Newbie Dual Sport Ride - Senoia, GA to Warm Springs, GA

Actually posted this report on another board but was too lazy to rewrite so I just did a quick cut and paste.

One of my friends (who also rides a WRR) started to set up a Newbie DS ride down to Warm Springs, GA from Senoia, GA. At the last minute his work sent him to England to watch the Isle of Mann TT races - it's my story and I am sticking to it! So he asks if I could lead the ride and I am figuring on about 6 to 8 riders and say sure. Also figure since it is a Newbie ride I am going to carry a bit more in tools and repair stuff so I will be riding the WRR instead of the Beta. I show up at the meeting point and there are 17 riders with experience levels from a seasoned Trials Rider (Eddie) to some on who threw their leg over their first bike 2 months ago. It was a memorable ride!

What a day and a nice ride.

I was fricken blown away by the turn out. Based on the some of the emails and concerns about rain I was expecting 6 riders. We ended up with 17.

Eddie volunteered to run sweep and that probably saved our backsides.

Here we are at the Start:



Basically the skill level ran from a hardcore trials ride to someone who just started riding within the last couple of months. There were a few GPS's in the group but several were just beginning to learn how to use them. So we set off with the understanding that you wait at a turn until the person behind you sees you make the turn and then they wait for the next person.

After about 20 miles I decide to stop and see how everyone is doing.. to my surprise everyone is still in the group. At this point Leah's neck is really bothering her so she decides she is jumping on some pavement and riding back home. We are now down to 16 - remember this because there is a trick question later.

The first stop:


We cover another 20 miles and I decide to stop again and see how everyone is doing... I am now beginning to appreciate how Fearless Leader keeps our ride together with guile and power. :crackup:





Every one is still there. So we take off again - about 16 miles to Warm Springs and lunch.

Once we get into Warm Springs we hit a gas station and top off. Dave notices that his rear wheel bearing has decided to flip him off at that point. So he decides that it is best to flip off the rear wheel bearing by doing the rest of the ride with the back up plan to call Leah to come pick him up in the truck if need be.

Lunch time:





After lunch, Grozdan (1200GS guy) gets a call and has to head home. We are now done to 15 riders. So we head off to FDR State Park:





After some photos we hit the road for a meeting with 5 water crossings. The first two weren't too bad but #3 was a bit deep and I opted to stop on the other side to help people get across and take some video (not necessarily in that order of preference tho).

I set my iPhone to record video and as soon as I look up I see this. A true WTH?? How did? What? Nevermind moment:



Once we get the bike squared away I turn back to video the rest of the group.. but they aren't moving. Finally Eddie decides to show every one how it is done:



As you can see at the end of that video the crew still did not look to enthusiastic about crossing but after a bit they start coming over:



Gary was riding his Elsinore and during the crossing appeared to get some water into some bits of his bike that did not particularly care for water. We regroup and start off again.

On the next water crossing I decide that I would try and find a shallow area to cross so everyone else can follow that line. Well I found the perfect line and as I am crossing here comes Tigger on that damn TE610 through the deep section to hose me down. Screw it! Game on now! :thumbup::crackup:

We make it through the rest of the water crossings without incident and are heading back towards FDR Airport and the route back home. We stop at one section to allow Gary to head back into Warm Springs to fill up the Elsinore (70 mile range tops).

While waiting for Gary to return a very concerned Dave comes to me and tells me we are down to 15 riders. I say 'yeah Groz got a call and had to head home right after lunch' . He becomes very concerned and say's "yeah but we started out with 17 and he left but we only have 15 riders who are we missing?"

I am thinking this is some sort of trick question... so I slowly respond "Leah went home after the start, you know, your girlfriend" A classic moment. :crackup:

At this point three other riders decide that they are going to slab it back home and now we are down to 12.

On the way back every one is keeping up a real good pace and at one point I am concerned that we may be stretched out a bit so I pull over for a break and to wait for everyone. Did not have to wait too long.. everyone was keeping a very nice pace.

On the final leg to Senoia Tom blows by me on a nice dirt road and I am trying to run him down. He hits a turn too hot and I see him stand the bike up trying to stop it before a fence and in my mind I hear Darth Vader saying "I have you now". So I nail the throttle only to realize I should be hitting the rear brake now I am too hot and sliding right at Tom. We both stop side by side and started laughing and then nailed the throttle to race out of there.... I should have taken the Beta.. I was laughing my ass off the rest of the way to Senoia after that. Well until we pulled into a gas station and found out Gary ran out of gas 2 miles back.. then we started laughing at that. But Eddie was prepared and had a siphon hose and got some gas out of his DR for Gary.

What a great day with great friends!