Mid-South ride, eat, and meet

Rode over and back yesterday. Felt good to be on as little road trip. Stopped after 5 miles at the I-40 welcome center in West Memphis due to it being cold, overcast, windy; layered up with another longsleeve T, sweatshirt, and winter gloves. I-40 between W. Memphis and N. Little Rock as everone knows is one of the most boring rides in the ol US of A. I've heard it a million times and I've ridden it a million times. I didn't care it was good to be on the rode on my bike. Road into the campground about noon and it was 6 hours of hard good ol fashion BMW motorcyclist family reunion. I've missed the last few of the Naturally Beemers rallies and other meetings and campouts. And when I did show up it was in a four wheeler. I took my share of ribbing over it. I believe there were about 75 in attendence. 6 o'clock came to fast, I was having such a big time. Just at dark, I was heading home. Right at 400 miles of riding and 6 hours of BMW comraderie was just what I needed. Hopefully next year I'm also camping.

Hey Barry...that was a good tune up ride for you. Now ride that thing on down to see us at the Chicken Rally in couple weeks! :usa

Thx, Vance; nothing would make me happier. At the Ark. rally was just sittin minding my own bidness. All of a sudden seemed like all the attention was on me and was gettin my picture takin by a couple of camera's. Really kinda perked up and I felt important. Really all the attention was on my black biker vest. I had it dolled up with a bunch Naturally Beemer batches and pins and other Beemer swag. The past president pin really got their attention. The funny part is over half the club members are past presidents. For a moment though, I was a cross between Nate Kern and Brad Pitt. I was a star. :groovy

Was going to deliver some tents to my bud, Marshall to look at. I think he needs one for the Chicken Rally and was going to deliver some old airhead brake master cylinders to my bud Ron. We're looking into resleeving them with stainless inserts. But the President is in downtown Memphis today. Gotta wait till he departs, no getting thru till he leaves.

Had a good day out in my shop, neat to be able to do something out there. Still needed more room, So I pulled the police bike and started stripping some of the police accessories off. Off came the front, then the rear crash crash bars. Then the bags and the bag mounts. Took off the radio box and alot of the extra electrical stuff. The bike started out as a RT, but the fairing was already gone, so off came the fairing mounts. It really thins the bike down in size and weight. Probably 30 lbs. Will make it much easier to move around in and out of garage. The bike really looks in sad shape now, but will be a nice bike for me to restore in the future. I, allways see the potential of the bike.

I've been looking at Kbasa's aka David Swiders '84 R100CS rebuild site. It's very similar to my '84 R100 police bike. I've got the twin disc/rear drum setup. One thing I found on dissasembly was that I had the top handle bar clamp that was cut out(notched) for a BMW windshield set. Good for me. I've got a few of those windshields and most of the time when I buy them used, that part doesn't come with the windshield. Not easy to find and kinda hard to make. I have taken the top clamp and machined it down and installed the top stud. Good to be a machinist as I am. Can' wait to to pull the heads and see the condition of the heads and cylinders. I've never had a big valve head BMW airhead. Back in another life, I specialized in reconditioning BMW motorcycle heads and cylinders. I also specialized in BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, Rover, and others. Any way, I can't get to involved with that bike now, I've got a couple of other airheads ahead of it.

I'm getting to be more forgetful than normal. I have had a big valve BMW. I had a '81 R100RT. Nice bike and the only BMW I bought and sold. Wish I was on the road to the Chicken Rally. Maybe tomorrow, still a possibility.

Ain't going to be able to do the ride to the Chicken Rally. Gotta Sunday ride and eat going on. Just gotta e-mail from Bob Osbourne, the Old Bike Club has a ride this Sunday. They will be meeting at Circle K at Summer and Whitten in Memphis. 10:00 start and ride to Atoka, Tn. and have lunch at Casa Mexicana restauraunt. I guess that is my run for the weekend. Any one want to join me for the ride, give me a call. 901 233 7913. I'll just be leaving the house and just joining them at the restaurant.

Hey Barry,

I am in Memphis. If you want to ride sometime just give me a holler. I met several of the Memphis Ram guys at the European Rider rally last weekend and a couple more while at the Chicken Rally this weekend.

10-4 Lee. Would be glad to ride with you. I'm in and out of the area all the time., as I travel for a living. When I'm in town and when it's possible I ride to Beale St. on Wendesday nite. Bikes on Beale. I uaually park in front of Superior BBQ and sit in front on the side walk patio. I also walk down to Alfred's and listen to my buddy Leo Goff, bassist for the Eric Hughes Band. This week the Old Bike club is having their monthly meeting at Bubba's Ale House and grill at 7041 Hwy 64 between Summer and Appling Av. I think 64 Highway is also Stage Road. This club kinda promotes riding older bikes, but there is no officers or dues and they really don't care what you ride.I think Thursday nite is the nite. Usually about 5:30pm. Everyone is friendly and will be happy you come. I'm usually riding a white '94 R1100RS. I don't consider this thread as mine, it's for any one who wants to text about BMW's, bikes, rides etc. in the Mid South Area. Look forward to meeting and riding with you. PS, I'm also a member of the Rams. Check out their web site. Feel free to call me or post on this site. Barry

The ride over to the Olde Bike Club lunch get together,yesterdsay was a much needed ride. I was the last to arrive, and everyone was upbeat. Had a good visit with my buddy Leo. Leo is going to help me get my R90 back on the road, first a small amount of engine work. More on that later. After the lunch, I took some back roads around Shelby Co. then over to Old Millington Winery. Had a good visit with Perry the owner, purchased 2 bottles of wine and headed to Mugs Bar and Grill in Memphis to meet up with my friend Ron and his German Shepard, Link. Ron and I set out on the patio and enjoyed the wine. First the Blush then the Muscadine. Felt good to be out in the shade sippin that wine. Attitude adjustment time . Ron is in the process of getting his R90 running. Everything building a bike is step by step. After dicussing his progress, we both split for home.

Will be riding over to Bikes on Beale tonight, as it's bike nite. Will try to park in front of Superior BBQ and sit out front on the side walk. Not so easy with the current crowds showing up. I'll probably go down to Alfreds and listen to the Eic Hughes with the world famous Leo goff on bass. :groovy See y'all there. :wave

Had a good time on Beale last nite. Really liked it when my buds showed up. A couple of friends rode down on older brit bikes. Pat on his late 60's Triumph 500 and Peter on his pristeen perfect Vincent Black Shadow. That Vincent allways draws alot of attention. Felt good to go for a little ride and get out a see some bikes. I never got down to Alfreds to here Leo, maybe next week.

Been out haulin freight, work really gets in the way of my bike time. Made a few runs, going up to Chicago and Detroit. Coming home I had the oppurtunity to visit a new BMW dealership in Urbana, Il. . Sportland Motorsports. In the past I got to go to the old dealer Twin City BMW in Savoy. I really liked that dealership, people were very freindly to me. It had an old school feel to it, which I like. It was also a BMW only store. Sportland is the total opposite. A big multi brand dealership. Along with BMW, they had Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, Victory. So they also had 4 wheelers, watercraft, scooters. They are in a multitide of buildings. People were nice, but it just wasn't the same. Met John Ducey, one of the staff. Good guy. I did buy the latest issue of BMW Motorcycle Magazine, the summer issue. Hope the dealership works out for the BMW riders of central Illinois.

The Rams will do all that tomorrow. Will meet at 9:00 at Performance Plus BMW, 5312 Pleasant View, Memphis. Tony Siano, one of the owners just E-mailed that there will be sausage biscuits, donuts, coffee etc. for the club and the riders. Leave at 9:30. Destination The Holiday Lodge in Como, Ms. 218 County Rd. 517. Off Highway 310 near Sardis Lake. Lunch probably around noon and the meeting to follow. Someone just text me that the ride down was a real favorite. Looks like I gotta ride for tomorrow. :groovy