2WheeledTN: October 2007

Friday, October 26, 2007

1----2---3----HYPERMOTARD

I've been lusting after this beasf since I saw the first prototype pix a couple years ago.
Well today there were 3 of em up on The Gap. A couple guys from Jersey and one local
guy who was draging knees and elbows.

Gotta go take a cold shower.

http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/my2007/FamilyPage.jhtml?family=Hypermotard

Full Race Exhaust

// posted by Nubbie @ Friday, October 26, 2007 3 Comments

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Alma Mata Ride

Alma Mata LOL

Stanley, his brother Steve, and I ventured over for a ride up 116 past Brushy Mountain Prison, http://www.state.tn.us/correction/institutions/bmcx.html, last Wed. 116 is a helluva twisty back road that runs up north of Knoxville all the way to Caryville. From there we took Hwy. 297 on to Jellico, http://www.jellico.com/jellico/jellico.htm, and then Hwy. 90 on to Middlesboro, KY. and then back to Knoxville on Hwy. 33

Gas and a burger at Jellico

The Weaver Brothers on top of the hill from Brushy Mountain. Chasing that KTM 625 SMC

http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/newvehicledetail/st=WI/VehicleCode=24933/KTM/Motorcycles/625%20SMCnewvehicles24933.htm, on the DRZ was a real challenge, ran it up to triple digits a couple times.

SideCar Race at Barber

Went to Birmingham on Friday, Happy B-Day to Me, and down to Tuskaloser on Saturday to see the Vols take the big whipping. Then on to Barber on Sunday morning for the AHRMA races.

// posted by Nubbie @ Tuesday, October 23, 2007 0 Comments

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Parsons Branch Loop

I've done some version of this ride several times in the last month. So i thought I'd take the camera today and post it for all those folks who venture to 2WheeledTN. Who knows it may hit double didgits by 2010. LOL
It all starts with an awesome backroad ride from the house to Townsend where you enter the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. From the Park entrance follow the signs to Cades Cove, I'll do a post on Cades Cove later it's a pretty cool place but October traffic can push you to the edge. The one lane one way loop was brought to a sudden stop when we had a deer sighting, you would think most folks have seen a deer before, hell they eat the bushes in my front yard, but i don't want to rant to much on the tourist. A couple good raps on the DRZ throttle (FMF pipe is LOUD) and the three little deer went scampering and traffic was moving again. About midway around the loop you hit the gravel road that takes you over to Parsons Branch, the road has just reopened after being closed for several years and I'm sure it took a bunch of your tax dollars to get the job done, anyway it's now a nic e hard packed dirt road that has all kinds of grip and concrete in all the creek crossings. loads of fun to ride and about 8 miles long and ending at US 129 aka "The Dragon". The DRZ is a hoot going up the Dragon and today it was more fun than ever cause I got behind this kid on a new R6 doing his best Valentino Rossi imitation and stayed within 10 feet of his fancy LED tail all the way up.

Stoped at the store for a smoke and to see what was in the parking lot.

Then on through Joyce Kilmer Forest to Santeetlah Gap where you pickup a nice gravel road that kinda parallels the Cherohala Skyway and runs all the way to Tellico Plains.

Really nice elevation changes.

I Pulled off the gravel road to run up to one of the high spots on the Cherohala http://www.cherohala.com/

And took a little side road that Blue showed me last week, It's hard to tell fro this pix but it is very steep and about as nasty a place that i would take the DRZ on.

224 miles

// posted by Nubbie @ Sunday, October 14, 2007 2 Comments

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Mountain Dual Sport Ride

Blue

Swinging Bridge over the Little Tennessee River, somewhere in NC

We crossed the Appalachian Trail at the top of one of the 5 0r 6 mountains we went over.

View from the top

We had 4 Riders Me DRZ400, Blue XR600 with almost 60,000 miles, Doc KLR650, and Herschel XL500(1980) with a knobby on the back.

This pix is taken at the store at the tip of Deals Gap http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

Being an avid Dual Sport rider and just moving to East Tennessee I've been looking for some folks to ride with and someone to show me some local roads. I love vintage motorcycles too so I joined the Time Warp Motorcycle Club, http://www.timewarpvmc.org/ I'm Member 125. after the meeting I introduced myself to another mew member, 124 , named Blue who had ridden in on a XR600 and he offered to let me tag along sometime.

We Meet at the Hardees in Vonore at 9:00 Saturday morning and head out, the first part was on pavement up Deals Gap always a fun ride through the twisties. We hit dirt and gravel about 30 miles later and the rest of the trip was mostly off road and about a 3 mile streach of jeep trail and powerline near the end of the ride that was pretty intense. By the time I got home I had traveled 293 miles in a little over 13 hours. I was dirty, sweaty, and beat down dog tiered, but with a big smile on my face.

It was a great ride and the group of folks to ride with.

// posted by Nubbie @ Sunday, October 07, 2007 5 Comments