2024 Brown County, Indiana Rally - June 20 - 23, 2024

[bwringer]

Rodney, Dale, good to hear you're doing well!

I've also found that a good motorcycle is the most comfortable place to sit with a damaged skeleton. Much to the horror of some others in my life.


Wendy was very sweet, and it was great to meet her. Hope she wasn't too overwhelmed by the crowd of friendly weirdos.



I was once washing my GS850G in the driveway when my wife stopped and asked "what's wrong?"

"Whaddya mean, what's wrong? I'm washing my bike."

"I've never seen you wash a bike before. I thought something was wrong."

She had a point. I mean, we had only been married about 15 years at that time...

[Dogma]

Follow up... As suspected, the Triumph was totalled. The frame slider bracket broke the engine case, so I didn't bother to try to salvage it. At this point, I'm not certain I'll ride again. A lot of the decision hinges on Dale's recovery. I'm not afraid to ride again, but it doesn't feel right. Dealing with guilt sucks, even though Dale has been amazing, understanding and forgiving.

Another consideration is that my wife and stepson are taking the beginning rider course. If they decide to ride, then I'll reconsider.

You are all amazing people that I count as friends, and I thoroughly enjoy time spent together. I'm praying for favorable outcomes. Until then, keep the shiny side up!

Well, if you do decide to ride, make sure you don't spend any time thinking about guilt, right? I guess I'll have to work on my head space too. Let me know how they like the class. Maybe next spring we can all get together.

[Dogma]

Pics of the GSes in attendance.


Dale Dogma (post incident, damaged bars and muffler and.....)

I still can't get over how clean that thing it. Just looking at it like that in the garage weirds me out a little. For some reason I gave it a particularly detailed scrubbing when I had the wheel off to fix the balancing just before the rally. Too clean. Probably jinxed it. I won't make that mistake again.

I few weeks ago I hobbled out to the garage to see if I could sit on it. Steve and Scott had put it on the center stand when they so kindly delivered it to my garage, so it was actually pretty easy to climb on. It was the most comfortable thing I had sat on in a month. No pain in my back, either muscles or joints. More comfortable than any chair or couch in the house (or anywhere else, for that matter). Wendy says I can't bring it inside.

Speaking of Wendy, thanks for being on your good behavior for her. She thinks you're all nice people. I'm glad she got to meet you all.

[oramac]

Follow up... As suspected, the Triumph was totalled. The frame slider bracket broke the engine case, so I didn't bother to try to salvage it. At this point, I'm not certain I'll ride again. A lot of the decision hinges on Dale's recovery. I'm not afraid to ride again, but it doesn't feel right. Dealing with guilt sucks, even though Dale has been amazing, understanding and forgiving.

Another consideration is that my wife and stepson are taking the beginning rider course. If they decide to ride, then I'll reconsider.

You are all amazing people that I count as friends, and I thoroughly enjoy time spent together. I'm praying for favorable outcomes. Until then, keep the shiny side up!

[LAB3]

Looks like you folks had a good time, unfortunately life got in the way for me but hey, after seeing all the pictures I might have been a little more motivated to be there had I known a guitar was available!

[storm 64]

Just look at Larry's GS1000 shine!
It looks like it just got a fresh wax job! Haha

I was walking past Larry's GS and thought what a beautiful color.
I knew he wouldn't mind if I polished it up a bit.
So I started to wax it up with the spray wax that I brought.
Just spreading the love...

[salty_monk]

A couple of those GS's are running them thar fancy brakes up front...

Soon I will make it back.... Bob - we need to drag Nardy....

[Redman]

Back at motel, I ask around quietly for the tools we need. Thanks Bob.

Jay working on it. And Jay was impressed at how quickly and how large a group formed around him and the bike ('17 FJR1300ES).
Jay therorized it was like sharks smelling blood in the water. All these guys sitting around in various places, and they hear a wrench clang on the pavement, and they all stand up and search out the source of that sound becuse they know something is going on.


At one point there was maybe 8 guys standing around.







F Y I
Swaping rear peg to the front, it did fit, but hung at a usless low angle. So found something the right thickness (Thanks John Paul) to jamm in there to hold it at a reasonable position, and then devise a way to keep that thing from comming out of there.
Was secure the all the way home Sunday.

[Baatfam]

Great stuff Dave...Thanks!

[Redman]

Misc Saturday ride pics.

Tunnelton and divert off on buch of roads Justin had plotted out

then to Medora Brick Kilns.


Then 135 to south of Croydon, and then ventured around and lunch at Squire Boon (park?) .

Is a cave that can go in there (naw) and a bunch of other stuff we didnt even look to see what it was. Also had an operating water powered grist Mill (took a quick look),


And around a bunch of roads, Justins exploring and venturing. All day I had a hard time folding and refolding my map for the tank bag window.
THen made it to along Ohio RIver near Mauckport...mid 90s again.... took a little rest


and... and now one of My New Favorite Roads down there: River Road along the river from Mauckport west a ways! Great! But absolutly no place to pull off for roadside pictures, so no pics.

THis pic is just after the end of River Road.


THen, knowing that 62 closed at Leavenworth, wandered on lots of roads,

Here is my roadside selfie pic. Includes Justin mocking me by getting a selfie that includes me getting a selfie. THis has become something of a tradition on our rides together.




many turns toward English and then 145 to French Lick.

In French Lick Justin is trying to find some Overlook, and his routing takes us up a steep narrow road, that turns onto a narrow side slopped road that tunrns further up a steep incline and then turns on another narrow side slopped road that is lumpy and slopped and ends at a barricade. So we have to turn around,
And Jay finds a place that seemily has no road under his foot, and over he goes. Breaks off his shifter-side foot peg and rearanges highway peg way forward. Justin and I have a hard time even finding a place to park to go back and help. I devised a plan to swap rear foot peg to front. We had some tools, and did what we could but didnt have specific tools needed. ANd its 96degF, in humidity, in blaring full sun.
Jay says he can make it back to motel, and we should take most direct shortest route back. I am mentioning that we are close to a main road in town that goes east to US37, and then can take that north to Bedford. I am pointing to map looking for road names and distances involved and such. Jay says he has "shortest" route selected and off we go.
Going thru West Baden I see bikes air temp display say 96 then 98 then 99 then 100 and back to 96-95-94 when get out of town.
We get a little ways out of WestBaden on 150, and they turn left (north) onto a curvey hilly road, (that I later see is probably the red-dotted-highlighted Orangeville Rd on Brian maps). Maybe Garmin Motorcykle GPS should have a option for Road-Needing-Less-Shifting. Make a few turns onto other curvey hilly roads and get to Orleans. THen 37 to Bedford.

Made it back to motel with no further incident, other than more sweltering.

[Redman]

Rich and Scott have posted pics of our Friday morning ride 58 to 135 to 45 to Bloomington.
Scott and Rich were taking more and better pics than I.
But I will post this pic of Bean Blossom Bridge.

Justin on left. Scott behind bikes. Rich on the right.
Yah, we did have a task of turning around on that narrow slopped road, and did so without incident.
Approaching 90 degrees and its not noon yet.

After lunch in Bloomington, Justin went out to intercept with Jay RedmanSIL's arrival in the area.
Scott and I looked at map and planned on taking 48 and 43 (both hightlighted on bwringer maps) to Solisberry for Rich to see the Tulip Trestle (Viaduct). Rich says he has Tulip Trestle in his nav system, so dont worry if get seperated. I said multiple times, <pointing/jestering at the map>, the routing will probably take the less interseting 45.
We get a few blocks from reseraunt and get seperated in urban traffic, and a bit later I get a glimps of Rich turning onto the ramp to 45.

43 was fun. I think half the road has the yellow arrow signs. At Solisberry Scott says he is gonna continue on without going to the Tulip Trestle.

I Got to Tulip Trestle, and Rich was sitting there. We had a good chat on a picknic table in the shade.
After a while Rich said he wanted to head south. I said that is a terrible gravel road, he said "okay, good, no problem". And off he went.

RT and Tulip Trestle


I headed out back to Solisberry and 43 - 54 - 58, but ran into road closed so detoured on 45 (not so interesting).

Made it to motel and Justin and Jay are there. Hey! the plan worked.
Good to have this adventure with son & SIL.

[Redman]

At one point, I had idea of catching pic of each person with thier bike.

Here is Dave DDaniels


But then I realised that would require a lot of running around, and I was mostly sitting under the awning.

[Redman]

Pics of the GSes in attendance.


I have two ideas of whos this is, so I will not say either.



Larry Alke


Brendon FoxyBlankWorthy 650G.



Mr Ron GS750's 1100



Dale Dogma (post incident, damaged bars and muffler and.....)

They all get special acclamation for having GS in good running order.
(while I am embarrased by my lack of attending to running problems with my GK.)

[Redman]

Some parking lot photos. Yes, standing around in the parking lot in the evening or sitting under the awning (Thanks Steve&Bonita) is a significant portion of the rally.
In recent years, I have found that after a day of riding, especailly in the heat, that standing around is something I should keep to a minnimum, so If I walked away from a group standing there, it was not to avoid you, it was to avoid standing for long time and to go sit down. ANd as such I didnt get my usuall number of pics from walking around the parking lot.

I'll try to ID folks. (PM me any corrections.)


Bob Baatfam, RichGS750TZ partly obscured, Larry Alke, Tim twr1776's back, Neal, Scot MarvinSC orange shirt, Brain bwringer in distance, Gregg Wazz, Ah I knew his name a minute ago.


Scott CowboyUp, Rich GS750TZ, Bob baatfam, Dale Dogma, Larry Alke.


Tim twr1776, Greg Wazz, Bob baatfam


Sunday morning. THen quit raining till about our departure time.
Brain bwringer, Bob baatfam, John Paul, Reds Wife I knew name two minutes ago.

[Redman]

Ha! Nice portraits, and group shots. And roadside pics.