There have been several members across the country expressing an interest lately about meeting up in person. Let's start a real discussion about this and see what we can come up with.
I would begin by proposing a very general idea.
*Pick a spot in the midsection of the US
*Post some suggested dates
*Assess the interest (in terms of numbers)
*Narrow the plan down to a specific location that can accommodate everyone
*Ride, ride, ride
I'll start.
Let's have a general meet-up for members and any friends and significant others who would like to attend.
A 2 or 3 night stay would give time to have a proper meeting and allow for those who may only be able to make a day visit at the beginning or the end.
Something within a 200 mile radius of Kansas City seems pretty neutral and central but we can adjust location based on where the farthest members would be coming from.
My wife and I go to a rally in Panama City Beach, FL and visit friends along the Gulf Coast each spring at the end of April. We could add a week to that trip and say plan this event for late April or early May. This is just a starting point for discussion, any time could be made to work.
1) G Man - western NC
2) Thermodyne - south central PA
3) BigD - southern LA
4) luvstoride - central NC
5) Homesick - somewhere in missile silo country (we'll try to keep the location close)
6) Alan S - south central LA
7) filterless - MN
8) WEINERDOGBONE - central IN
9) Scrubs - TX
10) bcashin1 - VA
11) Road King Cole - MA
12) Givrsum - ME
13) pjcii - north GA
14) holobach - north GA
15) FXDRYDR - MI
16) bbally - mid W CO
17) coastie - MI
18) jakec - FL panhandle
19) 107inhog - MD
20) jammer45U? - MI
maybes?
21) dynageno? - mid Cali
22) huskerbob? - central NC
23) ncmedic? - N central NC
24) Uncle Salty? - NW LA
25) Gunny4Sawx? - Cali
26) Ahar??? - top left corner
The weekend of June, 5,6,7 has been proposed. <= scratch that
**The weekend of June 12,13,14 is available at The Hub in Marble Falls, AR.**
The place of northwestern Arkansas has been proposed. <= see line above
I will figure out how to apply a poll to this thing so we can vote, maybe. <= see last few pages for "voting"
we got a decent ride in yesterday, i'm out in the garage now lubing
throttle/clutch cables. do NOT pull that rubber diaphragm/rubber protector
over the clutch adjusting nuts DOWN on the cable, slide it UP. lever and pins
are back and set (oh yea, my little c clip holding the lever pin went airborne
when i popped it, i will never find that bitc#) and i'm wrestling with that
protector with a small flat head. bet i rip or wreck it next try.
i got all this s#it right last time, maybe cut back on my drinking.
I never drink till the wrenching is done for the day. Once I hit the beer, I'm promoted to supervisor.
Beer and a case of ratchet jaw got me almost caught in the rain today. I stopped for a quick one, full knowing that the rain was close. Six later, it chased me all the way home.
Today was "Pay the School Tax day", so the conversation was lively to say the least. What I learned was this, I pay way more than my drinking buddies. That's going to require some further review.
you only stop for one if the bar is empty, i like that. friendly folks
with something to say can hold you on the stool for a few more,
i like that also. everyone has a story.
I don't believe I would try to make it to New Orleans. That's probably 20 hours from me. I would like to meet Ahar. He reminds me of my old Boss. Man was he ever a handfull.
I see a lot of chatter recently about "clowns" as if we are some exclusive club.
Seriously guys, we are just having fun. Nobody is excluded (well not before we meet you anyway). I have proof that meeting people via the internet can be a good thing. If you're not up for it, that's cool. If you're on the fence, really, we just need to have a few beers to sort it out. I'll pony up for the first round.
And we're just poking fun at the clown posse. You've never made me feel shunned. =devil=
And I, too, have met some great folks around the country on a bass fishing site I frequent. Since I've got the piglet, I seem to have lost interest in the fishing. Still have the friends, though. In fact, I'm supposed to head to Lake Pickwick in Alabama in April. I feel the trip will be canceled if the VTF get together gets totally planned. Gotta have my priorities.
OK, I did my due diligence on this. Or perhaps it was more like dalliance, I forget. But Eureka Springs seems like to place for this. There's a multitude of places we could stage it around there.
And being there, in the more or less middle of America..........so close to what remains of THE highway, as it was way back when, I had a thought. You know, one of those__________ talk the talk, walk the walk___________thoughts.
For the not so faint of heart among us, we could roll over to Oklahoma and pick up old 66. See who starts out, and who's still with us at each state line. No shame for those who drop off. Just a real world ranking. The ultimate biker/poser test. Not to mention a lifetime worth of stories and bullsheeit for those who make it to the coast. A week of living off the back of a scooter. Nice relaxed roll on 66 west and a fast interstate mile pound'er back.
OK, I did my due diligence on this. Or perhaps it was more like dalliance, I forget. But Eureka Springs seems like to place for this. There's a multitude of places we could stage it around there.
If I recall, Old 66 is mostly badly maintained service road that runs adjacent to I-40. It doesn't get back to a seperate entity until you get back into New Mexico.
A really nice ride heading west out of Mena, AR is the Talamena (sp?) Pkwy.
After spending a year and a half off and on around OKC, the state was OK, but there must have been a shortage of real men from the way the women flocked around me and my colleagues. We had a record going that was never broken. EVERY bar we went into, at least one woman would ask each of us to dance. Being in my mid-late 20's. That was every night.