Stagecoach XIX - The Last Ride of the Year

[Beemerphile]

Announcing The Last Ride of the Year for 2015. I pass this along to invite you to the 19th annual Stagecoach RTE - The Annual Last Ride of the Year. You are invited to join me a few hundred of your closest friends on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 to enjoy some good southern home style food and good fellowship. Some of you may know that my friend Jim Weaver passed away recently. Jim handled the web page for the Stagecoach RTE for me, so until we get a few things worked out, the page will still have last year's info on it. The DATE is always the 30th, but the DAY changes. It is Wednesday, Dec 30th this year. Get all the details at the website and mark your calendars for the 30th. Because we are not able to update the web page right now, please feel free to pass the word to other motorcycle lists or forums that you frequent. We will include a memorial for Jim during the awards ceremony. Mount up, ride to Stockton, Alabama, enjoy some good Southern cooking (the cafe will be serving breakfast for early arrivals as well as the traditional lunch buffet) kick tires, tell lies, and ride home. John Harrison Host of Stagecoach XIX

I plan to attend on my R1150. Each year one bike gets picked as the extreme cold weather bike. Last year it was the NC and this year it is the R1150. The main night before gathering place is Windwood Inn in Bay Minette. It is probably full by now. There is always a dinner the night before at a local seafood place in Bay Minette. I have attended most years since the second one in 1997. Always a good time. I've seen the weather as fine as 70's and sunny and as foul as 20's and windy. "Normal" is probably low forties somewhere. Lately there are more and more loud cruisers from nearby places who ride in looking like train robbers. There are always some very fine vintage bikes and a gaggle of true Iron Butt Rally types around (not just us sissies that only did the qualification ride).

 

[dduelin]

I'm a latecomer to StageCoach. 2008 was my first year. I almost missed it because I treated it as a lunch stop on a Saddlesore 1000. I got there at noon and the parking lot was almost empty. Real bad weather that year. Rained the early hours of that day then the temp dropped. I had the pleasure of riding through that front twice, once eastbound then again going westbound to home.

I rode my 2012 X to Stagecoach in 2012 and met tew47 there. He still had another bike but was very interested in the NC700X. There were no other NC700s that I saw. I stayed in the Wildwood.

 

[tew47]

Hey guys I should be there. Make almost every year. Will be on the NC again this year. Good meeting dduelin there. Had a Yamaha Royal Star Venture then.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Looks like a fun ride, with lots of folks.

 

[Beemerphile]

The website has now been updated...

The Last Ride of the Year

 

[drdubb]

Just looked at the ride....740 miles for me....all interstate...yuck.

 

[Beemerphile]

Just looked at the ride....740 miles for me....all interstate...yuck.

1,480 miles round trip is not to far to go for really good fried chicken. Just saying.

I recall one year a guy came from upstate Michigan. He rode a BMW K1100LT and it was completely greyed out from riding interstate snow slush. He said the bike fell as soon as the back wheel cleared the garage at his house and slid on its side all the way to the street (which was plowed). He picked it up and said he had no more issues after that.

Sometimes easy, sometimes brutal, but always memorable.

 

[Grey1one]

2450 miles, that's just over my 4500 mile limit for chicken.

 

[Beemerphile]

2450 miles, that's just over my 4500 mile limit for chicken.

There is ALWAYS a California rider there. This chicken is worth the extra 400 extra miles.

 

[itlives]

There are always some very fine vintage bikes and a gaggle of true Iron Butt Rally types around (not just us sissies that only did the qualification ride).

Aww man! I was feeling pretty good about getting my certs/number the other day.
Then, you had to go and ruin it.....

 

[Beemerphile]

Aww man! I was feeling pretty good about getting my certs/number the other day.
Then, you had to go and ruin it.....

Sorry, but hanging around Iron Butt Rally types is an humbling experience for most of us. Reminds me of once I was at Eagle Plains on the Dempster Highway feeling real cocky about getting there solo in constant rain only to meet two ladies from Norway who were on their way to Inuvik on bicycles. I find it is best not to think too highly of oneself.

 

[tew47]

Took a days vacation so I could be there. Try to make breakfast.

 

[Beemerphile]

Took a days vacation so I could be there. Try to make breakfast.

True that. And, i you are in the area the evening before, the normal gathering place is Street's Seafood in Bay Minette for dinner.

 

[wickerman]

I plan on making it again this year,only about 240 miles for me so I feel kind soft next to the ones riding in from Vermont, Idaho, ect.. It was cool to check out all of the LD bikes and vintage ones too, as well as meeting 2 other NC riders. Hopefully this year there won't be too many local pirates.

 

[Beemerphile]

I don't think the South Park comic called them pirates, but... The pirate count is highest when the event is on a week-end and the weather is mild. We have a weekday event this year, so we'll have to hope for miserable weather. Even then, a number of hardy souls dressed as stagecoach bandits will brave the 20 mile interstate journey to Stockton from Mobile. Very fitting as the endpoint of the heroic ride is the Stagecoach Cafe. On arrival, it is comical to watch as the frozen digits extending from their fingerless gloves shakily reach into the pockets of their patch-laden sleeveless vests and try to grasp and light a Marlboro.

You can't go somewhere and pay for entertainment like this.

 

[Beemerphile]

Looks like it is going to be warm and wet this year.

 

[dduelin]

Street's Seafood for dinner tomorrow night, then off to dry sheets at the Windwood. That's the plan anyway.

 

[Beemerphile]

Street's Seafood for dinner tomorrow night, then off to dry sheets at the Windwood. That's the plan anyway.

I have an identical plan. See you there. - Lee

 

[Old Can Ride]

Is anyone besides Lee and Dave going to Stagecoach this year? Weather shows 96% possibility of rain, so my bike will get washed.

 

[L.B.S.]

Have fun for the rest of us, you guys! Take care if riding in really crappy weather, eh?