FJRocket
Doctor Throckenstein !!!
The next day (Sat) after I got my stickies installed, my buddy calls me. "My girlfriend took my truck home. I need to get it. Wanna ride down and get it with me? We can load one or both bikes in the truck for the drive back. Ramps are already in it."
I get this message 5:30 PM on Sat.. 5:45 my bike is loaded (skivvies and toothbrush), and I'm on the road!
Now begins the nearly 500 mile ride down to Maryville. Yes, THAT Maryville. The one north of Deal's Gap. I meet my buddy on his Z1000 about 90 miles out.
Now this guy, I have to tell you, is named Billy. You might nick him Bronco or Wild. He's one of those guys who lives on the edge. Seems to have a metabolism and brain that works twice as fast as the rest of us. Jet jock.
I turn on my XM and get behind him to follow for the next 5+ hours. Unfortunately, it takes longer riding with him because of the two to one tank capacity problem. And he takes pretty long breaks.
And he's drinking Red Bull...
Out onto the interstate. I set my Audiovox at 85. And he's still always running away from me. Not crazy running, just moves faster than me. Naturally.
It gets dark pretty quick. We get into the hills of Kentucky and the roads are crowded. By about 11 pm the highway starts thinning out, and Billy steps it up a bit. We're in the mountains in Tennessee. It was so dark, all you could really see was the pavement. Boy, those big sweeping curves are just a blast. Eventually, we have the entire highway. We tried riding side by side for a while, both with brights on to get a better view of the road and sides ahead. My Silver Stars overwhelm his single bulb, so after a while, we get back in trail, me in the lead. Cruise still at 85. It was fun while it lasted though. I don't like riding side by side, but I had total confidence in Billy's riding and reaction skills. Still, even with the big wide road, especially consideing the Kawi's dim bulb, best for us to stagger.
Into Knoxville, the town is dead. Into Maryville and meet his girl. I get a room and off goes Billy. It's now 2 AM.
8 AM, I get a call. LET'S GO!!!
Down 411, off on 129. THE DRAGON AWAITS!
The road is nearly EMPTY. It's almost noon by the time we get to The Dragon. I am shocked that there isn't wall to wall vehicles. Fortunately for us, the only traffic we come to are two guys on sporties who seem to know the road and lines well. Great. Our first time through. And these guys are working technique, and not in a hurry. Even better for me, especially. But it was an aggressive pace for me.
I was amazed that I could nearly keep up (but didn't even try). I made a couple rookie minor blunders, and was concentrating on improving technique (such as mine is...) and learning the road. Trying to do it with as little ham fisting the brake as possible and trying to let the bike do it's job (it outperforms me by a mile).
On that road, it's not the pavement that gets you so much. It's the terrain. And some guardrails are known to dismember riders. Staying alive to ride again is Job One. Oh, and the other thing that can get you is someone crossing the centerline. You or them, doesn't matter. No room for error there. Foturnately, none of the 50 or so Miatas coming the other way (besides myriad bikes of all types) breeched the yellow lines.
WOW, that was just COOL! You aren't upright hardly at all. There's a couple short breaks, but for the most part, the pavement was calling the peg feelers at nearly every moment. I still have never touched mine, so you know I don't ride that hard. But what a RUSH! Left then right then left then right then left then left then left then right.... it just keeps going. Something new around every bend. Constant changes. 318 curves in 11 miles.
We had tamed the Tail of the Dragon! Well, it tamed me, but I was no worse for the wear. SCHAWEEET!!
I swear, going through there only seemed like about 10 minutes! It went by in a blurr. It took total concentration on my part. Glad I was at the back in trail. That made it a bit easier for me for sure.
At the bottom end, we grabbed some lunch. A pic by the Tree of Shame, as well as a committment to not be inducted in to that infamous club, and we're off again.
A loop to the south, then up to the Cherhola Skyway. What a road! What a view! Checking for Leos (only one on a Harley), trying to keep Billy reigned in a bit (futile). Up 1000. Up to 2, then 3 , then 4 then above 5000 feet and it's getting cool. At the top, there are numerous dirt bikes and 4 wheelers off to the side. Man, that has to be a hoot offroading on THOSE slopes! Billy and I make a note to bring dirt bikes back some time.
Quick break at a scenic stop (there are many). Off come the helmets. What's that sound? Crap. Thunder. Look behind us and Mother Nature has brought us a surpise. Lids back on and off we go downhill. Through a cloud overlying the road. Out the other side. Billy is gone. The speed limit is like 45 or something most of the way. That was totally ignored. The sweepers are just smooth as glass up there and clean and FUN! What a blast!
Until it started pouring down rain. I slowed down. I caught Billy crawling along and soaked to the bone. I was surprised how stable the FJR was. I was able to do the speed limit in the downpour pretty easily. Took it VERY easy though. Everyone did, even the cages. Not that there was much traffic the whole way. I was really surprised by that. Just lucky on a Sunday, I guess.
Out the bottom after a while. Out of the rain, in for gas. Billy changed clothes. I was nearly dry! :bleh: Billy wanted to head back in, I said let's run out more to the west, back up to Maryville, then if weather permits, back down through The Dragon.
Off to the north, things didn't look too bad. Back up to 129. Last Chance. Billy nods, we turn back in. About 3 miles toward The Dragon, it begins to sprinkle. No biggy.... uh, shoulda known better. 1 minute later... downpour worse than up at the top. Billy looks at me, I shake my haed and motion to backtrack. It rained for about 20 minutes. I even got wet on that one.
Mother Nature was telling us that this day we were only allowed to (sanely) ride The Dragon once. The ride was over. We rode back to Billy's truck and stowed the bikes and headed back for Indiana.
What a great ride. Billy was grinning and giggling most of the time, so he says. I'm not surprised. I was too! The ride down and through the Deal's Gap area was just a blast. My ass was sore, my knee and wrist were bothering me, but what the hell. It's very easy to ignore all that when your experiencing Biker Bliss!
Not bad for a spur of the moment trip, eh? Now I feel a little more ready for EOM in September. OH YEAH BABY.
Oh, and my Feejer averaged 41 mpg for the trip, doing 90 a good bit of the time. Even on and off the throttle a bunch in the Dragon, it did pretty good. 'Course that was combined with some highway driving. So you guys that are experiencing lower fuel economy are surely offsetting the poor mileage with high adrenaline. That's a good thing.
I get this message 5:30 PM on Sat.. 5:45 my bike is loaded (skivvies and toothbrush), and I'm on the road!
Now begins the nearly 500 mile ride down to Maryville. Yes, THAT Maryville. The one north of Deal's Gap. I meet my buddy on his Z1000 about 90 miles out.
Now this guy, I have to tell you, is named Billy. You might nick him Bronco or Wild. He's one of those guys who lives on the edge. Seems to have a metabolism and brain that works twice as fast as the rest of us. Jet jock.
I turn on my XM and get behind him to follow for the next 5+ hours. Unfortunately, it takes longer riding with him because of the two to one tank capacity problem. And he takes pretty long breaks.
And he's drinking Red Bull...
Out onto the interstate. I set my Audiovox at 85. And he's still always running away from me. Not crazy running, just moves faster than me. Naturally.
It gets dark pretty quick. We get into the hills of Kentucky and the roads are crowded. By about 11 pm the highway starts thinning out, and Billy steps it up a bit. We're in the mountains in Tennessee. It was so dark, all you could really see was the pavement. Boy, those big sweeping curves are just a blast. Eventually, we have the entire highway. We tried riding side by side for a while, both with brights on to get a better view of the road and sides ahead. My Silver Stars overwhelm his single bulb, so after a while, we get back in trail, me in the lead. Cruise still at 85. It was fun while it lasted though. I don't like riding side by side, but I had total confidence in Billy's riding and reaction skills. Still, even with the big wide road, especially consideing the Kawi's dim bulb, best for us to stagger.
Into Knoxville, the town is dead. Into Maryville and meet his girl. I get a room and off goes Billy. It's now 2 AM.
8 AM, I get a call. LET'S GO!!!
Down 411, off on 129. THE DRAGON AWAITS!
The road is nearly EMPTY. It's almost noon by the time we get to The Dragon. I am shocked that there isn't wall to wall vehicles. Fortunately for us, the only traffic we come to are two guys on sporties who seem to know the road and lines well. Great. Our first time through. And these guys are working technique, and not in a hurry. Even better for me, especially. But it was an aggressive pace for me.
I was amazed that I could nearly keep up (but didn't even try). I made a couple rookie minor blunders, and was concentrating on improving technique (such as mine is...) and learning the road. Trying to do it with as little ham fisting the brake as possible and trying to let the bike do it's job (it outperforms me by a mile).
On that road, it's not the pavement that gets you so much. It's the terrain. And some guardrails are known to dismember riders. Staying alive to ride again is Job One. Oh, and the other thing that can get you is someone crossing the centerline. You or them, doesn't matter. No room for error there. Foturnately, none of the 50 or so Miatas coming the other way (besides myriad bikes of all types) breeched the yellow lines.
WOW, that was just COOL! You aren't upright hardly at all. There's a couple short breaks, but for the most part, the pavement was calling the peg feelers at nearly every moment. I still have never touched mine, so you know I don't ride that hard. But what a RUSH! Left then right then left then right then left then left then left then right.... it just keeps going. Something new around every bend. Constant changes. 318 curves in 11 miles.
We had tamed the Tail of the Dragon! Well, it tamed me, but I was no worse for the wear. SCHAWEEET!!
I swear, going through there only seemed like about 10 minutes! It went by in a blurr. It took total concentration on my part. Glad I was at the back in trail. That made it a bit easier for me for sure.
At the bottom end, we grabbed some lunch. A pic by the Tree of Shame, as well as a committment to not be inducted in to that infamous club, and we're off again.
A loop to the south, then up to the Cherhola Skyway. What a road! What a view! Checking for Leos (only one on a Harley), trying to keep Billy reigned in a bit (futile). Up 1000. Up to 2, then 3 , then 4 then above 5000 feet and it's getting cool. At the top, there are numerous dirt bikes and 4 wheelers off to the side. Man, that has to be a hoot offroading on THOSE slopes! Billy and I make a note to bring dirt bikes back some time.
Quick break at a scenic stop (there are many). Off come the helmets. What's that sound? Crap. Thunder. Look behind us and Mother Nature has brought us a surpise. Lids back on and off we go downhill. Through a cloud overlying the road. Out the other side. Billy is gone. The speed limit is like 45 or something most of the way. That was totally ignored. The sweepers are just smooth as glass up there and clean and FUN! What a blast!
Until it started pouring down rain. I slowed down. I caught Billy crawling along and soaked to the bone. I was surprised how stable the FJR was. I was able to do the speed limit in the downpour pretty easily. Took it VERY easy though. Everyone did, even the cages. Not that there was much traffic the whole way. I was really surprised by that. Just lucky on a Sunday, I guess.
Out the bottom after a while. Out of the rain, in for gas. Billy changed clothes. I was nearly dry! :bleh: Billy wanted to head back in, I said let's run out more to the west, back up to Maryville, then if weather permits, back down through The Dragon.
Off to the north, things didn't look too bad. Back up to 129. Last Chance. Billy nods, we turn back in. About 3 miles toward The Dragon, it begins to sprinkle. No biggy.... uh, shoulda known better. 1 minute later... downpour worse than up at the top. Billy looks at me, I shake my haed and motion to backtrack. It rained for about 20 minutes. I even got wet on that one.
Mother Nature was telling us that this day we were only allowed to (sanely) ride The Dragon once. The ride was over. We rode back to Billy's truck and stowed the bikes and headed back for Indiana.
What a great ride. Billy was grinning and giggling most of the time, so he says. I'm not surprised. I was too! The ride down and through the Deal's Gap area was just a blast. My ass was sore, my knee and wrist were bothering me, but what the hell. It's very easy to ignore all that when your experiencing Biker Bliss!
Not bad for a spur of the moment trip, eh? Now I feel a little more ready for EOM in September. OH YEAH BABY.
Oh, and my Feejer averaged 41 mpg for the trip, doing 90 a good bit of the time. Even on and off the throttle a bunch in the Dragon, it did pretty good. 'Course that was combined with some highway driving. So you guys that are experiencing lower fuel economy are surely offsetting the poor mileage with high adrenaline. That's a good thing.
