If you've ever been to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, you know how great a place it is for great roads and scenery, plus a very interesting town with lots to do. I've been there several times over the years, but there's a new power at work up there, and things have changed when it comes to bikers, rule enforcement, and hotel management.
Now I'm a guy who understands as well as the next that loud pipes and excessive revving in small towns doesn't really belong, but these guys take it to extremes. They are busting folks left and right, and it's a $125 fine, with no warnings issued in many cases.
I didn't get a ticket myself, but one of the guys in our group with a street glide with Rhinehart true duals got a fine and the cop wasn't even using a decibel meter, and he actually admitted he was two blocks away from us (that would make it hard to see who to give the ticket to!), and actually lied and said that our buddy had been stopped once before on the same day and verbally warned, so he was going to "have" to write a citation.
We witnessed cops on bikes stopping groups of riders going up a steep hill, chasing them down, and writing out a ticket to an unlucky one in the group - all in the name of violating the noise ordinance.
I became so paranoid that it took the fun out of being in the city.
Our hotel (the Swiss Village) also levied a $20 per room fine because of the "excessive cleanup" required, which was extremely unfair and mostly a bald-faced lie. The $20 fine was levied about 3 days after we'd left, with no notification to me at all... it just appeared on my credit card.
Guys and gals... I haven't had a ticket since 1985, and I leave my rooms clean and pick up after myself. The folks that I ride with do the same. This particular group was made up of professionals, ex-cops, veterans, teachers, a mayor, and they are a good group of people.
My point is this, Eureka Springs doesn't seem to want bikers in their city anymore. They certainly don't have to worry about us. The way we were treated by the police and the hotel was inexcusable, and our group won't be back as a result.

 

Hey, The small group that I ride with went there for lunch a couple of weekends ago and got the displeasure of watching the local law checking bikes in the restaraunt parking lot for straight pipes and then they were waiting at the top of the hill going out of town for loud bikes. It is a cool old town,but it sure takes the fun out of going there if they are going to harass bikers. As usual, i'm sure it is a couple of bad apples that ruin it for the rest. Thanks Mark

 

Man thanks for posting this. I'm just up the road in Bentonville. Me and the lady where going down there this weekend. I'll change plans maybe go up to Branson.

 

Hey, we gotta stick together, people! I didn't even get into half the stuff the hotel did to us, but it makes me not want to ever stay in a non-nationwide chain again. That and always take a final picture of your room and outside your room that shows the date and time.

 

A revenue machine!!!!!!

I've had a run in with johnnylaw while riding the old bikes. They do run straight pipes, but I always tell them "That is original equipment"

I'm always respectful of others when it comes to noise, but there is just something wrong with cops going out of their way to bust people for having a great time.

Sorry for your trouble man. Same situation a Deals Gap.

 

I go to Eureka once a year. I spoke to the police station and they stated you would only get a ticket if you revved up the bikes. Guess he lied. Also, When i go there i stay at Thurmans Lodge. That was the best motel we found. The year prior to that we stayed was horrible. It was one of the higher names also. Sorry to hear you had problems there.

 

I've just got to tell this one,

Buddy of mine was leaving one of the local bike nite locations in a city which will be left unknown, however Bruton Smith almost relocated his track from the town...LOL.

Anyway, he, riding an Ultra, police edition and his son in law, also riding an ultra,who by the way is a State Trooper were leaving, and no name had his blue LED motor lites on.

The local authorities pulled he and his son, probably due to the fact that people drink alot of beer at that location. Well needless to say they didn't have any alcohol. So, there explained probable cause for pulling my buddy, and believe it or not actually wrote him a ticket for, get this "Impersonating a Police Officer!"

Well you can imagine the fun they had with that on their court date.

 

Well I think the problem with Eureka Springs stems back to last August when the Hells Angles cane to town. You have two accounts of what happened and they are the papers account and I had a State Trooper Buddy who was assigned to work up there. At the end of the rally there was an altercation and some Hells Angles stabbed some Banditios. Ever since then it has turned for the worse for bikers up there. Eureka Springs is a very liberal town so it surprises me that this is occuring.

 

I was there from the 23rd through the 26th in a sled.

A ton of folks riding, rain or not. Did not see a single biker pulled over but then I wasn't out at night.

I had never been before and was shocked at how nice a place to ride it is... who hid this gem for so long? Anyway, we stayed at the HI Express along with several riders and had no hotel problems. It was okay... probably better than most in the area, but not an awesome overnight. That, from a guy who stays 180+ nights a year in hotels and is a Hilton Diamond member.

Point being, even though I personally consider a Holiday Inn a cheap hotel, you get what you pay for. We paid for one of the nicer general hotels in the area and got no problems at all. Has anyone stayed at the "biker only" motels down near the entrance to the Passion Play? I wonder how they treat folks?