Slip Into Spring 2010

Friday 8 pm.

I looked at the weather report for Saturday, and saw that it was going to be sunny with a high in the 60's. Perfect riding weather. Forget about all the stuff I'm supposed to be doing, I want to go for a ride. I email my riding buddies, Dennis, Bob, Rick and Brian. "Sorry for the short notice ... but, wanna go for a ride tomorrow?"

Brian and Rick bowed out citing prior obligations, but Bob and Dennis agreed.

We chose a later start than we typically do, with a planned rendezvous at the Plainfield Bob Evans at 10 am

My chain was in need of lubrication. What ever possessed Honda to make the 3rd gen Magna chain driven and to omit the center stand!?!

It's easier with a second pair of hands. My wife graciously agreed to help and she walked the bike across the driveway while I followed along behind, liberally spraying Honda lube on the chain.

I debated whether to remove my windshield for the day's journey. It's a large, touring windshield which is an absolute essential for long trips at highway speeds, but I find it detracts from my enjoyment of a back-road jaunt. Perhaps I need a smaller, sportier windshield for trips like this. I decided to remove the windshield for the day.

Saturday 9 am
Depart home
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This was the only section of the trip where I would use the interstates. 30 miles of boring slab from where I live to Plainfield.

Saturday 10 am
Plainfield
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A late breakfast at Bob Evans. I arrive first, followed by Dennis. Dennis and I speculate which bike Bob might bring for the day's festivities. He owns two -- a Honda Magna and a Buell 1125r. The Buell is for sale, but also it's the bike best suited for the twisty roads where we are headed.

Shortly Bob pulls up on the Buell. He was unable resist the temptation!

After breakfast we gassed up and I snapped these photos.

Sunlight glinting off the instrument cluster on my Magna. Full tank and good times ahead.

Bob on the Buell 1125r; Dennis on the Suzuki DR650

Dennis lead us on our first leg of the journey, from Plainfield to Martinsville, via SR39 and what we call the "Pumpkinvine Route", which features local roads with lots of twists and grades and technical challenges, and little traffic. It is one of our favorites, and is a well-kept secret ... until now, I guess.

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Saturday 12 noon. Martinsville

We stopped in Martinsville to discuss the next leg of our journey.

Dennis and Bob confer. The bikes in the photo are Dennis' Suzuki DR 650, my own Honda Magna, and Bob's Buell 1125r.

For the next segment, I took a road I'd never been. Dennis led us through the Morgan-Monroe Forest to locally-famous SR 45 for some real corner-carving fun.

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It's funny to look at the route on the map; it's certainly not "direct". But it links together a bunch of great motorcycle roads.

The state roads are two lanes, well paved, with broad sweepers and switchbacks. Curves are super-elevated (banked). Aside from a few decreasing-radius turns, nothing too technically challenging. Just plain fun. On of the best is SR 45 which links Beanblossom to Bloomington. SR 46 is also nice, but much more heavily traveled.

The county roads are paved, with occasional potholes and rough pavement. Curves are sometimes sharp, 90 degrees. The rougher pavement, presence of sand and gravel, and the sharper curves make these routes more technically challenging.

When we left the little county roads and pulled onto State Road 45, Bob took the lead, followed by me, then by Dennis. Bob pulled away from me like I was sitting still as he pushed that Buell through the corners. Nimble, easy to turn, and with an abundance of power, he left me in the dust.

I'm quite sure that Dennis would've given a respectable chase to Bob's Buell, had I not held him back.

Before we reached Bloomington, Dennis took the lead and showed us another secret county road which connected us from 45 to 46, without having to enter the city. Good-bye "State Road" and back to the county roads, complete with pot holes, frost heave, and sand and gravel in the corners. Dennis showed no trepidation throwing his DR650 through the corners. His dirt bike experience must make him comfortable feeling the rear wheel slide a little, that's my guess. This time Bob was in second place, and the Buell lost ground to the DR650. Some of these were tight turns with plenty of gravel between the wheel tracks, and after three consecutive 90 degree turns with my rear wheel slipping through the gravel, I gave up trying to keep up with Dennis and Bob, resigned myself to being in uncontested last place. I dialed it back.

Knowing what jokers Bob and Dennis are, I half expected them to be waiting for me at the junction of the county road and SR 46 with their bikes parked beside the road, and they themselves lying flat on their backs in the field, feigning taking a long spring nap. But when I arrived they were waiting patiently at the junction.

Yikes! I've never had my riding companions had to wait on my like this before? Were they riding more aggressively than previous years? Was I a little out of practice? Did this particular road showcase their strengths and exploit my weaknesses?

Saturday 2:30 pm
Subway - Nashville

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We stopped in Nashville, Indiana, a popular day-trip-to-the-country for Indianapolis residents, and a motorcycle hotspot. It's the hub of a lot of great motorcycle-riding roads in Brown County.

Dennis' bike and his right ear.

Our next leg would take us from Nashville through Story to Freetown, on SR 135. This stretch of SR 135 is one of most popular motorcycle routes in the area.

Story, IN features a historic Inn, with rooms for rent, a restaurant, and bar. It backs up to Brown County State Park's horse trail, and features a hitching post. This establishment caters to riders of iron horses and warm-blooded horses alike. It's a popular destination for weekend riders.

But we're not looking for atmosphere, or food, we're looking to ride, so we press on southward on SR 135 to 58.


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Saturday 3:15 pm
South of Story

Between Story and Freetown we stopped on a bridge across a brook, stretched, and snapped a few pictures.

It was here we made the mistake that ended our journey together. We decided to continue south on SR 135 to SR58, and then take SR 58.

I said, "I remember SR 58, I thought it was boring."

Dennis said, "There are other segments of SR 58 that are pretty good."

Bob said, "Yeah, I'm familiar with SR 58 east of here, and it's pretty good."

So, with that we got back on our bikes; Bob, Dennis and me. Within a few miles they were hopelessly out of sight as I simply could not keep up with them. Once in a while I would see Bob's helmet, disappearing through the next turn just as I pulled into the straightaway.

Then came SR 58, and where I expected to see Bob and Dennis waiting semi-patiently for me at the junction, I saw no one.

I figured I'd try to catch up with them, and headed east on SR 58. I pulled out of Freetown, and sailed along the gentle sweepers of SR 58. But I had the sinking feeling that I had missed them, or misunderstood. Should I push ahead in hopes of catching up? Should I turn back and proceed west?

I ended up trying to catch up with them, assuming they had pushed east. I figured they would stop at the next major junction and wait for me.

When I reached the town of Columbus, and had no sign of them, I knew I had chosen wrong. I gassed up on the outskirts of Columbus, and sent text messages to them both: "I am okay. I turned east on SR 58. Did you guys turn west?"

Saturday 4:00 pm
Columbus

Magna and Buell, sunlight on chrome and carbon fiber, respectively.

Just then I saw Bob pull into the gas station on the Buell. He confirmed that they'd headed west when I headed east. When I didn't show up, they decided to split up to find me. Bob headed east on SR58, while Dennis retraced our route north on SR135, in case I'd met with some trouble.

From there Dennis would head home. Bob had plans to stop by and show his bike to a potential buyer in Indianapolis. I decided to find my own way home.

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Bob pointed me to County Road 400, which connected SR58 to SR46. On SR46 I headed back west toward Nashville, where I gassed up.

Saturday 5:00 pm

Nashville
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Now that I was riding solo, I could go where I want and stop where I want. On the other hand, the lengthening shadows reminded me that I was racing against the sunset, and if I wasn't careful I'd be riding home through deer country at just the time the "forest rats" like to come out and prance across the road.

I took SR135 north out of Nashville to Beanblossom, where I snapped some photos from a scenic overlook. The camera doesn't catch it the beauty of it, but the old growth forests and rolling hills of this area contradict the preconceived notion that Indiana consists only of corn fields, interspersed with soybean fields.

Saturday 5:30 pm
Beanblossom Lookout







From there I slipped back up SR135, connected to the interstate system, and slipped home just as the deer emerged to munch the roadside clover.

Saturday 7:30 pm

Home again
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