I will mark that on my calendar and hope to attend.  I will just be getting back from a 2 week trip with my wife and her sister/brother in law on the 26th - so I will only have a day to unpack and then pack before going to play some more!  (Retirement is great).

My neighbor Bruce may want to come - but he is a working man and normally rides weekends.  Maybe I can come down and ride a few days, then Bruce can come down Thursday night or early Friday morning and ride with me on Friday/Saturday.

More plans as the date comes closer.

Potential weather is mid 80's in the daytime and mid 60's at night.

I spoke with my "working" neighbor Bruce "Batman" (he still has a day job to interrupt is riding routine).

We likely would come down on Wednesday (30th) evening after he works and we would arrive very late - then sleep it off in a cabin and ride Thursday, Friday and Saturday and go home Sunday.  If he can arrange it we will move things forward and arrive a day earlier and start riding on Wednesday.

Stewmills has also been notified - at this point it is uncertain if he will make it.  His wife has a trip that may interfere with this weekend.

Route 315 is where the Cherohala Mountain Trails Campground is located.  If you take 315 south it is a wonderful ride down to Route 74, which is a road they have tried to develop into a tourist trade area for the Ocoee River.  If you take 74 West you can then take 68 back north to Tellico Plains - it is a nice loop.

Or - when you are on 74 you can take68 south to Copperhill/McCayesville and go on down to Suches and Dahlonega.  You can then get on 19 and go up Blood Mountain on your way to Blairsville.  From there you can continue up 19 north and get on 74 west for a few miles until you find 123 north and go by the Field of the Woods.  From there you can continue north to 68 north and return to Tellico Plains.

And....there is always the Cherohala Skyway, 129 north to the Tail of the Dragon, 411 west, 360 loop back to the Tellico Plains.

Just be aware that you might have to repeat something when we get there!

 Is you “Zen Bike” the souped up RE350?  

Oh , yea Paul , That's the Bike that makes me feel like "I'm on Vacation" Zen !  

It keeps-up better now than when it was "Stock"    
DNA intake , Performance Cam , and De-Cat Exaust , made a +25% difference !  It can BREASE now !

If Honda comes through with the GB500 (2026), styled after there GB350 single - then I plan to get one of them .   If they put that liquid cooled 500 twin on it   - then my plan is to go ahead with the 410cc kit on the 350-J.  
But , all is OK as is for now.  
They make a 500cc kit for the 350-J motors , but its need a new map to make it work , the  410cc kit takes the bore from 72mm to 78mm (stock map).
I'm still getting 70-75 mpg on regular gas as it is !

Apparently the GB350 sells a lot in Asia ,
If a Yamaha SR500 with a BIG fuel tank , Tubeless Tires , and Belt Drive got too the the market place would it sell ?

Air/oil cooled vs Liquid cooled .   I might be "Old School" ?  

The GB350 Single makes it's best HP at 5500 RPM , That says it all !!  

The RE 350-J Engine makes it's best at 6100 RPM for comparison.

Ridding local , I don't need more power , but I know :  In the mountains of the NC.  those long up-hill runs suck-up a lot of power !  

I have a buddy who used to tease me about having "Half a Harley" with the Savage !  
I'd reply with "with half the weight , it's OK"  
.................

Remember the days when a 1200cc/74ci Harley made under 50HP and heat wasn't a problem ?   It seems those old bike rode around just fine !