The Yeager's Kawasaki Ninja 250R 2007 Ride Journal

The Ninjette Journal for 2007

Monthly Journal Entries

January, 2007 -- All most every weekend has been cold (not a real issue) and wet (there's the rub) so very little riding has been done. Texas actually had a winter this year.

Ride Report: January 1, 2007 -- I rode the Ninjette to Plano Harley Davidson to meet several other members of the Hunt County chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (the King's Kruizers). We had been asked to help the Plano chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association with the annual biker blessing preceding the Plano Harley Davidson Owners Group annual Frosty Hog Fun Run. John and Cindi Cunningham, Thomas Osburn, Rick Gentry, Jim Seifert, Jerry Suggs, Charley Smith, and myself participated from the King's Kruizers We broke into team of 2 to 3 and prayed individually for over 100 motorcyclists.

As the actual run was about to start it was discovered that Thomas Osburn's battery on his Yamaha was dead. After pushing his bike about we jumped it off and got it back to his home. Most of the King's Kruizers stayed behind to assure that Tom got his cruiser back home. We missed the ride but made lunch at the Texas Roadhouse in McKinney.

At first we tried pushing the big bike to get it started (Thomas Osburn is at the right).

Having failed at push starting we got the bike jumped off.

February, 2007 -- The Ninjette got a new custom seat cover this month. I had contacted Rebecca Cronis, Becky of the Ninja 250 Riders Club, and owner of Custom Seat Creations before the move to Trenton about doing a tri -color seat cover for the Ninjette. The cover came shortly after ordering. I attempted to install the seat myself and found that in spite of using an electric staple gun the vast majority of staples simply bent instead of penetrating the saddle frame and securing the seat cover. I turned to Tony Byrne the owner of Terry's Trim Shop in Greenville, Texas Tony had really come through in helping me complete the Tail Trunk Saddle Project and was more than able to install Becky's cover on the EX250 saddle frame.

Ride Report: February 4, 2007 -- The weather finally cleared on a weekend so in celebration I decided to take the Ninjette for a jaunt and try one of the local roads recommended by the readers of Ride Texas Magazine, FM 697, as it is but 7 miles from Trenton. FM 697 is in Grayson County and stretches from US 69 just north of Whitewright to Texas 11 just south of Sherman. From Sherman we traveled south on US 75 (for some reason there were a lot of aggressive SUV drivers out) to Howe where we took Texas 5 to Van Alstyne and then headed east on FM 121 to FM 814 back to Trenton. I decided it was not late enough and I was not cold enough so we took Texas 121 to Bailey and traversed the famous Leonard Hills (famous to north Texas road cyclists at least) on FM 896 on the way to Leonard. I rode the long way back to the house via US 69, FM 981, Texas 78, and FM 815.

The Ninjette on FM 697 just east of Ida, Texas.

Ride Report: February 10, 2007 -- I meet Greenville Chapter (King's Kruizers) of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) to ride to CMA Seasons of Refreshing in Canton. Left the Valero next to the hospital in Greenville - KSU was at 7:15 AM. The CMA Seasons of Refreshing was held at Word of Victory Outreach Center in Canton, Texas.

CMA members from all over North Central Texas met at Word of Victory Outreach Center in Canton, Texas.

Ride Report: February 25, 2007 -- I took the Ninjette to Greenville to meet the King's Kruizers Chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association at the Valero next to the Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville for a "Church Run" to First Baptist Church in Trenton. After the service we rode to our home for refreshments and fellowship.

Visiting with Pastor Steve Holland (far left) before evening worship at First Baptist Church in Trenton.

March, 2007 -- I replaced the cam chain tensioner due to excessive cam chain noise and notable wear on the tensioner shaft (Ninjette Maintenance Log).

The windscreen was broken while unloading the Ninjette and I had quite the time trying to locate a replacement. My local dealer, Sherman Power Sports, thought they had one on the way but a supplier had misrepresented a part number and what arrived was a stock replacement. Ultimately, Zero Gravity Outlet was able to get a Zero Gravity Double Bubble windscreen quickly and at a very reasonable price..

Ride Report: March 3, 2007 -- My spouse needed some of her blood pressure medications refilled so Nathaniel and I rode the Ninjette to Greenville, Commerce, and then back to Trenton. We donned our winter gear as it was a sparkling 45 degree morning with a stiff northerly wind throughout the day. From Trenton we took FM 815 to Texas 78 to FM 981, FM 1562, FM 36, and FM 1569 to Greenville. In Greenville we went to Greenville Powersports and then CiCi's Pizza for lunch. We rode FM 499 and then FM 1568 to Texas Highway 50 to Commerce where we dropped by Wal-Mart to pickup Joleen's prescriptions. For Nathaniel's benefit, we also looked at Lego and Star Wars items in the toy section. From Commerce we traveled Texas Highway 224 to FM 2874 and then to FM 515 from which we arrived in Wolfe City and traveled FM 816 and FM 272 to Leonard. From Leonard it was Texas 78 and FM 815 back home to Trenton.

The Ninjette sporting its new seat cover on FM 36 just north of Merit, Texas.

Ride Report: March 10, 2007 -- Wing and a Prayer, the music ministry outreach of the Greenville Chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (King's Kruizers) was scheduled to play from 2:00PM - 5:00PM at a Biker Rally sponsored by the Lighthouse Church of Burleson, Texas. I trailered the Ninjette to Jim and Alice Finney's home just East of Caddo Mills, Texas as I needed to carry my electric bass and it's concert rig to and from the Lighthouse Church. The music equipment was being trailered so most of us could ride our motorcycles and meet back at the Finney's home to pick up everything and get it home.

The King's Kruizers rode to the Lighthouse Church of Burleson from our usual meeting place at the Valero next to the Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville. The run lead by Lighthouse church members was roughly 70 miles in length, tooled along several Farm to Market and county roads and passed as far south as Rio Vista. We toured two local Harley customizes. The rally included a run, bike games, live music, a bike show and of course preaching. The Interstate ride home was exciting, to say the least, due to a wide assortment of un-caring, un-aware, urban cagers on the roadways that evening.

All went well until unloading the Ninjette back in Trenton. The 250 was almost fully unstrapped and I was headed around the trailer having mentioned the bike was unsteady. While in transit something shifted and the Kawasaki began to come over the side of the trailer. Joleen quickly grabbed the right hand rearview mirror saving the bike but sacrificing the Zero Gravity Double Bubble windscreen. Joleen felt bad about breaking the windscreen, but I noted to her that plastic coated motorcycles are very expensive to repair if they fall. Coming upside-down off the trailer would likely have cost at least $1,000 (likely more) in fairing, fuel tank, and handlebars. Finding a Double Bubble has been quite the challenge so the little motorcycle will be sporting a "street fighter" look for the next few weeks.

Trailered to the Finney's home.

Bikers arrive before the run at the Lighthouse Church.

Lined up on the circular drive at Custom Bikes by Mike near Rio Vista, Texas.

The exterior of Custom Bikes by Mike near Rio Vista, Texas.

The interior of Custom Bikes by Mike near Rio Vista, Texas.

The Ninjette amongst the cruisers in the parking lot of Thunder Alley Cycles in Burleson, Texas.

Jim and Alice Finney with Beth Smith relaxing at Thunder Alley Cycles in Burleson, Texas.

Ride Report: March 15, 2007 -- Greenville Chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (King's Kruizers) and other area CMA chapters were asked to ride as an honor guard for a funeral in Van Alstyne, Texas. The Kruizers rode to the Kwik Chek in Trenton where I lead the group of 12 motorcycles to Van Alstyne via FM 121. At least 50 CMA members participated. Four of us rode to Sherman as Sherman Power Sports claimed they had gotten in a Zero Gravity Double Bubble windscreen. They had been shipped the stock replacement screen. We then rode to the Sherman Harley Davidson/Victory dealer as Jim Finney wanted a picture of me on a cruiser. Go figure. We had dinner at the Texas Roadhouse in Sherman. After dinner we rode back to Trenton via FM 697 where I and the Ninjette headed back to the house.

The absence of a good windscreen makes a big difference in riding the little motorcycle. Headwinds in particular took a greater toll on the Ninjette's forward progress as the wind was clearly not being directed around my trunk. For example at highway speeds with the Double Bubble if enough of an incline or headwind was encountered tucking in was normally more than adequate to maintain or increase speed without down shifting. Without the windscreen tucking reduced the frontal area, but, positive pressure was clearly far from eliminated as I could still feel significant wind pressure on my chest and upper body. There is clearly something going aerodynamically as I typically have bug splatter only on the upper shoulders and outside arm of my riding jacket. Riding with the chopped windscreen resulted in bug splatter evenly distributed across the front of the jacket. The about 24 square inches of the Double Bubble appears to redirect a lot of air.

When operating with minimal horsepower (the 15/41 final drive places highway travel at or near the lower end of the engine's power curve in sixth gear) propelling as non-aerodynamic a vehicle as a motorcycle at 70 MPH one should seek every possible advantage. The Zero Gravity Double Bubble windscreen will be missed.

Seated on an Orange 2007 Victory at the Sherman Harley Davidson/Victory dealer (Photo by James Finney).

Ride Report: March 16, 2007 -- I had grandiose plans to ride both FM 455 and FM 4 from beginning to end in one outing. I had planned to do the 400+ mile trip in one solid day of riding with little or no stopping except to fuel. The day began rather cold with a stiff north wind. I began stalling as I had learned on the previous ride the absence of a windscreen makes a big difference in the amount of wind, bugs, and cold you have to deal with. By mid-morning my daughter ,Victoria, decided she wanted to go so at 11:00 AM we were finally off. Victoria had my heavy winter jacket but refused to wear my winter pants. I was in the uninsulated leathers.

We headed west on FM 455 out of Anna, Texas and by the time we arrived in Pilot Point, Texas my arms were cold and fatigued from fighting the wind and extra weight of a passenger, additionally, Victoria's legs had gone numb. I determined it might as well not be a complete loss so we headed north on US 377 to Tioga, Texas and Clark's Outpost for a late barbecue lunch. From Tioga we took FM 121 through Van Alstyne to just west of Trenton. Passing through Van Alstyne a local business park's automated time/temperature sign confirmed the sun had done little to warm things up from this morning. Victoria was beginning to suffer a migraine by the time we dismounted the Ninjette in the garage back in Trenton. In the end we concluded we had made a reasonable choice in cutting the trip short. I will have to save the FM 455 and FM 4 jaunt for later.

Victoria and the "street fighter" Ninjette with its chopped windscreen in front of Clark's Outpost in Tioga, Texas..

A cold late winter afternoon in Van Alstyne, Texas.

Ride Report: March 17, 2007 -- Several bikers met in the Princeton High School parking lot to ride to Sherman, Texas via back roads for breakfast. At 7:15 AM Hugh Mantooth, his future son-in-law, Jeff Johnston, and I met at our home and rode down Texas 78, to Blue Ridge via FM 545, and then FM 1377 to Princeton. About 12 other motorcyclists met us at Princeton including John Bell (bell of the Ninja 250 forum) and fellow CMA member Thomas Osburn of McKinney. The group, lead by Osburn rode north on FM 1377 and took Texas 78 to Leonard. From Leonard we traveled FM 896 to Randolph where some of the group did some very spirited romping on the way to Randolph. There are not any twisties to speak of but there are some hills that are fun to traverse. One should be cautious on FM 896 however, as that road is very popular with road cyclist due to the steep hills. One is likely to top a hill on FM 896 and be face to face with several cyclists. From Randolph the Ninjette and I lead the entourage down Texas 11 to Whitewright and then the enjoyably twisty FM 697 to Sherman where we stopped for fuel at a corner Exxon and breakfast at Donut Choice, 1908 East Lamar Street.

Most of the group had to "tottle off" elsewhere so Mantooth, Johnston, Osburn and I continued our North Texas meanderings. We rode Texas 56 to Bells and turned north on FM 1897 to Ambrose and then FM 1753 to FM120. At the end of FM 120 we crossed the Red River into Oklahoma on the wonderfully rustic, single-lane, Carpenters Bluff Bridge. Be sure to read the Carpenters Bluff Bridge Historical Marker below as the bridge is a very unique piece of local history. Curiously, only Texas had any official markers.

Once underway in Oklahoma we took E3715, E2240, N3740, and Oklahoma 78 which becomes Texas 78 at the border. Texas 78 stretches south to Bonham. At Bonham we doubled back on Texas 78 to FM 274 and then FM 898 to Ector where Osburn needed to head home. The remaining three continued on FM 898 to Whitewright where we took FM 151 back to Trenton

John Bell and Evan Yeager with John's Yellow 2006 250R in front of Princeton High School. (Photo by Thomas Osburn)

The Texas end of the Carpenters Bluff Bridge (a detail of the Historical Marker follows).

Carpenters Bluff Bridge Historical Marker.

Four motorcycles in on the Oklahoma side of Carpenters Bluff Bridge.

Thomas Osburn, Hugh Mantooth, and Jeff Johnston (left to right) in front of the Carpenters Bluff Bridge.

Ride Report: March 24, 2007 -- The replacement Zero Gravity Double Bubble windscreen from Zero Gravity Outlet arrived on Thursday, March 22nd and was promptly installed on the 250. The forecast for Saturday was cloudy but only a 10% chance of precipitation -- just too pretty a day to pass up riding. I posted on the Ninja 250 Riders Club site and sent an email to the local rider list I keep on my email server. I was able to connect with Michael Hickman (hickman71 of the Ninja 250 Riders Club) and we decided to meet in Clayton, Oklahoma as it was roughly 140 miles from both of our homes.

As we had recently moved to Trenton I was looking for a more direct, or at least different, route across the Red River than riding through Paris as I typically did from Commerce. After studying the Oklahoma and Texas state highway maps I concluded there had to be a well traveled route between Yuba and Albany, Oklahoma. I plotted my course accordingly.

From Trenton I took Texas 121 to Bonham, Texas. North of Bonham Texas 121 ends at Texas 78 so I continued north on Texas 78 to Yuba. At Yuba, Oklahoma I Turned on to Yuba Lane and ventured past the school. I then turned left (north) on N3830 Road and proceeded to N2190 Road and followed the "blacktop" to Albany. At Albany I turned right (east) on Oklahoma 70E and followed this route to Bennington, Oklahoma where I caught US 70 east. I traveled US 70 through Boswell, Oklahoma to where it intersects US 271 between Soper and Hugo. I then took US 271 due north to Antlers where I followed Oklahoma 2 to Clayton where I met Michael.

Micheal and I paired up and took Oklahoma 271 through Talihina, Oklahoma to the Talimena Scenic Drive. We stopped for lunch buffet at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge located on the Talimena Scenic Drive. After lunch Michael had to ride back to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma for a dinner engagement with his spouse. I rode on to Mena, Arkansas to take in the rest of the Talimena Scenic Drive. I was privileged to chat with a fellow CMA member at a Valero in Mena and advise another motorcyclist on the most direct route to Tulsa while on the Talimena Scenic Drive.

I opted to take a different route home than the one taken in the morning. I rode down Arkansas 272 from the Talimena Scenic Drive to US Highway 270. After riding west on US 270 I traveled south on US 259 and turned west on Oklahoma 144 at Octavia. Oklahoma 144 was a delightful surprise as this narrow, lightly traveled ribbon traverses the heart of the Kiamichi Mountains and generally parallels the Little River before the river turns south. I crossed a couple of single lane bridges and spotted a White Tail along the way. Oklahoma 144 is not a road for threading apexes, but should be ridden unhurried, reveling in movement of road and motorcycle, while the countryside drifts past.

Most of the roads I rode at or slightly above 70 MPH on the roadways that had a 65 to 70 MPH speed limit. The Talimena Scenic Drive has a speed limit of 55 and Michael and I, while not riding aggressively or speeding did let the little engines rev freely particularly while climbing. Over the course of the day I ventured down Texas 121, Texas 78, Oklahoma 78, Oklahoma 70E, US 70, US 271, Oklahoma 2, Oklahoma 1, Arkansas 88, Arkansas 272, US 270, US 259, and Oklahoma 144.

The morning was cool with a blustery south wind. Overcast skies gave way to partly cloudy and by late afternoon the temperatures were in the 70 and the winds calm. Fuel mileage per fill-up for the 453 mile jaunt was 66.3 MPG, 67.1 MPG, and 67.8 MPG. As one can see spirited riding will effect fuel economy even on a Ninjette.

Looking North on Oklahoma State Highway 2.

Evan Yeager and Michael Hickman at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge

Coming in to bloom on Arkansas 272 between the Talimena Scenic Drive and US Highway 270.

A Kansas City Southern SD60 heads a mixed freight just off US 270.

Union Pacific AC44-9W pulls a coal train near US Highway 270.

Western View from the Talimena Scenic Drive near Mena, Arkansas.

Smoke from a forest fire on US Highway 259 North of Big Cedar, Oklahoma.

Forestry appears to be the primary agribusiness along Oklahoma State Highway 144.

The Kiamichi as viewed from Oklahoma 144.

The Little River along Oklahoma 144.

An old homestead just north of Oklahoma 144.

Cattle and big sky in the late afternoon just west of Wade, Oklahoma on Oklahoma State Highway 70E.

Ride Report: March 30, 2007 -- A sad chapter as the Ninja 250 Riders Club laid to rest one of the youngest members of the online community, Allen Wesley Davis (KawiDavis) of Overbrook, Oklahoma. According to the family, Allen was stopped in the left turn lane at a traffic light in Ardmore, Oklahoma when he was struck broadside by a red light running pickup truck with such force his helmet shattered. Allen died of the resulting massive head trauma.

Allen was a freshman at Turner High School in Burneyville, Oklahoma where he was a gifted math and science student and a member of the Turner High School Student Council. He was a member of the Turner High School Future Farmers of America and enjoyed playing on the both the basketball and baseball teams. Allen was mischievous and could be also be a bit of a con artist according to his family.

I had known of Allen for several months via the Ninja 250 Riders Club. Allen had taken the time to personally email me and mention how much he was a fan of this website. Allen was an experienced and skilled motorcyclist.

Ninja 250 Riders Club members John Bell (jbell), Joseph Vanderzwart (Otsego_Amigo), John Kennedy (jkennedy) and Yours Truly (emdsd) attended the funeral. The family, the mother in particular, was very appreciative of us coming and the Ninja 250 Club's generally good moral (sometimes Christian) influence. They took true comfort in the Lord most appeared to be strong Christians. The hope that we as Christians will see him again was lifted up. Additionally, Allen's liver and kidneys were donated to three other individuals.

The original plans were to ride up as requested by the family, but the weather had other plans. Joseph and I took the 'Scort and were glad we did as it rained steadily the entire trip. By the time Joseph and I got back to Texas it was pouring. I tailed Joseph all the way to his house in the cage to be sure he made it home.

Ride Report: March 31, 2007 -- The rain ended and it was a gorgeous partly cloudy day afternoon, far too pretty to sit at home. I took the Ninjette for a jaunt north on US 69 to FM 697 through Ida to Sherman. From Sherman I retraced our route back home.

April, 2007 -- Replaced the drive chain and sprokets.

Ride Report: April 1, 2007 -- Evening worship was called off due to a natural gas line leak in front of the church (talk about your potential "Hell-fire and Brimstone" sermons). I connected with Hugh Mantooth and his future son-in-law, Jeff Johnston. We took FM 151 north to local favorite FM 898 at Whitewright. We traveled FM 898 through Ector to its end just north of Bonham where we caught TX 121 back to Trenton

Ride Report: April 6, 2007 -- One of the most enjoyable uses of a motorcycle for me is to explore a road from beginning to end. FM 4 looks like an excellent candidate for such an effort. FM 4 has been featured in Ride Texas Magazine's Reader's Poll in the Top 10 Roads in Texas for 6 of the last 6 years. The road has been named in the top 10 scenic roads and wildflower roads. This year the readers poll rated it number one in the Prairies and Lakes region which includes north-central Texas. Additionally, it has been named in the top 5 for best fall color. FM 4 stretches from Jacksboro to Palo Pinto to Granbury and ends in Grandview. I posted on the Ninja 250 Riders Club site and sent an email to my local rider email list to see who would be interested in such an excursion.

Brad Swindall (redshad) of the Ninja 250 Riders Club mentioned he was up for a ride. As the ride date approached, the weather forecast began to deteriorate. Unusually cold conditions were forecast for the Easter weekend. Several others riders were interested but looming weather concerns and job obligations prevented most from making the trek.

Good Friday morning dawned with a blustery north wind that was a constant companion throughout the day. I got up exercised and was on the road by 7:35 AM. I filled up at the Race Track at US 380 and US 75 in McKinney since I had hit reserve right out of Trenton.. I continued down US 380 to Denton arriving at the Chevron at US 380 and IH35 Denton, Texas at 9:10 AM. Brad and two of his riding buddies, Louie Gray on his 2003 Kawasaki Voyager VII 1200 and Brian Walker riding his modified Honda CBR 1100 Blackbird met me at the Chevron at 9:15 AM. Brad arrived on his 2007 silver Goldwing. To say the Ninjette was out-gunned in the horsepower department would have been an understatement.

We all topped our tanks and noted several emergency vehicles heading west down US 380. I took this as a bad omen. After making our donations to the Arab sheiks we were on our way down US 380 to Jacksboro and FM 4. The group had not progressed far at all and my concerns were confirmed: US 380 was completely blocked due to some mishap that I could not quite discern. Semis were trying to turn around on the narrow two lanes of asphalt and generally things were a mess. We dropped south of Krum and rode west on some county roads until a decent route north was confirmed by Louie's GPS. Once back on US 380 Louie and Brian decided that their bikes needed the soot blown out and accelerated the pace to around 80 MPH. Brad hung back with me as neither I nor the Ninjette are accustomed to such vehicular exuberance when not threatened. Brad and I eventually caught up and hung with the leaders.

We stopped at Jacksboro for a restroom break and then started down Fm 4 to Graford where we stopped for lunch at The Cafe in Graford, Texas. The fair was home-style and the portions big. Brian and Louie ordered up hamburger baskets while Brad ordered a hamburger steak diner and I the chicken fried steak dinner which came with our choice of two sides. The generous portion of the fried okra side-dish caught us by surprise as Brad and I could have shared an order and both had plenty. The quality of the cuisine was good and Louie entertained the group with a variety of personal anecdotes. Another dinning recommendation in the area is the Palo Pinto Cafe in Palo Pinto, Texas.

Unfortunately Louie forgot to kill the ignition switch on his Voyager so the battery drained while we were conversing over lunch. We got to got push the large bike across the parking lot without success. Louie went on an unsuccessful search for a set of "jumper cables". By the time he came back the battery had enough life in it that we were able to push start the big Kawasaki and we continued the journey down FM 4.

The Ninjette and I lead the group south from Graford. After a few miles the horizon opened before us and revealed a surprisingly grand view of the Brazos River valley. The first safe opportunity to pull over was halfway down into the valley so the pictures do not do the country justice. After some photos and chatter we mounted up and continued south. The group was underway a short time when it became clear that Louie and Brian were bored with the meandering pace I was setting. Brad stayed with me as I was reticent not to push the tight curves of drought ravaged Texas roads I was not familiar with. I have hit unexpected sections of loose undulating pavement before and was reluctant to experience the sensation of sliding sideways again. Blustery winds do nothing for one's corning confidence.

The traffic in Granbury was horrid as it took fifteen minutes just to get through the square. Louis and Brian were waiting for us at a gas station. I put a few ounces in the Ninjette just to be social and we continued our journey down FM 4. Louie commented at one stop that "we are riding, not trying to get somewhere". Absolutely the point of this endeavor I concurred.

Brad and I caught up with the Voyager and the Blackbird just west of Grandview as the post-legal velocity of our leaders was curtailed by coming upon a local "strong arm". The fact that we caught up was likely indictment enough. At Grandview we split up as I continued east toward Maypearl and the rest of the group needed to head north back to the Mid-Cities area of the Metorplex. Maypearl was a treat as I came across some of the prettier wild flowers and got to explore the Bikers General Store.

The traffic was relatively light on the north bound side of Interstate 35 East as I had hoped due to it being Good Friday. Traffic was still passable as I approached downtown Dallas so I elected to ride straight through North Dallas via US 75. The trip through Allen and Plano was only exciting due to the usual electronically preoccupied cagers. I did manage to keep in the open areas of traffic by doing the Ninjette version of the "sport bike shuffle". Just south of McKinney US 75 North ground to a halt just north of the Texas 5 exit. I took Texas 5 through the east side of town, stopped to see my friends John and Jill Gouker, owners of Workhorse PC, at the North Texas office. After a brief visit I continued home to Trenton via Texas 121.

The day was cool with a blustery north wind. Overcast skies continued through out the day with temperatures mostly in the 50s. Fuel mileage was neglected.

Louie Gray writes up his rides for a Internet forum as well. Louie's thoughts on this ride are a little different than mine and thought you would enjoy reading them as well.

Brads fine 2007 Goldwing dwarfs the Ninjette in front of The Cafe in Graford, Texas (nice color choice however).

FM 4 runs through rugged but scenic country.

Brad Swindall looks over the four motorcycles that ventured down FM 4 at a rest stop

Evan and Brad pose with the Ninjette on FM 4. (Photo by Louie Gray)

Blue Bonnets on FM 916 near Maypearl, Texas

The Biker's General Store on FM 66 just East of Maypearl, Texas.

Ride Report: April 21, 2007 -- Wing and a Prayer played for the Eagle Riders of Terrell Genesis Center Benefit Rally and Run Terrell, Texas.

Wing and a Prayer play for the Genesis Center Benefit in Terrell.

Ride Report: April 22, 2007 -- Wing and a Prayer to play at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Terrell, Texas.

Wing and a Prayer play for the Genesis Center Benefit in Terrell.

May, 2007 -- With fuel pricing continuing to rise, I modified the Tail Trunk Saddle to more effectively run errands. I ordered a new, updated GPS for my Palm PDA.

Ride Report: May 5, 2007 -- The Hunt County chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA), The King's Kruizers, met at Crossroads Church in Greenville, Texas to participate in the annual Run for The Son ride at 8:00 AM. Run for The Son is the only fund raising effort of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA). We began the morning with coffee and donuts at the Crossroads Church in Greenville, TX. We rode various Farm to Market roads and Texas State Highways east to Winnsboro where we fueled up at a Brookshire's. We then rode west via a different route to Wind Point Park near Lone Oak, Texas where my wife and family met us with the bass concert equipment. A little before noon, we were joined by several other area CMA groups from Terrell, Sulphur Springs, and the surrounding area making a total roughly of 200 attendees. At Wind Point Park, we met for prayer, fellowship, and some great bar-b-que. During lunch, Wing and a Prayer played several songs.

Shortly after everyone had finished lunch, the skies finally made good their threat and rain quickly broke things up. I rode from Lone Oak to Commerce on FM 513 through Campbell to run an errand for Joleen. Unfortunately, I was unable to avoid the rain completely and wound up getting fairly wet before arriving home in Trenton.

Fuel mileage for the 194 mile trip was 75.2 MPG.

The King's Kruizers, met at Crossroads Church in Greenville, Texas for coffee, donuts, and prayer

At Winnsboro, Texas we fueled up at the local Brookshire's

At Wind Point Park near Lone Oak, Texas there were trikes, (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

tourers, (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

cruisers, (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

and a scooter. (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

Over 200 CMA members from all over north Texas attended. (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

Trying to coax a Harley into starting seemed to be a popular past time that afternoon. (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

The attendees prayed for a variety of concerns. (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

Motorcyclists lining up for bar-b-que, imagine that! (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

It was some good bar-b-que! (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

Wing and a Prayer pray before playing. (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

A few rain drops did a quick job of clearing the bikers out of the park. (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

Not a motorcycle, but this nice '56 Chevy was still a treat. (Photo by Victoria Yeager)

Ride Report: May 19-20, 2007 -- A break in the almost constant rain Texas has experienced this spring allowed a couple of short recreational rides. On Saturday the Ninjette and I took FM 151 north to FM 697 through Ida to Sherman and back. We cleared out most of the insects in Fannin and Grayson counties as it was dusk On Sunday, Brian Parker and I met after an mid-afternoon church leadership meeting and took FM 151 north to FM 697 and then took Texas 56 to Bells. From Bells, we wove our way back to FM 898 and meandered our way back to Trenton.

Ride Report: May 26, 2007 -- I caught a message on the Ninja 250 Riders Club site that Brent Van Dyke (Banner, a Ninja 250 owner from Leon, Kansas) posted, stating that he desired to tour the Talimena Scenic Drive. I mentioned I was interested. Additionally, Alan Bennett (loudboys), Brad Swindall (redshad), and Michael Hickman (hickman71) threw their hats in the ring as well. I sent an email to the local rider list I keep and soon we had a full fledged event developing. The Texas group consisting of Brad Swindall, Tom Hardin, Tam Pho (aerox of the Ninja 250 Riders Club), Jerry Suggs (VP of the Greenville CMA chapter), Brian Parker, and Tyler Bowman met at my home near Trenton, Texas. Joleen served up a wonderful breakfast of her famous cinnamon rolls and we were off to Oklahoma by 7:30 AM.

We traveled to Bonham and took Texas 78 to Yuba, Oklahoma. From Yuba we traveled back roads to Albany and proceeded east on Oklahoma 70E to Bennington where US 70 and US 271 took us to Antlers and our first fuel stop. We ventured northeast on Oklahoma 2 from Antlers and connected to US 271 again in Clayton, Oklahoma and continued to the Oklahoma Talimena Scenic Drive Visitor's Center at US 271 and Oklahoma 1 where we had previously arranged to meet Alan Bennett, Brent Van Dyke, Lee Moore, and Michael Hickman.

From the visitor's center we broke up in groups as we had a large number of bikes and a variety of skill levels. Michael Hickman and I took the more relaxed group of the three. Our plans were for us all to meet at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge and have the lunch buffet. Hickman lead while I rode tail as we headed up the mountain. We pulled over at the Lenox Mission Vista to see the view and take some photos. Lee Moore took the lead as we prepared to leave the scenic "pull-off". I waited as I was riding tail but Michael's bike failed to start. We checked connections and were about to "pack it in" as Michael clearly needed a "jump".

We just finished lamenting our circumstances when a United States Park Service peace officer pulled over the rise. We waved him in to the vista parking area and requested a jump for Michael's Ninjette. After getting a jump, the little Ninja fired up. However there was clearly an electrical issue as the engine was idling but the lights barely shone and the tachometer needle danced erratically. Upon throttling the motorcycle the engine would not rev beyond 5000 RPM and 1500 to 2000 RPM is all it could manage under load. A short way down the road the bike gave up and it took another jump to limp it back to the Lenox Vista. It became apparent that we were not going to get the 250 running without a new battery. Michael sent me on to the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge to meet with the rest of the group. I felt awful leaving him stranded as historically I stick it out with fellow riders but I had several gentlemen I needed to get back to Texas by early evening and Michael had already begun cell phoning, texting and surfing the Internet to remedy the situation..

On the way to the lodge, I ran into Brad Swindall and Lee Moore going to help Hickman. So, I could press on now that I knew Michael had help on the way. Michael was able to locate a Kawasaki dealer with a much needed battery in Poteau, Oklahoma. Lee rode to the aforementioned Kawasaki dealer and picked up a battery for Michael's Ninja 250. Brad was stopped by the same officer that had assisted Michael earlier. The officer clocked Brad doing 91 MPH through a 55 MPH sweeper. Brad wound up without a citation after mentioning he was in route to Michael at the Lenox Vista. Lee ultimately returned with the battery and literal "fast food". Michael and Lee got back home to Broken Arrow late that evening.

After lunch, the Texas group and Brent rode on to Mena, Arkansas taking in the rest of the Talimena Scenic Drive while Alan Bennett headed off to the Lenox Vista to see what he could do to help Hickman. We fueled up at the Valero on the corner of Arkansas 88 and US 71. As we chatted and topped off our tanks, a long haired gentleman in his thirties pulled up and asked how our ride was and where we were from. He mentioned that a group of sport-bikers was coming up from the DFW Metroplex next week to ride. Jerry Suggs later found out that John Ogden, Jr. the Christian Motorcyclists Association Fast Lane Team Leader was the fellow in the pickup. Fast Lane is the Sport Bike specific outreach ministry of CMA. We assume that it was because Suggs and I were wearing our Christian Motorcyclists Association colors that Ogden took the opportunity to drop by. Suggs needed to go back to home due to a prior engagement and Brent Van Dyke used the opportunity to bid us farewell and point his Ninja 250 north to Bella Vista where he was staying with relatives.

We took one of my favorite routes back southwest. We rode down Arkansas 272 from the Talimena Scenic Drive to US Highway 270. From US 270 we traveled south on US 259 and headed west on Oklahoma 144 at Octavia. Oklahoma 144 took us to US 271 and Antlers. From Antlers we back tracked

Over the course of the day, we rode Texas 121, Texas 78, Oklahoma 78, Oklahoma 70E, US 70, US 271, Oklahoma 2, Oklahoma 1, Arkansas 88, Arkansas 272, US 270, US 259, and Oklahoma 144.

Michael Hickman's take on the trip may be enjoyed here.

The morning was cool and blustery with rain hounding us from the south and west. Overcast skies gave way to clear to partly cloudy and by afternoon the rain clouds were threatening again. We just got a little wet trying to get though Antlers. The rest of the trip south the Lord blessed us with clouds and dry roadways. Fuel mileage per fill-up for the 469 mile jaunt was 76.6 MPG, and 72.3 MPG.

The Texas group at the end of our driveway. (Left to right) Brad Swindall, Jerry Suggs, Tom Hardin, Brian Parker, Evan Yeager, Tyler Bowman, and Tam Pho (Photo by Joleen Yeager)

The Texas group meets the Missouri/Kansas group (Alan Bennett and Brent Van Dyke) at the Oklahoma Talimena Scenic Drive Visitor's Center and waits for Michael Hickman and Lee Moore. (Photo by Brian Parker)

View from the Lenox Mission Vista scenic overlook.

The ill fated rest stop at the Lenox Mission Vista. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

There is never a ratchet handle and socket set when you need one. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

The officer and I discuss the finer points of religion, law enforcement, and motorcycling while jumping off Michael's bike. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Brad and Alan look over Brad's Goldwing while waiting for Lee's return from Poteau

The fog burns off the Kiamichi (Photo by Brian Parker)

Ninja 250 Riders Club members: Tam Pho (aerox), Alan Bennet (loudboys), Me (emdsd), and Brent Van Dyke (Banner) at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge (Photo by Jerry Suggs)

Ride Report: May 31 - June 2, 2007 -- The Republic Of Texas Biker Rally in Austin, Texas is a primary outreach and missions opportunity in Texas for the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Several of the King's Kruizers CMA chapter had volunteered time at the ROT Rally. Jim and Alice Finney (chapter president), Jerry and Wander Suggs (chapter vice-president) and I rode to Austin on Wednesday evening so we could assist at the beginning of the rally. We stopped for dinner at The Pizza House of West, Texas which is famous for a creation called a Skunk Egg. The Skunk Egg can best be described as southwestern version of "Chicken Cordon Blu". We rolled in to Austin just after dark. I stayed with Darrel and Dorothy See, one of Joleen's many cousins, in order to cut down on expenses.

We assisted with the registration and crowd control. The general idea is to provide caring, cheerful faces clad in Christian Motorcyclists Association colors to the bikers attending the rally. I was able to get a smile from most of those I assisted or spoke to. Interestingly, it was easier to get a smile from couples or groups of ladies than from a group of male bikers entering together.

We were able to get a Texas "hill country" ride in on one afternoon. We rode northwest to Llano and dined at Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que which is often slated as serving some of the best bar-b-que in the south. The sausage was probably the best I have had and the pork ribs were also very good. The brisket however was not as stand out. At this level, it soon becomes a matter of taste. I still feel that for quantity and quality The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas is the better establishment.

Friday morning before I was to spend the afternoon volunteering with ROT assisting with registration and crowd control, I was able to connect with Jon Penner (JonP) of the Ninja 250 Riders Club. We spent the morning touring Lake Travis and had lunch at a local "walk-up" bar-b-que establishment.

I rode back early Saturday to attend my niece's wedding and to lend support and prayers to our Pastor and his family whose house had burned the previous day. I was able to dodge the rain by cutting cross country from Pflugerville to Mexia and taking IH 45 into Dallas.

Alice and Jim Finney assist with ROT pre-registration.

Wanda and Jerry Suggs also keep ROT pre-registration up-beat and running smoothly.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

Alice Finney selects from the variety of succulent meats.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que burns hardwood in these furnaces and the coals are then transferred to....

...individuals pits where the meats are skillfully cooked.

View from the road of the Texas Hill Country.

Lake Travis had benefited from the recent rains in Texas.

Jon (JonP) and Evan (emdsd) at the Lake Travis Dam. (Photo by Jon Penner)

The Lake Travis Dam

The Colorado River just down stream of the Lake Travis Dam and on the way to Austin's Town Lake

June, 2007 -- I had noted the Suggs' Goldwing and several other motorcycles at the ROT Rally were quite visible at night due to having LED accent lighting. Safety is an issue for me so I added LED accent lighting by Signal Dynamics to the Ninjette for increased night visibility and converted to Signal Dynamics LED modules instead of the incandescent bulbs in the tail lights.

Ride Report: June 7, 2007 -- We had a break in the almost constant rain (We were gathering wood to build and arc as while the Lord had mentioned not destroying the world with water He said nothing about north Texas and southern Oklahoma!) and I wanted to catch some of the roads recommended by Ride Texas Magazine near the Saint Jo, Texas where I graduated high school some many years ago. Nathaniel was up a ride and the gals were to be out most of the day. As we prepared to leave, I got a call from the school and needed to look at an administrative computer. I elected to inspect the machine on the way out of town to minimize the amount of time devoted to looking over the situation. As it turned out, a cable was unplugged and the mail server had rebooted from a forced (Microsoft) update. After a quick check of the system, we were of on our adventure.

Nathaniel and I rode the Ninjette from the beginning of FM 455 from Anna to it's end at Montague. We then traveled north on Texas 175 to Nocona where we enjoyed lunch at Fenoglio's BBQ and Burgers. Nathaniel gave his stamp of approval by declaring Fenoglio's burgers to be superior to Sonic's. While Fenoglio's may not be up to "world class" standards it offers a lot of bang for the buck.

We then traveled north on FM 103 through the Montague Oil fields to Spanish Fort, Texas where we took FM 2953 to Illinois Bend and then FM 677 to Saint Jo, Texas (where I graduated high school). At Saint Jo, we stopped in at the Chisholm Trail Mercantile, where we consumed some much needed water, chatted with Mercantile owner Toxie Beavers, and purchased some biker oriented souvenirs. We then took FM 677 just south of town to see the outdoor "art" including the VW Beetle Ranch on the Running N Ranch. We then doubled back to Saint Jo and took FM 2382 past the Devil's Backbone area to Bulcher, Texas. Local rumor has it that the US government has placed several nuclear missile silos some where in those rugged hills. From Bulcher FM 373 took us through Muenster, Texas to FM 922 and Tioga, Texas. From Tioga we took FM 121 and FM 814 to Trenton.

Riding two up and dealing with a gusty southerly side wind netted 60.4 MPG on the only fill-up for the trip.

Fixing Kim Anderson's Computer on the way out of town. (Photo by Tonette Serrano)

FM 455 Between Celina and Pilot Point.

View South from Lake Ray Roberts Dam.

View North from Lake Ray Roberts Dam of a full lake.

Fenogilos Bar-B-Q and Burgers in Nocona, Texas.

Montague County Oil Fields on FM 103 between Nocona and Spanish Fort.

Spanish Fort General store

Spanish Fort Historical Marker.

Oklahoma across the rain swollen Red River near Illinois Bend.

Red River Valley Pasture near Illinois Bend.

Illinois Bend.

FM 677 Between Illinois Bend and Saint Jo.

Chisholm Trail Mercantile in Saint Jo Texas.

Running N Ranch South of Saint Jo Texas on FM 677.

Saint Jo Texas from FM 677 South near the Running N Ranch.

My father pastored the First United Methodist Church of Saint Jo, Texas.

The Devils Backbone area on FM 2382 just north of Saint Jo, Texas. Some say there are ICBMs in those hills.

Ride Report: June 8, 2007 -- Nathaniel and I took the Ninjette north on US 69 to FM 697 through Ida to CiCi's Pizza in Sherman for a late lunch. We then purchased a set of Nathaniel sized chaps at Western Land and Leather Motorcycle Gear and Apparel on 212 North Crocket in Sherman. From Sherman we retraced our route back to Trenton.

Ride Report: June 12, 2007 -- I had a day trip in mind that involved the supposed "best chicken-fried steak in Texas". The Shed Cafe in Edom, Texas (population about 380) has the reputation of being one of the top eateries in the state (Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, and Ride Texas Magazine). Close to Edom is Coffee City and New York. All things combined it sounded like a worthy road trip to me. I called Bobby Eubanks, a nephew who rides and serves as Post Master at Athens, Texas and inquired if he was up to meeting for lunch. He was, so the ride was on.

Bobby rode his Shadow to Edom where we both ordered the chicken fried steak special. The steak and coconut cream pie were excellent and the price even better. Pretty country and "good eats", what more could you ask for?

Over the course of the day I rode FM 981, FM 36, Texas 34, FM 751, Texas 64, IH 20, FM 314, FM 315, FM 607, and others. I used the GPS and a map to get to Edom, Coffee City, and New York. I used the GPS and instinct to get home; if I saw a road that looked entertaining, I took it and let the GPS recalculate from the new location how to get back to Trenton.

I was surprised to discover a very large herd of American Bison on FM 1562 between Celeste and Blue Ridge just a few short miles from Trenton. The size of the heard was such that I half expected to see a Comanche hunting party coming over a distant hill to scout the area.

The Shed in Edom, Texas.

Coffee City, Texas City Limit Sign.

FM 314 South of Brownsboro, Texas.

New York, Texas City Limit Sign.

New York, Texas Sky Line.

New York, Texas City Baptist Church.

FM 607 just North of New York, Texas.

American Bison Herd on FM 1562 Between Celeste and Blue Ridge.

Ride Report: June 24, 2007 -- The Family of Allen Wesley Davis (KawiDavis) wanted to hold a special ride in honor of Allen's birthday. Word was placed on the Ninja 250 Riders Club website and several rides across the country took place on June 24, 2007. Wing and a Prayer was scheduled to play for a biker church service held at the Wet 'n Wild Biker Rally in West Tawakani, Texas early that morning, allowing me extra time to travel compared to the typical Sunday service schedule. Amazingly the Lord provided a break in the rain for a few hours.

Drake Moore, a Ninja 250 Riders Club member from McKinney, Texas met me at the house in Trenton just as I rolled in from the rally. Drake and the kids assisted me in unloading the concert rig. We grabbed a light lunch by splitting a pimento cheese sandwich he brought and adding some grapes from our 'fridge. The Ninjette flooded as it sometime does after sitting in the garage for a while (it just keeps raining) which cost us some time. We were on the road by about 12:15 PM.

Drake and I met Joseph Vanderzwart at a car dealership in Sadler, Texas. From there we caught up with Brad Swindall, Michael Hickman, David Mudd, and Jay Rotter at the Outlet Mall just north of Gainesville, Texas. We were seated with the group, ordered water, and watched David finish his lunch. I felt badly about the water order and left a tip anyway.

Michael led the group to Ardmore where the Lowe's proved quite easy to find. The location was chosen because Lowe's is on the northwest corner of the intersection where Allen was struck by the wayward pickup. The mood appropriately remained somewhat somber throughout the event.

We greeted the others gathered there including Ninja 250 Riders Club members Dr. Michael Dougherty, John Bell, and John Kennedy. As a few more bikes arrived, I was able to greet Joanie Toland Montgomery (Allen's mother) and meet her husband Ted Montgomery. Heather McMahon, the counselor at Turner Public School where Allen attended, arrived just in time to see us line up for the ride. Heather was emotionally overcome and had to leave as John Kennedy lead the group through the intersection where Allen was killed. Allen was a great kid and his loss is still a difficulty for those who knew and loved him.

The group went for a relaxed jaunt to and around Lake Murray. After circumscribing the lake we pulled into a picnic area for the party. The Montgomerys provided a nice spread including Bar-B-Que brisket (always a favorite with bikers) and birthday cake. Allen's family was very appreciative of our joining them for this bitter-sweet event. Joanie requested we sign a guest book and a card for Allen. She later released a group of balloons that would "carry" the cards to Allen. Joanie gave a brief, but heart-felt, speech on how hobbies and good friends can help keep teenagers from being influenced by the bad aspects of our society. It is my hope that the Allen Davis Memorial Ride will become a fundraising event for the scholarship fund begun in his honor and memory.

As our time together waned, I noted a distinct darkening of the sky. I was unsure what direction due to my unfamiliarity with the area. I had already commented to Drake and Joseph that I reserved the right to skirt rain if I could. They both agreed. As we went our separate ways I opted to follow Hickman and Mudd to the east on US 70 intending to go as far as Durant to avoid the darkening skies back toward Ardmore and Gainesville.

We ended up taking US 377 south as the skies were clear to the south at Madill. Just after crossing into Texas, we ventured on to FM 901 and dropped Joseph off at Sadler. Drake and I continued east on US 82 where we happened upon a very odd Geo Metro driver that just wanted to stay beside no matter how fast I was going. He apparently grew tired of the varying speeds and moved on as we were coming in to Sherman.

At Sherman I turned off US 75 to take FM 697 east on the way to Trenton. Drake and I said our goodbyes and the intrepid Ninjette and I initiated the final leg home. Shortly before arriving in Ida, I was shock to see a FM 697 was closed. The barricades were ajar so the Ninjette and I cautiously ventured on. It seems the rains the week before had literally stripped the pavement from the roadbed and piled it up on a hapless fence row. Round hay bales the rampaging creek extracted from nearby fields were still on what was left of the roadway. A father and his two boys were taking advantage of the road closure and fishing off the bridge.

Michael Hickman's writing on the memorial ride may be enjoyed here.

The Texas group arrives led by Oklahoman, Michael Hickman on the right. (Photo by Dr. Mike Dougherty)

The Lowe's parking lot at Ardmore with the intersection that Allen was killed in the back ground.

Ninja 250 Riders Club members mix and mingle. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Other local sportbike riders attended.

Hickman presents me with the award for coming in third in the 2006 Ninja 250 Riders Club Golden Rule Rally; an oil filter for the Ninjette. (Photo provided by Michael Hickman)

Ninja 250 Riders Club members: Brad Swindall (redshad), Drake Moore (Drake), Michael Hickman (Hickman71), David Mudd (Blind Man), Joanie Toland Montgomery (KawiDavis), Dr. Michael Dougherty (GeekonaBike), Dr. Evan Yeager (emdsd), Jay Rotter (Phrack), Joseph Vanderzwart (Otsego_Amigo), John Bell (JBell), and not pictured John Kennedy (JKennedy) who, as one of the organizers, kept stepping away.

The above group with John Kennedy on the far right. The helmet Joanie is holding was purchased for Allen to use with his new dirt bike just two days before his death. (Photo provided by Michael Hickman)

Family and friends gather at Lake Murray State Park picnic area. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Allen's Birthday party at Lake Murray State Park.

Friends assist Joanie Toland Montgomery and Ted Montgomery (in the black shirt) set the table. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Joanie Toland Montgomery and Evan Yeager (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Dr. Evan Yeager and Dr. Mike Dougherty. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Dr. Dougherty and Michael Hickman discuss motorcycling and life.

Allen's birthday cake.

Circling vultures? (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Joseph digs in. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Joanie releases a group of balloons and birthday cards for Allen.

The balloons carry Allen's cards upward into the increasingly darkening shy. (Photo by Michael Hickman)

Round bales left on FM 697 by flood waters just west of Ida. The road closure made the bridge a pretty decent fishing pier for a father and his two sons.

Flood waters washed the pavement from FM 697 just west of Ida, Texas.

Pavement washed from FM 697 and piled up to the fence row just west of Ida.

July, 2007 -- North Texas stinks, literally. You walk outside and all smells of stale junior high school locker room. Everywhere is musty, moldy, and stagnant. The flies and mosquitoes are ecstatic and doing quite well, the rest of us however are just wet. I may need to have the yard baled as it has been over a month sense it was dry enough to mow. I keep having "Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day" rattle through my head.

I installed an extra rear grab handle fully coated by Rhino Linings of McKinney and mounted one inch BikeMaster adhesive convex spot "eyeball" mirrors mounted on stock rearview mirrors.

Ride (Event) Report: July 1, 2007 -- After raining almost all week the Lord halted the rain just a few hours but it was long enough for the first Biker Sunday sponsored by New Life Church of McKinney to be a success. I took the Escort as Wing and a Prayer was scheduled to play during the post-worship service portion of the event and the Ninjette can't seem to haul the electric bass and it's concert equipment. Tam Pho (aerox of the Ninja 250 Riders Club) and the Goukers (owners of Workhorse PC) came to say "howdy" and lend their support.

The clouds started moving in about half way through the festivities. As I was approaching Trenton 119 Tiger Lane the skies opened up once more. Rain is forecast for the next few days. What else is new?

Ride Report: July 3, 2007 -- Joleen was due her blood pressure medications being refilled so she had transferred her prescriptions to the pharmacy in the Bonham Wal-Mart as it is the closest discount pharmacy to Trenton. The rain let up just long enough to dry out the drive and gravel road we live down. So naturally I elected I to take the 70 MPG Ninjette rather than the 30 MPG Escort. On the way through Trenton I dropped by Hugh Mantooth's home to see if he wanted to tag along. As it had been days sense he had ridden Hugh was game. We took FM 151 north to FM 898 at Whitewright. We traveled east on FM 898 to Ector where we caught Texas 56 and rode to Bonham. After grabbing the medications and a DVD at Wal-Mart we noted the skies rapidly darkening so we took Texas 121 back to Trenton rather than seeking out additional "back roads" and managed to dodge most of the rain. We rode into Trenton just after a shower was passing and another one moving in. Thankfully, it didn't rain in our neighborhood.

Ride Report: July 4, 2007 -- It didn't rain again! In fact the sky was relatively clear most of the day. I needed to pick up a switch from Radio Shack and some small bolts from Home Depot and was getting ready to ride to Sherman when Hugh Mantooth showed up exploring means to pack items on his motor cycle for a future trip to New Mexico. After seeing how a tankbag would work on his shadow we decided to ride to ride together to Princeton as he needed to visit his daughter. Once at Princeton I would just head west to McKinney. We took Texas 78, to Blue Ridge via FM 545, and then FM 1827 and some nice paved county roads. We traveled through Alton, New Hope, and Verona. Hugh decided not to visit his daughter for some reason and we both headed to McKinney. I picked up the blots at Home Depot but the Radio Shack had closed for the "Fourth". Oh well, it was a pleasant ride.

Ride Report: July 5, 2007 -- It rained most of the fifth and continued to rain until about 6:00 AM July, 6th. Chris Hollahan had in mid June mentioned that several fellows he knew wanted to ride the Talimena Scenic Drive. Chris sent me an email and I posted the ride on the Ninja 250 Riders Club Forum and sent a notice to my email list.

We met at the IHOP in McKinney, Texas for breakfast and fellowship. "Lucky" and Lisa Turner (llturner) and Tam Pho (aerox), both members of the Ninja 250 Riders Club came for the meet and greet but were unable to ride with the group.

Upon leaving McKinney we traveled US75 and Texas 121 to Bonham and took Texas 78 to Yuba, Oklahoma. From Yuba we traveled back roads to Albany and proceeded east on Oklahoma 70E to Bennington where US 70 and US 271 took us to Antlers and our first fuel stop. We picked up David Mudd (Blind Man) of Ninja 250 Riders Club who rode in from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

We ventured northeast on Oklahoma 2 from Antlers and connected to US 271 again in Clayton, Oklahoma and continued to the Oklahoma Talimena Scenic Drive Visitor's Center at US 271 and Oklahoma. These gentleman ride like I do with a minimum of stops and wasted motion. We didn't pull over once until we got to the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge for lunch. At the Lodge we were met by Brad Swindall and his brother **** Swindall. During lunch we visited and looked on Tom Presley's laptop at an Internet weather radar site to plot our route home. It would seem we are not real bikers.

After lunch we rode to Mena, Arkansas and fueled at a Valero. We then proceeded down US 71 to DeQueen, Arkansas where we turned west toward Broken Bow on US 70. From Broken Bow it was Oklahoma 37 and FM 195 to Paris, Texas. We fueled at the intersection of US 82 and Loop 286. Chris and I parted company with the rest of the group they needed to take a more southerly route. Chris and I took US 82, Texas 78, and US 69 to Trenton while keeping a wary eye on the skies.

Most of the roads had a 65 MPH or 55 MPH speed limit. the morning was calm and cloudy with wet roads while afternoon, in contrast, was partly cloudy with scattered showers. Fuel mileage per fill-up for the trip was as follows 74.3 MPG, 70.6 MPG, and 79.1 MPG.

Evan Yeager (emdsd), Lisa Turner (llturner), and Tam Pho (aerox) in front of the McKinney IHOP. (Photo by "Lucky" Turner)

Motley Crew Posing in front of the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge. Nat Broughton, Mark Woeppel, David Mudd (Blind Man), Robert Hamilton, Dr. Evan Yeager (emdsd), Chris Hollahan, **** Swindall, Brad Swindall (redshad), and Tom Presley

Rain falls to the South of the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge.

Ride Report: July 9, 2007 -- Rode into Rockwall and Garland for a business lunch with CMC Network Solutions, Inc. I generally took FM 547 and IH 30 to Rockwall and Garland and then returned via IH 30 and FM 36. Other paved county roads and Farm to Market roads were used as the opportunity arose.

Ride Report: July 15, 2007 -- Tyler Bowman, also of Trenton, and I got in a quick Sunday evening ride after church/dinner. The route taken was generally FM 121 to Texas 289 South to Celina and then east on FM 455 to Anna. From Anna we rode Texas 121 back to Trenton

Bicycle Ride Report: July 16 - July 21, 2007 -- I took a small group of youth from First Baptist Church Trenton to the Southern Baptist Summer Music University at Schreiner University . I taught electric bass during section rehearsals and mentored a group of students during daily Bible studies. I was impressed with both the quality and spiritual leadership emphasis of the camp. Students and sponsors alike appeared to have gained a lot during the time invested. A more earnest and committed group of Christians than the sponsors one is not likely to meet.

It rained almost daily in Kerrville. The good news is that it has been clear and dry back in North Texas. I am growing concerned that I may have turned in to a "rain magnet". My daughter requested I remain in Kerrville and not bring the rain back.

I took the Look 585 road bike to stay in shape and experience first hand Texas “Hill Country” riding. I went by the Hill Country Bicycle Works location in Kerrville to get advice on what roads to explore during my stay. An employee recommended Texas State Highway 27, Texas State Highway 16, Texas State Highway 173, FM 2771, and Fall Creek Road as local favorites within riding distance of the university. I got in 20 to 30 miles each morning by waking and getting on the road by 6:00AM. It rapidly became clear why so many cyclists and motorcyclists wax eloquently about the riding in this area of Texas. Rugged terrain, striking sun rises, and multiple deer sightings accompanied each venture out on the road bike. The only real down side was that Texas 173 had "decaying" "chip seal" paving which translated to a very harsh ride at speeds of 20 MPH or above.

I have reached the conclusion that white tailed deer are not horribly bright. Most often when I spotted the deer they were leaping up from their hiding places. If they had simply stayed put I would have likely not seen them at all. Bambi’s self-sacrificing mother was not in central Texas, as very often the mother deer were running full-tilt across the landscape leaving very startled and frightened fawns far behind.

I observed several prime examples of a current blight on rural Texas, the “ranchette”, while riding Fall Creek Road. These vulgar tributes to the squandering of personal wealth often include gates that cost more than many people’s homes and feature acre after acre of extravagantly landscaped and manicured “lawns”. Feigning actual agricultural production many “ranchettes” had Texas Longhorns sprinkled across the acreage. I am a staunch champion of capitalism but such decadence is a morally incorrect use of the fruits of God's blessings on one's hard work.

Several “ranchettes” had high fencing to either keep the deer population in or out. I observed two cases on FM 2771 where this lead to the death of hapless does as they could not escape the motorized vehicular traffic. Obviously this situation creates a hazard for motorcyclists traveling in the area as well. Fortunately, many landowners, like a beacon of hope, had production cattle and/or native grasses as the focus of their holdings.

I passed by Thunder in The Hills Biker Church on one of my routes (about 6 miles south of Kerrville on Texas State Highway 16 just before the intersection of FM 2771 and Texas 16). This is the first such church I have observed that had a physical home.

Thunder in The Hills Biker Church south of Kerrville

Ride Report: July 25, 2007 - July 28, 2007 -- Hugh Mantooth Invited me to accompany him to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he was to assist with a series of Christian athletic camps. Details of the ride are on the New Mexico and Colorado Trip Site.

August, 2007 -- The Ninjette was down for parts and repairs most of the month due to the failure of the Western Powersports drive chain on the New Mexico and Colorado Trip.

Event Report: August 14, 2007 -- Joleen and I had to attend a Texas Instruments N-Spire calculator training seminar for three days at the University of Dallas. Virginia Beaver, a Trenton High School science teacher attended with us. It seemed reasonable that for one of those evenings a few 250 riders should get together. A hand full of Metroplex Ninja 250 riders met at Dunes Mediterranean Grill in Dallas, Texas to fellowship and in part welcome Californian new-comer Sarah Woo (swoosie) to the Dallas area. We were honored by a surprise visit from John ***** (John) of Fairfax, Virginia who was in town on business We had a great time visiting and enjoying the cuisine.

Trenton High School science instructor Virginia Beaver tries on Drake Moore's Ninja 250 for size while Ninja 250 Riders Club members: John (John), Sarah Woo (swoosie), Dr. Evan Yeager (emdsd), Drake Moore (Drake), and John Bell (JBell) look on. (Photo by Joleen Yeager)

Ride Report: August 25, 2007 -- Nathaniel and I got up early to ride to the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge located on the Talimena Scenic Drive for breakfast. I had been checking the Weather Underground forecast for Southeastern Oklahoma all week and it looked good with only a 10% chance of rain. We departed from the Kwik Chek convenience store in Trenton at 5:00 AM. No other motorcyclists came and it was just as well as it turned out to be a bit of a fiasco. Nathaniel and I looked forward to riding in toward the mountains with the sun rise ascending from the horizon. The first indication that all was not going according to plan was that the sun did not "rise". At Antlers, Oklahoma we started to get a few drops of rain but nothing to scare us off. By Clayton, Oklahoma it was looking very dark ahead. The "10% chance of rain" drenched us from just west of Talihina all the way up the mountain drive. To make matters worse it got rather foggy about half way to the Lodge. We emerged from the rain just after entering Arkansas. After breakfast we rode the remainder of the Talimena Scenic Drive to Mena, Arkansas, fueled up and headed south on US 71 to hopefully dry out a bit. No such luck. We were almost to the Texas border before the clouds broke and the rain ceased. We took US 82 west to Bonham where we took Texas 121 to Trenton and arrived back in Trenton at 3:00 PM that afternoon.

Over the course of the day we rode Oklahoma 1, Arkansas 88, Arkansas 41, US 271, US 71, US 82, Texas 78, and Texas 121.

The sky began as cloudy with widely scattered showers on the early western portion of the route and changed to cloudy and rainy through out most the trip.

Nathaniel enjoys a free cup of hot chocolate from a waitress that took pity on him during breakfast. We appreciated the dry inside the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge.

We braved the wet outside go get to the Lodge.

Rain building to the south and west of the Queen Wilhelmina State.

September, 2007 -- The Ninja 250 Riders Club become increasingly animated as evidence mounts that some spy photos are indeed an updated Ninja 250R.

Ride Report: September 1, 2007 -- Tyler Bowman of Trenton joined me on this attempt to enjoy a breakfast ride to the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge. This time the weather could not have been better. Tyler rode his new 2007 Buell he had traded his Ninja 650R in on. The Buell performed well and according to Tyler got better fuel mileage than the Kawasaki 650. We saw the sun rise and once we hit Oklahoma 1 we enjoyed a somewhat spirited ride over the mountains to the Lodge. Upon leaving the dining room we made the acquaintance of Bob and Fran Proffer who work at the Christian Motorcyclists Association headquarters. We rode the rest of the way to Mena and stopped, as seems to be the tradition, for fuel at the Valero on the northeast corner of the intersection of Arkansas 88 and US 71.. The Proffers caught up with us while we were fueling and said their adieus before going on their way. After topping our tanks off we headed south a few miles down US 71 where I gave a quick tour of the CMA facilities near Hatfield, Arkansas. We continued our ride south on US 71 to De Queen, Arkansas and then west to Idabel, Oklahoma where we angled over to Paris, Texas via FM 195 and took US 82 west to Trenton. We arrived back in Trenton at about 2:30 PM.

Over the course of the ride we traveled Texas 121, Texas 78, Oklahoma 70E, US 70, US 271, Oklahoma 2, Oklahoma 1, Arkansas 88, US 71, Oklahoma 37, FM 195, US 82, and Texas 121.

Most of the roads had a 65 MPH or 55 MPH speed limit. which generally speaking we ran at about 70 MPH. The weather was calm and sunny through the first of the afternoon. Fuel mileage per fill-up for the trip was 72.2 MPG and 72.6 MPG.

The Ninjette and the Buell at the Christian Motorcyclists Association headquarters near Hatfield, Arkansas.

Tyler Bowman on his Buell

Ride Report: September 22 - 23, 2007 -- Thomas Osburn, an assistant elementary principal with Princeton ISD, requested that I pre-run sections of the 2007 Princeton Lions Club’s Lenses for Learning Motorcycle Fun Run course. Included in the route are local favorites: FM 455, FM 121, FM 697, and FM 896. I had to break the excursion up over two days due to family and church obligation. I had the opportunity to visit the Blue Ridge Outpost and Mercantile. Located in Blue Ridge, Texas the Mercantile sells Leather motorcycle gear and casual apparel and is open on weekends. The owner is a fine Christian man who manages a local "Dollar General" and does this side line due to a love of motorcyclng.

Ride Report: September 25, 2007 -- The Greenville chapter and Sherman chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association held a joint meeting in McKinney, Texas at the Steak Kountry restaurant. I was running late and just missed the group from my chapter that left from Princeton, Texas and was trying to find my way north on Redbud lane when I ran into Drake Moore (Drake), a Ninja 250 Riders Club member that live in McKinney and was attending the birthday celebration for his daughter at Hank's BBQ. We chatted a bit with drake and his daughter and he got me routed to Steak Kountry. Once at the restaurant the two chapters had a great time fellowshipping and will likely try this again in the future.

Ride Report: September 29, 2007 -- Brian Parker and I met at the Trenton Middle School gym after his youngest finished a basketball game. Our plan was to ride up to where Brian's older son, Ben and my son, Nathaniel and most of the rest of the local Boy Scout Troop were on a campout at Coffeemill Lake a little north of Honey Grove. We took FM 151 north out of Trenton to local favorite FM 898 at Whitewright. We traveled FM 898 through Ector to just north of Bonham where we caught Texas 121 north to Texas 78 north. We then headed east on FM 1396, north on FM 2029, and east on FM 409 until we got to Coffeemill Lake. At the lake we visited a bit and helped take most of the troop on a "five mile" hike. Unfortunately we had to leave before dark as I had brought my dark tinted face shield because my new prescription glasses did not have the darkening lenses. On the way back we took FM 409, FM 2029, and FM 1396 and then FM 273 to Bonham where we caught Texas 121 south to Trenton.

October, 2007 --

Ride Report: October 6, 2007 -- I participated in the first (hopefully annual) "Fall 50+" Fun Run benefiting Toys for Tots at the Hunt County Fairgrounds, 9800 Jack Finney Blvd. This event was sponsored by L3 (an aeronautics firm in Greenville, Texas) and was organized by several members of the King's Kruizers CMA chapter. I arrived that morning with the full intention of helping where ever I could. I was pleasantly surprised to find there were ample volunteers and CMA chapter members could just relax and ride. The route primarily snaked about Hunt County farm to market roads. Each stop had a clever means of distributing point among riders. The route ended back at the Hunt County Fairgrounds with a hotdog lunch and prize drawings. I had to leave before the prize drawing as I needed to “check in on” Mr. Don and Dr. Carolyn Cartwright as I was in the area whom Joleen and I look after a bit.

Ride Report: October 6, 2007 -- Tyler Bowman and I participated in 2007 Princeton Lions Club’s Lenses for Learning Motorcycle Fun Run, Car & Bike Show. The event was headquartered at BelAirs ‘n Burgers, 133 West Princeton Dr., Princeton, Texas. Tyler and I rode the "Shut and Ride" route which I help design. As I helped design the route it contained about 140 miles of local favorites including FM 697. FM 121, FM 896, and FM 455. After the ride we sat down to a good burger at BelAirs ‘n Burgers and meandered about the car show. There were a lot of cars that were real treats to see including both a 1970 Dodge Daytona Charger and a 1969 Plymouth Superbird. We then rode home and got back in time to do some chores around our respective houses.

November, 2007 --

Trip Report: November 3, 2007 -- Houston International Motorcycle Show Trip.

Trip Report: November 3-4, 2007 -- Lone Star Rally Trip.

Ride Report: November 17, 2007 -- It has been a very busy month so when my in-laws needed needed a printer looked because it did not feed correctly it seemed like a excuse to ride. I meandered along farm roads from Trenton to Quitman. Among the roads traveled traveled were FM 515, FM 514, FM 17, FM 272, FM 3389, Texas 11, Texas 19, and Texas 154. Towns traveled through were Wolfe City, Commerce, Miller Grove, Yantis, Brashear, and Cumby.

December, 2007 -- I took the plunge and placed a deposit on a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250.

Event Report: December 8, 2007 -- I volunteered to assist with the "Breakfast with Santa" fundraiser for the Trenton High School Beta Club. Through out the morning I cooked pancakes, Nathaniel sang Christmas carols with the First Baptist Church Children's Choir, and Victoria helped man the concession stand for a junior high basket ball tournament. Such is the busy life in a small town.

During the course of the morning several of those cooking got bored making the traditional round flapjacks and got rather creative. I additionally learned that one of me former technology aids was playing Santa so I decided to harass him during a lull in the line formed to have pictures taken with Santa. Interestingly, this was my first picture in Santa's lap. My mother tried when I was young as I understand it but would have nothing to do with it. All I can assume was that in my little 3 year old mind I figured any joker that would dress like that in Texas was not to be trusted.

Creative pancake design --sportbike

"Hey, Blubber Boy, I want a new sportbike for Christmas". To which the answer was "I'd like one too."

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The Yeager's 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250

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