Where to go on motorcycle using 10 days off

[Imbeek]

I'm departing on this trip as soon as I type this and finish my coffee, on the Harley. I started planning the Canada deal, then changed my mind. Skyline/blue ridge/dragon it is, and if it works out with weather and time, (or if I decide to divert from my southbound route earlier than planned to make sure it happens) AMA pro flattrack and motogp in Indy next weekend.

Thanks very much for all the info folks. Between the info given here and other searches on this forum, I hardly needed any other internet info other than google maps to at least get an exciting, if overly ambitious, plan in place. Now for the execution. To those who suggested Canada, that one will happen too in the near future I hope, it's just that I'm hoping to get my wife to go with me on that trip and she can't right now. It is damn close to a toss up between the two trips, both sound like a blast.

Alright, enough typing, time to start riding...

[duganc1717]

Sounds like an awesome trip, enjoy!

[aprilb]

Ride safe and have fun! The Dragon is fun and I'm sure the riding to get there will be awesome as well

[carsick]

You suck Gary. Buy me a key chain so I can pretend I've been.

[MHenry600]

Have fun and be safe Gary. Looking forward to hearing about the trip afterwards.

[Imbeek]

Thanks y'all! Just logged my 2nd 350 mile day in a row. That puts me in Roanoke VA. Skyline drive and blue ridge parkway, i strongly approve of your existence! New pavement on much of what Ive ridden and hardly any traffic. Hardly any cops either, so far. Just ridiculous. I'm considering blowing off moto gp to ride this all the way back.

[carsick]

Listen GB, I wanted a MotoGP keychain and a cheeky pic of you with Crutchlow before the Ducati era is over. This isn't about you, it's for the ones at home.

[Imbeek]

The first place item in "reasons against going to Indy for the gp even though it will be awesome" column is: slabbing it home for 15 hours or whatever


vs. freakin mototopia over heah

[carsick]

Enjoy your trip, I hope to hear about it in person soon!

[Imbeek]

At Deal's gap now

[SRTie4k]

Make it through alive?

[SVRACER01]

At Deal's gap now

soooo much to ride down there.

[TheIglu]

Do the Cherohala Skyway. You're welcome.

[nhbubba]

Mmmm, the Cherry Cola...

[TheIglu]

Tellicafe in Tellico a Plains has solid fried chicken and decent coconut cream pie.

[Imbeek]

Home already, 5 1/2 days, 2250 miles. Decided to outrun the record setting rains sweeping across the Midwest that were headed for Deals Gap where I was, and everywhere else I was planning to visit (Nashville, Indianapolis). Have some other adventures planned for the remaining time I have off, too.

Cliffs: Easily one of the best weeks of my life. Can't really think of any better ones, off the top of my head. I've had some different great things, like seeing my kids born, etc, but as far as just spur of the moment selecting a relatively cheap way to treat yourself to something fun? Man, it just kicked ass!

Pretty much got up in the morning, broke camp, got on the road around 9:30 when the fog lifted and the roads dried out, and rode till dark every day, with occasional short stops to get gas and bullshit with whoever was around. I hardly spent any potential riding time getting food, strangely. Didn't really eat much; usually after dark.

I got sidetracked, twice, by this in Galax, VA:

http://www.oldfiddlersconvention.com/schedule.htm

Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I really dig that kind of thing. Spent Tuesday night on the way down and Thursday night on the way back there, in my tent. Saw some pretty remarkable things there, including a girl who looked to be about 9 years old, ripping the living shit out of a fiddle while jamming around a campsite with a bunch of musicians in their 70s. Then, three campers over would be another group, and another, and so on. I've been to bluegrass fests before but this one is pretty over the top. Camped next to a dude who is semi-retired but gets by with selling shine (LOL). Enjoyed morning coffee with him twice, what a trip...

When I stumbled across that fiddle thing, which was right near the blue ridge parkway, I had only ridden about a hundred miles that day, so the average for the other days is quite a bit higher. I guess it was 100 Tuesday, 750 yesterday on Friday, leaves about 1400 miles for Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so averaged 350 miles a day for those four days. Tried to keep it around 50 mph on the brp, plus stops to take in the insane views.

Rode the whole skyline drive and blue ridge parkway, all 5-600 miles or whatever it is. That ride is so sick on a bagger that I'm not a good enough wordsmith to do it justice. I will be going back, for sure. Oxx, thanks so much for saying you would gladly ride the dragon on an FLH; it did affect my planning for this trip, as I decided to take mine and it really was the perfect bike for what I was doing (including all the miles, of course) I did ride the dragon and a bunch of other sick roads down there (moonshiner, 226a, some others that I'm not even sure what their name is). Cherahola will have to wait till next time, hopefully with my SV; it pained me to skip it and I'm sure it kicks ass but <shrug> I was on my own, calling my own shots, and felt like I had asked enough of my Road King by that point. Pushed it pretty hard thru the Dragon and felt very fortunate to not wad it up. They put some photos up today, I will try to post one or two. Every time I had to deviate from my "plan" (LOL, as if there was one), usually due to gas or to find a place to sleep, I stumbled across sick roads. Love the banking everywhere, the very reasonable speed limits, and the quality of pavement.

Btw, wtf is with it being a "Dry County" down there?

So the dragon had some cops, and plenty of bikes. The whole way thru I was only caught once, by two guys who were riding together on sport bikes...it was near the end with that tree with the parts hanging off it, maybe only a mile in from that end, so just as I was getting started...as I saw they were gaining on me, I slowed down and waved them by, then stayed with them until the third turn, at which point the second rider, who was clearly riding over his head, overshot a blind right hander and stood the bike up while target fixating on the gravel on the far side, it looked like to me. Went all the way across. Unbelievable luck that no vehicles were coming the other way; as I said, there was plenty of traffic and that could've been a disgusting splat.

Back to the journey itself: I think the solo traveler aspect of the trip was a big part of how cool it was; people seem more likely to come over and speak with you when you are alone, and likewise, I'm more likely to strike up a conversation with others if I'm not already talking to a travel companion. Seemed like a bunch of people were interested in the bodybag-looking luggage that I had strapped to my bike (which I bought at ocean state job lot for $50 right before I left), so that struck up a few conversations. Another lady just couldn't believe "I would do a trip like that on a motorcycle all by myself."

Anyway, with the solo aspect, there is the flexibility of not needing any plan whatsoever, and just taking any path that comes your way at any moment. Having camping gear on the bike makes it even more easy to just go wherever, whenever, and know that you can stop anywhere you damn well please, almost.

There's a bunch of stories, like traffic jams, getting caught in the rain, getting lost, no service when you need it most, gas shortages, minor breakdowns, deciding to replace my front tire, front pads, and flush the front brake system after torturing it all the way down, bristol motor speedway and route 421, an elk, tons of interesting people who you keep running into and strange synchronicity-type stuff, but anyway, its REALLY hard for me to believe it was only 5 1/2 days (especially since I literally had to check my phone, twice, to remember what day I was on). All the people I met, things I saw, roads I traveled, it feels more like a month...

I've been riding street for 30 years, and did a sport bike trip to WV last year that was a blast, but this was my longest solo trip on a bike in my life. Safe to say there will be more of them, for sure. Thanks again for all the advice ahead of time from everybody, areas like this are where this forum really shines.

[SVRACER01]

sounds like a blast. glad you had fun and took the FLHR. the speed limit is like 30 on the dragon...plenty fast to have a ton of fun on a bagger.
the dry county part didnt bother me as i am not a drinker, but i could only imagine how many car crashes there would be down there from drunk driving LOL.
the cherohala (sp?) is like the Kanc up here, just longer and smoother. lots of great roads off the BRP as well. bruce and i hit a couple out near asheville there were insane. the kind where you look over the side and down the hill to see where youre gonna be in 2 minutes

[carsick]

an elk

[Imbeek]

LOL sorry, I only took like 10 photos the whole trip!

Changes for next time: bring camera, get decent luggage to attach to passenger backrest, get mount for IPhone where I can see it

The bodybag was in the way of opening my saddlebags, which is where I had to keep my phone plugged in, so that made taking photos a pain in the ass

[Imbeek]

Ocean state job lot ghetto-style bodybag luggage kit on the Dragon

[Imbeek]

Correction: I bought it at tractor supply, not Ocean state.

[SVRACER01]

LOL at the feet on the passenger pegs

[TheIglu]

I love the corner directly after that one. Gets a lot of people!

[DucDave]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone)

Just back from Iceland and did the whole 'RingRoad' The entire time I was there I was thinking, this would be freekin awesome on a bike. If you dont do it this year stand by cus I may try and put together a trip there in 2016....

Other that Iceland, everything MarkVT says about Cape Breton, Newfoundland and Labrador are spot on. I will probably head back there next year for my 10th time!

Meantime, I'm in Minneapolis heading to Anchorage for a 12 day motorcycle trip that includes Deadhorse...!

[nhbubba]

(especially since I literally had to check my phone, twice, to remember what day I was on)

Best kinda trip ever.

I have to say, I'm coming around to the idea of touring on a Harley FL.