Arizona is horrible this time of year....

[azkaisr]

A lovely day out on the rim

 

Lately I have had the riding bug …BAD. I mean I wake up and all I want to do is MOTO. So over the past few weekends I have been putting on between 300 and 500 miles up in the mountains North of Phoenix. Yesterday was no different and I hooked up with the normal crew (and a few others) to head North to Christopher Creek. The forecast for Phoenix was 97 so we wanted to get up into the cool pines ASAP. That is too hot for March.

 

 

Here we are in the standard grouping. Usually Angie is in front with the lucky teddy bears, then comes my hero KC. Both of them on K bikes that I struggle to keep up with but each week I am getting better. If Philly Flash is on time, he usually is in slot 4. Right behind me is Shelley giving out her famous advise and checking on us. I love it!!! Yesterday, Steve joined us and was up front for part of the ride up to Payson. This road climbs up and down a few Mountain passes and is our own personal track it seems. All of us know the 60 miles from the gas station to Payson very well and we make the run on average in about 43 minutes. It is a spirited ride that is uber worthy.

 

It wasn’t soon after that we made our way into the Scrub pines at about 5000ft. It was about 10 in the morning and the temp was close to 75 here too. So much for old man winter!

 

Mad man Tim on his GS was with me as we made the climb up the hill. Always enjoy is company

 

Climbing into the real pines we stopped at Christopher Creek for Breakfast.

Being the ritualistic type of riders we all took a moment to form the BMW Druidic Circle to give thanks to the Hoon Deities for giving us yet another perfect day to ride.

 

Then a impromptu Hokey Pokey dance broke out led by Shelley…”You put your left foot in”…

 

After breakfast the group thinned out as some of the riders headed back to the valley while a few more of us decided to ride on to the top of the Rim and ride on.

 

The area up here has seen some very bad wildfires over the past several years. Scarey stuff . Also notice the cloud filled sky? Terrible riding weather at about 80 degrees up there with no wind.

 

Philly and I stopped in a small town to see some friends while the rest moto’d on to Show Low to get a drink and wait for us.

 

I hope I grow up to be half as cool as KC. That man has more ladies on the line then anyone I know rides his K bike like a bat out of hell and just has style.

I think this dude wishes he was as cool as KC too

I then realized it really is good to be the King of Swing

I promised Glock a picture of the shelf in all its Rat Nest Glory!

After a great run down through Salt River Canyon stopped at one of the best Mexican places that you will never hear about if you don’t read this post. Just make sure next time you are in Globe AZ, you have an appetite.

 

They butter their chips. Man o man are they good.

The Legend and his steed getting ready to Moto home

There was a lot of talk on the road about how I need a K bike. A GT is what everyone keeps telling me to get but man I love the lines of my RT. May need to talk to Richard next time I see him to see if I really need one.

I told you all about how Shelley has to keep us in Line. Sometime Angie gets a little anxious to moto. Well as we were getting ready. I managed to capture Shelley keeping her gaggle under control. “You can’t go until we are all ready!”

 

Back down into the desert we rode ending another wonderful day on the bike. I kept thinking about how lucky an SOB I really am. Philly and I stopped off at Helmet Harbor and I picked up a HBC Flip Helmet for the ride to Texas.

 

A great day for a moto!

 

Can't wait for Texas!

 

Kaisr

[NoLongeraK1200RSRider]

A VERY worthy ride tale! Thanks for sharing those beautiful pics. Of course, you do know that you guys that do these rides are just making the rest of us want to do them too? Looks like a great time was had by all. I am putting a new clutch in my K12 right now due to an oil leak but hope to be back on the road soon. Thanks again for the nice tale.

[PhillyFlash]

Nice ride tale, Tom. And as we all found out on Saturday, old man winter is still in Arizona. Vacationing. He certainly isn't working. High temperature in Phoenix/Scottsdale was 99 degrees!!!. It shattered the previous record high of a chilly 91 degrees set in 2004. Even for those who were born and raised in Arizona, this is too hot, too soon. When I got on my bike shortly before 9 am, it was 80+ degrees (76 is the normal high for March 17). I could tell it was going to be a hot one. Even the Rim felt warmer than usual when we stopped around 10:30. Riding in the high country felt more like an early summer day, warm but still very pleasant. There was even a little snow still on the ground near the road. As we descened into the Salt River Canyon, KC started calling off the increase in temps, getting into the low-mid 90s by the time we reached bottom and started our ascent up the other side. The air conditioning wasn't working at the El Rey restaurant, so we ate lots of hot salsa to help bring our temperature down. We reached the valley on the ride home at the hottest time of the day, and got to feel 99 degrees in it's full glory. This time of the year it is true when they say, "It's a dry heat," and it wasn't too bad as long as we could keep moving and have the air do it's thing with evaporative cooling. But when Tom and I got off the highway and had to sit at stop lights on the surface streets, 99 degrees felt like 99 degrees, and the sweat started to soak me under my 'Stitch. By the time we stopped at Helmet Harbor, both of us were extremely thirsty. That was after having 3 or 4 very large ice teas just an hour and a half earlier at the restaurant. Time to get back to my summer riding mode, and remember to drink lots of water throughout the day.

 

350+ miles, riding from about 8:45 am to 5:45 pm, never feeling chilled, sometimes feeling hot, great friends, great food, beautiful scenery, fantastic riding; not too bad for the last weekend of the winter. Yes, Tom Arizona is horrible this time of year.

[stubble!]

Great ride. Wish I had been along!

[Mike O]

Excellent...You folks get to eat well and top it off with a nice ride. What more could you ask for (except maybe some cooler temps)

 

Mike O

[Todd_Z1]

Hey Tom,

 

Loved your post! It brought back fond memories of living and growing up in Arizona, Tucson to be specific. When I was a kid we used to vacation at Hawley Lake (not very far from Show Low) in the summer and we would stop at the El Rey on our way from the lake. Your right, they have really good Mexican food and I am happy to hear that it is still there. I am quite sure you must have enjoyed the incredible twisties that are the Salt River Canyon outside of Globe. If you have any pictures and a ride tale covering the canyon post em for all to see. Another great ride is the tight stuff that is the Old Comanche Trail a.k.a. H191 (Used to be H666)

 

See ya in Torrey!

 

Cheers!

 

Todd

[BMWR90]

Great pics! That stuff is why I have to get to AZ to ride!!

[PhillyFlash]

Another great ride is the tight stuff that is the Old Comanche Trail a.k.a. H191 (Used to be H666)

 

Coronado Trail, but I knew what you meant. It is a great road.

[Shelley]

Oh Tom you are SOOO funny!!! LOL Angie said we really have to watch ourselves when he has that camera out!

 

The adventure didn’t end once all of us headed home in different directions… As Angie was almost a BMW Fire Ball!!! At I-10 & Warner Rd. Angie says “I don’t think I closed my gas cap at the last gas stop. I keep smelling gas” the light changed and as we rolled throught it, I said, “yes I smell it too”. At the next red light (48th Street & Warner ) the smell of gas is still heavy. As I roll to a stop next to her, I say “yup I bet you forgot to shut it, because I still smell gas”. Then I look down at see gas pouring all over the engine cover and bell housing onto the ground. There was so much gas that it looked like steam coming off the engine. We’re ¼ mile from home, as it’s just around the corner. I’m thinking this bike is going to turn into a fire ball, holy caca!!! Do I back up, and tell Angie to just get off the bike? Do we run the light as it’s a long light with a left turn arrow? Do we pull into the shopping center once we pass through the light and get off the bike??? I tell her just go home once the light changes, we’ve made it this far (80 miles from the gas stop) so lets run for home… We make it to the drive way and I tell her just shut it down and get off of it NOW! It’s still pouring out gas… I call Iron Horse BMW at get some info… About twenty minutes later it stops leaking gas after if pull on the quick dis-connector??? Don’t know what the hell it did but it almost separated, yet it’s still connected, there is a gap or opening??? However, it stopped leaking! It’s still too hot and since it not leaking, I leave well enough alone. I called KC, we make a plan to tear into it on Monday to replace the plastic crap with a brass barbed connecter. Iron Horse BMW said they’ll fix everything that got discolored from the gas.

 

Now Angie’s right leg and boot (Band new pair of Air boots) are covered in gas. I just can believe that BMW can put such cheap connectors on gas lines!! Just about six months ago one of our club members George Wise got burned from his K12RS catching fire. He was in the hospital for several days!!! Also, another K12RS rider here in Phx, bike also caught fire, it burned to a crisp! Don was not burned, he just stepped off of it at the light as it went up in flames!!! KC & I saw that BBQ’d puppy at the dealership. So you know what was going through my mind as Angie & I sat at that LONG LIGHT!!! I think the National Traffic Safty folks should be made aware of this fire ball quick dis-connecter on many newer ’02 to ‘04’s K12RS’. I don’t know if the RT’s use them? It might be something many of you should check and replace with something safer!!!

 

Anyway here is my other tale of woe… As we headed up the Rim for Showlow. An oncoming 4x4 truck with huge knobby tires looses a part of it’s knobby (looked as big as a softball) and hurls it at me at 70+mph! It hit the top part of my thigh and bounces off me and almost hit Tom in the head! I think we were traveling about 75 or 80 mph. I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story… It was still one heck of a ride with some wonderful folks…

 

This is about 5 hrs after it happened.

 

This is about 24 hrs - 11am. As I post this at 5pm Sunday it’s even larger, turning many more shades of purple and black… I’m glad it was only a piece of rubber!

 

Oh PS Tom, You forgot to mention KC Bass being Earnest T Bass’ Lil’ Brother…

[glockster]

Hey my brother from another mother, I know what you mean about that Arizona weather. See my post about Lake Havasu. Looks like you all had a great time. Thanks for the picture, and tear up Texas for me, maybe next year I can make THC. See ya in Torrey!

[Crazy_Canuck]

Great story you crazy Arizonian!!

 

I wish I could have been there.

[flyingreg]

Great ride tale and great pictures. What's the name of the mexican restaurant you ate at? Knowing AZ, there is more than one in the town you stopped at to eat.

 

EDIT: I went through the pics too fast, I see now it is the El Rey Cafe.

 

And, egads man, you need to do something with that rats nest on your shelf!

 

Thanks for sharing Tom, I'll have to come visit and get a tour of the rim area from the AZ crew.

[ESokoloff]

Shelley, glad Angie didn't burn up

On my wife's 03GT a gasket(O-ring?) on a right side gas tank cover leaked & also there was a O-ring recall on the quick connects.

Wise idea to change out the quick disconnects but have them check that cover seal too.

[KDeline]

 

That is too hot for March.

 

I'll trade you our lower 20's we have right now. Even trade.

[Shelley]

Shelley, glad Angie didn't burn up

On my wife's 03GT a gasket(O-ring?) on a right side gas tank cover leaked & also there was a O-ring recall on the quick connects.

Wise idea to change out the quick disconnects but have them check that cover seal too.

Thanks... I'll have my dealership check everything. They are very good about doing the right thing by their customers!! I just ticks me off that I just thought about the dis-connects a week or so ago... I said to myself Angie's bike only has 30K miles... I don't think there would be a problem this soon with them? Maybe she can inquire about it at the next service... I saw a post about someone buying metel dis-connects and that's what made me think about it. I didn't want Angie to shell out a 100 bucks worth for metel ones when BMW should have good ones to start with!!!!!! MY BAD!

[Bud]

Most excellent ride tale Pimp Daddy.

 

My folks lived in Payson for 9 years. We were there on a 4th of July at some kind of rodeo parade. 112 in the shade that day. It wasn't the humidity, it was the heat. Just darn hot. No other way to describe it. I felt like a prune withering in the dry HOT air.

 

Gotta say I didn't realize AZ had raised the speed limit to over 115 MPH.