[WayneDW]

Here's a link to the pics I took today:
ride pics

it was an adventure: Rain, cold, gravel. But I like adventures!

Thanks Randall!



(you'll have to ask Randall how he got so dirty!)

[tom-in-robbinsdale]

WayneDW, on 14 May 2011 - 08:45 PM, said:

Here's a link to the pics I took today:
ride pics

it was an adventure: Rain, cold, gravel. But I like adventures!

Thanks Randall!



(you'll have to ask Randall how he got so dirty!)

Thanks for all your work in planning and organizing this event, Randall.

Thanks Wayne for taking and posting the photos!

tom-in-robbinsdale

[LRCXed]

Nice pictures Wayne. Looks like a nice ride with everyone. Was that Joe (Motor Hippie) I saw in there?
I may have to delete the post though. We don't allow DIRTY pictures here! Even if it is Randall. Sounds like it's going to be a slippery story though!

Thanks for sharing Wayne.

[Blindstitch]

Here's a link to my dirty pictures. And more Randall
http://s693.photobuc...ies%20Ride%204/

[DaveF]

It looks like everyone had a great time! Thanks for posting the photos.

[graywolfs02]

Randall "Rocky"-in-Minneapolis

To echo Wayne's post.

I like adventure too.....

Thanks Randall for another GREAT ride

Looking forward to next years ride.

Just wondering how you will top THIS years ride....Rain AND Gravel......sweet!


Greg

[graywolfs02]

LRCXed, on 14 May 2011 - 08:57 PM, said:

Nice pictures Wayne. Looks like a nice ride with everyone. Was that Joe (Motor Hippie) I saw in there?
Thanks for sharing Wayne.

Yep...that was Joe....his brother Eric too!

Greg

[Interstater]

Even though I was only able to do a short bit of the ride, I had a great time today. Cold and rain just didn't matter! Thanks for setting this up Randall!

[SiriusBlackOp]

Awesome pics guys!
Finally thawed out and warm and having a drink sitting next to Angie.

When is ROCKY V coming out? ... since this was the 4th ride?

[Montana Clifford]

Is anyone going to explain the muddy clothes? Did he biff? Inquiring minds want to know!

Montana Clifford

[tom-in-robbinsdale]

Montana Clifford, on 15 May 2011 - 12:47 AM, said:

Is anyone going to explain the muddy clothes? Did he biff? Inquiring minds want to know!

Montana Clifford

Randall dumped on wet gravel - clay that was slick as snot at that spot. It is amazing that we had only one person go down. As you can tell from the photos, Randall modeled for all of us grace after a setback!

[Randall-in-Mpls]

LRCXed, on 14 May 2011 - 09:57 PM, said:

I may have to delete the post though. We don't allow DIRTY pictures here! Even if it is Randall.

Dirty pictures of Randall? That's a disturbing thought.

DaveF, on 14 May 2011 - 11:37 PM, said:

It looks like everyone had a great time!

Not quite everyone. Between the weather, my first crash, and surrendering to Surf-or-Ski's electrical gremlin to get him home before dark without a headlight, mine kinda stunk.

Montana Clifford, on 15 May 2011 - 12:47 AM, said:

Is anyone going to explain the muddy clothes? Did he biff? Inquiring minds want to know!

It appears that my reputation for choosing unpaved roads may have some merit. Despite all my Streetview spot checks, I missed this one. I had mentioned the rain keeping down the dust on the gravel roads, but it was only a joke, really.

County Road 11 was nice where it was paved. As we approached an intersection at Millville, I thought it would be our next turn onto MN-60. Seeing that it was County Road 2, I pulled over to check my directions, which made no mention of it. Unsure where Cty Rd 2 would take us (looking back, I would have chosen the wrong direction if we had turned), we continued on the now smaller Cty Rd 11, which turned to gravel after a mile or so. Still thinking we were close to MN-60, I pressed on, rather than turning the large group around. After a couple more slow miles, I started watching for someone to ask directions. When a car pulled out of a driveway just ahead and came toward us, I slowed to flag him down. Having finally overcome my dirtbiker's habit of never using the front brake, I forgot to use the rear.

I don't remember falling, just slipping and then sliding in the gravel. Beyond jinxing, I can now say that I had never crashed before, even riding off-road as a kid. I think I was in a little bit of shock. I left the bike on the ground to ask the driver where we were in relation to Hwy 60. Michael and someone else then helped me heft it up just before the paparazzi got there.

Lucky, I escaped with a bump on the elbow and a slight scrape on my forearm. My coat took the brunt of it, with a tear above the wrist and another small one on the shoulder. The visor hinge on my helmet came apart when I hit the ground (thanks, Michael, for finding all the pieces), so that needs to be disassembled and cleaned out. Damage to the bike is minimal. The only broken plastic is the gauge bezel, which was already cracked and waiting to be replaced. The handle bar and turn signal stay need to be straightened, and a tie-down needs to be sewn back onto one of my saddlebags. Plus lots of cleaning.

The great irony is that we were only a couple hundred yards from MN-60, the paved road we were looking for. I don't think anyone else caught the other irony:



We were right at the entrance to a motocross park.


R

P.S. I've already promised that the entertainment won't be as good next year. Maybe I'll just sit in a dunk tank. It will be less humiliating.

[Randall-in-Mpls]

Montana Clifford, on 15 May 2011 - 12:47 AM, said:

Did he biff?

It was really more of a splat!

tom-in-robbinsdale, on 15 May 2011 - 09:19 AM, said:

Randall dumped on wet gravel - clay that was slick as snot at that spot. It is amazing that we had only one person go down. As you can tell from the photos, Randall modeled for all of us grace after a setback!

I'm glad it was me, and not someone else that I led into the mud-hole.


R

[Spring Brook Rider]

Just wanted to say thanks to Randall and that it was great to ride with and see you all again. Also thanks for the photos you guys submitted.Brings the whole thing alive again. It was cold. It was wet. It was windy. It was well worth it. Take care all. Michael.

[dccoleman]

It was cold and wet and more fun than I've had in a long time. Thanks for organizing this, Randall.



Randall checks out the first CX500Turbo to attend a HTTA-MN ride.

[SiriusBlackOp]

After some washing,waxing and polishing... I finally feel better about taking her Bajaing in the cold rain yesterday.

It was a great time though!

[Blindstitch]

This would have been more fitting on friday but works good enough for today.

[LRCXed]

Blindstitch, on 15 May 2011 - 05:04 PM, said:

This would have been more fitting on friday but works good enough for today.

That's almost scary Don!

[TonyG]

It was worth watching the vid just to see DaveW's floppy boots.

[WayneDW]

LRCXed, on 15 May 2011 - 06:18 PM, said:

That's almost scary Don!

The first few times I looked at it, I didn't see anything scary.... plastic over a GPS.... why is that scary????

today I saw it.... Arrgghh, the Mark Of The Beast!!!! (Revelation 13:18)

[black81silverwing]

Looks like a great time was had by all. Thanks for sharing.

[David from Wisconsin]

Today I spent 3 hours trying to get all the gravel off of my bike and I am still not done. Some of the gravel wouldn't come off the polished clutch cover and ended up scratching the cover.

It was a nice time except for the gravel. I hope to see everyone next year! Sorry I ran out of HTTA pins so quickly for those that didn't get one. I will try to do better next year.

[Randall-in-Mpls]

Again, David, my apologies for the gravel. Maybe this time, I've learned my lesson about route planning.


R

[Blindstitch]

Dave,
I'm trying to clean mine too. I think I'm going to hose it down at the car wash. I'm not even going to focus on cleaning the oil filter cover or clutch cover up. They look like I painted them with dirty brown silver.

[SiriusBlackOp]

Blindstitch, on 18 May 2011 - 08:54 PM, said:

Dave,
I'm trying to clean mine too. I think I'm going to hose it down at the car wash. I'm not even going to focus on cleaning the oil filter cover or clutch cover up. They look like I painted them with dirty brown silver.

I took mine to the pay car wash... still didn't get everything off. Had to go back with a soapy rag and wipe it down to get the grunge off of it.

[drneo]

Looks like you all had a good time!! I should be able to make the next one now that I've made it back to Minnesota!

[Randall-in-Mpls]

After a week-long layup waiting for me to find the time, the Mud Grub has been repaired and is back in operation. I even got most of the crash crud off my coat (but the holes are still there.)

R

[Randall-in-Mpls]

drneo, on 23 May 2011 - 08:50 AM, said:

...now that I've made it back to Minnesota!

Is there a story here?

R

[drneo]

Randall-in-Mpls, on 23 May 2011 - 09:55 AM, said:

Is there a story here?

R

Nothing special, my better half and I graduated last week and now we are in Rochester. I moved up in the world as I now own a garage, so the moto won't be standing outside anymore

[Blindstitch]

Randall-in-Mpls, on 23 May 2011 - 10:55 AM, said:

After a week-long layup waiting for me to find the time, the Mud Grub has been repaired and is back in operation. I even got most of the crash crud off my coat (but the holes are still there.)

R

Don't think of them as holes but memories of gravel past.