Texas ride to Harvest Classic rally

[rickmillertx]

I changed this post to have the images a link in order to show more than the 8 that the forum limits. Sorry for the kludge.

Most ride stories involve much longer distances, but lots of tales can come from shorter rides. This story is about a 600 mile round trip to Fredericksburg, Texas to attend the annual Harvest Classic Rally. This rally is a charity event that brings all types of motorcyclists together to show bikes, eat BBQ, watch an old biker movie under the Texas night air. I have attended three other years and have watched it grow significantly in size.
Why not, it has everything to like and nothing to dislike. Centrally located in the Texas hill country, great riding all around, excellent food options, and lots of motorcyclists. The crowd that this rally attracts is probably 50 percent European bikes, 25 percent Japanese, the rest are Harleys, cruisers, and odd ball makes. Ducati has a major presence at the event with demo rides and new bikes to drool over.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8241.JPG

I convince my friend George (GeorgeInDallas) to go with me this year. George, replies and says it looks like a straight shot south of Dallas on Highway 281. I tell George that I avoid straight shots (I ride an ST not a cruiser) so I give him an alternate zigzag route that takes in smaller less traveled roads to Fredericksburg. Another rider I know from the Twtex.com forum says he will meet us halfway down for lunch at Llano, Texas. Stephen rides a BMW RT1200. He has logged 144,000 miles on this 02 model.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8358.JPG

We all spend the week before launch watching the weather channel. After a 3 week span of the most gorgeous weather ever in Dallas, we are now looking at fronts coming through and rain. As Friday approaches the forecast is 30 to 40 percent rain Friday and Saturday but clear on Sunday. All being optimist we see that as 60 to 70 percent clear, so lets ride.

Friday morning George and I depart at 7:45 and begin our trek south. The sky is mostly cloudy and very high humidity, but the temperature is a nice 70 degrees. We pay the horrible price of living in a big city for 45 minutes until we clear the metroplex and head for Glen Rose. Texas is a state of 4 large cities then every 25 miles you pass through small 300 to 2,000 population towns for miles and miles. I've been told 25 miles is the distance the old timers could travel in a day on horseback.

We make our first gas stop at a one business town (gas station/grocery store/trama center/pickup repair). George points over to the side of the building and there sits a red ST3. What are the odds? I go inside and there sits a Ducatista drinking coffee and looking at his Iphone. I introduce myself and learn that this is Bob Boucher from Alvarado (south side of Dallas) and he is headed to the rally as well.
Bob and his ST3s

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8240.JPG

We invite him to join us. One more and we will have a squadron of ST3s.
Now the adventure of traveling by bike begins. I get my camera for a group picture and realize that I left out the memory card! Idiot. Fredericksburg will be the first town big enough to sell the memory card so I'll have to wait.

I'm leading the way, Bob in the middle, and George is the sweeper. At the next town George pulls up to me and says, “15 miles back I ran over something that looked like a zip lock bag with something in it. Are you missing anything?” I say no, but Bob says “Oh hell, my Iphone must have blown out of my jacket!” So we turn around and ride back to the 15 mile point and start a slow speed search. I turn on my emergency blinkers in case a truck comes along and I don't see it behind me. I ride for a couple of miles looking then all of a sudden my digital dash goes dead, blinkers quit, so I pull over. Oh me, is this the first problem I have every had with my bike. Maybe you are not supposed to run blinkers for a long time. Maybe I just need to reset things since the bike is still running. I turn it off and then push the start button. Nothing. I'm screwed. I'm now a dead duck 15 miles from the nearest anything.

I'm thinking, hopefully it is a fuse, but I don't have any spares. How could I be so unprepared. I brought tools to change tires, plug holes, but NO FUSES.
I take off the dash cover to check fuses and sure enough one is burned. Bob rolls up and I tell him my issue and he says the magic words. “Oh, I have some spare fuses!” Just about that time a pick up pulls up and says. “Your buddy is about 3 miles up the road and he said he found what you are looking for.” Fuse in, bike starts, life is good again.

We push on to the next gas stop and I text Stephen that we are running late due to the comedy of errors. We get the Iphone out of the case and it is shattered toast. I've had time to think about my bike and I surmise that my fuse blew because I have added some LED turn signals in addition to my stock lamps. This must be right on the edge of the fuse limit and the flashers put the maximum usage to the circuit.

Bob splits off on his own at our lunch stop because he wants to stay in Llano and buy another phone. Stephen takes the lead and we head on the last leg to Fredericksburg. About half way there an ST blast past us going the opposite direction. I first thought it was Bob, but the helmet was different. Then I thought, if that bike turns and follows us, I'll bet it is Mike Roden (Duckman) from Houston and he is looking for us. It was Mike, and he fell in line with us on our ride. Not 3 miles ahead we pass a cop setting up a speed trap on the side of the road.

Mike tells us later that he was cooking along at about a 100 looking for us when he passed the cop with his radar off. The officer wasn't set up so he was preparing to catch Mike returning. We were by him before the trap could be set so these ducks got away.

George and Mike ready for some breakfast in Fredericksburg

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8238.JPG

The rally had a great turnout and there were lots of bikes to enjoy seeing.

Some attendee's bikes

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8242.JPG

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8243.JPG

Check out the hand made rack

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8244.JPG

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8245.JPG

Mike and George

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8246.JPG

They don't make these anymore.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8248.JPG

Me and George

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/Luckenbachers.JPG



It is funny how you can stand by an old (60s or 70s) bike and hear all the stories. “Oh man, I used to have one just like that and I loved it until I crashed, etc etc.” I'm guilty, here is an example of my first bike. I just wore it out.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8274.JPG

I like this color scheme

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8272.JPG

Ever seen one of these? Only one I've seen and I had never even heard of it.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8267.JPG

Stephen knows this part of Texas like a tour guide. He took us to Alamo Spring for lunch. Great location and good burgers. Unfortunately, the surge from all the rally attendees overpowered their cook. It took all afternoon to get lunch.

Stephen, Mike, George , Stephanie, and Gary

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8331.JPG

We met Gary and Stephanie from Lubbock, Texas. They were riding the Multistrada.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8334.JPG

Back at the rally we all bought raffle tickets to win a Monster. Guess what? We didn't win. I did win a $50.00 gift certificate to a riding course in the Austin area. I'll be giving that to someone on the forum that lives in the area.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8303.JPG

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8309.JPG

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8219.JPG

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8297.JPG

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8294.JPG


How about a turbocharged K rat bike

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8338.JPG



Just before the BBQ dinner a shower hit. We passed on BBQ because the line was a block long.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8341.JPG

Also, the movie would be in wet grass, so we called it a day and rode back to our hotels.

Sunday morning we said goodbye to Mike as he will be heading south, and we began our trip home. Stephen said follow him and he took us on a completely different route home. Some really pretty country and it was a perfect day for riding.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8342.JPG

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8351.JPG

George and Stephen discussing the road ahead

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8353.JPG

George stripped down to his “Tron Look”

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8359.JPG

We got home at 4:30 on Sunday evening, tired but with big smile. My dog was really happy to see me back home and safe.

http://www.fredericky.com/images2/DSC_8365.JPG

[DuckMan]

Great write up Rick. Nice photos too.

Ummmmm, about that officer of the law, when I crested that hill and saw him coming at me with a closing speed of about 160 mph.... well, the only thing that kept me from crapping in my leathers was pure and simple G forces. The G forces of a full on 100 to 60 "ABS don't fail me now!" panic emergency shut down! I just kept waiting to hear the blaring "brrrrraaaaaaappppppp" of the detector in my ear but thank the Gods he didn't have time to turn it on. I think it must have surprised him as much and me. When we went back by him in the other direction I was afraid to look at him!

[rickmillertx]

Mike, when he saw 3 STs coming at him, he probably thought. I need to have my vision checked. 3 Red STs in a row....no way.

[va duc]

Nice write up Rick! Great pictures as always. Looks like a great time, nice to see some familiar smiles.
I love seeing the older bikes and hearing the stories. Keep up the great rides and stories.
Maybe us east coast guys need to head out to flat lands someday... naw

[John]

Good going Rick, nice couple days with the ST "gang". That is something, three unplanned Sts in your group, reminds me of a group ride in 04 when I found myself riding the twisties with two other 916s, a 95, 96, and 98.

I think its about time Ducati quit throwing this and that kind of bikes out there and come out with a updated ST, the compromise Multistrada just doesn't cut it in my opinion. There is a big hole in the line with the ST vacancy, I for one would be really interested in a new version of the ST. Don't need a bunch of changes, I like the body style the way it is. Repowered with the 1098 motor and 15K service intervals would be nice, along with factory cruise control. I'm not so sure about TC, but I suppose it might be helpful alongwith ABS for inclement weather conditions or for that matter if you wanted to go to the track. It really could be an outstanding bike and with the improvements on other models, these could be incorporated into the new ST since the technology has been road tested already. Anyway, sorry for getting off topic but I seem to get that way when talking about the ST.

Since I don't have a capable sport tour bike I live my travels through posts like yours and others here.

[rickmillertx]

You are preaching to the choir. Every ST owner I run across is in love with their bike.

[John]

Originally Posted by rickmillertx

You are preaching to the choir. Every ST owner I run across is in love with their bike.

Same here when I ask ST owners how they like their bikes, but I have never ventured beyond that like asking what could be improved. But in reality if Ducati ever decided to do it they would have to make radical changes to attract the broader market.

[DuckMan]

George and I saw one of those broader market types at the festival. She was on the back of a Harley, I think. She was wearing spandex long pants and hanging off both sides of the seat so much it looked like the bike had saddle bags. Big ones!

[JDP]

2nd year attending the rally. Always a good time. I luv the M/C camping only. Nice to wake up in the morning and get out of the tent to see ur baby. Beautiful thing.

[Thojoewen86]

Great write up and great pics!