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| STAR 2007 ISSUE | Louisiana HSTA Newsletter | Page 1 |
 | Turn One STAR 07. This is our special STAR 07 ISSUE. Another great event attended by the usual suspects. But this year we had 3 first time LA Chapter attendees and that made it special for us old timers. I have often tried to explain to the uninitiated just how fantastic a time these STARs are but you just have to experience it for yourself: 400+ wild and crazy (well maybe also quite a few mild and lazy) sport touring maniacs converging together from all over North America to a sport bikers Mecca such as Asheville, NC. It just can't get much better... |
| This special event deserves a special issue and we will try to deliver. Our chapter not only has talented riders but talented writers as well....if perhaps a bit over-sexed. Anyway, we have STAR related contributions in this issue from several of our attending members, each providing a unique, if not peculiar perspective into what STAR is all about. We begin with our regular WHY I RIDE feature from "Fast Timmy" Smith, followed by ride reports from Tino and yours truly with a foreword by our usually quiet Paul "the Shepherd" Lefort, a poignant musing on the complex essence of curvaceousness. And last but not least we introduce our newest regular contributor, the fetching Lee Nangle Enjoy... Bob | |
 | Why I ride… by Tim Smith
For those of you that went to STAR 2007 in Asheville, and especially the smaller group that rode your bikes to Asheville, here are a few things that I may or may not write about. I Hope you will take your time and think on these topics and remember the ride. |
| "Just say CHARGE IT" or " it may be time for new grips" "Jehovah's Witnesses and Russian girls" or "how I spent my summer vacation" OK, for those of you that don't have a clue about any of these, I will tell you about one or two. My bike has nothing added or modified, nothing. ( OK, it has a Vista-Cruise) So? Well, at an HSTA event this makes me a rarity, or oddity. HSTA-ers have lots of stuff added to their bikes. Pipes, suspensions, frame sliders, steering dampers, higher bars, lower bars, wider bars, heated grips, smaller mirrors, better mirrors, fenders eliminated, lights added, lights removed, lights repositioned, super-bright lights, better horns, different foot pegs, repositioned pegs, added pegs, luggage racks, luggage hooks, taller windscreens, lower windscreens, colored windscreens, even painted windscreens. And…. GPS systems, satellite radios, cameras, radar detectors, cd players, and 156 other things I can't remember right now. Am I a purist, that doesn't need or want any of these things? Is STUFF a bad thing? Nah. I am just doing good to have the bike right now, I want Stuff too. One walk through the parking lot at STAR, and you know that part of the fun is checking out everybody else's STUFF. Who has new stuff? Better stuff? Or just different stuff? Fortunately for me, I was one of only three attendees with the new RW&B 2007 Interceptor, which got me ( well, the BIKE) lots of attention even though I don't have any stuff. ( I liked the attention) I wonder, does Bob have too much STUFF? Too much pull on the battery, or is it just the built in gremlin in the charging system of the VFR? Maybe he can get some new stuff to fix the old stuff. Maybe it is time the old VFR went for stud, and a new colt was added to the stable (just don't ask Tony to recommend a bike) I am not being critical of your VFR Bob, I like it. But I did see a group of riders standing around your bike in the parking lot; they had a bet going on whether or not your grips would fall off while they were watching. ( I don't personally think they are worn out…I'm just sayin') It seems like the whole motorcycling world has Dragon fever. Deals Gap, Hwy 129. Well, it is a monster alright, but there are OTHER roads, and Hwy 28 which leads to Deals Gap, got raves from the LA contingency. Hwy 129 may be the Dragon, but Hwy 28 ate Bob. When he never arrived at Deals Gap, Tino and I went back to look for him, searching the ditches and ravines, but he had been swallowed whole…no Bob. So we did the only thing we could under these circumstances. We kept riding like nothing happened. I couldn't help but wonder where (or when) he might be. I kept thinking about the Tupelo phone charger incident. It all started when Bob and Bill arrived at the posh and elegant Best Western in Tupelo. Bob entered his hotel room only to find that his phone charger, which he had safely packed in his gear, was already in the room, and plugged into the wall. After a roundtable discussion and some alcohol, we determined that there had obviously been an interruption in the time/space continuum and the charger had traveled (through a worm hole) into the future, and preceded Bob in arriving at his yet to be rented hotel room. We speculated that this type of occurrence might happen all the time in Tupelo, with the Aura of Elvis still hanging around and all. Anyway I was worried Bob might have gotten a big dose of that Aura and, well maybe Bob was already somewhere or sometime ahead. Sure enough, when we got back to the Crown Plaza, Bob was already there, confirming my theory. OK, I know you are dying to find out where the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Russian girls come into the story, but certain agencies of the Federal government will not let me go into any details, sorry. All I am allowed to tell you is that incidents like this is…. Why I ride. Do svidaniya Fastimmy |
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FOREWORD
by "the Shepherd"
"You guys need to stick to the main reason for the trip for your
stories. There were two kinds of curves we experienced; inviting and
intoxicating. You can decide on which applies to the one in question.
If you ask me they are interchangeable. A curve is a curve is a curve.
Just think of reaching that apex ever so slightly and turning on the
power as you drive out. Man, what a wonderful vision."
Paul
By Tony Crowell
At 2:00 am when I clicked on the Accu-Weather web site I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a solid line of red, yellow and green covering most of the state of Oklahoma. Baton Rouge was crystal clear but my intended destination of Oklahoma City looked like something out of one of those global warming climate-change movies intended to scare everyone into walking everywhere. Well, if I could walk to OKC in 14 hours I ….might do that. But I can't, so I thought I would out-smart Mother Nature by riding north into Arkansas then turning west after the storm had safely entered the Lone Star state.
Why Oklahoma City when Asheville and Star are located the opposite direction? Well I just couldn't wait to ride. It was that simple. Tim Smith, Bob Chappuis, Bill Ellis and I had agreed to meet in Tupelo, MS the Friday before STAR. At the last minute I changed my mind and took off for OKC two days early. I told the boys I would meet them in Tupelo after nights in OKC and Branson, MO.
Shortly after two, I climbed aboard the already loaded VFR and headed towards Shreveport. The air was so humid it was like riding with a warm, wet army blanket tied around my head. I cruised at or near the posted speed limit on US 190 west of BR due the many speed traps between here and Opelousas where I hopped on I-49.
Between Opelousas and Natchitoches not one blip of the Escort. Which was almost a bad thing since I was getting very sleepy by the time I stopped in Natchitoches for coffee. I-49 is one boooooring freeway, especially in the dark. By the time I arrived in Shreveport the sun was just coming up, which is my absolute favorite time of day. Newly invigorated I decided to take US71 downtown rather than take the loop toward Texarkana.
In Houston, I stopped to call my uncle. I knew he would be watching the morning news and could give me a fix on the weather situation in OK, now about 4 hours old. I stayed on the phone for about 10 minutes while he waited for good radar picture… nothing.
Oh, well, I'll continue with my plan to ride north. By the time I got to Texarkana it was beginning to grow dark. When I reached De Queen, AR, it was absolutely scary looking. Low, swirling clouds and light rain, I continued up 71 to Mena where the bottom fell out. I stopped at a Sonic drive in and called Bob who luckily was at his desk. His computer screen showed a big storm right over me but said if I headed due west I would run out of it pretty soon. He was correct and I did.
At Wilburton, OK I turned north again and enjoyed the first real twisties of the day. I rode on to Eufaula where I took I-40 to OK City and the KOA campground on the east side of town, 662 miles from BR.
I wanted to try out KOA's Kamping Kabins. They are small log cabins with nothing inside but a bed, two bunk beds, and luckily for me, an air conditioner. I stayed the night for a little over 40 bucks. On a trip with friends you could really save some money staying here. The laundry, showers, camp store and pool were only steps away and everything was clean and tidy. 
All you need to bring is your bedding, which in my case were a fleece sleeping bag and an inflatable pillow with pillow case. I slept great.
The next morning I rose at 6 am, packed and was gone by 7. I turned west again at I-40 and rode into OK City, where I took I-35 north to old Route 66. I had ridden 66 west from OK City to its end in Santa Monica and have ridden some stretches in MO, but had not ridden this part between OK City and Tulsa. It basically follows I-44, fairly scenic through rolling hills and small towns. Near Arcadia, OK I stopped to take a photo of a route 66 icon, the Round Barn. 
I saw quite a few bikes on the road, mostly BMW's, probably with German riders. Out west you see bunches of Germans riding 66 especially in Arizona. They are fascinated with this road and the west.
I jumped on the Freeway at Tulsa and continued to Vinita where I stopped at the world largest McDonalds. It covers the entire Freeway. All four lanes run underneath the restaurant.
Just past Vinita, I took US 60 east toward Seneca, MO. It was nice to be on a two-lane again, especially knowing what was coming up in a short while. When I got to Cassville, I knew it would only be minutes until I reached some of the best riding in the country. I took a combination of two roads, first MO 76 then US 160 into Branson. These two roads remind me of a twisting roller coaster that runs for miles on end.
I stayed at a little Mom and Pop motel in Branson, called JR's Dallas Motel. It looked like it was first built in the early seventies but was extremely clean and the rooms had all the modern furnishings. The old man who checked me in looked to be in his early 100,s, but he had two smokin' hot maids working for him, I think maybe they were his grand daughters or great grand daughters.
It was hot when I unloaded the Viffer and I couldn't wait to jump into a cold shower. Try as I might though I could stop thinking about those maids. (I'll let you put 2 and 2 together here).
Refreshed and satisfied, I walked next door to Shoney's where I had one of the worst meals ever; a steak and baked potato that just sucked. How can you screw up a baked potato? It tasted like I think an experimental laboratory prototype would.
After a good nights sleep I was up at 5 am for the trek to Tupelo. The first part of the ride was great; more of the wonderful US160. After hitting Jonesboro, AR it was all downhill from there. Nothing but soybean, cotton and rice fields to Memphis, then… Memphis. I was going to take US78 to Tupelo, but the freeway in Memphis is not complete until you get to the Mississippi Stateline. I hit every red light along the seven mile stretch and the temps were now in the low 90's with corresponding humidity. As soon as I got to the border, I notched it up to 85 and didn't slow down until I exited at Tupelo about 1pm.
By the time Hadji checked me at the Best Western it was now six degrees hotter than hell, I decided to get two rooms so I could have Bob and Bill's a/c on when they arrived. I know, I know, a true friend would have had a/c plus a couple of strippers waiting, but I couldn't afford the latter.
Tim was set to arrive from Monroe, LA later that evening and bunk with me. He rolled in a little after 8pm on his new red, white and blue VFR.
I had a very pleasant little pre-star ride but now the real fun would begin; riding with my buddies in the smooth curvy roads of TN/NC. Let the games begin!
Nine Lousiana Chapter members attended STAR this year. The South LA boys trailered up from Thibodaux and New Orleans, John Thompson's new Aprilia, Scott Toups' Hayabusa and Paul Lefort's FZ1 were carefully loaded onto two trailers which were towed behind a couple of pickups. First STARS for John and Scott. I don't really like to talk about trailers but when time is limited I guess it is an acceptable option.
At any rate it was great fun having the Southlanders with us this year! Kevin and Julie Yeats flew in; Kevin had planned to ride up with us but was not yet released to ride by his Orthopedist. (Kevin broke his collar bone and three ribs at a Tiger Track Day a few weeks back) So that left just four of us making the trip up via our sport touring motorcycles. As you have already read Tony Crowell got a two day jump on us with a side trip to OK and would be waiting for us in Tupelo, birthplace of the King of Rock and Roll. Tim would leave after work Friday from Ruston, LA and meet us in Tupelo. Bill Ellis and I met in Jackson, LA, at 7:00 Friday morning and were on the road by 7:10,
I on my aging '99 VFR and Bill on his 06 FJR, we took some back roads to Port Gibson where we entered the Natchez Trace Parkway for the rest of the trip to Tupelo, an uneventfull but very pleasant ride. There was radar on the Trace so we held speeds down to about 60-65. We saw a few turkey and the biggest whitetail I've seen in a long time but we had plenty of time to slow and let the buck and his girlfriend cross in front of us. It was quite cool early and on the shady Trace but by the end of the ride and back out on the highway in Tupelo my gauge registered 97, and it felt like 107! We arrived at our motel about 2:15. 335 miles in 7 hours, including a quick lunch at a Subway in Koskiusco. We were hot and sticky but were quicky in our room enjoying the A/C. Tony had arrived an hour earlier and had the A/C cranked up for us. What a guy! We ate a hearty meal at a Red Lobster acroos the street from the motel.
The next morning, after a motel breakfast, we saddled up and got back on the Trace leaving the birthplace of Elvis. We were soon in TN and stopped at a neat welcome station in Collinswood. The couple that manned the station were bikers and very freindly and helpful. The Ntachez Trace ends just south of Nashville and the best part as far as twisties goes is the last 20 miles. Here we threw our radar induced caution to the winds and swept the cobwebs away with some nice high speed sweepers.
Exiting the Trace we got on the Interstate just long enough to get North of Nashville, then hit some state highways that were getting pretty good, especially TN 52. An on road shot courtesy of Tony:
Our day's destination was somehwere around Lake City, TN. By 1 pm it was HOT, I saw as high as 97 again on my VFR's onboard thermometer. It was not too bad as long as we could keep rolling but a few long red lights in a couple of towns had me sweating profusely! We stopped for the night in Pioneer, TN at the first motel we found as we were all ready for some A/C. After cooling off we had to remount the bikes to get to dinner across the highway at a Perkins restaurant. Some rain moved into the area just as we rode back from dinner, the first drops I had seen during the 720 miles I had traveled so far.
From our room in Pioneer, TN 
Pioneer is just 150 miles from Asheville via the Interstate system but Tony, our routemaster, had other plans. Instead our 245 mile route looped North into Virginia in search of some new twisties that none of us had seen befor (after first riding South 15 miles to Lake City for a pancake breakfast at a Cracker Barrel). Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride...that's what Sport Touring is all about! We took 63 up to Cumberland Gap, (I had the Grateful Dead's Cumberland Blues blasting on my MP3 player of course) US 58 to Jonesville, VA then we rocked and rolled on curvaceous HWY 70 South to Greeneville, TN. After a short stretch of Interstate 26 we then attacked NC 19W for our final approach to Asheville.
19W is incredibly tight and curvaceous and was a great sample of what was in store for the next 3 days.
Once in Asheville we had no trouble navigating I-40 and I-240 and easily found the Crowne Plaza Resort (CP). The large parking lot and entrance way were already filling up with bikes and bikers as well as vendor tents.
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Tuesday is Lunch Ride day and lunch was on the grounds of the huge Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley. This is an awesome museum if you love Harleys but also great even if you just love motorcycles or racing. The pulled pork Bar-B-Q lunch was awesome as well!
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Some of the Louisiana Gang had never ridden the Dragon, so that was the destination for Wednesday. I had my reservations. I was down with mild cases of the Hunter S. Thompson Road Bug syndrome and tinea cruris (two wet days in the saddle), and had also misplaced my bottle of Anti-MonkeyButt powder and was not enthusiastic about a 300 mile day. Nevertheless I decided to tag along with the group. The route that Tony and Paul came up with to get to the Dragon defies description so I won't even try. But highway 28 was incredible. Not to mention curvaceous. (See John Thompson's attempt at a poetic tribute below) We took I-40 to Clyde then 74 to Needmore where we turned onto 28 at Fontana Lake. I had no idea that Fontana Lake was so huge. I knew that Deals Gap was close to Fontana Damn which of course is on Fontana Lake. But not this part of the lake. That's a good excuse for getting confused and lost, right? Anyway, the pace began to escalate and my motor was getting hot. Which caused my fan to come on which in turn overstressed my weak charging system (and my nerves). I was not happy. At one point, as I was behind him, Tim attempted a Double Yellow pass to find himself face to face with an SUV. Both nailed their brakes hard enough to avoid collision, but it wasn't pretty. Another time we all came careening around a blind right hander to come face to rear end with a monster mowing machine (NO warning signs at all) entirely blocking our lane. I slowed and dropped to the back of the group. Soon the group ahead of me made another double yellow pass and I declined to follow and it was 3 or 4 miles before I could make a reasonably safe pass. The group was gone. I came to a T in the road with no highway signs in sight. I was unsure which way to turn. I apparently guessed wrong as the GPS said "Off Route, Recalculate?" I pulled into a pull out to try to get my bearings but the tree canopy was too dense, the GPS was telling me to go off road. After going back and forth a couple times trying to get a fix I gave up and backtracked on 28. Once I was in the open I plotted a route back to the CP. I was ready for a cold beer. Attempts to communicate via cell phone were thwarted by lack of service in the area but I got a message out to Paul when I reached a serviced area. Later I learned that Tony and Tim spent some time trying to find me (see Tim's piece above). Tim, Scott and John later rode the Dragon. They reported that they had spotted me on the Dragon further adding to the confusion. Indeed there are shots online at Killboy.com for the June 27 showing my double. Red 5th generation VFR, black and silver riding suit and silver helmet. Even a black top case. How strange is that! Maybe HE had left the phone charger in our motel room on the first night....
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This tale could go on and on but I am falling way behind schedule and need to finish! The banquet was fun! Great food and the guest speaker, Fred Rau, was hilarious. I think someone in our group won a nice door prize but I can't recall who or what but the VFR went to an Ohio member. Thursday our group split up again and went seperate ways. The South LA guys left early to make their one day trip. Kevin and Julie headed on to other sightseeing destinations in North Carolina, continuing their vacation a couple more days before flying home. As usual, Tony, Bill, Tim and I followed an indirect, curvaceous path for the first of our two day route home. We dipped down into North Georgia riding some of the great roads near TWO in Suches then headed West through Chattanooga and then to our intended destination of Huntsville after riding curvaceous Fort Moutain Road with a lunch stop at a mountain resort. Huntsville however was hosting a Jehova's Witness convention and there was not a room to be had. We struggled on through heat and heavy traffic to Athens. At least I struggled on the VFR, due to cooling and charging system woes. We found a nice motel with some interesting foreign staff. That's all I can say about that. Friday, we rode some secondary roads to Meridian, MS then the Interstate system for our final legs home. Tony and Bill continued South on I-59 to Baton Rouge, Tim and I went West on I-20 until Jackson, MS where I broke off, taking back roads to St. Francisville. I arrived home at 3:15 after a 500 mile day having gained an hour crossing the time zone. I had covered 2,454 miles for the entire 8 day trip about 700 of which was pure, unadulterated curvaceous heaven! The most fun you can have with your clothes on without a doubt! I think....
The 25th anniversary STAR was up there among the best. Well, top ten anyway.... I love STARS... This was my 14th. I have missed too many. I don't plan to miss any more. Next years STAR will be close to LA, in the Texas Hill Country, do not miss it.
A few pictures from our ride home:
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It was the night before deals gap and not a not a creature was moving except
Scott still trying to crap!
The motorcycles were parked in their spaces with care
in hopes that sweet curves were soon to appear!
As the micro fibers sat snug in their pack john thought of Paul's socks
and shouted "MAN THOSE THINGS ARE WACK!!"
Little did he know his faith,
it was meant to be our Beautiful Hwy 28!
The road came about so slick and so quick...
Oh my God what gear do I pick!!!
With a flick of the clutch and a tap on the break
we ripped our way into Hwy 28!
Screaming and shouting our throttles were turned
as the rubber beneath our beasts was sure to be burned!
Turn after turn my mind slipped away
stopping for a moment thinking of Paul and his forgotten helmet...boy did he PAY!!!!
As the road came to an end my heart gave a gasp
as I sat there thinking MAN WAS THAT FAST!!!!
It was a day to remember so sweet as could be
as my adrenaline was flowing FINALLY I AM FREE!!!!!
With my troubles washed away I had a clean slate
all thanks to my beautiful HWY 28!!!!
John "poet" Thompson
 | SWITCHBACKS> by Lee Nangle OK, I went to STAR. You call this a motorcycle Rally? What I saw: A parking lot full of Sport and Sport Touring Motorcycles, and for the most part, a bunch of rich, overweight white guys. What I didn't see: Tits, burnouts, wet t-shirt contests, rock-n -roll bands, camping, mudwrestling, bikini contests, or tits. No tattoo artist on site, no airbrush artist, no body painting, bonfires, beer trucks, food vendors, or tits. How can you possibly have a rally without these things? Is riding your only interest? Motorcycling is much bigger than that, it is a cultural experience for all the senses. What the HSTA needs is a serious motorcycle rally, I am hoping that the guys from Texas will see the light and include all the aspects I have mentioned in STAR 08. |
| Or maybe it will be left to the guys from LA to start to expand the club with energy and vitality. New life and enthusiasm is what this group needs. And you are right guys at the right time to introduce a more inclusive, well rounded motorcycling experience. What of the ladies of HSTA? Might they be offended by this new activity? I think the Ladies of HSTA are the most adventurous of all the members. Personally, I think a calendar would be a great Idea. " The ladies of HSTA" might be a great fund raiser. Also activities, such as a pajama party, and slave auction, would add flare and style to a stuffy boring meeting schedule. And with the crowning of the first ever Miss Nude HSTA, the rally would end on a very high note. The group just needs imagination, Hooters restaurants as food vendors, exotic dancers to help with the bike wash, Asian massages available to help riders relax after the long rides. Of course, attendance at rallies would skyrocket, with thousands, not hundreds of riders. And money would flow like oil from a Harley rally parking lot. So, what do you say? Do you want to raise the bar, and have a proper rally, or do you just want to go the next event….and ride? |
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I hope you enjoyed our STAR 2007 issue. I think June and July have been the two busiest months of my life. I am just back from Wichita, KS where I welcomed Gabrielle, my first grand daughter into the world. I hope to put together some riding plans for the remainder of the summer and the fall. Stay tuned for a special upcoming rides issue.
Bob
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