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The Newbie Ride trip report (and tire review)

Mark Eggers

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The days seemed to tick by ever so slowly as the weekend ride approached to Hodges Gardens. I had been looking forward to my first group ride with great anticipation. My riding buddy Paul had rented a Harley V-Rod to join in the fun. I was hoping to get e few miles on that shiny hunk of chrome as well.
My trip preparation included the typical oil change, chain cleaning and adjustment etc on my trusty old VF1000R. (Affectionately known as the “Dinosaur”) I had been researching and calling around trying to find a set of radial tires to replace the worn out and squared up Avon bias-ply tires I had on there. Having ridden mostly old bikes with bias-ply tires, I was anxious to try some modern tires on my bike to see if the differences were as remarkable as some had indicated to me.
Research, research, research…. I spent two months looking at the limited options (small, quick steering 16” front wheel :roll: ) and narrowed my list of possibilities to Pirelli Dragons, Metzler MEZ2s and Avon Venoms. All of which made stock sizes for my bike. My next concern was wheel width. I had read that wheel widths for radials of corresponding tire sizes were wider for the radials. I sent inquiries including my wheel widths to Pirelli, Metzler and Avon. I only received an actual response from Pirelli. They said the rim widths and tire choices I had made would be an excellent fit and nice performance boost over my old bias-ply set up. I received and auto response and German gibberish from Metzler pointing me to the help section of their German website :? and nothing from Avon. Started my search for the Pirelli’s as I had a warm fuzzy feeling from the tire engineer’s comments. It seems that some of the rim width information is due to the fact that the tires themselves are getting wider as well as the rim and the ½” narrower rim than recommended on both my wheels was not significant enough to change the tire profile much.
Good news/bad news… I found the Dragon GT front in the 120/70 ZR16 size on Closeout for $86! WooHooo! And the Matching Dragon GTS rear in 150/70 ZR17 for the more typical price of $145. Couldn’t find the MEZ2s or the Avon’s in stock anywhere anyway. I ordered up the set and was hoping to get them in time to install and use for the trip. After ordering them, I asked why the Dragon GT front was on clearance and was dutifully notified that the 16” had been discontinued…. :x . So even if I like this tire combo, it may be the last time for it. Guess I’ll get around to the CBR 600F2 wheel swap eventually. Got the tires mounted and spin balanced with a new set of front wheel bearings installed at the same time. Got the tires remounted on the bike on Thursday evening right before the ride. Did a quick 5-mile ride around the neighborhood to verify that everything was tight and adjusted. Put on a fresh coat of new Bel-Ray chain lube, loaded up the Hondaline soft saddlebags and turned out the light.
Friday arrived and I did my obligatory half-day at work and rushed home to get ready to leave. Paul showed up at my house a little after Two P.M. and had already put 180 miles on the rental Harley. We chatted while he cooled off and we waited for my wife to get home from work. Gave her a kiss and thanked her profusely for the weekend kitchen pass. Paul and I headed north towards Montgomery and the nearly famous re-paved F.M. 149. I was immediately impressed with the new Pirelli’s. Took it easy and tried to pay attention to the feel of the new tires and scrub them in. Seems new tires don’t need much scrubbing in, as they were grippy from the start. I let Paul take the lead into the cool forest as we drifted north through 149.
The ride was fantastic with the smooth flowing corners and the newfound confidence the Dragons inspired. Handling was much sharper than before, but not twitchy in the least. Things were looking good!
We stopped in Anderson for a break got a Gatorade and some A/C and looked for some more twisty routes to Huntsville. We headed back out zipped around a few more Farm to Market Roads before finally getting to Scott Friday’s house at about 5:45. Paul and I had done a nice 100 miles in the heat of the day just getting warmed up. We were the first one’s there but followed by others shortly. We went to dinner and came home to do some bench racing and such. The company and conversation was great.
The next morning we were ready to GO! A few of us early risers went over to IHOP for a quick breakfast while the sleepy heads got going… (Actually Scott got up early, from what I understand…) Thanks for the place to crash Scott! We headed out of Huntsville about 9:30 with 6 bikes and 8 people. The first few miles were fun as the group newbies (Paul and myself) tagged on the back trying to get a feel for the groups rhythm and pace. I was even more impressed with my new tires as the pace quickened and the roads got more challenging. The last road before our fist gas stop was the first real twisty and challenging road of the day and was just a blast. The group was steady and consistent as we zipped through the beautiful countryside. I was certain I had the right tires for this bike. Our next run got even more challenging as we zipped along towards lunchtime. We stopped for lunch and it all was going soooooo well. The next leg was just a horseshoe through a really tight and twisty Farm to Market road (F.M. 777 I think) where Paul and I started losing touch with the group. Not to worry, as Scott would wait if needed on occasion for the group to re-form. It was nice not to have to worry about keeping up if the pace got outside of a comfort zone or to feel like you were holding back the faster riders. I was just hanging on to the tail end of them as the pace was just pushing my comfort level (at least on new tires where I didn’t know where the traction edge was) and I was astonished to see John On his monstrous BMW R1150GS simply leave the group like they were sitting still! I was blown away at his smooth and aggressive riding style. A few minutes later, I rounded a corner and saw John sitting on a turn-off taking individual pictures of us as we passed him by. “Oh, so that’s why he took of ahead of the group!”
The next gas stop in a small town revealed a problem. As I pulled away from a stop sign, it sounded as if someone had thrown gravel in my chain…. Not a good sound in the middle of nowhere. At the gas station I realized it was a waaay loose and dry drive chain. I guess I didn’t put enough chain lube on and the hard charging of the day had really worked a number on it. It seemed o.k. when it was under a load and at speed so I felt I could make it to the end of the day (one more 70-80 mile leg) and re-evaluate at the hotel. At the same stop Vittorio noticed some belts showing through the middle of his back tire tread on his Honda 919. Not good. So Vittorio and I decided to back it down a notch for the rest of the day. We both were easy n the acceleration away from stops etc. We arrived at the Hotel in Hodges Gardens Louisiana with a fine day of sporty riding through some of the best roads in this part of Texas and Western Louisiana. We had about 280 miles of the prime twisty stuff for the days mileage.
After we checked into our rooms and cooled off a bit, A few of us headed across the rooms to The Gardens. Wow, what a beautiful place! I will definitely have to head back over there with the wife for a quiet weekend! We all met up at around 7:00 p.m. for dinner and had a great time as we unwound for the day. :chug:
The next morning arrived and we had some breakfast to get ready for the day. I borrowed some chain lube from Vittorio and my chain quieted down nicely. Nobody had a big enough wrench or socket, so I couldn’t adjust the chain. (note to self, bring enough tools to do chain adjustment and some chain lube as well on a long trip) Thanks for the chain lube Vittorio! Scott noted that today was going to be a little longer than Saturday and just as twisty and fun. We headed out about 9:15.
The first leg was mainly a back track to Texas and not real exiting, except I was riding the V-Rod and Paul was riding the Dinosaur. Fist thing I have to say about the V-Rod is that like most Harleys, the pegs are to far forward. (especially for short legged guys like me!) The engine on that bike however makes it worth the price of admission.
I would have to back it down to 70-75 in the corners but a ferocious roll-on capability would rocket me right back up to the pack in the straights. This bike at speed pulls so hard it seemed as if it had a rocket on the back. Of course, I think the sail in the wind riding position exacerbates this and may make it seem even quicker with the hard pull on the bars to stay on the thing. It even handles decent considering the raked out front end. A little more ground clearance, relocated footpegs and a little wind protection would make the V-Rod a really nice bike! At the next gas stop though I was worn out! I gave the Harley back to Paul with a new found respect of his ability to even keep the rest of us in sight on the twisties. He had to work very hard to go the same speed as us. It is a shame there isn’t a Cruise America in the Houston Area where you can rent a VFR 800 or something a little more sporting than a Harley.
At this stop the news on Vittorios back tire wasn’t good. The strip had widened and lengthenend significantly. Hmmmm…. On the good side, my chain seemed reasonably stable and looked like it would make the rest of the trip. The next lag was my favorite of the whole trip. It seems as if the group was really getting into a rhythm and was really kicking up the pace. Vittorio had slowed down some to conserve his tire and I decided to pass him and make a real effort to stay with the fast group. My confidence was fully vested in the Pirelli’s now making my only limits on the cornering my nerve and my speed. At one point we were flying along at a really good clip and as we crested a banked left hander on the side of a hill, there was a mud and water washout about 8 feet wide going all the way across the road. Because of its location on the corner, there was not much warning or reaction time. Luckily it was a short strip and everyone made it through clean, but not before a few “moments”. I did a two wheel simultaneous drift :shock: while others slid the rear out of line a bit only to hook back up once through the road hazard. Other than that, I kept up pretty well with the faster group. I was amazed to find only a ¼” of unused rubber on the either side of my new tries at the next stop! Wow, only a ¼” chicken strip! I have never had the Dinosaur over that far on a regular basis. My respect and admiration for the new Pirellis just keeps growing.
The next leg before our lunch stop took us down an extremely tight and twisty road that Scott apparently knows fairly well. He told me at the lunch stop he had been through it 4 or 5 times. The group attacked this twisty with particular vigor. Again I was able to hang on to the group, but only just barely as this was easily the biggest challenge I had had all weekend. We dropped Paul on this leg and waited at the edge of town for him to catch up. It was cool down, eat lunch and gas up time. After lunch the roads got a little less challenging as we headed towards or origination point. Scott slowed down from 85 to 70 and just as we crested a hill, there was a DPS officer passing on the left giving the group a wary eye. Great instincts Scott! We got to do a couple more twisty roads on our way to the last gas stop of the ride. Vittorio said goodbye to us at this stop and would take 59 back into Houston the most direct way to try and limp the bike home on what was now the most shagged tire I had ever seen with air still in it. Paul offered to ride with him to Houston, but he headed out on his own. He made it to Houston at least before his tire let go. At least he was in town. The rest of us zipped along at a pretty good clip feeling that tug of home. The only final action occurred right after our gas stop when 4 does and 4 fawns decided they wanted to cross the road in front of a zooming tourmeister. Scott laid on the brakes and the group pulled up sharply to avoid any out of season deer hunting….
We arrived in Huntsville around 4:00 in the afternoon with about 360 miles for the day under our sweat soaked belts. Scott told me that the ambient temp hovered at 100 degrees for most of the days ride. The heat was taking its toll on me. I was getting pretty tired. :| Paul and I cooled down at Scott’s house and drank a bottle of water. While at Scott’s we got the message from Vittorio that he had gotten to Houston before the tire let go and he had a safe pull out onto the shoulder, was waiting for the wrecker to retrieve the bike and his wife to retrieve him. Glad he was safe, we were a little worried about him. A few pics at Scott’s and Paul and I were off.
We took a short cut through to FM 149 again. FM149 has been re-paved and is considered a prime road in the Houston area and my favorite near home twisty. I was curious how it would feel to me now that I had gotten 700 miles on my new tires and knew where my limits were now moved out too. We got to 149 and dove in. It was a nice easy pace and as I cruised through the state forest, I relaxed and hurt my cheeks smiling inside my helmet as the cheek pads pushed back against the ever present smile. The pace I picked was faster than I used to go, but way slower than we had been going earlier in the day. Worked my way to the house and waved as Paul rode on by towards Houston.
I was home safe, (the number one priority) very happy and content. I learned so much on this ride. Not only about tires, but also comraderie, group riding, and my own abilities. I have been riding street bikes for 21 years now and opened a fantastic new experience this weekend. First, I have to say there is NO reason not to put radials on any bike if they can reasonably fit the stock rim. Radials offer more feel, yet less of the harsh minor road imperfections. So in a way you feel more road and less road crap. Handling is so improved as to be incomparable with bias-ply tires. I will never buy bias-ply tires again. These are so sticky, I never once felt them squirm or get near any edge of traction despite some pretty aggressive lean angles, and these are sport touring tires! I can’t imagine needing more grip on the street. If you are challenging the traction limits of some of the more super sticky tires on the street, you are pushing the envelope and should move it to the track. (just my opinion of course) I also learned much watching Scott on his VFR, John on Bmzilla, Vittorio with his leg out roadracing style, Paul railing that Harley faster than the rental company would dream of (scratched pipes anyone? :roll: ) and Will two-up on his Triumph Trophy going so fast, so smoothly. It was a pleasure riding with you all and will definitely ride with you all again.
The Dinosaur? Well It continues to amaze me. For an 18 year old ragged out sportbike with a questionable history, it is still quick, reliable and simply makes me smile. Scott says it reminds him of his grandpa’s tractor in the way it always has this mist of oil on everything. It leaks oil nearly as bad as an old Harley (almost). But never lets me down. (for the story of how I got this wonderful old motorcycle see http://www.epowersports.com/enthusiast_oct11.htm ) So now I sit and daydream and remember the great weekend that was my first group ride.
 
The Newbie Ride trip report, Hodges Gardens

Nice writeup Mark. Scott has a real nice route picked out. The Friday evening hookup allowed us to get to know some other people with the riding bug and also who you’d be riding with (or at least trying to). I know it’s not necessarily Scott’s plan to have people crash on his floor; Beth sure needs a big thanks as well.

The short ride on the “Dinosaur” sure was great, thanks. If only I could have talked you into a few more miles. Hwy 777 or 1414 would have been much more enjoyable on the VFR. It made it crystal clear the V-rod chassis has got nothing on even a seventeen year old setup. The rental did allow me to see what it really is, wonder if I can rent a Duck or a Guzzi and do a rerun? It was good Scott plans stops every ~110 miles, the V-rod tank range is for icehouse to icehouse slamming. My ’69 Triumph has got better range; you just got to get off sometimes because of the vibration. I can say the V-rods motor didn’t lack a kick in the pants when needed. Now, if H puts that V motor into the Buell’s chassis, they might have a start.

I’d recommend this run through the east Texas piney woods, from testing out the feel of a different bike, to new buyers, to experienced warriors. The roads were not straight nor were they boring, with surprisingly sparse cage traffic. The recurring brain flash is the ride into Burkeville on 1414 and then the run at Toledo Bend on 692 to the Texas border. Mental note, the 70mph sign at the base of the **** is just before the unmarked, hard flat turn to the left, which has just a little pucker factor. I found myself pushing many of the curves (as much as you could in the V) and sightseeing at other times. With Scott’s ride course setup, I could do both. At my age, the Jeckel & Hide confliction (ride hard then back off) seems to be getting more pronounced. The second day was interesting running up along Toledo Bend, in and out of the National forests, from Hemphill to San Augustine.

Pick up a copy of the “Roads of Texas” from Texas A&M, ISBN0-940672-45-6, it has been a great source for finding the long way home.

The small six-bike/eight-rider group was a real nice size. Thank you all for the memories.
Looking forward to the picture postings from the ride.

Paul
 
Oops, I agree that Beth should definately get a big thanks. Can't believe I forgot to thank her as well. Thanks for picking up my slack Paul. I am ready to do another ride, but with the house building and my sons 4 days a week football practice, I think I am off the long trips till at least next spring.
 
:tab This was a long trip?! Sheesh! :-P
 
Long trip = anything over 1 hour.....
Well, I guess long trip is a relative term here.... since most of my rides are 1 hour commutes to and from Houston (work) in rush hour traffic and the occasional trip up through 149 and back. Yeah, this was a long trip. My first trip was 960 miles in 27 hours on the Dinosaur when I picked up the bike in Kansas City. Had I realised I was that close to the SS1000 qualifier, I would have stayed less time in the motel and gone the extra 40 miles. I would love to take a week or two and do a real long trip, but alas.... life's requirements.... Gets back to the priorities question again then doesn't it? I think I have found a reasonable compromise between family, work and motorcycle time. I mean, wouldn't everyone like more seat time on the bike? Then of course, I have dirtbikes and horses that take up a lot of time as well. Gonna get a GoldWing one day so I can combine the family and the motorcycling into one.
 
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