Mena Arkansas Trip

We left for Mena Saturday morning about 5am. There were four of us that
went and we took three bikes. We trailered the three bikes from
Arlington,Tx to highway 8 in New Boston and there we unloaded and rode
our way into Mena. My wife went and she drove the truck and trailer
into Mena. We stopped and ate breakfast so we didnt get into Mena until
about 11:00.

As soon as we hit town, we went and checked into our rooms and unloaded
all our gear and all four of us hit the Talimena Highway with me two up
with my wife. We rode up to the lodge and ate lunch. My wife and her
sisters friend wanted to go to the animal center there so my
sister-in-law and I hit the twisties. We rode to Talahena and fueled up
and rode back to the lodge to pick up the other two and they werent
ready to leave yet so the sister-in-law and I rode back down to Mena
and came around the side of the mountains and pick up the Talimena
highway about midway.

We rode back to the lodge and picked up the other two and then rode
over to Mount Magazine. We didnt get back to the motel until after it
was dark. It got pretty cool once the sun went down but we brought our
jackets and chaps so we were prepared for the cool evenings.

Sunday morning we got up pretty early and hit the Talimena highway
again. I think I could ride that road a hundred times a day and never
get bored with it. My sister-in-laws friend is new to riding so we
kinda kept it slow as long as she was riding with us. She started out
riding about 3 months ago and she started on a Honda Rebel 250. She
just bought her a Honda Shadow 600cc bike about two weeks ago. She
rides pretty good on the straights but get her in the twisties and its
a scary sight to behold. She did ok for her first time. She only
dropped her bike four times. She really needs some work on taking off
on hills.

My sister-in-law and I decided to ride all the way home. Her friend
didnt want to ride so I loaded her bike up on my trailer and she and my
wife drove the truck back to Arlington. My sister-in-law and I rode the
backroads most the way home. We went thru Okla most the way making our
way to Idabel and then to Clarksville and then to Paris to Commerce to
I-30.

All in all it was a good trip other than my back is a little sore from
picking up that Honda Shadow four times and my neck is a little sore
from always watching that gal to make sure she didnt go off the side of
a mountain and my ears are sore from my wife always yelling at me to
slow down..lol. Looking foward to going again. If you have never ridin
that Talimena highway, put it on your list of "TO DO'S".

Redshad

 

Reads like you got yourself a good ride under your belt, big guy.. That's
great.. damned shame I couldn't tag along to get in the way, also.. That
friend of the sis in law has got enough guts to tackle those highways and
survive it, she'll make it, alright.. A few of those kinds of rides and
she'll be breezin' the whole bunch... betcha'.. Regards.. and btw.. Good
Ride Report..

Bill Walker
Irving

 

Yea I wish you could have made the trip. We had a great time. That
little gal was a trooper for sure. She would climb right back on that
motorcycle and away she would go. When we would stop, we would always
try to make sure we wasnt on a steep hill but it didnt always work out
like that. We will take her somewhere local and find a hill to work
with her on. She rides pretty good other than that. You might of had a
Mexico flash backs if you had of gone..*cough*..LOL

Redshad

 

Good deal Reshad, glad u enjoyed. My wife and I talked about going but
according to your post you were going July 22. You faked us out. Good idea!
.... maybe next time.

....louie

 

LOL..I know..I saw later that I posted July instead of April. I will go
anytime. If you and the wife want to go, e-mail me or post it here and
were there. I never get bored of that place.

Redshad

 

Did you go the rout shown in this map:
http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/maps.html

Yes we did. We always ride from one end to the other. We gas up in Mena
and at the other end we gas up in Talihina. Go check it out on your
vacation. You will be glad you did if you like riding the twisties.
Post it if your going and maybe some of us can meet up and ride.

Redshad

 

(redshad)
We left for Mena Saturday morning about 5am. There were four of us that
went and we took three bikes. We trailered the three bikes from
Arlington,Tx to highway 8 in New Boston and there we unloaded and rode
our way into Mena. My wife went and she drove the truck and trailer into
Mena. We stopped and ate breakfast so we didnt get into Mena until about
11:00.
As soon as we hit town, we went and checked into our rooms and unloaded
all our gear and all four of us hit the Talimena Highway with me two up
with my wife. We rode up to the lodge and ate lunch. My wife and her
sisters friend wanted to go to the animal center there so my
sister-in-law and I hit the twisties. We rode to Talahena and fueled up
and rode back to the lodge to pick up the other two and they werent
ready to leave yet so the sister-in-law and I rode back down to Mena and
came around the side of the mountains and pick up the Talimena highway
about midway.
~~We rode back to the lodge and picked up the other two and then rode
over to Mount Magazine. We didnt get back to the motel until after it
was dark. It got pretty cool once the sun went down but we brought our
jackets and chaps so we were prepared for the cool evenings.
~~Sunday morning we got up pretty early and hit the Talimena highway
again. I think I could ride that road a hundred times a day and never
get bored with it. My sister-in-laws friend is new to riding so we kinda
kept it slow as long as she was riding with us. She started out riding
about 3 months ago and she started on a Honda Rebel 250. She just bought
her a Honda Shadow 600cc bike about two weeks ago. ~~She rides pretty
good on the straights but get her in the twisties and its a scary sight
to behold. She did ok for her first time. She only dropped her bike four
times. She really needs some work on taking off on hills.
~~My sister-in-law and I decided to ride all the way home. Her friend
didnt want to ride so I loaded her bike up on my trailer and she and my
wife drove the truck back to Arlington. My sister-in-law and I rode the
backroads most the way home. We went thru Okla most the way making our
way to Idabel and then to Clarksville and then to Paris to Commerce to
I-30.
~~All in all it was a good trip other than my back is a little sore from
picking up that Honda Shadow four times and my neck is a little sore
from always watching that gal to make sure she didnt go off the side of
a mountain and my ears are sore from my wife always yelling at me to
slow down..lol. Looking foward to going again. If you have never ridin
that Talimena highway, put it on your list of "TO DO'S".
_Redshad _


Buddy, you are talking about my part of the country to Ride a
motorcycle. Rode that trip atleast 15 times.
You cracked me up, saying she did pretty good, only dropped the
600Shadow 4 times. Redshad, turning around, stopping on an incline then
taking off, turning around on gravel, all that stuff is the hard part to
learn for a Gal. (Anybody I guess.)
~Then next: Riding the curves in and out, on and on, is not easy to
learn. Judging the speed as you approach is a learning situation.~
Your last paragraph is a hoot. it is funny,
You said picking up her Bike, wore ya out. I had a 600 Shadow untill a
year ago, that is one of the best all round little cruisers to learn on,
and ride on, travel, and go!!
~Mt. Magazine is the highest point in the state of Arkansas. I think
around 2500 feet.
The Talemena ride over into Talihena Okla, is the best dern ride in a
200 square mile of Texarkana. It reminds me of parts of Colorado. I have
seen a Bear a time or two on that ride. But never anykind of Dear Deer.
(chuckle)
Thanks for sharing, pard. bjay_

 

Louie responds):Good deal Reshad, glad u enjoyed. My wife and I talked
about going but according to your post you were going July 22. You faked
us out. Good idea! ... maybe next time.
_louie_


Louieege, buddy, so do you wonder if He was trying to avoid having a
louie guy pegging along on a Valk something or nuther? Kidding, say how
far is Mena from where it is that you live? bjay_

 

''We gas up in Mena and at the other end we gas up in Talihina.''


The ride up Wilamena mtn from the little town of Mena is about what,
10-15 miles, and then the ride over into Talihena okla, is what 40-50
or more? We use to ride the round trip a couple of times a day, while
camping out up on Wilamena, then do it again, on our way home down to
new Boston area. It is really cool when ther are about 8 or 10 Bikes,
and ride the rear to view the winding of the Bikes on the twisties. heh
heh-bj-

 

Lets roll.

Redshad

 

The impression I get is that originally Walker was going to accompany
Redshad. They did a pre-trip briefing and decided to fake-a-date to avoid
any hillbillies that might try to flag'em down around Tex-or-kana.

Distance to Mena for me would be approx 300 miles, I'd say.

....louie

 

answers Bjay)_Distance to Mena for me would be approx 300 miles, I'd
say.
_louie_



''Well that is a ride, 300 one way, for a weekend, atleast for this ole'
feller. But being on the famous Valk, might not be so bad, eh? (wink)
_bj_

 

LMAO...Thats a good one Louie. I laughed so hard I had to call Bill and make
sure he read it. I messed up when I posted we were going in July. It was a
honest mistake. I would have liked for more people to have gone. I needed
help some help picking up that gals motorcycle on the fourth droppsie. They
werent offering me any help with one on the ground and the other two looking
in shock. Thanks for the laugh.

Redshad

 

I read your trip report with great enjoyment. I've ridden that same
route and it's a hoot. I do say I can appreciate the pains you took
with your new rider. To be honest, I don't think I would have done the
same. I wouldn't have recommended it to a new rider.

A beginner rider would have to use all of their ability to merely stay
on the road. This would leave precious little left as a reserve to
overcome severe challenges that could pop up concerning road
conditions and errant drivers. I've seen plenty of deer and other
wildlife (a black bear once!) on roads around there and have had to
take some fairly quick actions to avoid them a couple of times. I'm
sure you rode fairly slow and maintained safety, though. And there's
not many intersections. Come to think of it, the ride *to* Talimena
was probably more dangerous.

 

p.s. I do find it odd that you trailered the whole safest part of your
trip.
With all the loading and unloading you could have been there hours
earlier.
And it's only 3 or 4 hours to New Boston from Arlington, what the
heck?

 

<snort!> :0

 

The reason we trailered is because its a boring ride from Arlington to New
Boston. With a new rider being on the trip, I knew she probably wouldnt last
long and wouldnt beable to ride that far and I was right. My sister-in-law
was worried that she too couldnt ride the whole way. Both of those gals were
affraid that if they rode the whole way to Mena that they wouldnt want to
ride when they got there. I was willing to ride the whole way myself. My
wife is also just a hour or so rider and shes had enough. So the trailer was
the answer to cure all.

Redshad

 

deal. I told her she was responsible if anything happened to that gal. I
would have never recommended it. I talked to my sister-in-law several times
about if she was sure that taking her was a good idea. After talking to the
gal about it myself, she said she was up to the challenge so away we went.
She really did good all in all. She took my advise and rode her own ride. I
told her just to coast most of the way and she did well. She scared me a
couple of times where the road gets real twisty. She only rode the whole
thing one time and I took her two up with me a couple times. She said after
it was all over that she liked riding two up better than on her own bike.

Redshad

 

You could patent a way to make them waterproof.
"Although central-office equipment is typically hardened to Network
Equipment Building System standards, the full salt-water submersion of
some 5ESS switch sites in New Orleans represents conditions that
exceed what even full military hardening can withstand. Still, the
impact of reliance on a commercial backbone for parts of the federal
and local emergency infrastructure cannot be overestimated. "
http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2005/050905-comm-failure.htm

 

When everyone makes it home all in one peice, that's a good ride. No
doubt about it.