- Joined
- Feb 28, 2003
- Messages
- 51,221
- Reaction score
- 8,189
- Location
- Huntsville
- First Name
- Scott
- Last Name
- Friday
Howdy,
At the rate it has been raining, I have been on the lookout for parades of animals going by in two by two's. I think it has rained here in Huntsville every single day since before Memorial Day Weekend. Needless to say it is getting old. So when I spot a break on the radar, I decide to take the VFR out for a spin because it has been sitting in the garage unridden since before Memorial Day weekend!
I am happy to say it fires right up no the first try. Riding a bike like the VFR can make one take that kind of thing for granted. As it warms up I don my gear, then ease out fo the driveway and head down to Kings for a short run...
The run down FM 1791 is great. The road is dry all the way to FM 149. At the river bottoms area about midway to FM 149, the water is up to the edges of the road for several hundred yards. The barricades had been deployed earlier to close the road but enough water has run off for the highway department to reopen it. It feels great to be back on the VFR after so long. The bike is so smooth and easy to ride that I instantly feel right at home in the saddle.
I head South on FM 149 through the forest. Here there are damp patches on the road but nothing major. After putting over 10K miles on the GS since the beginning of April, I find that I run faster on the VFR with less effort than before :scratch What this means is that I really have to watch my speed through the forest because it creeps up without me realizing it. A few miles North of Montgomery, I come upon a "Water on the Road" sign and start slowing down. This is just after going down the hill past the Flamingo Lakes road.
Sure enough, there is about 200 feet of road under a few inches of fast moving water. The upstream side of the road is slower moving but deeper. The downstream side is only about 1-2" deep but moving quick. I decide to run just over the crest of the road on the downstream side. The water hasn't had a chance to really pick up speed yet and it is shallow. I chug through in first gear tossing a wave several feet high to either side of me and make it through no problem.
The rest of the run to Kings is uneventful. I grab a Grilled Cheese, chat with the owner's wife, Renee, for a bit, and then head back up into the forest to cross the water again. This time there are numerous cars parked on the shoulder. Several guys are standing around with compound bows setup with reels on them. One guys wife is videoing them as they unspear a large Alligator Gar! I had no idea the fishing was good when the creeks were overflowing their banks?! There is another guy a few hundred yards downstream, wade fishing out in the middle of a large flooded pasture.
Feeling good about being on a bike for the first time since getting home from Colorado a week ago, I don't really want to head home just yet. So I decide to head West on FM 149 towards Richards and see what I might find. Just before town, there is that last hill, the downside of which leads into the fast left hander and then the right, before the railroad crossing. All of this area is under water but the road is still dry. The water comes right up to the edge of the road and the bottom of the bridges. Too bad I left my camera at home... doh!
I plod through Richards on FM 149 and decide to run out to Anderson and see what I might find. As I am zinging along, a male Cardinal shoots out in front of me. He would have made it but at the last instant, he swerves straight up and hits my throttle hand right on the knuckles at about 85mph! Yes, it hurts! No bruising though. I never could find what was left of the bird. As I approach Anderson, I begin getting little sprinkles of rain on my face shield. I brought my rain suit just in case but don't bother to stop and put it on. I figure I'll keep riding until the rain starts and then just turn around and out run it
Since I'm already in Anderson, I figure I might as well run out FM 3090 since it has been a while since I was last out here. A storm cloud off the the West looks to be dumping a lot of rain and headed my direction. I think I can reach the other end of 3090 before it crosses over 3090. I do. I start to turn left onto FM 244 and the road is closed. Knowing there is probably water over the road, I decide to go have a look see. Sure enough, as I pass the cemetery and come down the hill, the road is under water for about 250 yards.
As I pull up, there is a truck sitting there actually contemplating a crossing. The flood gauge shows a foot deep right at the edge of the water at the beginning of the crossing. It is obviously deeper out in the middle and moving very fast The guy says he isn't going to attempt it. A truck on the far side starts across but then decides prudence is the better part of valor and backs out. Soon, another truck appears on the far side and does not even hesitate. It just drives right in and actually makes it across. Seeing this, the guy I had been speaking with on my side takes off and makes it. These folks are nuts. Out in the middle, the water looks to be about two feet deep, easily over the bumpers on the trucks. As fast and deep as the water is, it would have been really ugly had they been washed off the road. By the time I turn around and head back to FM 3090, several more trucks have made the crossing. ALL of the cars turn back.
The rain I had been worried about never makes it as far as 3090 before turning to the North. This is nice because I would have been backtracking right through it. All of 3090 is dry. However, at the end of the really long straight, there is a little bridge that is a left hander on the bridge itself. The pastures on both sides of the road here are large lakes. The water looks deep and is moving quite fast. Going off the road here would be a bad thing. On the outbound trip, I passed a small calf outside the fence and freaked it out. Heading back, I look for him and he is still outside the fence and still freaked out. I go by slowly and then stop at the next house to speak with the owners. They say they'll call the owners and get them out here. It will be getting dark soon and this is a black cow near a corner...
The rest of the run on 3090 is a blast. It really feels good carving some corners on the VFR. When I make it to Anderson, I shoot back East on FM 149 to FM 1791. Right after turning onto FM 1791, there is a LONG straight with only one side road. The VFR still tops out around 148mph indicated and gets there very fast I haul it back down for the long right handed sweeper at the end of the straight and settle back down into semi-responsible citizen mode. When I reach the river bottoms area, the barriers are up indicating the road is closed again! That explains the highway department truck I saw a few miles back
Apparently, even though it has not been raining recently, the run off from other areas is still causing the water to rise. At the far end, I see another bike just clearing the water and driving away. So I know it should not be a problem. Just like the other water crossing, the upstream side is deeper and slower, and the downstream side, shallower and faster. It is about 150 yards long and not a problem. Since water is not on the road all the time, there is no slick algea to contend with. Also, since I ride near the crest of the road in the shallow water, it is not moving to quick yet. Again, I chug through making a large bow wave, running a nice steady pace. Once on the far side, I set out to catch the other bike. He is cruising pretty quick because I don't catch him until we reach the stop on Hwy 30. He is riding a full dresser Harley, no helmet, and smoking a cig I could smell a few hundred yards back. To each his own I guess
A few hours after setting out and just before dark, I roll into the driveway. Somewhere along the way the VFR rolled past the 46K mark and I was not paying attention. Those 46K miles have been pure joy. A lot of tires, a few new chains, regular oil changes, and a good bit of gas are all that it has taken to get the bike this far. I've been trying to sell it since early this spring but no one seems to want it. I guess maybe the mileage freaks prospective buyers, who knows? It is paid off so I am not hurting to get rid of it, at least not for the really low ball prices some folks seem to think I should take for it. After the ride this evening, I think I will be holding onto it for a while longer... The thought of parting with it just seems to much to bear
Adios,
At the rate it has been raining, I have been on the lookout for parades of animals going by in two by two's. I think it has rained here in Huntsville every single day since before Memorial Day Weekend. Needless to say it is getting old. So when I spot a break on the radar, I decide to take the VFR out for a spin because it has been sitting in the garage unridden since before Memorial Day weekend!
I am happy to say it fires right up no the first try. Riding a bike like the VFR can make one take that kind of thing for granted. As it warms up I don my gear, then ease out fo the driveway and head down to Kings for a short run...
The run down FM 1791 is great. The road is dry all the way to FM 149. At the river bottoms area about midway to FM 149, the water is up to the edges of the road for several hundred yards. The barricades had been deployed earlier to close the road but enough water has run off for the highway department to reopen it. It feels great to be back on the VFR after so long. The bike is so smooth and easy to ride that I instantly feel right at home in the saddle.
I head South on FM 149 through the forest. Here there are damp patches on the road but nothing major. After putting over 10K miles on the GS since the beginning of April, I find that I run faster on the VFR with less effort than before :scratch What this means is that I really have to watch my speed through the forest because it creeps up without me realizing it. A few miles North of Montgomery, I come upon a "Water on the Road" sign and start slowing down. This is just after going down the hill past the Flamingo Lakes road.
Sure enough, there is about 200 feet of road under a few inches of fast moving water. The upstream side of the road is slower moving but deeper. The downstream side is only about 1-2" deep but moving quick. I decide to run just over the crest of the road on the downstream side. The water hasn't had a chance to really pick up speed yet and it is shallow. I chug through in first gear tossing a wave several feet high to either side of me and make it through no problem.
The rest of the run to Kings is uneventful. I grab a Grilled Cheese, chat with the owner's wife, Renee, for a bit, and then head back up into the forest to cross the water again. This time there are numerous cars parked on the shoulder. Several guys are standing around with compound bows setup with reels on them. One guys wife is videoing them as they unspear a large Alligator Gar! I had no idea the fishing was good when the creeks were overflowing their banks?! There is another guy a few hundred yards downstream, wade fishing out in the middle of a large flooded pasture.
Feeling good about being on a bike for the first time since getting home from Colorado a week ago, I don't really want to head home just yet. So I decide to head West on FM 149 towards Richards and see what I might find. Just before town, there is that last hill, the downside of which leads into the fast left hander and then the right, before the railroad crossing. All of this area is under water but the road is still dry. The water comes right up to the edge of the road and the bottom of the bridges. Too bad I left my camera at home... doh!
I plod through Richards on FM 149 and decide to run out to Anderson and see what I might find. As I am zinging along, a male Cardinal shoots out in front of me. He would have made it but at the last instant, he swerves straight up and hits my throttle hand right on the knuckles at about 85mph! Yes, it hurts! No bruising though. I never could find what was left of the bird. As I approach Anderson, I begin getting little sprinkles of rain on my face shield. I brought my rain suit just in case but don't bother to stop and put it on. I figure I'll keep riding until the rain starts and then just turn around and out run it
Since I'm already in Anderson, I figure I might as well run out FM 3090 since it has been a while since I was last out here. A storm cloud off the the West looks to be dumping a lot of rain and headed my direction. I think I can reach the other end of 3090 before it crosses over 3090. I do. I start to turn left onto FM 244 and the road is closed. Knowing there is probably water over the road, I decide to go have a look see. Sure enough, as I pass the cemetery and come down the hill, the road is under water for about 250 yards.
As I pull up, there is a truck sitting there actually contemplating a crossing. The flood gauge shows a foot deep right at the edge of the water at the beginning of the crossing. It is obviously deeper out in the middle and moving very fast The guy says he isn't going to attempt it. A truck on the far side starts across but then decides prudence is the better part of valor and backs out. Soon, another truck appears on the far side and does not even hesitate. It just drives right in and actually makes it across. Seeing this, the guy I had been speaking with on my side takes off and makes it. These folks are nuts. Out in the middle, the water looks to be about two feet deep, easily over the bumpers on the trucks. As fast and deep as the water is, it would have been really ugly had they been washed off the road. By the time I turn around and head back to FM 3090, several more trucks have made the crossing. ALL of the cars turn back.
The rain I had been worried about never makes it as far as 3090 before turning to the North. This is nice because I would have been backtracking right through it. All of 3090 is dry. However, at the end of the really long straight, there is a little bridge that is a left hander on the bridge itself. The pastures on both sides of the road here are large lakes. The water looks deep and is moving quite fast. Going off the road here would be a bad thing. On the outbound trip, I passed a small calf outside the fence and freaked it out. Heading back, I look for him and he is still outside the fence and still freaked out. I go by slowly and then stop at the next house to speak with the owners. They say they'll call the owners and get them out here. It will be getting dark soon and this is a black cow near a corner...
The rest of the run on 3090 is a blast. It really feels good carving some corners on the VFR. When I make it to Anderson, I shoot back East on FM 149 to FM 1791. Right after turning onto FM 1791, there is a LONG straight with only one side road. The VFR still tops out around 148mph indicated and gets there very fast I haul it back down for the long right handed sweeper at the end of the straight and settle back down into semi-responsible citizen mode. When I reach the river bottoms area, the barriers are up indicating the road is closed again! That explains the highway department truck I saw a few miles back
Apparently, even though it has not been raining recently, the run off from other areas is still causing the water to rise. At the far end, I see another bike just clearing the water and driving away. So I know it should not be a problem. Just like the other water crossing, the upstream side is deeper and slower, and the downstream side, shallower and faster. It is about 150 yards long and not a problem. Since water is not on the road all the time, there is no slick algea to contend with. Also, since I ride near the crest of the road in the shallow water, it is not moving to quick yet. Again, I chug through making a large bow wave, running a nice steady pace. Once on the far side, I set out to catch the other bike. He is cruising pretty quick because I don't catch him until we reach the stop on Hwy 30. He is riding a full dresser Harley, no helmet, and smoking a cig I could smell a few hundred yards back. To each his own I guess
A few hours after setting out and just before dark, I roll into the driveway. Somewhere along the way the VFR rolled past the 46K mark and I was not paying attention. Those 46K miles have been pure joy. A lot of tires, a few new chains, regular oil changes, and a good bit of gas are all that it has taken to get the bike this far. I've been trying to sell it since early this spring but no one seems to want it. I guess maybe the mileage freaks prospective buyers, who knows? It is paid off so I am not hurting to get rid of it, at least not for the really low ball prices some folks seem to think I should take for it. After the ride this evening, I think I will be holding onto it for a while longer... The thought of parting with it just seems to much to bear
Adios,