iDesmo Goes to COTA

The bugs are not small in Texas. And as such – as I sit here cleaning up after this latest trip I remember the highlights. There is adventure in traveling across the country exploring new roads, towns and states and doing so with a good group of people on two wheels makes for a great adventure. The sights, smells and senses all are enhanced on a bike, and taking the time to explore and relax make for a great experience.

IDesmo had 12 riders and over 20 members in Austin over the weekend. The group was unbelievable – I could not ask for better riding mates. We ate great food – ribs in Memphis; Brisket in Austin and steak in Dallas. We found great roads – the Ozarks have opportunities for riding through some national and state parks covered in Pine Trees with challenging twists and elevation change in the roads. Lastly, we experienced many great events and the Ducatisti experience along the way. Including:

  • Heard the Blues on Beale Street
  • Had fresh spring water in Hot Springs, Arkansas
  • Explored the Ozarks, finding route 7 and 88 (great roads – must finds)
  • Met helpful locals
  • Toured a hunting reserve in Texas, while staying in luxury
  • Enjoyed Ducati Island – 2016 Austin. Every year I see many returning faces at these events and have really enjoyed the conversations and friendships of the Ducatisti
  • Partied at the Desmo Owners Official Hotel
  • Watched a Harley catch fire during a Flat Track race
  • Shared the Red Snake Ride with my sister in law.
  • Walked the paddock with pit passes for club members!! (special surprise from Bill Carr)
  • Made it into the VIP lounge to watch the Moto 2 race
  • Enjoyed Moto GP racing in the Ducati Grandstand
  • Finished the weekend with a steak dinner outside of Dallas
  • Road home through inclement weather – and stayed dry and warm with the proper gear

Route Down to COTA and Home

Day 1:

540 miles. 8.5 hours. Audible – Original plan was to get to Memphis via 70 – 57 – 55 leaving at 9:00 am. Weather would have had us in 40 degree rain all day going that way – so we went 65S to Nashville and 40W to Memphis leaving at 8:00. This change allowed us to miss the bad stuff in the worse part of the day. The rain did catch us in Nashville – but it was 62 degrees by that time and short lived.

Day 2:

520 miles. 12.5 hours. Ouachita and Ozark National Forests. GPS routed ride. From Memphis we road to Little Rock on I40W to I30W to SR 5. 5 west to scenic route 7N to Ola. 7N was a fantastic road with challenges around every turn. You ride on the pegs and the road will put a smile on your face. In Ola we took SR 10W through Danville and gassed up near Havana. The VP station also surprisingly had the best pizza of the weekend… Original plan had us going up Magazine Mtn on 309 – but we had to audible out to make up time. We worked our way south on why 23 and 71 and in Acorn we went West on 59/270 toward Eagleton. Outside of Eagleton we found a small general store with a friendly local who provided us the info and time we needed to fill up Bill’s superbike. We went up a mountain access road with switchbacks built for the multi and landed on SR88. Took this East to Mena and it proved to be the highlighted road of the trip. I highly suggest you find this road. The switchbacks and curves will catch you off guard – and they don’t stop coming at you. After Mena – we crushed miles to get to our evenings accommodations in Sulphur Bluff Texas. We road in the dark for about an hour.

Day 3:

300 miles. 6 hours. Took 69S out of Sulphur Bluff to I30W. In Dallas we picked up I35 toward Austin to the toll road 130. 35S had horrible construction and traffic – added an hour to the journey. Once on 130S – it takes you right to the track!! Pulling into the main drive at COTA, there is a taxi pull off and short term parking for will call. The entrance to ride into the track for Ducati Island is right here.

Day 5:

Red Snake Ride from Ducati Austin to the track. After race we rode back to the lodge. We stayed back at the lodge in NorthEast Texas Sunday night to get a head start on the next day. Thank you Gavin.

Day 6:

820 miles. 16 hours. 71E to i30. i30E to i40E to Memphis. 55N to 57N to Effingham, IL. Picked up 70E to Indianapolis. We stopped every 100 miles to fuel up the superbike. We got better as the day got long of shortening the fuel stops, yet still made time to get off the bikes every other stop. This kind of riding is like running a marathon – you focus on the next goal in front of you. “just 4 more fuel stops to go.” The rain started in Texarkana and poured on us for about 400 miles. Lucky for our group – when we headed north, we pulled out of the rain. So as the air temp dropped, the rain stopped. The Multi performed like a champ for me. Highway miles, twistees, 2 up in the group ride – I truly enjoy this bike. And with the weather we rode through – the GoreTex liner in my jacket, pants, gloves and boots kept me dry and comfortable. There was not a time when I told myself, “get off the bike.” I pulled into my garage at home a little before midnight. Long day – but we made it.

Lessons Learned along the way

  • In rain – tuck gauntlets inside your jacket cuffs. This prevents water from running down your waterproof liner – into your waterproof gloves.
  • Bring extra pair of gloves.
  • Wear sock liners and smart wool sock combo to protect feet.
  • Following behind poultry trucks can be interesting – there is not an easy way to get a feather out of your helmet if one slips in…
  • Plan, plan and plan again – but don’t be afraid to throw out an audible.
  • GPS is cool – but sometimes a map and common sense are better.
  • Take time to stop. Take pictures, have a conversation – see the sights – drink the water.
  • Proper gear worn correctly will keep you very happy.
  • The multi is an awesome ride – capable of crushing the miles on the highway, carrying gear for a trip and carving the twistees.
  • If you are trying to crush highway miles, you need to set timers for fuel stops if the group is larger than one rider.
  • A VP in need of a restroom is faster than a VP in need of gas.
  • Take time off the bike while crushing those miles.
  • Goretex is your friend. Can’t stress this enough – my Rev’it gear and goretex boots really saved me on this trip.
  • Weather channel app can help with late planning changes. I pulled up waypoint towns and watched the hourly forecast to make route choices.
  • Garmin’s Basecamp program helped plan out a great route in Arkansas using waypoints discovered by looking at a paper Butler Motorcycle map. (look up Butler Motorcycle Maps – they rock and gold highlighted roads are – well – gold)
  • To keep toes a normal color – use Foot Warmers – and use them before your feet get cold in the first place.

The group and people in the group really make it all worthwhile. Thank you to the group of guys on this adventure. A great time to be sure – you all can ride with me anytime.

Photos

Article written by Greg McDaniel – iDesmo President