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Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:05 pm
5.26.07 Talimena Scenic drive ride & breakdown on OK 1

 On May 26th, 2007 Lee Moore and I headed out of Broken Arrow, OK to meet several other board members in Southern OK & AR to ride the Talimena Scenic Drive. Other board members en route were loudboys from MO, banner from KS, emdsd and redshad from TX.







Lee rode the VN1600 and I rode the EX250. We left Broken Arrow at 0830 with light rain coming down. WE headed East/SE on the Muskogee turnpike. We stopped at McDonalds on the turnpike to eat breakfast and for me to get out a squeezee to use for the rain on my helmet screen. I previously had bought a pair of Aerostich Elkskin Roper #420 gloves with a visor squeegee on the left thumb. This feature came in handy and worked quite well.





Lee and I made it to Talihina OK at 1100 and stopped at the gas station/grocery store so that Lee could get fuel and both of us could get a bottle of water (a smart choice, considering the future circumstances). It took twenty minutes to pay for the water as time stands still in that little grocery store. We saddled back up and took off to meet everyone at the intersection of US 271 / OK 1. We arrived at 1130 and met up with emdsd, another 250 forum rider whom I don't recall his name, a rider on an '06 650R and two other cruisers from DF/W. Loudsboys, banner and redshad already went up the mountain and we were to catch up to them later. I took the lead and we headed East on OK 1. After about eleven miles the group stopped at an overlook, Lenox Vista. Little did I know that this would be where I would spend the next four hours.





The silver EX250 in the foreground belongs to emdsd. The silver EX250 next to the blue EX250 is mine. The rider of the blue EX250 was on his first group ride today.

After the group took a few pictures, we all geared up to move onward East. This time, I decided to take the tailgunner position. The others took off while I was saying "what is going on" as there was no power when I turned on my ignition. By chance, Doc (emdsd), next to last in the group, looked back and I gave a guillotine signal across my neck. Doc came back to me and I explained that I had no juice, none, nada...

Doc got off his cycle and we tried to bump start it multiple times with no success despite the good angle to roll and bump it.



We then resigned to pulling off the passenger fairing and to check the fuses. Every fuse was in good condition. At this point, I told Doc that it looked like I was stuck until someone came by with jumper cables. Not a minute later, a US Forest Service police officer drove by in a Chevrolet Tahoe. OKay, today was my lucky day...



We explained to the PO that my battery was dead and that I needed a jump start. He replied that he had jumper cables so we hooked up, after making him turn off his engine and electronic equipment. My EX250 immediately started with the jumper cables. I left it attached for several minutes to try to charge the battery a little. We then pulled the cables and I put the cycle back together to ride it. The PO advised that he'd follow us for a little while to make sure I didn't have any additional problems. This would be my lucky day, part two...

As I pulled away, my tachometer was dancing from 1,000rpms to 10,000rpms with no corresponding throttle imput from me. As I initially took off, the engine bogged and was almost completely unresponsive. I kept the throttle WOT in first gear and began limping along on OK 1. Within about a block I realized this wasn't going to work. The EX250 finally died on me at the first incline we almost immediately came to. We were on a sweeper so the PO positioned his Tahoo with lights on away back to slow traffic coming towards us. He then walked down to us and asked what was going on. I explained that it went dead. He offered to jump start me again. Our location wasn't very good as were were on a sweeper with about 100 meters visibility to the West for cycles flying through. Unfortunately, the shoulder was too soft from rain to move onto so Doc and scooted our cycles as far over as safely possible. The PO moved onto the shoulder and we jumped it again. It would idle fine on the jumper cables but not with them removed. We again removed the side fairing and check all the fuses. They were all good again. I went ahead and pulled the headlight fuse to remove the draw off the system. We sat for awhile and decided to try to crawl it back up to the Lenox Vista where it would be safer. As the cycle struggled I tried the turn signals and horn while WOT. Each time I did, the cycle would surge. So, I used this to my advantage and kept it surging to limp back up the incline. We thanked the PO for his help and he advised that he'd check on me time to time. He advised there were several fatality accidents this spring with motorcycles and that he along with several other officers were running radar along the fifty-five mile stretch.

I advised Doc to go ahead and ride on to the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge to meet everyone else for lunch. I then got on my phone and began searching the Internet looking for a replacement battery. I found a Kawasaki dealer in Mena, AR but they had already closed for the day. About ten minutes later, Brad Swindell (redshad) came rolling up on his new Goldwing.



Brad advised that he came to give me a ride to the lodge, 30 miles away, to eat with everyone. I advised that I wasn't going to leave the EX250 and have some local drive by and throw it in the back of their pick-up. He decided to hang out with me and we were able to catch up with all that had been going on in each other's lives. I told Brad about the courtious PO who helped me earlier. Brad had me describe the PO and advised he'd recently met said PO coming back to my location. Apparantly, Brad got lit up and stopped by said PO for doing 91mph, in a 55mph, leaned over through a long sweeper. ROFLMAO He talked his way out of a citation mentioning he was headed to pick me up.

I sent a text to Lee advising I was broke down and needed him to go pick up a battery once I located one. I then got back on the Internet, which on OK 1 in the mountains is a feat - cellular coverage is very spotty - I was very fortunate to be at a location with a good signal. I found a Kawasaki dealer in Poteau, OK. They advised that they had a battery only for up to 2004 EX250 models. 8) I advised I'd gladly take an '04 model battery and wanted to pay over the phone as they were to close in one hour (about the time it'd take Lee to get there). I advised the dealership to leave the battery on the front steps if Lee wasn't there in time.



Alan (loudboys) arrived around 1500 so make sure that Brad and I were staying out of trouble.



A LeFlore county deputy showed up earlier too, and hung out for two hours. His idea of running radar was to turn on the radar gun and chat with us for two hours. Brad had some funny stories to tell everyone about riding OK 1 over the years.





Lee showed up around 1600 with a battery and food. While Lee, Brad and I ate, Alan decided to speed up the process and stick the new battery in my EX250. Of course, it started right up on the first try. Applaud

We geared up and headed East on OK 1 / AR 88 to eat dinner at the lodge. Alan fell out of formation at the OK 259 intersection, as he was headed to Poteau, OK to spend the night with family. Brad, Lee and I continued to the lodge and arrived at 1700 for dinner. I had hoped to see the rest of the riders, but everyone else had already headed back to KS and TX. After dinner, Brad headed South and we headed North to get home.



1900 stop for caffeine in central OK.





At the sun set at 2000, the bugs became quite heavy. We were stopping every 30 miles or so to clear enough off to be able to see again. We arrived home at 2200, a little later than anticipated that morning. Hopefully, there will be more riding and less sitting next time!

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