Group Ride - Eureka!

Does this Vespa make me look awesome?

A sunny Saturday and nothing to do - except a group ride to Eureka!

Vespa of the Ozarks hosted a group scooter ride to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We rallied at their shop and after a few introductions - 13 Vespa's and Piaggio's took to the streets. Experienced riders and brand-new bikers mixed with classic all-metal models and more modern/more plastic versions of the Vespa legacy on a route coveted by riders across the country.

Having 8,ooo miles on the odometer, I was honored to be asked to be the "sweeper" bike for the group. It didn't hurt that the BV sports a 250 engine, pretty fast for this class of bike. A sweeper stays at the rear of the group to ensure that everyone stays together.

Our group wasn't the only gathering ready to enjoy an early summer Saturday. Not one block into the trip we met a true motorcycle gang at a four-way stop in Rogers brick town. Their sweeper rode into the middle of the intersection and blocked traffic until several dozen bikers rode through. This was my first group ride and I wasn't so dashing.

Life is a journey, not a destination. - Emerson

The quieter, more fuel efficient Vespa's, caught Highway 12 East connecting to 127 and then 23 North, a little less than 40 miles. Scenic, slower, safer, yet misses the grandiose curves of the Ozarks if we'd taken 62. That's for another ride.

The first "omg omg omg, I can't believe how fun AND beautiful this is..." moment came with the HWY 12 bridge spanning Beaver Lake. This drops you into the Hobbs State Park and Conservation area which hosts it's share of curvy roads and beautiful scenery. The air felt clean and invigorating with the smell of the forest pines and the dips in temperature in the shaded valleys we'd glide through. I have to say, riding a motorcyle/scooter has to be the closest thing to what flying must be like that I can think of.

The group stopped at an abandoned gas station that rests in the Y in the road where we'd turn to avoid as much traffic as possible. We had become several smaller groups and the stop let us reconnect and talk about the dipstick pulling a horse trailer that wasn't satisfied with doing the speed limit and insisted on staying too close to the back tires of one of our groups. What goes around, I suppose.

The forest tapered into farmland where every other barn was a dilapidated postcard waiting to happen. One barn that was still in operation was painted blue. With almost every barn I've seen being red, I couldn't help but think "what a non-conformist!" The blue did go better with the big sky behind it.

The next stop was an open gas station right outside of Eureka. We were all pretty excited, knowing that we were almost there. Hungry, too. Lunch was the first item on the agenda when we arrived...

...at the Lovin' Oven. Yeah. Despite it's name, it was actually great. Italian food served up in generous portions and fair prices in a clean atmosphere. It's in the shopping center next to the Hart's grocery shopping center.

As you can imagine, we weren't the only group touring Eureka on a beautiful Saturday. We saw a Miata group, Plymouth Prowler group, a couple Ferrari's, and LOTS of motorcycles.

The scooters had to represent, so we cruised the historic downtown and up the hill to the Crescent Hotel and back down again. It was fun to see how almost every head turned to watch the procession. People were compelled to point at the MP3's in the group, with their two-wheeled front axles. An older man on a new Vespa was parking his bike as we went by. He motioned the classic "blow your horn" as you would a trucker and I obliged.

I could have made a few more laps but cruising that slow in the summer kicks on the cooling fan. So, a few riders stayed to spend some time in Eureka and the rest of us headed back.

Unfortunately, we did see a sport bike wreck. He was up and moving but his brand new bike was in pieces. We stopped at the abandoned gas station and another biker from his group pulled in and asked us for some Tylenol. One of our scooter enthusiasts is a nurse and had some handy. The sport bike rider reported that his friend was going to be okay but was just going too fast.

I learned from Leonard that the average time a new sport bike is laid over (wrecked) is less than two weeks. Apparently, that's why the insurance is sky high. Sport bikes tend to be more engine than you need and if you've never ridden anything, that twist n' go action puts you in the ditch, quick.

Leonard asked if I'd like to switch to lead for the rest of the way. I didn't mind. From what I've read, the least experienced lead to keep the pace of the group together but I didn't say anything. I kept my speed at 45 mph but still lost all but the other BV rider. No worries though. We all arrived at the shop within minutes.

Overall, a terrific Saturday at the cost of less than a gallon of gas. I can't wait for the next one.