As some of you know, I'm brand new to riding. Only two months. I haven't ridden behind my husband but about 10 or so times and I was not happy! (Scared) Then he brought home a 2009 RS and I was smitten. Only a month later, we traded it in on a RT-S.
So, the gang decided I needed to go to the rally.
The Good:
We left at 6:30 a.m. Friday morning about 18 or so bikes. 238 miles later we are at Eureka Springs. I successfully did the Pig Trail! Of all the hundreds and hundreds of bikes, we did not meet one spyder. After we got to the motel, I did see 2 RS and 1 RT pass.
Saturday, we split up, one group went to Fayetteville and the group I stayed with stayed in Eureka Springs. A great day. I saw 1 RS and 1 RT and I passed 1 Orbital Blue RT-S (Like me!) pulling a trailer.
If that was you, it was me waving.
I had a blast.
Now the Bad:
We left Sunday morning and were about 20 miles out from Eureka Springs when we met 4 bikes headed into Eureka. We were just coming up a hill and a car had stopped at the bottom. The first three bikes got stopped but the 4th one popped up over the top and had no where to go. I had already passed but in my rear view mirror I saw smoke, dust and a bike in the air with debris flying. My heart just stopped. I topped the hill and stopped to try to stop cars. I didn't turn around as I thought I'd serve more purpose on top. The rest of our gang turned around and stayed with the other group until the EMT's arrived. My husband said he was so close that he could smell the rubber burning when it happened.
He said they were very, very lucky. That the guy knew how to "wreck" a bike. Hubby said that the guy laid it down and the driver and passenger were thrown to the side. He said that if they had stayed with the bike it would have been very bad. As it was, they weren't hardly even skint. So, so lucky! The bike hit a sign and then flipped into a deep ditch. Hubby said the shifter was broke and some pegs, but thought the bike may have been able to be driven on into Eureka. One of the 4 from that group laid his bike down trying to get back to his buddy as there was no place for him to go. Our group helped him get his bike up. So all turned out good but it could have so easily gone the other way.
When my hubby returned, I almost grabbed him and said I'm done. I'm calling our daughter to bring the trailer and I'm staying right here for the 4 hours for her to get here! But I sucked it up and made it the 200 miles on home.
All in all, a good weekend and the group said I passed mustard. I was glad to get home and I passed the 600 mile mark and will be going for my first service at 1000 miles.
pps:
Hope everyone who went had a safe and great time.
So, the gang decided I needed to go to the rally.
The Good:
We left at 6:30 a.m. Friday morning about 18 or so bikes. 238 miles later we are at Eureka Springs. I successfully did the Pig Trail! Of all the hundreds and hundreds of bikes, we did not meet one spyder. After we got to the motel, I did see 2 RS and 1 RT pass.
Saturday, we split up, one group went to Fayetteville and the group I stayed with stayed in Eureka Springs. A great day. I saw 1 RS and 1 RT and I passed 1 Orbital Blue RT-S (Like me!) pulling a trailer.
If that was you, it was me waving.
I had a blast.
Now the Bad:
We left Sunday morning and were about 20 miles out from Eureka Springs when we met 4 bikes headed into Eureka. We were just coming up a hill and a car had stopped at the bottom. The first three bikes got stopped but the 4th one popped up over the top and had no where to go. I had already passed but in my rear view mirror I saw smoke, dust and a bike in the air with debris flying. My heart just stopped. I topped the hill and stopped to try to stop cars. I didn't turn around as I thought I'd serve more purpose on top. The rest of our gang turned around and stayed with the other group until the EMT's arrived. My husband said he was so close that he could smell the rubber burning when it happened.
He said they were very, very lucky. That the guy knew how to "wreck" a bike. Hubby said that the guy laid it down and the driver and passenger were thrown to the side. He said that if they had stayed with the bike it would have been very bad. As it was, they weren't hardly even skint. So, so lucky! The bike hit a sign and then flipped into a deep ditch. Hubby said the shifter was broke and some pegs, but thought the bike may have been able to be driven on into Eureka. One of the 4 from that group laid his bike down trying to get back to his buddy as there was no place for him to go. Our group helped him get his bike up. So all turned out good but it could have so easily gone the other way.
When my hubby returned, I almost grabbed him and said I'm done. I'm calling our daughter to bring the trailer and I'm staying right here for the 4 hours for her to get here! But I sucked it up and made it the 200 miles on home.
All in all, a good weekend and the group said I passed mustard. I was glad to get home and I passed the 600 mile mark and will be going for my first service at 1000 miles.
pps:Hope everyone who went had a safe and great time.
We were actually headed that way when I eyewitnessed a single bike wreck - literally saw the guy fall over and slide past me. My husband is a family doc and I think he was by the guy's side the moment he stopped skidding along Hwy 45. I stopped traffic on one side of the highway while one of our other friends stopped the other side. The man had a compound fracture on a leg and almost certainly a major concussion, but his half-helmet still saved him from much worse.
