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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1403801603 Message started by Dave on 06/26/14 at 09:53:23 |
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Title: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Dave on 06/26/14 at 09:53:23 This thread is an open discussion about the 2015 event(s) where SavageForum members can gather. I am somewhat of a newcomer to the group and have been on the last 3 of 9 (?) events. All of the past events were in the Tennesee/North Carolina areas I believe. The location is convenient for those of us living in the area - however it may be too far away for a large number of our group members. The Blueridge area offers an endless supply of roads to explore, and each year we stumble on new "favorite" roads. This year 215 and the entire length of 167 were explored and declared newly discovered "gold". The locals folks are used to looking out for motorcycles, and I believe tha is a plus....and a lot of drivers will pull over and let you pass when you come up behind them on the twisty roads. When they don't pull over......you cany always just stop at a scenic view and enjoy the scenery for a few minutes while some open road build up behind them. I could happily continue to go to the Deals Gap (Dragon), Waynesville and Maggie Valley area for a long time. It is only 5 hours from my house and it has endless riding areas, and several of our members are experienced in ridng this area and can help us discover the good riding. The maps that I got showing some riding loops would also keep us busy discovering the rides for several more years. It might be better to schedule the trip a bit laters in July or August to reduced the rani chances....hoewever even on this year we rode dry roads for 90% of the time....but it sure does seem like that 10% lasts a long time when you are riding a bike with almost no fenders! So....post your thoughts and suggestions. Where and when? Dave |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Oldfeller on 06/26/14 at 10:02:47 North Carolina traffic laws have an automatic 55 mph speed limit which does apply in those 35-45 mph mountain roads. You can't speed, because you can go as fast as you want to go around all those curvy NC roads. No one in our groups has to my knowledge ever gotten a ticket in NC during the 10 years we have been doing this. This is not true in other states we have traveled. Density of very good curvy roads favors the NC areas west and north of Asheville NC. ===================== HOWEVER, this isn't what Dave asked ---- is there a rider group centered around somewhere else where we can meet up and ride? |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by verslagen1 on 06/26/14 at 10:17:15 I know So. Cal. is too far. it never rains in CA but you need to avoid fire season. Santana's are not too comfortable anyway. The only months you need to avoid are June, July, August and Sept. And you would only need to avoid afternoon riding. 8-) |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Dave on 06/26/14 at 11:59:22 And.....there is no reason that we cannot have more than one event in more than one location. If someone wants to set up a West Coast event....let a Moderator know and we can set up a sticky for your planning and reporting. Same for the Mountains of Colorado, Sturgis....or anywhere that has great roads and scenery. Some will be able to attend.....some will not.....same for our Tennessee/North Carolina event. This is the thread for thinking out loud. Dave |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 06/26/14 at 18:34:55 Anybody from West Virginia ? I've been there a couple of times and don't remember seeing any pieces of strait road except the interstate ! So the questions are ??? What is the default speed limit? Is there a "Dragon Central" or a "MotorCycle Campground" in the state ? :) |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Oldfeller on 06/27/14 at 03:03:45 http://www.motorcycleroads.com/Routes/West-Virginia_124.html Let the insert map have a few minutes to color the roads in according to the rating system. West Virginia has a lot of motorcycle rated roads (most of them, actually) ================== 2005 West Virginia Code - §17C-6-1. — Speed limitations generally; penalty. §17C-6-1. Speed limitations generally; penalty. (a) No person may drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing conditions and the actual and potential hazards. In every event speed shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle or other conveyance on or entering the highways in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care. (b) Where no special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subsection (a) of this section, the speed of any vehicle not in excess of the limits specified in this section or established as authorized in this section is lawful, but any speed in excess of the limits specified in this subsection or established as authorized in this section is unlawful. The following speed limits apply: (1) Fifteen miles per hour in a school zone during school recess or while children are going to or leaving school during opening or closing hours. A school zone is all school property, including school grounds and any street or highway abutting the school grounds and extending one hundred twenty-five feet along the street or highway from the school grounds. The speed restriction does not apply to vehicles traveling on a controlled-access highway which is separated from the school or school grounds by a fence or barrier approved by the division of highways; (2) Twenty-five miles per hour in any business or residence district; and (3) Fifty-five miles per hour on open country highways, except as otherwise provided by this chapter. The speeds set forth in this section may be altered as authorized in sections two and three of this article. Someone who lives there would have to comment on how often they mark the roads with lowered limits, how harsh enforcement is, etc. Road density in WV isn't as great as the areas we have been riding. In WV you are going from point A to point B on the only road up there. Much of the mountain region of WV is federal forest and parkland, so expect that level of "civilization" and that number of gas stations. Carry a spare gas can in your saddle bags. Expect to share the road with commercial trucks and lots of cars. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 07/05/14 at 07:52:52 Our "Shoot and Scoot" was too short. There are lots of neat winding roads in this area we did't get to ride. So we could do it again next year. Dave stayed in the bunk house (10'x16' ac) couse OldFeller got here first and got guest room . The bunk house could hold several cots real easy (half of it has a 55"TV/PS3 + local chanels and a couch). Then there is always the barn-loft or a 10x20 Dinning Fly in the yard by the fire pit/sitting wall. And the whole area has WiFi. Mabby we could do better finding an entrance to the Natchez Trace next year ! ::) I'd kinda like to ride the length of the Natchez Trace . It has 3 free campgrounds ,shower type , (so I've read :-? ) and is <500 miles long. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Oldfeller on 07/05/14 at 14:45:20 It was too short, he says. It started on Wednesday the 18th and ran to Wednesday the 23rd, so it was as just as long calendar-wise as any outing we have ever done. Are you really saying you didn't get to do all the cool things that you had had actually planned to do? That it left you wanting MORE ? Good. Now this is true, we did use up ALL the available time in a very thickly packed fashion, from wake up all the way to snooze time and we did manage to INCLUDE everybody in everything that was going on while we were up at your farm. And we did do a lot of neat stuff that fit everybody's liking, and we managed that by tasking folks to find us a new neat place to eat so dinner was always good and fresh and everybody did have something to look forward to. The smaller trips are generally the better trips, I have always thought so. I was always partial to those reconnoiter runs that we did hopping from hotel to hotel -- that was always fresh and new too. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 07/06/14 at 10:53:34 If we can book a line of room along a "Black-Line" route that would be good ! :) Or get a room for a week in a central location ??? :-? For my part we can think outside the box . :D One time OldFeller "price-lined" a place in Gatlinburg and that worked out GREAT ! Then had another one set-up half a days ride later ! And yea , I'm ready for another ride already. I'd go to South Dakota in August if some of ya'll wanted to go too. Something like " Meet up somewhere along the route". :) |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Dave on 07/23/14 at 05:19:26 The AMA magazine had a listing for Harrison Arkansas as a motorcycle destination. I don't know anything about riding in the Ozarks. Here is a link to their website: http://www.harrisonarkansas.org/c_upe_view.php?id=34&PHPSESSID=ed7352585d7ee6e85eddef5a841ce6fa |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by WD on 07/23/14 at 08:10:10 Harrison is a rather "odd" place. Very laid back and low key, but, it is also a major stronghold of an old "Southern gentleman's club", plus the AmRen, and has a huge NS presence... Fair condition roads, decent to good to great eateries, fair scenery. But not very much to do in the area. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Oldfeller on 07/23/14 at 08:57:15 I just spent some times on Motorcycleroads.com and these folks are just a compilation of the varous roads folks have actually ridden upon. Many listed are relatively larger roads because touring guys do most of the writing. Example: Hwy 32 isn't listed at all, nor are some of the better roads like Hwy 80 we all know about. West Virginia doesn't really excite me as the only roads there are the major from A to B roads, roads that are likely well improved by now. The roads we tend to like the very best are converted & paved logging roads, dating back 200 yrs plus to the horse cart travel era. This sort includes Hwy 32 and the Dragon .... You find them at the edges of populated areas (takes tax money to pave them little roads, it does, and that requires lots of people nearby to fund it). Go to Google Earth and zoom way out and look at your state for the topo coloring for green areas, this will identify your heavy mountain areas in the various states. Then zoom in at the areas of interest, down to the local road level, looking for smaller roads with curves that just about touch themselves sometimes -- that indicates the sort of road we like. West Virginia has lots of mountains, but all the roads seem to go straight from A to B and may have been improved to death to carry the traffic flow. Boone NC area is mountainous, but when you look at the various ski type mountain areas around it you see a lot of neighborhoods with development streets -- might not be wild enough for us to skate through there (too populated). Western NC / Tennessee is remote enough that the population doesn't justify extreme traffic enforcement but it has enough money to pave (but not straighten/improve) the roads. :) |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 07/24/14 at 22:16:32 Well ! ;D We can stick with; "Western NC / Tennessee is remote enough that the population doesn't justify extreme traffic enforcement but it has enough money to pave (but not straighten/improve) the roads." Least till we find better ! :) if its posible. If Ya'll could get off work long enough ... I'd like to go see Mt. Rushmore or similar type of road trip . :) Kinda join-in we go in a given direction type of thing. Mabby like if my place was a meeting place for day two , then we go on to meeting place day three ... etc. Anybody live along a route headed north out of western NC ... and what's along the Blue-Ridge headed North that we've been missing out on ? How far north could we do "Day Rides" and still keep a yard or garage (Motel if necessary) to "over-night" in ? :-? Just tossing this idea out there ??? |
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Title: Re: Dragon Ride No. 2......Planning Thread Post by Seaweednh on 07/29/14 at 06:53:50 676A646430060 wrote:
The Kancamagus Hwy would be a worthwhile road. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kancamagus+Hwy,+NH/@44.014894,-71.4274354,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4cb37773e76750a1:0xc3a6cb5e6b63930a |
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Title: Re: Dragon Ride No. 2......Planning Thread Post by ALfromN.H. FSO on 07/29/14 at 17:18:07 Quote:
I ride the kanc at least a couple times every year. from where I live I usually take 153 from Farmington to Conway. Then I take the long route through north Conway, Bartlett and then through Crawford notch and around through Franconia Notch, down to Lincoln and catch the Kanc back to Conway Then home via route 16. That's a pretty full afternoon of riding. AL |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 07/29/14 at 22:21:28 You fellers ever go to the : http://www.motorcycleroads.com/ I though it was named " Roads and Rides " ? :-? Of course what is exciting on a fully dressed Gold Wing w/trailer , might be a little more tame for us. But still should be a nice ride :). A camp-ground ever 3 or 4 hundred miles would give us a place to put into the GPS and keep us away from the "Banjo" music areas ! ;D |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by WD on 07/29/14 at 23:09:18 GPS is NOT allowed... I sat at Dixie Gun Works for how long because that stupid direction giver sent you guys almost into KY or MO from 2 blocks away? Slowest vehicle in the bunch and I beat you guys there by what, 45 minutes... ::) |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 07/30/14 at 14:35:40 Yea : but , Its been said before but has never been more true --- We had a really nice ride ! ;) Now that your Two-Wheeling again , you ridding much just for the sake of ridding ? :) For a "Flat-Land" area , I enjoyed my ride around your neighborhood. I wish you could go ride the Cherohala SkyWay with us in August , then do a Dragon Run or two ! If you've never been , its worth the ride. I could put ya in the bunk-house thursday evening then Friday make our way East for 5-6 hours to meet with Dave and OldFeller. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by WD on 08/04/14 at 08:19:10 I've seen the Dragon, not impressed. I grew up in the Cascades, Sierras and Rockies, so, what you guys call mountains barely register as foothills. Riding for fun? On a commuter motorcycle? Very rarely, I'm off the next 2 days and need to open the 03 up, check the CCT, check the valves, change the oil again. 5800 miles and change in under 4 months. At a minimum of 72 miles per day, the odometer is getting a work out. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by LANCER on 08/04/14 at 17:58:17 what you guys call mountains barely register as foothills This is one of those cases where "size does not matter". It's what the road does with the dirt it has to work with that matters. Some are just better than others and worthy of our attention. There are some roads up/down & around dirt mounds not much more than 100-200' than can be down right fun. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Dave on 08/04/14 at 18:18:16 Yep.....the best roads for riding fun are the ones with almost no view, and the corners are really tight. All you need is 30 hp and 30 mph! ;D Then later on......yeah we can go look at some scenery. Dave |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 08/04/14 at 19:23:28 I drove through the rockies in western Colorado once on the interstate and was amazed by the size and quantity of mountains . I'll bet there are lot of (as OldFeller calls then) little black line roads all through the Rockies. :P So here is what we need to do !... ::) We all need to get gigant fuel tanks and meet in the Rockies some summer 8-) for a week of twisties that never end. Just the though of it makes me think of the Cherohala Skyway that goes on for a hundred miles . :) |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by WD on 08/05/14 at 08:21:32 445644565B48474A41090 wrote:
US-12 over White Pass. WA410 over Chinook Pass and the feeder road that connects 12 to 410. My Dad's uncle went off the edge of Chinook Pass in the early 1950s, parts of the car are still there... US12 over Beartooth from ID to Red Lodge MT. The road from Clarkston WA to Joseph OR through Rattlesnake Canyon. The road from Lewiston ID through Hell's Canyon. US20 loop, North Cascades Highway. US101 loop around the Olympic Peninsula (watch out for deer, elk, bears, turkeys, cougars). Yakima River Canyon. Old Lewiston grade, it used to eat a tractor trailer a day... minimum. Steven's Pass on US2 from Everett WA to Wenatchee WA. US97 from Wenatchee WA up into eastern British Columbia. Expensive as New England or SoCal though. |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by MMRanch on 08/05/14 at 15:22:14 WD wrote : Expensive as New England or SoCal though. Yea we are always running on a limited budget , and thats OK with me , limited budget is good ! :) I'm good with KOA camping but some of us "Need" to NOT sleep on the ground . So ... That has us doing the "Price-Line" motel thingie , and thats OK too . |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by old_rider on 08/05/14 at 19:34:39 Most times when I went to the Dragon... I used the "Microtel" in Robbinsville.... Start of 129 there to the north and rode it all the way through...including the dragon....we had a good trip or two doing that.... Once to the north end, first time we went east for an hour (outrunning the rain) and second time we went west for an hour.... then just turned off the GPS and took every two lane road I found that said "south".... and ended up north of Atlanta (little east and little west) before I really "knew" where we were. Fun stuff..... |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Dave on 09/02/14 at 09:54:31 Has anyone ever ridden the Devil's Triangle? It is a 44 mile loop.....not sure it is good enough to center the ride around next year - but it might make for good entertainment for a day or 1/2 day if the other roads in the area aren't great. http://www.devilstriangletn.com/ The good thing about the Dragon/Waynesville/Robbinsville area.....is we are just starting to discover the really cool roads and can weed out some of the roads not worth riding on! Dave |
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Title: Re: 2015 Gathering.....Where & When? Post by Oldfeller on 09/02/14 at 10:20:33 Yup, the good ones tend to be the small black lines going up and over things. Since we commonly loop out so widely now you can tend to pick your "center spot" or home base off of accommodations and comfort. There are many many places we have never stayed at (or even stopped at). Devil's Triangle looks like a Cherohala style sweeper road with a little bit of extra vertical to it, good enough to visit but not enough to make you want to stay there. However, it is a logical extension of a Hwy 32 to the Knife Works run and is well within the loop areas we normally cover anyway. :) |
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