tire kicked out a bit. I cannot be certain what I hit but I suspect it was some unnoticed gravel and dirt. Fortunately, it was the only pucker moment of the trip.
I found myself trailing FeelinJustRight for a few miles and admired his handling of the bike while riding the curves 2-up in the darkness. After passing him, I rode alone and very much enjoyed the scenery and the roads until just before the first fuel stop when I joined the fastest riders. I’m still not sure how I got in front of them but, soon enough, they passed me again.
The sun had risen and, unlike the gloom and doom of the previous day’s weather, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky:
(At this point, I must note that I managed to get my camera back from those women and, when I reviewed the photos in memory, they left some interesting photos. :dribble: )
After refueling, I followed a group that included JamesK and fjr183 but I lost them when I got stuck behind a slow car on the switchbacks of Rte 103. Once again, I was alone and enjoying the ride.
I didn’t have time to take many pics on Saturday (nor could I take any in the curves) but here are a couple:
Plain and simple, I was just enjoying the ride too much to stop and take better photos. Besides, I need a reason to return next year. Yeah, I'll go next year to take photos. The wife should accept that reason.
Since others have posted up the route, I don’t need to cover it. Besides, I don’t even know where to start in terms of rating/ranking the roads. They were all just so unbelievably great. My hats are off to fjrrider and glory racing for setting up an amazing first ever Twisty Butt route. :clapping:
If you like curves, this route’s got’em. If you like riding mountain ridges, this route’s got’em. If you like technical switchbacks, this route’s got’em. If you like testing your strength and will to complete 500 twisty miles on awesome pavement, this route’s got it. If you prefer long days on the slab to post countless miles … sorry, the Arkansas All Day’s not for you.
North end of Push Mountain road:
This photo of Calico Rock in the background is for Wheaton. What can I say? The guy likes colored rocks.
I returned at 5pm and many riders were already there but notably missing was Wheaton. Thinking that he had no intention of pursuing the entire 500 mile route (or coveting the official “Twisty Butt” designation), we began to get concerned when darkness fell and he was still missing. Knowing of at least two motorcycle incidents along the route, I called authorities but was unable to confirm his involvement. But Wheaton finally pulled in at 7pm…just in time to earn his Twisty Butt award. Glory racing suggested that Wheaton may have been at the local pub the entire time. Although no one will ever truly know the whereabouts of Wheaton between 4-7pm on Oct 31st, it is strange that there is no photo record of Wheaton being on Push Mountain Road on this day. :huh:
The group once again gathered for dinner at the excellent mexican restaurant and fjrrider distributed the official Twisty Butt award and the first Twisty Butters were indoctrinated into the cult. I won’t go into the graphic details of the initiation since we were sworn to secrecy (and threatened with permanent banishment from the Twisty Butt Association) but I’ll leave it at saying this is an amazing group and the organizers went above and beyond to host a great event and make everyone feel welcome. Thank you very much! :yahoo:
Sunday, Nov 1
Wheaton and I departed Clinton at 6am, followed the twisty roads to W. Plains, Missouri and then nothing interesting happened after that. Nope, nothing happened at all and Wheaton and I returned to Northern Illinois and lived happily ever after.
The end
Thursday, Oct 29th
Wheaton and I met in Northern Illinois and headed down to Arkansas.
An FJR pulled into our scheduled meeting place.
Let’s see … ’04 model? Check.
The new-ish signature yellow helmet? Check.
But I need to see this rider’s face. Ravishing good looks?
Yep. It was Wheaton.
So we took off under menacing skies and 50 miles later we found ourselves doing the “underpass shuffle” to don our rain gear. As we followed the slab south and around St Louis, cold air and steady rain was our companion the entire way to Bonne Terre, Missouri.
Wheaton raved about this place that served catfish:
Little did I know that they served mountains of grub with individual drinks the size of pitchers!
Yours truly…
Friday, Oct 30th
When we went to bed the previous night, we knew the forecast didn’t look good and when we awoke the weather delivered as promised and it was raining … A LOT! The newscasters reported 6 inches of rain in some areas and advised all viewers who encounter flooded roadways to “turn around, don’t drown!”
Wheaton was fearless and laughed in the face of the weather.
We departed Bonne Terre and planned to meander our way to the meet-up spot in Clinton, Arkansas by following the curvy roads all day. The rivers were high and there was a lot of standing water on the roads. The people we passed just shook their heads at the crazy motorcyclists. Wheaton barely noticed the rain. And then….
Fish were literally crossing the road and, as I stared at the flood and waited for an ark to float by, Wheaton asked a local if he could borrow a ramp and the bed of his pickup truck to cross the flooded roadway Evel Knievel style:
I reminded Wheaton to “turn around, don’t drown” and we had to backtrack about 12 miles to get around the flood.
Fortunately, the rain subsided after lunch and we were able to tear up Missouri Route 160 west out of Doniphan and Arkansas Route 9 between Melbourne and Allison. It was a great introduction to the roads of Missouri and Arkansas and the sun even started to shine.
We arrived in Clinton around 6pm and most of the group was already there. A greeting, some fried ice cream, and many stories made everyone feel like old friends. I wished I had my camera with me but, back at the hotel, some unbelievably attractive woman and her girlfriends asked to borrow my camera for some sort of fun they were having in the hotel room next to ours…so I didn’t have my camera to take photos of the group. Oh well.
unk: Later, fjrrider and glory racing walked us through the official “Twisty Butt Arkansas All Day “ 500 mile route and we hit the sack early to rest up for the following day’s challenge.
Saturday, Oct 31st
The group gathered for breakfast, a pre-ride photo, and then promptly departed the hotel at 7am and into the chilly, dark Arkansas morning. The weather was perfect and clear skies were forecasted.
Just 4 miles in, I had a slight pucker moment in a right-hander when my front tire got squirrely and my rear tire kicked out a bit. I cannot be certain what I hit but I suspect it was some unnoticed gravel and dirt. Fortunately, it was the only pucker moment of the trip.
I found myself trailing FeelinJustRight for a few miles and admired his handling of the bike while riding the curves 2-up in the darkness. After passing him, I rode alone and very much enjoyed the scenery and the roads until just before the first fuel stop when I joined the fastest riders. I’m still not sure how I got in front of them but, soon enough, they passed me again.
The sun had risen and, unlike the gloom and doom of the previous day’s weather, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky:
(At this point, I must note that I managed to get my camera back from those women and, when I reviewed the photos in memory, they left some interesting photos. :dribble: )
After refueling, I followed a group that included JamesK and fjr183 but I lost them when I got stuck behind a slow car on the switchbacks of Rte 103. Once again, I was alone and enjoying the ride.
I didn’t have time to take many pics on Saturday (nor could I take any in the curves) but here are a couple:
Plain and simple, I was just enjoying the ride too much to stop and take better photos. Besides, I need a reason to return next year. Yeah, I'll go next year to take photos. The wife should accept that reason.
Since others have posted up the route, I don’t need to cover it. Besides, I don’t even know where to start in terms of rating/ranking the roads. They were all just so unbelievably great. My hats are off to fjrrider and glory racing for setting up an amazing first ever Twisty Butt route. :clapping:
If you like curves, this route’s got’em. If you like riding mountain ridges, this route’s got’em. If you like technical switchbacks, this route’s got’em. If you like testing your strength and will to complete 500 twisty miles on awesome pavement, this route’s got it. If you prefer long days on the slab to post countless miles … sorry, the Arkansas All Day’s not for you.
North end of Push Mountain road:
This photo of Calico Rock in the background is for Wheaton. What can I say? The guy likes colored rocks.
I returned at 5pm and many riders were already there but notably missing was Wheaton. Thinking that he had no intention of pursuing the entire 500 mile route (or coveting the official “Twisty Butt” designation), we began to get concerned when darkness fell and he was still missing. Knowing of at least two motorcycle incidents along the route, I called authorities but was unable to confirm his involvement. But Wheaton finally pulled in at 7pm…just in time to earn his Twisty Butt award. Glory racing suggested that Wheaton may have been at the local pub the entire time. Although no one will ever truly know the whereabouts of Wheaton between 4-7pm on Oct 31st, it is strange that there is no photo record of Wheaton being on Push Mountain Road on this day. :huh:
The group once again gathered for dinner at the excellent mexican restaurant and fjrrider distributed the official Twisty Butt award and the first Twisty Butters were indoctrinated into the cult. I won’t go into the graphic details of the initiation since we were sworn to secrecy (and threatened with permanent banishment from the Twisty Butt Association) but I’ll leave it at saying this is an amazing group and the organizers went above and beyond to host a great event and make everyone feel welcome. Thank you very much! :yahoo:
Sunday, Nov 1
Wheaton and I departed Clinton at 6am, followed the twisty roads to W. Plains, Missouri and then nothing interesting happened after that. Nope, nothing happened at all and Wheaton and I returned to Northern Illinois and lived happily ever after.
The end
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