The Melbourne Run

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > Arkansas

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 10 visitors

State: Arkansas
Date Submitted: March 1, 2004
Submitted by: Gary Hardee
Motorcycle Road Length: 27 Miles

Written Directions

Start the route in the town of Mountain View, AR which sits about 85 miles due north of Little Rock. From there you take State Road 14 north out of Mountain View, AR for about 6 miles and then look for State Road 9 (you will see signs pointing the way to Melbourne, AR). Take a right on State Road 9 and you'll be heading east and cross the White river and you are on your way to Melbourne, AR. For the next 20 or so miles, stay on State Road 9 and take it in to Melbourne (note: State Road 9 is part of the Ozark National forest).

Scenery

Start by crossing the scenic White river then gear down for the climb up the first mountain. At the top of the first peak prepare for tight 180 degree turns. Pass sheer mountain cut outs as you descend slightly then up again and hard turns. Look to your left and you can see a sheer drop-off to the river valley below. It is hard not to stare at the beautiful scenery. Only trouble is if you do (with all the killer turns) this will be a one-time trip.

Road Quality

It is a good road, well maintained. However be aware that this is a mountain road and with changing weather conditions there will be loose gravel from the mountainside on some turns. One thing to watch out for is large black birds feeding on the road kill. They won't move until the last moment and when they do they could just a well fly at you as away from you. Have had three close calls in the last two years.

Roadside Amenities

Visit the well-equipped store at the base of the road for gas and drinks. There is nothing from Mountain View to Melbourne except motorcycle adventure. However, running out of gas is not a problem as you could probably coast down most of the 25-mile distance.

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .

Nickname (optional) Gary Hardee

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Reviewed by mickris on January 7, 2012 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
motorcycle_year: 2009
motorcycle_make: HD
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Great ride! This road is twisty, curvy and scenic.
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Reviewed by ArkTerry on September 12, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: ArkTerry
motorcycle_year: 2011
motorcycle_make: Can-Am Spyder RT
motorcycle_type: Other
Comment: Really nice run! Lived in Arkansas my whole life and been all over North Arkansas, but never took this road unitl now. Now my favorite road in the area!
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Reviewed by pb4ugo on July 31, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: pb4ugo
motorcycle_year: 2005
motorcycle_make: BMW K1200LT
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Great road in good condition. Had recently been resurfaced in several areas. Lots of deer hanging around so use caution.
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Reviewed by Guest on July 25, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: VTX JOE
motorcycle_year: 2004
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: My wife and I have ridden it a couple of times in the past month,nice little road.
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Reviewed by Guest on June 9, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: FLHTK
Comment: What an awsome road. Melborne to Batesville is a nice ride too. Everytime I take a rider that has never been, they go back.
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Reviewed by Guest on September 23, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: lorrie
Comment: Highway 9 is an excellent road, and the last time I went that way, they resurfaced the road. The highway department's idea of "resurfacing" on that road was dumping some kind of loose chat stuff all over the road, and then let traffic pack it down over time. Not a good surface for bikes. This was at least a year ago so hopefully the surface has improved.
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Reviewed by Guest on September 15, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: LostDog
motorcycle_year: 2009
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Drove a gas tanker across this in the early 80s. Only rd ever made me sick (nauseus) and I liked curves. Now I'm on a Yami Raider and Love this rd! Lots more traffic now tho, but not usually bad.
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Reviewed by Guest on June 10, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: McAnally
Comment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27396342@N06/2555465596/ One amazing road. My Dad has told me about this road for years and I finally got to ride it. One of the reasons I'm moving back. :-D
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Reviewed by Guest on June 10, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: McAnally
motorcycle_year: 1997
motorcycle_make: Suzuki
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27396342@N06/2555465596/" title="Beautiful by joshua_mcanally, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2555465596_5015334d64.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Beautiful" /></a> One amazing road. My Dad has told me about this road for years and I finally got to ride it. One of the reasons I'm moving back. :-D
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Reviewed by Guest on April 3, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: bikinbakers
motorcycle_year: 2004
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: This is an amazing ride! We make 3-4 trips a season to the Mountain View area and this stretch of road is always a highlight for us.
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