Took a little ride...

[Rogue 1]

ok... I think I got this thing figured out...

Hello welcome to the second installment of As the crankshaft turns.

When last we left our hero, he was about to head off into the wilds of western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee to a magical land known to motorcyclists as Deals Gap (search Tapoco/Fontana RT129 on mapquest.com if you wish to view area). This 11-mile stretch of road consists of 318 mountain switch back turns. It has become a mecca of sorts, for bikers worldwide, and is high on my list of places to visit.

I've spoken to John Delucca at BMW of Manhattan and he has informed me that Steve Zizic (service manager) has had a very bad motorcycle accident and is in the hospital in critical condition. (This explains why he hasn't been able to respond to my attempts at contacting him) Please say a prayer for his swift and full recovery. John offers to send the replacement GPS unit but I decline and tell him I'll contact him with a mailing address as soon as I can. Jacob Meetze has, as promised, gotten me the parts I left at his place in Williamston and Ive uploaded the GPS DCA info for the next leg of the trip. Monday night I pack/prep the Beast and Tuesday morning I head for Capitol BMW to address a few last service items and take them up on their offer to utilize their high speed internet access to send you all some pics (ok, that didnt work out as well as I had hoped most of you received a pic of an old guy looking at a couple of bikes, thats George, at the ripe young age of 76. I met him at a gas station that had no gas, sitting outside selling t-shirts to raise money for a local high school. We talked a bit about his 1965 Honda 50, and snapped a few pics. Great old character.)

Jon, service manager and resident road maven, on consult, advises that I super-slab it on I40 West to Ashville (275 miles) and then hit the back roads. I agree and set off about 12:30pm on the 24th. The ride on I40 is relatively uneventful, save a pullover by a N.C. Trooper that I passed on the RIGHT at 75mph. Your along way from NY, where ya heading? We gab a bit; his name is Sean (well how about that?). He checks my papers, lets me know the cushion is 9mph over the speed limit, wishes me the best and sends me on my way coooool!

I test the 8 gallon gas tank on the Beast and at 200 miles non-stop in the saddle, my butt is SCREAMING for mercy as I crest a rise and the Smokey Mountains come into view (whaddaya know! They're REALLY Smokey!) I pull over for a butt break (cig/glutei, pun intended) with 214 miles showing on the trip odometer. Just shy of Ashville, I gas up and the proprietor of the station/mini-mart shows me what the folks on the coast did not: HOW TO DRINK BEER IN THE BIBLE BELT. One giant plastic Slushy cup and all is fine and good in the world.




I catch St19 into the Smokeys, wow, truly a Gods Country area starting to finally see some bikes on the road as well. The skies are gray and this adds to the smoke effect.

In MaggieValley, obviously a vacation oriented town (quaint hotels, mini golf, homey restaurants, taverns and scenic views), I pass a road sign that reads Wheels Through Time The Museum That Runs. All American Transportation Museum, 1 mile ahead on right. A mile up the road there is a 60 some odd year old motorcycle next to a fountain and a one-lane bridge, the gate is open The bridge alone is enough to entice me to check this place out and I am not disappointed (Brian & Shira, you guys have got to make a run to this place!). I pull up to an airplane hanger sized building. Walking through the door I am greeted heartily by Jeff Ring, G.M., and almost immediately I see a 1942 Harley Davidson model X1000. This bike is the only opposed twin engine/shaft drive HD ever made and was built on consignment for the U.S. Army to copy the superior performance of Rommel's Desert Campaign BMW bikes. Only 1000 were produced and Jeff informs me they have a total of FIVE in the building, I'm hooked and happily hand over the $12 admission fee. I wont bore you all with details, this place has to be seen to be truly appreciated. In short, 100's of bikes spanning the entire motorized era (Flying Merkel, Ace, Indian, Pope, Harley etc), Roadsters, sidecar rigs, trikes with paddy wagons and delivery cabs on the back, classic cars (1932 Dusenberg, 60s Vettes, Model T's 50's Caddy). All, yes all, of them RUN! Many of them are set up in dioramas that show them in there original environs (hill climb bikes are on an indoor man made mountain). The museum opened 3 months ago and I am informed that many improvements are still to come. This place should be on the list for any MC or car enthusiast as a must see. For more info, write to Jeff at info@wheelsthroughtime.com.




Daylight is running short and I still have a lot of backroad mountain miles to cover so I say my goodbyes and continue on 19. Twisty scenic mountain roads, I ride through Cherokee National Forest and Reservation, hmmm, quite a few casinos here, funny, never expected to see a Hilton, Holiday Inn & Embassy Suites in this area, money makes the world go around. I resist the urge to stop, take a room and blow some bucks. I press on.

Full dark now, I catch US74 to ST28 North (on full deer alert) and reach the cross roads of 28/143 about 9pm. Ok, this is a bad time and place to realize I don't have a clue where I'm going, its pitch black, the crickets are huge (about the size of a ½ a pack of cigs) and quite aggressive (one flies at my crotch and actually grabs on! You should have seen THAT dance!). And the warning sign regarding Kodiak bears that I read at my last pit stop has all sorts of crazy thoughts going through my head. In short, I'm getting a little freaked.


A Jeep Liberty with BMW K1200RS in tow pulls up out of the blackness. "You OK?"� a voice calls from within. I meet Mike Makarov, my latest savior. Mikes up from Florida by way of Atlanta and somewhere north 2300 miles in 3 days to pick up his new '03 K12 and break it in on The Dragon and I am eternally in his debt. He's heading to a BMW rally at the gap, tells me where I am, where I need to go, and as the RAIN begins to fall AGAIN, offers to share his hotel room with me so I won't have to camp! After a moments hesitation I accept and we proceed to Fontana Village (see mapquest), check in and get settled.






The terrain around the compound is very steep, and I successfully drop my bike with the high side down while trying to negotiate a u-turn outside our lodge building. My helmet bounces down the mountain about 30 yards and I've busted my RF turn signal lens and scratched the hand guard and back of the mirror. Not bad at all considering. The engine bars did a great job. Mike says, "Good that you finally got that out of the way." I expected to camp in the rain, I end up with a dry room and a dropped bike (and a very banged up helmet, but my head wasn't in it). Like the song says, "�You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you'll find, you get what you need."

Wednesday the 25th

Mike and I awake to tame The Dragon, open the window and you guessed it, RAIN! Pouring freaking rain! Here is a condensed version of the situation: TV out (sat dish hit by lightning) no cell service (both of us afraid to use the room phone for fear of losing our first born child to debt) the county is dry (no beer/booze) breakfast is tearing both of our colons to shreds, pouring rain and we absolutely will not brave these twisty, leaf covered roads, there is internet access in another part of the compound for $1 a minute and is connected at 2600 baud... slooooww. I'm relatively cool about the whole thing; I have a roof over my head and can't complain. Mike is pretty damn frustrated, as he hasn't even gotten to ride his new bike at all yet. We both agree, prison would be better, in prison there is television and sex (chuckle).

Our homemade entertainment center...


Mike begins to look at me strangley...



Thursday, September 26th

We wake up, more rain. I can't stay here any longer. I've got to get on the road, wet or dry. Mike and I exchange contact info, he will attempt to meet me out west at a later date. Seems my trip has him jonesing for mileage. The Beast is loaded and off I go. The plan is north (following Isadores storm track) to Knoxville, I40 East to I81 North and if I can get some weather, onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. if not, straight up to Reading, PA for a visit with my sister. The only way out of this area is through the Gap (on the Dragon)

(side bar, we drove it yesterday in the Jeep. This road is SO twisty it made us nauseas)

I'm not looking forward to doing this on a bike in the rain, but the choice is out of my hands. The road is definitely treacherous, little memorials are numerous on the route signifying a lost loved one. At one point, I turn a corner and there is a man on the side of the road taking pictures. That one moments distraction causes me to lose my line and I cross the double yellow and blow the S-turn in a straight line. Whoooooaa! I thank God there wasn't a vehicle coming the opposite direction. Heart racing and knuckles white, I get back in the game, making the mental note that there is no room for mistakes here. 11 miles and I'm clear. the Dragon tamed today by the Beast! Well, ok, the Beast kind of sneaked/crawled through, but at least I can say I was there.




129N to Knoxville, I40E to I81N the rain let up in Knoxville, still overcast and damp. I make the Tennessee/Virginia border around 6pm. At a gas stop I find my rear break is dragging, that plus the busted signal lens and a couple of other problems leads me to seek a BMW service center. I locate Hammersley BMW, the GPS says it's 187 miles away in Lynchburg, VA and I make that my next destination. Continuing north on 81, the rain returns and by 8pm I am totally wiped out. I stop in Roanoke, VA GPS finds me a room at a Motel 6 for $39.95 completing one very long, wet, treacherous day of about 300 miles. (Eventually, I'll set up this tent and save some money.)

(by george I think he's got it)

More to come and to all, forgive my earlier failures at proper posting... learning curve you know...

~~~~```=o&o> Rogue

[porterfish]

nice pics but the white text is not really conducive to reading.

NM, changed from waxy to rabiaaaaahhh and all is well.

[Rogue 1]

Friday Sept 27th

Yes, more rain. Check out of the motel 6 and 70 miles to the BMW dealer. The rain is very heavy; Isadore and I have become intimate, except for my torso (covered by my Gortex Dainese Jacket, which is amazing, it has kept me warm, dry and safe for almost a year now), I am soaked to the skin.

"Please God, cut me some slack."

I pull into the service department, ragged and depressed by the rain, pull off my gloves to once again find my hands dyed completely black, and dismount. I walk in and meet Greg Waddell, service manager. We shake hands after I inform him that the dye won't come off and we run down the work I need done. This dealership is well set up, staffed with friendly professionals and they obviously understand what it means to be "on the road."

I was in and out in a little over 2.5 hours! They addressed the rear brake, turn sig lens, adjusted my handle bars and fixed the wiring problem that caused my headlight/tail light and speedo/odo array illumination to flick off intermittently (since I picked up the bike). They adjusted the potentiometer to fix a slight hesitation problem I was having in first. They even pulled a spare tail light bulb out of a new Tailblazer package for me since they didn't have any spares in stock ($3, more than fair after a call to the manufacturer)

(side bar: the accessory shop at Deals Gap would not do this for me)

Big thanks to Greg, Bob Jason and sweet Sandy, the hottie at the reception desk ,wink (and if you know Sandy, you know I what I am talking about).

2300 miles on the odometer.


While I have been waiting for the bike to be finished, someone has answered my prayers and brought the sun out. The humidity is way up from the rain but I'm not complaining. Let's take a shot at the Blue Ridge!

Six years ago I took Rt60 across Virginia from Richmond with my friends Andre Corpuz and Andy Brindle (hi Guys). The road terminates in Buena Vista/Lexington VA and crosses the BRP. I have been dreaming of the twisties we hit at the foothills for years and have recommended the road to many a traveler. I punch Lexington into the GPS and HOT DAMN its 26 miles away!

GPS maps a route that will intersect with Rt60 just east of the BRP and I set off with a smile and higher spirits than I've had in days. At a gas stop on 60, a nice gentleman assures me that the bright round ball in the sky is in fact the sun and I head for the hills.

The twisties are just like I remember them, but wet and slippery so they have to be negotiated tentatively as I ride along 60, I occasionally catch a dirt trail or logging road in my peripheral vision and an itch to try out the Beasts off road capability starts to worm it's way into my thoughts. I pass a gravel/dirt road with a sign reading "Lexington Dam 5 miles"� and after a moment of debate, I turn around and head up it for a little adventure.

One brief moment of sun, literaly...



The road is loose but the knobbies were designed for this. My off-road experience is non existent and I'm more than a little cautious. The bike is loaded, heavy, and wants to wander in the turns. I pass a sign that says, "Welcome to George Washington National Forest"� A half mile in I am surprised to see 2 men at the side of the road. Loggers.

I continue on and after a few miles start to feel a little more confident. Unfortunately, I am not destined to see this dam today. As I round a corner, I see 2 or 3 wild dogs (or wolves, I can't tell) 100 yards ahead of me. On a paved road I might have tried to pass, but I am pretty sure I would not be able to outrun them under these conditions. I turn back. By the time I'm exiting the park (app. 8 miles of unpaved under my belt) I'm feeling significantly more confident. The Beast is a hell of a bike.

Chased off by the big bad wolf...



Elevation readings on the GPS show me at 1900ft above sea level and as the number rises, so does the precipitation. 2300ft has mist, and by the time I'm at 2700 it's raining again (of course). I enter the BRP and head north.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is an engineering wonder. Following the Appalachian Trail, It winds along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Front Royal, VA down past Ashville, NC. 600 (yes I'm guessing, I don't really know) miles of twisting 2 lane, perfectly paved black top and not one descending radius turn.

I follow the BRP from Lexington/Buena Vista up to Waynesboro. 2 white tailed deer, one wild turkey, one very fat ground hog and a ½ dozen squirrels manage to avoid meeting the Grim Reaper on my route. I ride through sunshine, rain, clouds, and at one point, at 3300 feet, fog so thick visibility is reduced to 15 feet. That said, this road is one of my all time favorites to ride on and the views (when weather permits) are inspiring.

The Weather Channel Surfing...


you may notice my wet you know what... crappy rain pants (no really!)





I catch 64West in Waynesboro to I81North. Once out of the mountains, I have gray skies but the roads are dry. I pass through West Virginia, and into Maryland and pull off for a gas/food /butt break around 5:30pm. While I'm chomping down a grilled chicken salad outside a mini mart, I see an ominous black cloud approaching fast from the direction I'm heading.

(Do I see four horsemen at the front of it, nahhh,can't be)


I know this is going to be a rough one. The wind is picking up fast and heading toward the cloud, never a good sign when the wind sucks as well as blows, and before I can finish my lunch the cloud has blotted out the light and is almost on top of me. As soon as I finish gassing up the bike and securing my helmet the skies open up. (I really should have bought that ark). I wait an hour and it doesn't look like it's going to pass.



7:20 I start to pull out of the gas station and a customer that has just pulled in starts shaking his head and saying, “Don't do it! Don't do it man! It's bad out there! Great! And to make a bad situation just a little worse, I realize that while my headlights now work great, my speedo array is dark (thankfully my faithful GPS has a speed reading) and worse still, my taillight is also out, which renders me invisible to vehicles behind me. Afraid of being rear ended, I engage my hazards and the blinking dashboard indicators are giving me night blindness through my rain soaked visor.


I81 to I78 East to 76E to 176N and I pull into my sisters driveway in Reading, PA at 10:30pm. Soaked beyond belief, I remove my boots and dump out the water. One consolation, the guy's at Hammersley BMW put a few rubber surgical gloves into my bag and I wore a pair of them under my bleeding leathers, no dyed hands!

Okay... a 500 plus mile day,highway, twisties and off road, everything but snow for weather... stick a fork in me, I am done.




Saturday, September 28th

I decide to put off the western portion of the trip in favor of a run back to NYC and BMW of Manhattan in order to get the lights fixed and pick up the replacement GPS unit. The sky is blue. The air is crisp and cool. There is a good bit of a head wind but this is the nicest day I've had since I got on the road.

That's it for this installment. Please remember to say that prayer for Steve Z.

Hope you guys and gals enjoy reading this. I know it's rather long but I'm getting a real kick putting it to paper. To those of you that have emailed me with cheers and support (and a couple of bits of understandable envy) I can't thank you enough keep those emails coming.

Until Update#3, once again I wish the best of life and health to you all.



`````~~~~~~~=o&o> Rogue

[ARRRGGGHHNUT]

Keeping fingers crossed, still confused on the dates... but funny thing, that Mike Makarov savior guy is SPARTACUS before he moved out to Reno.
He is an AAARRRGGGHHH rider, and rescued many riders from disasters!!!

[Rogue 1]

Originally Posted by ARRRGGGHHNUT

Keeping fingers crossed, still confused on the dates... but funny thing, that Mike Makarov savior guy is SPARTACUS before he moved out to Reno.
He is an AAARRRGGGHHH rider, and rescued many riders from disasters!!!

Hi ARRRGGGHHNUT... you know Mike? He dropped off the face of the road and I havent heard a grrr out of him in a BMW's age...

Any news of him?

Rogue

[ARRRGGGHHNUT]

Originally Posted by Rogue 1

Hi ARRRGGGHHNUT... you know Mike? He dropped off the face of the road and I havent heard a grrr out of him in a BMW's age...

Any news of him?

Rogue

Spartacus moved to Reno, and lives happily...
He hangs out here w/ username=ossi, below is his thread....
if you search for spartacus you might find more of him around though...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36192

[Rogue 1]

I am getting all the pics (well actually only about 1/4 of them) posted slowly but surley. They will go up in correlation with the reports. (this will proably still be close to 1000 pics total, it was a very long ride).

You can see them at:
http://rogue1.smugmug.com/index.mg?l...ickName=Rogue1

They are in the "Odyssey" Galleries that correspond to the legs of the trip.

As I stated in the first post, it starts off a bit slow... the continual rain did not leave much to photograph. No great sights or amazing rides just yet (good ones though)... wait till we get a bit further down the road... In fact... the only time it didnt rain was the few days I was down for repairs... aint that always the way...

Next report on the way...

Rogue

[porterfish]

Pretty cool pic

might be wallpaper for a bit.

[Bike Monk]

Originally Posted by porterfish

Pretty cool pic

might be wallpaper for a bit.

Bad azzz pic, good stuff!

[ARRRGGGHHNUT]

Originally Posted by porterfish

nice pics but the white text is not really conducive to reading.

NM, changed from waxy to rabiaaaaahhh and all is well.

I'm used to Crash's, now that is a rabiaaaaaah I can try out, why the hell not.
it easy on the eyes, just like herself..., I think I'm gonna get my ass kicked tonight at home, swwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeet!
Looks goood, just needs thread start date by the tread starter...

[Rogue 1]

Greetings fellow Adventure Riders!

Just a quick note:

I am alive and well! (although somewhat battered emotionaly, but that is another story entirely)

Now in my third year of college (3.85 gpa, ty ty) and recent declarer of not one, but two majors (Business and English) I find myself with little time for ought else but school and work (I manage to slip in and occasional hour or two of sleep in as well).

"Took a little ride" keeps climbing back into my head and yearns to be completed. The desire continues to grow and I have no doubt that I will return to it when time allows. My main concern in this regard will be giving it the attention to detail and quality of prose I have given it previously (as opposed to rushing through and leaving out all the juicy suff). I hope to get some work done on it over the Christmas break from school.

Silver/The Beast is still on the road with over 40,000 miles. [img]images/icons/icon10.gif[/img]

Damn sorry I missed CroMags gathering! I am making myself a personal promise not to miss the next one!

Until then... Ride well, ride hard, but above all else... Ride!

~~~~~~~~```=o&o>

Rogue 1 out...

[AntWare]

Good to see you back mate, glad you're doing well



fuck off Ned

[Bimble]

That's definitely a full plate you have served up R1! Whenever it comes, it comes. Take care of yourself. The trip has been fantistic.

Only two majors? You lazy lima-bean!

[Kokopelli]

I am sure it will be worth the wait. Good to see that you are still around. Good luck with your studies, now get back to it :-)

[Doug Matson]

Can't wait for the epic to continue!