My Trip to Italy...

[rocker59]

...Texas, that is

 

Here are a few pics from the trip to Italy.

 

Michael D and I planned to meet in McAlester, Oklahoma Saturday morning. It's the junction of US-69 and the Indian Nations Turnpike. A natural place for us to meet driving from Tulsa and Fayettevile.

 

I left Fayetteville, Arkansas at about 0730 during a rainstorm that had blanketed NW Arkansas since earlier in the morning. I looked at the radar and decided that it would be hours before the rain let up. I didn't want to call Michael D and delay the trip, so I donned my old Chase Harper rain gear and headed South on I-540. It poured rain for about 70 miles in 50-degree temps! A good test of my ten year old rain gear, which worked perfectly. Also working perfectly was the Nero Corsa. No problems at all maintaining 80mph speeds in those conditions. The Metzeler Z6 front and Dunlop Roadsmart rear performed flawlessly and I made good time to McAlester, arriving on time at about 10am.

 

 

Michael D and I had agreed to meet at a place I found on the internet. "What about Bob's" was a great cafe/restaurant for us to meet. Great food and staff. We arrived on the tail end of the breakfast rush, so it took awhile to get our food, but it was well worth it.

 

 

Highly recommended, if ever you're hungry in McAlester. http://www.whataboutbobs.net/index.html :

 

 

From McAlester, we headed South towards Texas. The weather turned for the better. From cool and rainy to warm and sunny. We bucked a 20mph headwind running South towards Ennis and were welcomed to Texas by the sun and 90-degree temps.

 

 

After a couple of traffic tie-ups on the Central Expressway, we arrived in Ennis at the Days Inn where a contingent of Guzzisti from the Houston area would be staying.

 

 

Shortly after our arrival, a certain Texas Redneck arrived on this shiny new Guzzi:

 

 

I have to say that I really like the Stelvio after seeing it in person and sitting on the one that the Havens brought with them. I still don't like the 4.75-gallon fuel tank, but otherwise this is one sweet Moto Guzzi !!!

 

After Frank and Joey arrived, we all headed over Bubba's BBQ which is just down the street from the Days Inn. Problem is that in Texas the access roads are one-way. In order to drive one mile to the restaurant, we had to travel about four miles of access road to get there, first going North and then going South before turning back North to get to Bubba's !!! Look 'em up when in Ennis. Bubba's is rated as one of the top BBQ joints in Texas.

 

 

 

After dinner we all headed out to Waxahachie Creek Park to hang out with some of the campers and visit for awhile. Afterwards, it was back to the motel for an entertaining Bull Session attended by Todd and Mike Haven, Jim, Frank, Joey, Michael D, and me. I hit the rack about midnight in order to be able to get up and ride the 20 miles over to Italy early in on Sunday morning.

[rocker59]

Here are a few pics taken on Main Street in Italy. Great turnout. Nice variety of machiness. I was kinda stunned at the number of H&H fairings on Californias. That fairing must really work! I think Ken said that 135 people signed in. There were many that didn't. I always wonder what people casually driving through Italy on TX-34 think when they round the bend onto Main and see over 100 motorcycles lining the street of this sleepy little town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1987 LeMans:

 

The only two examples of the V11 LeMans that I saw at the rally:

 

My favourite Guzzi in attendance (and the favourite pic that I took):

 

There were also examples of other marques. This Vincent was notable. I'm not sure what model it is and there were lots of modern parts on it, but it arrived in town being ridden 2-up with a rider and passenger:

 

 

 

 

Ducatis and Triumphs were in attendance, too:

 

 

 

Awards were at about 2:30. Lots of door prizes and distance awards. Hey, I even won a MGNOC membership!

 

After the awards, riders scatter rapidly to whence they came and leave the streets of Italy as deserted as they were only a few hours before:

 

Around 4pm Michael D and I headed back North stopping for fuel in Sherman and then again in McAlester, where we parted ways. I arrived back home in The Hills a little after 10pm having had another great ride on my trusty '04 V11 LeMans Nero Corsa!!!