I did it again. I just up and paid my money and rode in a "Harley Run". It was the 14th annual "Frosty Balls and Frozen Boobs Poker Run" held each January 1st in Arizona's Verde Valley. I believe there were over a hundred bikes that left K & A Cycles in Cottonwood this last Thursday...and one motorscooter. I rode the Bajaj that I recently picked up and customized. It ran great! The run went from K & A through Cottonwood west on 89A to Clarkdale, then through Clarkdale and into Oldtown Cottonwood on main street. We rolled the dice first at the Chaparral Bar then it was on to Sedona, some 20 miles away. Knowing I'd be the slowest on the highway, I smoked outa the Chaparral in front of the pack. I only got passed by maybe 10 bikes before I reached the second destination; the Sundowner Bar. Are you seeing a trend here? Yep...all the sites were at bars.
Left the Sundowner, heading north on 89A until we reached Hwy 179 south toward the Village of Oak Creek. It's a nice twisty-turny road for about 8 miles to V.O.C. and the Full Moon Saloon. On a road of that nature, the Bajaj was more than a match for the Harleys. At the Full Moon, I had one guy tell me that every time he looked in his rear view, there I was! He couldn't f#*king believe it! Another fellow came up to me and told me he had been a New York City cop for years and had begun his motor career riding a Vespa for NYPD. (an aside note here; Scoot! Magazine just had a big article on the NYPD scooter corps...VERY interesting that I'd meet one of the guys in the Village of Oak Creek, AZ.!). Got lotsa scooter love!
Blasted out of the Full Moon heading south again on 179 until I reached Beaverhead Flats Road. Hooked a right onto that and sailed southwest through some beautiful sweeping corners and fast pavement. What a GREAT ride!! Then I reached Cornville Road and took a right again, heading west into, yes, you guessed it...CORNVILLE! A stop to toss the dice at the Old Corral Bar and I was on my way again. Cornville Road ends at 89A north and south and I turned left (south) and back into Cottonwood. A last stop at the Rockin' B Bar for a final dice toss, an acknowledgement that I will NEVER win a poker run and a plateful of food. There was a raffle (at which I also failed to win) and a lot of good comraderie. The guys are all getting used to having a nutjob on a scooter there and I never catch any grief from anyone anymore! It's kinda cool.
The picture I have here is how the scooter looked for the poker run. I've plugged all the holes in the legshield and painted the plugs and afixed various badges to the scooter to make it look factory. Whataya think?
Anyway, that was Thursday. On Friday I took all three scooters out for rides...the Helix hasn't been ridden in a few weeks, so it was due and the Kymco is just too much of a "rational ride" to take on my fun forays. It's more of a 'grocery getter' or 'errand runner' scooter. It's still a kick in the pants to ride, but I guess I'll always prefer the small wheels of a vintage-style...
C-ya...ride on!
--Keys
