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Moonshine Lunch Run 2018: Our First & the Last 2018

voyagerrider

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Location
Burleson, TX
First Name
Marty
Last Name
Johnston
Finally made it! After all these years hearing about the Moonshine Lunch Run and wanting to go? Finally made it, on the last one. I had even signed up to go a couple of years ago and was going to do the Curt Gran Memorial SS1K, but something came and was unable to make it.

My adventure started at 0400 on Thursday, April 12th. I rode from the QT in Alvarado Starting the Iron Butt Ride.

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Here is a pic of my odometer at the start. My plan was to try to make Denton by 0500, OKC by 0730, and hoping to be in Salina, KS by noon. It all came together and I was actually in Salina by 1100. Things had gone well, as I was getting close 240 miles out one tank of fuel on the Goldwing even running at 75-80 (sometimes 85) mph.. After I made the turn to go east at Salina it was a different story. The wind blowing from the south KICKED MY BUTT!! My gas mileage went down the tubes as most time I was only able to get 175 to 200 miles out of tank of fuel. Passing all the 18 wheelers(and there were a lot of them) was a workout as the turbulence coming off them had the Goldwing dancing around all over the road. But we persevered and made our destination of Casey, Illinois by about 1945.

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The Yellow Beast’s odometer when we made it!

We had come 1052 miles in just under 16 hours. Much better time than I expected. In fact when I had made the reservation at the hotel I had warned them not to expect me until after midnight. Even the lady desk clerk at the hotel was surprised to see me, but she did comment that I looked tired. The hotel we had booked was in Marshall, IL another 15 or so mile further east on I-70.

My Spotwalla track for the SS1K.

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The next day we rewarded with all this for our efforts.

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I know the certificate says I started in Hillsboro, instead of Alvarado. They have pre-set ride to choose from when registering so they can have everything ready for you to pick up if you complete it? I knew starting where I did would give me the mileage I needed.

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On Friday we didn’t do much except see some of the sights in Marshall & Casey, IL. Of course being a good geocacher I did manage to find a few of those and dodge a few thunder showers in the area. I did attend a dinner at a place called Richards Farm Restaurant with lot of other Moonshine attendees and had a excellent buffet meal.

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What Casey, IL is all about. Yes, there was a geocache here.

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My new friend. Yes, there a geocache here as well.

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World’s Largest Mailbox

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World’s Largest Pencil

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World’s Largest Rocking Chair

There were lots of other World’s Largest things as well: Wind Chimes, Golf Tee, Pitchfork, etc. I think you get the idea?

There were already a number of bikes at the Richards Farm Restaurant.

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The next day on Saturday we woke to rain! It rained on me all the way to the Moonshine Store. They had said at the dinner that they had hoped that the last one would beat the old record of 3300 attendees. Don’t know if it did or not? I got there before 0800 and there were quite a number there already.

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Moon Burger, what we came for:

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After I ate my Moon Burger and as much as enjoyed talking with everyone there were not too many places to stand where you didn’t get wet. So I decided if I was going to get wet, I may as well do it riding? So I went on my ride back to Texas.

Sorry I don’t have any pictures of the ride home. It rained on me pretty much until I got east of St. Louis. I did see the Gate Archway as I rode by it on the interstate. My plan was to ride down south into Arkansas through Mountain Home and Mena. I made it as far as Mountain Home that day and had noticed that temps were getting cooler as I rode west and south.

Sunday morning in Mountain Home the temp was a brisk 34 degrees that felt like 29. Glad I had decided to bring winter riding gear. I scrapped my plans of riding further south into central Arkansas, fearing icy conditions. I opted instead to ride west toward I-49 and head south from there to I-40 and home in the DFW area. I did have two firsts while riding a motorcycle yesterday. One was having my windshield on the bike ice up from precipitation. The second was riding in snow flurries. Both happened after passing through Harrison, AR. Lucky for even though the temps stayed in the low 30’s nothing was freezing on the roads. Although I did ride over the bridges very cautiously? Made to McAlester, OK without with the sun shining it starting to warm a bit. I made it to end of my journey in Burleson about 1730.

The Spotwalla track of my ride home:

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All in all it was a great trip even with the adverse weather conditions. That is to be expected if you ride anywhere this time of year. You have to deal with it. After all we are bikers! I was a great trip and I had a great time. I am glad finally got to go even if it was the last one it has been on my “Bucket List” for sometime.

Thanks for listening to my ranting’s!

Marty
 
Marty, outstanding ride and report. You're a more cold tolerant man than I am. Glad it was a safe, award winning ride.
 
Nice. I did the Curt Gran SS1k last year, too. I started in Hillsboro at around 10am. My thoughts were to let traffic die down which it did. I stopped in Columbia, MO for the night and got a good five hours of sleep. I made it to Casey the next morning with an hour to spare. :rider:
 
Marty, outstanding ride and report. You're a more cold tolerant man than I am. Glad it was a safe, award winning ride.

I am not sure how cold tolerant I am anymore. Haven't had a bike for some time that had a electrical system that would support electric gear? This one I have now will and before I do something like this I will definitely have electric gear. At least gloves and socks, that is what got the coldest was my feet and hands.
 
Always loved doing that ride. Got rained and sleeted on every time. It's not a ride until you have to borrow an ice scraper for your FJR windshield. :)
Sorry to see it end.
 
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