The Datil NM rally now with more great pictures

[JJ]

More Guzzi people at the rally... :1:

[azguzzirep]

Glad y'all had a good time.  I know Dan and Cynthia were looking down on ya and smiling 😊😊

[bbolesaz]

So, I'd heard a lot of good things about the New Mexico MotoGuzzi National Owners Club (MGNOC) rally held annually in Datil, NM.  Always game for a ride, I hooked up with some of the Zonie Guzzi riders to attend.

Left the east valley early Friday morning with a Norge rider, coincidentally also named Brian. The plan was to ride up Salt River Canyon and hook up in Show Low with JJ, Mike and Andy. Had a great ride through the SRC, didn't get slowed down by any traffic. The Salt River was flowing strongly at the bottom of the canyon.



We stayed at the Largo Hotel in Quemado. It has been revonated recently and was quite comfortable if a bit of a ride from Datil. (42 miles)



Went over to the rally site in the afternoon. The guy behind the table on the right is Matt who puts the rally on.  That trailer is a home/workshop that he stays in and also does wrenching on Guzzi bike needing some help.  The Zonie gang is sitting around. The bike in the foreground is the door prize. Yep, an entire running bike as a door prize.





Lots of space for tent camping at the rally.



Rally dog.



Not often you see 2 Scura's in one place.  Mine's on the left. Mike's on the right.





Friday dinner.  Hot dogs and a yummy Hatch green chili stew.





By Friday night, there were 67 attendees.  I think 87 was the total for the weekend.

[bbolesaz]

Saturday morning I rode out of Quemado on NM-32.  Went and visited Quemado lake.







NM-32 had some interesting sections.



Andy was helping Matt set up Guzzidiag on a windows machine.  I helped with some driver install for windows.



After that, I rode over to the Very Large Array (VLA) to snap some pix of big antennas.



Yep, that's a big antenna.



That needs a very big hangar workshop to be fixed in.



And gets moved around traintracks by a very big rail tractor.



Saturday afternoon, a few monsoon thunderstorms were wandering around.



Also Saturday afternoon, all of the bikes are lined up for the bike judging.







Here's the lucky winner of the giveaway bike. Hey, I've seen that guy at the AZ Beemer Hannagan Meadow event also !



Evenings were spend winding down and drinking up at the Largo.  Gotta love the old time painted roof.



Gratuitous New Mexico sunset pix.

[bbolesaz]

Eh Scura, oh Scuzi.



Since I was in the neighborhood, I had to make a run down US-191, a.k.a. the Devil's Highway.  Sunday morning there was spotty rain, but most of the best parts were dry to slightly damp.  Only caught a bit of drizzle a couple of times. When it was wet, I just kept the pegs an inch or so above the pavement and all was OK.
This is Hannagan Meadow.



Here's a tasty tidbit of tarmac tenderloin !



Old mine equipment from Morenci mine.



Got home by mid afternoon avoiding most of the Phoenix heat. Did 337 miles Friday.  188 miles Saturday. 359 miles + US-191 Sunday.  Scura ran without a hiccup.

[oldbike54]

 Great pics Mr Z 

 Dusty

[twowings]

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[JJ]

Great photos Brian and twowings!  Glad to have met you guys, alanp and others in person ! :1: 

God willing, we will all be there again next year! 

[rocker59]

Here's a tasty tidbit of tarmac tenderloin !


 

Yep.  Very tasty!

One of these days, I'll ride 191 !!!

[PJPR01]

Nice pics guys!  Looks like an excellent turn out at Pie Town!

[Sheepdog]

I can almost taste the Green Chile Cheeseburgers...

[JJ]

I can almost taste the Green Chile Cheeseburgers...

Actually, I dined on a green chile cheeseburger at the Largo Cafe in Quemado...and after a 318 mile ride...it tasted REAL good!  :1:

[charlie b]

The guy who won my old bike. 

Did Matt include all the papers on the bike as well?  If not you can let the guy know he can contact me for any info.  The bike has a couple of quirks to it  :)

[JJ]

The guy who won my old bike. 

Did Matt include all the papers on the bike as well?  If not you can let the guy know he can contact me for any info.  The bike has a couple of quirks to it  :)

Congrats to the winner!! :1:   Everyone wanted to win that cool bike!!

[Luap McKeever]

Nice photos. I need to get out there and see this in person.

Here's a tasty tidbit of tarmac tenderloin !

[JJ]

Nice photos. I need to get out there and see this in person.

@ Luap - For years, this stretch of road was Arizona SR666, aka "The Devils Highway" named for the numbers, "666" of course, and for the excess number of accidents and fatalities along that road, mostly from people going too fast and out of control.  Changed to SR191 a few years ago. 

Beautiful vistas and views if you take your time, however. :1:

[charlie b]

That section of US191 is a great ride.  The lower half can be a bit dicey as it is chip seal and can get a bit 'loose'.  I like riding it from S to N as that is uphill most of the way.  Also, you start at lower alt in morning.  Morenci will get over 100F during summer.  Then you end up in Alpine mid day and it will be in the 70-80's.  Also nice place to eat lunch.  Yes, 90miles takes about 3hrs unless you really push it and you might make it in 2 1/2hrs.  The lower half has a lot of turns posted at 10mph.  If in fall the upper half will have places covered in Aspen leaves.

At the Morenci end you ride through one of the larger open pit copper mines in the country.  If you are a bit squeamish about seeing entire mountains leveled you will be horrified.  Size can't be described well enough.  You can preview it in satellite view, but, even then it doesn't really sink in as to the area.

[JJ]

QUOTE from charlieb :  At the Morenci end you ride through one of the larger open pit copper mines in the country.  If you are a bit squeamish about seeing entire mountains leveled you will be horrified.  Size can't be described well enough.  You can preview it in satellite view, but, even then it doesn't really sink in as to the area.

Yup....it's a BIG ONE!!    (Photos don't do it justice...)