No worries dude! It's a long ride and if you're not used to touring on these bikes it can be very uncomfortable.

Save the energy for Bear Mountain. It's half the distance.

Should have patches by the time you return so we can rep for August 10.
MUHUHUHAHAHAHA!
W

2 days to go! Can't wait to roll out. Had to rethink my gear for the ride down. Calling for some serious heat this week so I'm dressing comfortably for the ride down and will switch to leathers once we're there (maybe lol)

Caroobs! I hope you're still making an appearance. Also looking forward to seeing that Roush of Blackligtning's on the Saturday.

Ride/drive safe fellas!

Yep, I still plan on coming up on saturday, but it will probably be after 12 before I am able to make an appearance. I am bringing the family and you know how that can be trying to get them up and going in the morning.
Ride safe fellas and I will be on the lookout for any and all 14's.
I should be a little easier to spot. If I get by there before dropping off the wife, I will be pulling over for you guys since I will be taking a cruise down the road instead of a turn and burn like I would like.

My plans have changed a bit - work came up and I cannot leave NOLA before Friday morning now. I am trying to get Sunday as an all day trip, since I'm supposed to pick up kids by 2pm Sunday afternoon, but that's not a given. Plus, even with that, it still only leaves me 3 days instead of 5. Even if I stay interstate, which I hate, it's 9.5 hours each way just to get there.

So I'm a maybe. I cancelled my reservations at the motorcycle lodge (I'll be mentioning that in another post), but if I can work out Sunday with the ex, then I may still try to make the trip... I'll keep you guys informed.

C

Caroobs, I sent you my contact. If you make it out, give me a call or text. If I don't get back to you within the hour its because we're at the resort and there's no service there.

blacklightning: You'll definitely be easier to spot. If I see you, I'll flag you down. Just look for the tall guy on a 09 Green 14 waving at you

AS long as you guys are doing the Dragon and possibly the Cherohala Skwy, be sure to take a trip down hwy 28 from Deals Gap down to Highlands. You will then find out that the N.C. mountains have a lot more to offer than the Dragon. There will also be less traffic, better roads, and better scenery. Some of the waterfalls and rapids along 28 are unbelievable. I am going to try to convince my family to go that way, but it is a little too far from Gatlinburg for their taste. Just be warned, with some agressive riding, you will definately be needing a new set of tires after a few hundred miles of ridng those roads.
Once you get to Highlands on hwy 28, you will be in southernmost N.C.. You can continue into S.C., or take 106 over to 441 to get back to the more civilized areas. Along 28 you will see Dry Falls and Bridal Vail Falls. It is the best.

Ok looks like I can work out something for the weekend. So the route I have planned to get up there (the long way) is about a 12.5 hour ride. The short way is 9.5 (google map time), but man I just hate riding interstate for long times.

Trying to decide if I want to push Friday and just get there asap, that way I have Friday night to drink beers and Saturday to hang out and ride, then start heading back Saturday afternoon and take the long way home. Or take the long way there, get there Saturday afternoon, ride the day and beers Saturday night, and then fly straight back on Sunday.

Well, seems like I am going to miss you guys. We headed up into Maggie Valley and on through Cherokee, and up 441 on to Gatlinburg. It really was a pretty fun ride, but I did run into a few showers along the way. Be safe guys.

Let me mention what an amazing trip that was!!

Black we'll catch you another time.

Wolf, you sellout, you missed out bro. Holy shit that tail is way more amazing than I imagined! Not to mention great peeps and lots of great riding around the mountains. 1400 miles in 3 days was hell on my ass though, and props to the Canadians who put in a whole extra day on the mountains - you guys are hardcore!

Looking forward to running that again!

C

Roy, thanks for making the trip up! That was pretty hardcore in itself! Next time we'll plan it a little better and try and get the whole gang from the north and you boys from the south and we'll have a blast!

I'm sorry Wolf wasn't able to make it. Would have been awesome if he came. Next year for sure!

Black, we did the 441, Gatlinburg, Blueridge Prkwy area on Friday. Kept open eyes for you all throughout the area but sadly we didn't spot you. As Caroobs said, we'll catch you another time.

Not my first time out there but it was for AJS and Fazer Jon. I'm glad they came and enjoyed themselves. Good to see AJS enjoy the whole atmosphere. He seemed really at home there. If I still smoked buddy, I'd be right there with you puffing on a stogie by the fire pit!

And a big up to Fazer Jon. My man slayed that dragon like a pimp! After we parted with Caroobs and got back to the resort I could see in his eyes he wanted to run it again. Despite my wife's voice in the back of my head telling me not to push it, I decided to follow him with my video camera running. Got some good video of Fazer tearing it up! Put a 14 in his hands and this boy will be lethal!

Weather turned out great, we saw 20 minutes of heavy rain during our riding and the rest was clear! Couldn't have asked for better weather.

Just some moments from the weekend.

* Last updated by: Dave905 on 7/22/2013 @ 8:53 PM *

What an awesome trip! We have to do it again next year... hopefully then I will have my long awaited 14!

Dave, Roy, & AJ... it was a pleasure riding with you guys.

Only downside ... I def wont see my normal street riding the same way anymore... the roads here are pathetic!

Same time next year boyz.... you can count me in 110%

Safe riding.

I think I found youse guys.....looks like fun....

http://killboy.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=04RK01YP040089&po=89&pc=1433

Your text to link here...

* Last updated by: stevie14t on 7/23/2013 @ 8:04 AM *

Yep. Heh I like that look of my helmet in picture 93. I may have to get that one.

C

Man, I really wish I could have caught up with you guys on one of those days. Seems like everywhere you turn in that area, there are nice roads. We were headed from Pigeon Forge to Gat. on saturday, and decided to take a short cut and ended up on something called Booger Town Road (the grandkids really had a blast with that name). This was unreal to say the least. And that was even with driving my daughters Malibu. Later that night, she took the grandkids and my other daughter to downtown Gat.. She drove about 15mph on the way back, and stopped whenever she would meet a car. I hope to catch up with you guys next time.

Yeah overall roads were fantastic. Though, there was that one spot on the north end of the tail where one whole lane was blocked off because of some work they were doing. The blocked lane was on the high sigh of the road, and in there was an excavator that was leaking oil down across the lane where everyone was riding. Pretty funny watching us tiptoe through there then ride the next half mile gently weaving back and forth trying to make sure all the oil was off the tires. Crazy!

Oh yeah, and Dave did manage to find one road that was so bad that the bikes were kicking up rooster tails of tiny gravel... But overall just amazing roads. I can't wait to get back there!

C