Having spent the prior part of the week of August 17 giving the FJR a once over that included an oil change and new front and rear Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires, the final part of preparing for my Iron Butt run was pretty much complete.
I really wanted to complete this run earlier in the summer, but with other commitments, especially those revolving around work, I had to settle on last week to get down to New Orleans from the western suburbs of Detroit for my Iron Butt. I had considered New Orleans as the destination for a few of reasons. The first of which is that it would be a point-to-point run, hopefully facilitating verification of my run by the IBA. Secondly, I had only two state line pictures of this FJR missing from my collection of all 48 contiguous United States, those being Mississippi and Florida. A run to New Orleans would put me in the vicinity of those two remaining states that I had not been to yet. And third, I had always wanted to run the Blue Ridge Parkway from end-to-end.
With help from FJR driver John Neece, aka Reaper in MS, I made contact with our dear FJR Forum colleague Mike Oliver, aka Patriot in Matairie. As Mike posted earlier in the week, through an exchange of e-mails, he graciously offered to become my end-of-ride witness in the New Orleans area. On Thursday August 20, I got the green light from work to take a week off and go on my little scooter trip with hopes of being able to accomplish the three objectives above.
I don't know about most of you, but I find it hard to sleep in advance of any major trip on the FJR. It brings back memories of being a kid at Christmas, with the usual case of insomnia. Such was the case on Friday night, knowing I had a 5 AM ride start objective on Saturday.
With a few hours of sleep I awoke to rain in the area, early on Saturday morning. A quick check of weather RADAR showed that the showers were isolated to my immediate area and down to about the first 100 miles of my route. With relatively cool air temperature in addition to the showers, I thought donning the rain suit would not be so bad. With a hug and kiss to the wife, I left the house at 04:40. Earlier in the week I had verified the receipt information provided by one of the gas stations at my starting point. After filling up there and recording my time and mileage, I hit the freeway on ramp at precisely 05:00. For once, a trip starting on schedule!
It was one of those mornings that kept the sun from having the opportunity to come out. I recall being outside of Findlay, OH and wondering if it was ever going to get light out. I was also glad to have ported the rain suit, if not for the earlier showers that negated the prior day’s wash on the FJR, but for the cool temps as well. In fact, I even turned on the bike’s heated grips as it was that chilly. Strange, I thought for so late in August. So much for global warming.
The rest of the ride was uneventful, which is what I was hoping for. My first fuel stop was in Verona, KY, just off of I-71. At this point I thought I am well on my way with about 260 miles behind me. Next stop was about the halfway point in Nashville, TN, riding tank-to-tank with no stops in between. Further on, I could not believe the presence of LEOs in Alabama. I saw more troopers in that state than all the others I had traveled to up to that point. I was entertained by a sport bike rider that went blowing by me on I-65, only to be nabbed by a trooper about 5 miles up the road. What a squid, with only a t-shirt, tennis shoes and jeans... I was already a bit north of the speed limit when he passed me! At my fuel stop in Fosters, AL, two troopers had also pulled in to refuel their vehicles. It was time to switch from listening to tunes to plugging in my RADAR detector, just in case. My next leg of the trip prompted a quick stop to catch a picture of the Mississippi state line sign on I-20. Who says you can't multitask on a bike?
Proceeding on along I-20 through MS, I could not believe how interesting the surroundings along parts of that interstate are. The lush green vegetation in the absence of any farm land is certainly something I will recall for a long time. I don't know how to describe it. It's just different from other roads I have been on. Those of you familiar with the road know what I mean. Next it's on to Slidell, and during this final leg, I lucked out and had a white Cadillac as my rabbit, and this guy was not wasting time! Unfortunately I did not have enough range to get to Mike in Matairie. I'm glad I stopped when I did in Slidell. Had I tried to make it any further, I don't think I could have made it to the next gas station as I crossed the long causeway bridge over Lake Pontchartrain. I also gave Mike a call while in Slidell to advise him that I was in the vicinity. We agreed on a rendezvous point and a more refined time of arrival.
My ride concluded at an Exxon station in Kener, LA where Mike was waiting for me. Having observed my arrival and putting fuel in the FJR for the gas pump receipt the IBA folks seem to favor, we elected to conduct the formal witness form signing over a little dinner at a local Pizza Hut. Here are Mike and I during the ceremonial witness (protection program) form signing:
You will note that each of us are sporting official FJR caps!!
Mike was gracious enough to offer staying with him, but I had already made reservations (or so I thought) at the Hampton Inn in Metairie. Mike escorted me to the hotel in his car only to find out they never had my reservations and were booked! It's amazing how one can travel for over 1000 miles solo on a motorcycle and have something as simple (at least in my mind) as a reservation get screwed up! With plenty of hotels in the area, I got a room at a nearby Courtyard for a cheaper rate anyway. It felt good to get out of my riding boots, I'll tell ya after having been in them for over 16 hours!
Now to be clear, I do not own stock, nor have any other interests in Courtyards, but I will say this. I have never experienced a bed so comfortable in all my travels! Not sure if it was the bed or the preceding ride, but I was out in no time once I crawled in!
I recall my very first thought the next morning upon awakening as being, "Where the hell am I?" I literally had no clue. It was a few moments later that I came to the realization and the ensuing feeling of satisfaction that I had completed my SS1K. Cool! Now time to enjoy a bit of New Orleans and then carry on with the rest of the adventure with one objective out of the way!
Work had me down to New Orleans for a week and a half in early 2007. During that time I had frequented a great little restaurant called Oceana, right off of Bourbon Street. Well, an early lunch was certainly in order this day, especially considering the prior day's diet of protein bars and salad, and the fact that I was only some 5 miles away!! Intersting to note that in a phone conversation yesterday, Mike advised me that he also knows of Oceana and has very high regards for the place. If you are ever in New Orleans, and want to eat like the locals at a very fair price, go to the Oceana restaurant. Their red beans and rice are out of this world, and the blackened Ahi tuna stuffed with crab meat with jambalaya on the side is phenomenal!! The place looks like this..
Sorry the back end of the FJR is cut off. The restaurant manager took this picture while I was holding up traffic on the road. Let’s just say he's a lot better at running the place than he is at taking pictures!! You will also note that my riding gear seems a bit tighter as this pic was taken after having gorged myself!! It's not too often I get down this way so why not indulge a bit? The food in NOLA is truly job security for any cardiologist!!
Proceeding east out of New Orleans, I took US-90 towards Bay Saint Louis, MS, leaving behind Louisiana and all the excitement of New Orleans. This route took me along what I (as a northerner) consider the Bayou. Flat and at sea level, US-90 cuts through low lands that still present evidence of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Although I did not see any alligators or live armadillos on the route, I did see a couple of them in road kill form along with the occasional snake, the live ones and not the tar ones! One such rebuilt bridge since Hurricane Katrina, crossed Saint Louis Bay in MS. It's truly an impressive piece of work with loads of pedestrians and joggers along its 2.5 to 3 mile length. You can see the bridge in the background here:
A little further on US-90 the road became a seaside drive, hugging the white sandy beaches of the Gulf. I rode along this route up to Gulfport, MS. Here are a couple of scenes from that run along US-90:
As the pictures show, the weather was ideal, unlike the conditions I left in at the start of this journey. With the afternoon moving along at a pace faster than mine, I thought I had just enough time to get back on the super slab and head towards the Florida state line to fulfill another one of the objectives of this trip. Even the Interstates in this part of the country are picturesque with their long bridges that transverse the many lakes and inlets. The evolving scenery made short order of the miles to the next stop. Before long, I found myself in Florida, the last of the 48 contiguous states I have been to on my FJR. Woo Hoo!!
Now truth be told, my travels in the state were limited. Nonetheless, for the short ride in Florida, I was subject to the laws of that state, enough to say the FJR and I have been there!
As the long shadow cast by the FJR in the picture above shows, I was starting to run out of daylight. With two of the three objectives now accomplished, it was on towards completing the last one, running the Blue Ridge Parkway from start to finish. With little daylight left, it was back to the super slab with hopes of running up towards Birmingham, AL. Unfortunately, I got as far as Evergreen, AL before I elected to call it a day.
Monday greeted me with more great weather. This day would be spent once again on the super slab on my way towards Cleveland/Athens, TN. Not much to report here other than the fact that I-59 in northern AL would serve as an excellent test bed for anyone wanting to fine tune their compression and rebound dampening adjustments on their FJR. More similar to the expressways I'm used to up here, this stretch of highway was uncharacteristic of the roads many of you enjoy in the south. Passing through Chattanooga at rush hour then on to I-75, I made it out to Cleveland, TN. Now I was on the edge of motorcycle Nirvana, at least for those of us on the right side of the United States. Loose route planning (more like seat of the pants) for Tuesday had me running on the Cherohala Skyway, Deals Gap, (aka the Tail of the Dragon), US-28, then on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's time to rid the Michelins of their slight center flat spot that had developed from all the highway miles to this point of the trip!
Once on the Cherohala on Tuesday morning, I had it all to myself as I traversed west to east. Again, blessed by gorgeous sunshine, cool temperatures and the absence of any vehicles in my direction, I felt like I won the lottery! Here is a shot from one of the highest points on the Skyway, almost one mile above sea level...
Note that the the oil stains on the pavement are not from my FJR. I will let the reader draw their own conclusion as to what make of scooter may have deposited them.
Given my route planning skills (hardly), I actually ended up riding the Dragon twice once I got off the Cherohala. Memory fails me as to the exact sequence of roads that I executed between 128, 28 and NC-146. All I know is that at one point I captured this shot that puts a smile on the face of most sport and sport touring pilots, and has all the cruiser types wondering what chrome part is going to drag first...
My initial south-north run on the Dragon was unencumbered by the usual cruiser/tourer slow moving crowd, enabling me to actually work up a sweat at the end of the run. Thanks to a few sport bike pilots coming the other way, I became well aware of the two local Sheriff squad cars parked alongside the road between the end of the Dragon and the Foothills Parkway. With my radar detector lit like a Christmas tree, I actually gave them a little wave as I passed by doing the speed limit. Realizing I was going the wrong way from my intended target, the Blue Ridge Parkway, I had to run the Dragon again to get to US-28. Tough to take, I know! Running the other way on the Dragon, I laughed as the cruiser driver in front of me dragged hard parts in the corners. The sound of grinding metal was so significant, I could actually hear the scrapes even with my ear plugs on!! Here is a little pic of yours truly, courtesy of one of the pro photographers along the route going the other way..
With my bearings all reset, I made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It took a little longer than expected to get to this point, but for those of you familiar with the roads mentioned above, getting turned around in these parts is not that hard to take on a bike like the FJR! Additionally, I incurred a delay at lunch. I came upon a Kentucky Fried Chicken location that offered an all you can eat buffet. But the real deal clincher for me was the fact that fried chicken livers and gravy were part of the buffet. Well, to a northerner like me, this is the equivalent to striking gold! I don't know of any KFC around here that has ever had fried chicken livers. Just don't tell my cardiologist of this encounter...I doubled up on the Lipitor later that evening as a precautionary measure!! Anyway, here is the pic at the southern end of the Blue Ridge, in the Cherokee, TN neck of the woods...
Once on the BRP, I caught up to a BMW pilot that was moving rather, shall we say, briskly along, given the 45 MPH speed limit. I elected to follow and soon determined that this guy knows what he's doing. I think I followed him for a good 40 or so miles before he elected to pull over at one of the many scenic overlooks along the Parkway. Complimenting him on his riding abilities, I introduced myself, and he, Kit, did likewise. Needless to say after shooting the breeze for just a few moments at the overlook, we hit it off. Turns out he was running solo after his intended riding buddy crashed the rented BMW at the onset of their trip. He was headed back to Arlington, VA after spending time with family in GA. We concluded that there is an additional margin of safety in riding together as opposed to going at it individually. So we thought, why not!
Traffic on the BRP was rather light, impeded occasionally with members of the cruiser crowd that don't know that they can move over in their lane allowing us to pass. We agreed to spend the night in Boone, NC and solved several of the world's problems over dinner. Granted, there was a significant deal of scooter discussions as well. I enjoyed chatting with Kit as we never seemed to run out of stuff to chat about. Given his relative proximity to the Parkway, he was kind enough to let me run point for a significant portion of the road. Here's one of the views from the Parkway..
One of the most amazing things about the FJR is how effortlessly the bike gains altitude, never breaking a sweat as it climbs to the elevations like those in the picture above.
Here is Kit on his BMW 1200 RT at one of the scenic overlooks on the BRP...
The next morning it was back on the Parkway to complete the remaining 200 or so miles. At the onset, we had to take one very well marked detour, then shortly thereafter, another. I also recall a couple of instances where the road was down to one lane with flagmen in place to impede our progress. Even still, we were able to make great time as we headed towards Waynesboro, VA where the Blue Ridge ends. We elected to stop for fuel and lunch in Buena Vista, VA. It was interesting to note that his BMW 1200 RT and my FJR seemed to consume about the same amount of fuel, enabling us to continue to run together without the other having to worry about another fuel stop. We were both impressed with the ride from the Parkway down to Buena Vista along US-60. For about 4.5 miles, US-60 did not have one stretch of straight in, as it descended at about a 9% grade. Trust me, we weren't complaining and actually considered the short trip from, and back to the Parkway along this route as an added bonus!
Here is another pic taken from the BRP as we approached the end to the north....
The above pic doesn't even come close to properly capturing the views and vistas one can behold on this magnificent road. I recall parts that actually had you looking down on the tops of adjacent mountains as the road twists and winds, with each curve unfolding a new view! Roads as these do define motorcycling bliss!!
One side note is how different scooter pilots respond to situations. This day, Kit and I came upon a biker with a brand new low riding Harley thing. It was all shiny and the rider was adorned in his orange Harley jacket with a matching black and orange helmet. I will give the guy credit for considering the additional safety benefits of sporting a full face helmet. However, it was overkill. This guy was not doing more than 40 MPH, and to make matters worse, he made no effort whatsoever to move over when Kit and I filled his rear view mirrors with our headlights. We had to wait for a passing lane to get around him. Kit says these guys "ride to pretend, and pretend to ride." By contrast, a few miles up the road we caught up to a couple of ST guys, one on a Honda ST1300, the other also on a BMW 1200. Within one mile, both these guys moved over into a scenic overlook to let us by. Perhaps Harley guy should take note, but we knew he would never catch up to the two ST pilots.
As we approached the end of the BRP, I came to the sudden realization that I just completed objective three of three on the trip. Kit and I exchanged contact info as well as good byes. I would like to think that he and I can ride again someday. He is a good guy! Here Kit and I take a few pictures at the north end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Later in the day it was time to begin pointing the FJR towards home in Detroit, in earnest. Considering my proximity to US-250, and knowing that it will lead me across all of WV and into OH, I began to proceed west on that road. It was towards the VA and WV border on US-250 things became a little tense. For what seemed like 10 to 15 miles, long sections of the road were covered in "loose stone". Although well marked by orange construction signs, the abundance of this stone made for travel difficult to say the least. To make matters worse, they had the stone spread in parts of the road with the tightest curves. Additionally the sun was setting which also prompted the deer to make their presence known along the roadside and in some cases in the middle of it. I'm not sure if this method of road rehabilitation is someone's idea of a joke, but be assured I was not at all pleased. The loose stone cleared up and the road conditions improved as soon as I crossed the WV state line.. Thank you, Senator Byrd! Proceeding along US-250, I made to Elkins, WV for the night. The place I spent the night was, at one time, a hospital that had been converted into a Days Inn. I never experienced anything like that before.
With good weather and hopes of getting home by evening I set out on Thursday on the last leg of the trip. Taking US-250 to the WV border I crossed into OH to ride two of my favorite roads in the southeast of that state, those being OH-148 and OH-800. Both present a nce mix of tights sweepers, elevation changes and great views. Both these roads provide ample opportunity to keep the tires rounded. I then rejoined US-250 in Strasburg, OH, only to find detours and construction that prompted me to seek alternate routes through north central OH. My goal at this point was to get on OH-2 outside of Sandusky just to ride across that road's bridge as it passes over Sandusky bay. This stretch of road and accompanying bridge are reminiscent of the bridges I had crossed earlier in the trip on Sunday in AL. They almost seem out of place considering their proximity to Lake Erie instead of the Gulf region.
Another 100 miles or so of super slab got me home but not before having to make one more stop about 40 miles from home. Amazingly, this journey would end having me wear the rain suit, just like at the onset of the trip. At no other point in the trip did I even consider putting that thing on... Kind of makes you wonder...
With the FJR finally in the driveway at home I checked to odometer.. 3180 miles in six days. You do the math.
In retrospect, it was great! Hats off, and many thanks to Reaper and Patriot who helped me fulfill my SS1K objective. I also appreciate Patriot’s input on scenic points while in the LA/AL neck of the woods and offering me to stay at his place at the end of my SS1K run. Thanks to Kit for hooking up with me and allowing me to crash his party, while also running point for a significant portion of the BRP. Thanks also to Marian, "the wife" whose constant support for this crazy thing I do on two wheels is endless and for also proofreading this post!
I feel very fortunate to have accomplished the three of three objectives I set out last week. Blessed by God, good friends, good weather, a very capable FJR, and all of you on this board and I am very thankful.
Sorry for the long post. I trust some of you find this somewhat interesting.
Now, who's up for a ride to AK? Think about it while I go perform an overdue oil change on the FJR!
Cheers!
I really wanted to complete this run earlier in the summer, but with other commitments, especially those revolving around work, I had to settle on last week to get down to New Orleans from the western suburbs of Detroit for my Iron Butt. I had considered New Orleans as the destination for a few of reasons. The first of which is that it would be a point-to-point run, hopefully facilitating verification of my run by the IBA. Secondly, I had only two state line pictures of this FJR missing from my collection of all 48 contiguous United States, those being Mississippi and Florida. A run to New Orleans would put me in the vicinity of those two remaining states that I had not been to yet. And third, I had always wanted to run the Blue Ridge Parkway from end-to-end.
With help from FJR driver John Neece, aka Reaper in MS, I made contact with our dear FJR Forum colleague Mike Oliver, aka Patriot in Matairie. As Mike posted earlier in the week, through an exchange of e-mails, he graciously offered to become my end-of-ride witness in the New Orleans area. On Thursday August 20, I got the green light from work to take a week off and go on my little scooter trip with hopes of being able to accomplish the three objectives above.
I don't know about most of you, but I find it hard to sleep in advance of any major trip on the FJR. It brings back memories of being a kid at Christmas, with the usual case of insomnia. Such was the case on Friday night, knowing I had a 5 AM ride start objective on Saturday.
With a few hours of sleep I awoke to rain in the area, early on Saturday morning. A quick check of weather RADAR showed that the showers were isolated to my immediate area and down to about the first 100 miles of my route. With relatively cool air temperature in addition to the showers, I thought donning the rain suit would not be so bad. With a hug and kiss to the wife, I left the house at 04:40. Earlier in the week I had verified the receipt information provided by one of the gas stations at my starting point. After filling up there and recording my time and mileage, I hit the freeway on ramp at precisely 05:00. For once, a trip starting on schedule!
It was one of those mornings that kept the sun from having the opportunity to come out. I recall being outside of Findlay, OH and wondering if it was ever going to get light out. I was also glad to have ported the rain suit, if not for the earlier showers that negated the prior day’s wash on the FJR, but for the cool temps as well. In fact, I even turned on the bike’s heated grips as it was that chilly. Strange, I thought for so late in August. So much for global warming.
The rest of the ride was uneventful, which is what I was hoping for. My first fuel stop was in Verona, KY, just off of I-71. At this point I thought I am well on my way with about 260 miles behind me. Next stop was about the halfway point in Nashville, TN, riding tank-to-tank with no stops in between. Further on, I could not believe the presence of LEOs in Alabama. I saw more troopers in that state than all the others I had traveled to up to that point. I was entertained by a sport bike rider that went blowing by me on I-65, only to be nabbed by a trooper about 5 miles up the road. What a squid, with only a t-shirt, tennis shoes and jeans... I was already a bit north of the speed limit when he passed me! At my fuel stop in Fosters, AL, two troopers had also pulled in to refuel their vehicles. It was time to switch from listening to tunes to plugging in my RADAR detector, just in case. My next leg of the trip prompted a quick stop to catch a picture of the Mississippi state line sign on I-20. Who says you can't multitask on a bike?
Proceeding on along I-20 through MS, I could not believe how interesting the surroundings along parts of that interstate are. The lush green vegetation in the absence of any farm land is certainly something I will recall for a long time. I don't know how to describe it. It's just different from other roads I have been on. Those of you familiar with the road know what I mean. Next it's on to Slidell, and during this final leg, I lucked out and had a white Cadillac as my rabbit, and this guy was not wasting time! Unfortunately I did not have enough range to get to Mike in Matairie. I'm glad I stopped when I did in Slidell. Had I tried to make it any further, I don't think I could have made it to the next gas station as I crossed the long causeway bridge over Lake Pontchartrain. I also gave Mike a call while in Slidell to advise him that I was in the vicinity. We agreed on a rendezvous point and a more refined time of arrival.
My ride concluded at an Exxon station in Kener, LA where Mike was waiting for me. Having observed my arrival and putting fuel in the FJR for the gas pump receipt the IBA folks seem to favor, we elected to conduct the formal witness form signing over a little dinner at a local Pizza Hut. Here are Mike and I during the ceremonial witness (protection program) form signing:
You will note that each of us are sporting official FJR caps!!
Mike was gracious enough to offer staying with him, but I had already made reservations (or so I thought) at the Hampton Inn in Metairie. Mike escorted me to the hotel in his car only to find out they never had my reservations and were booked! It's amazing how one can travel for over 1000 miles solo on a motorcycle and have something as simple (at least in my mind) as a reservation get screwed up! With plenty of hotels in the area, I got a room at a nearby Courtyard for a cheaper rate anyway. It felt good to get out of my riding boots, I'll tell ya after having been in them for over 16 hours!
Now to be clear, I do not own stock, nor have any other interests in Courtyards, but I will say this. I have never experienced a bed so comfortable in all my travels! Not sure if it was the bed or the preceding ride, but I was out in no time once I crawled in!
I recall my very first thought the next morning upon awakening as being, "Where the hell am I?" I literally had no clue. It was a few moments later that I came to the realization and the ensuing feeling of satisfaction that I had completed my SS1K. Cool! Now time to enjoy a bit of New Orleans and then carry on with the rest of the adventure with one objective out of the way!
Work had me down to New Orleans for a week and a half in early 2007. During that time I had frequented a great little restaurant called Oceana, right off of Bourbon Street. Well, an early lunch was certainly in order this day, especially considering the prior day's diet of protein bars and salad, and the fact that I was only some 5 miles away!! Intersting to note that in a phone conversation yesterday, Mike advised me that he also knows of Oceana and has very high regards for the place. If you are ever in New Orleans, and want to eat like the locals at a very fair price, go to the Oceana restaurant. Their red beans and rice are out of this world, and the blackened Ahi tuna stuffed with crab meat with jambalaya on the side is phenomenal!! The place looks like this..
Sorry the back end of the FJR is cut off. The restaurant manager took this picture while I was holding up traffic on the road. Let’s just say he's a lot better at running the place than he is at taking pictures!! You will also note that my riding gear seems a bit tighter as this pic was taken after having gorged myself!! It's not too often I get down this way so why not indulge a bit? The food in NOLA is truly job security for any cardiologist!!
Proceeding east out of New Orleans, I took US-90 towards Bay Saint Louis, MS, leaving behind Louisiana and all the excitement of New Orleans. This route took me along what I (as a northerner) consider the Bayou. Flat and at sea level, US-90 cuts through low lands that still present evidence of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Although I did not see any alligators or live armadillos on the route, I did see a couple of them in road kill form along with the occasional snake, the live ones and not the tar ones! One such rebuilt bridge since Hurricane Katrina, crossed Saint Louis Bay in MS. It's truly an impressive piece of work with loads of pedestrians and joggers along its 2.5 to 3 mile length. You can see the bridge in the background here:
A little further on US-90 the road became a seaside drive, hugging the white sandy beaches of the Gulf. I rode along this route up to Gulfport, MS. Here are a couple of scenes from that run along US-90:
As the pictures show, the weather was ideal, unlike the conditions I left in at the start of this journey. With the afternoon moving along at a pace faster than mine, I thought I had just enough time to get back on the super slab and head towards the Florida state line to fulfill another one of the objectives of this trip. Even the Interstates in this part of the country are picturesque with their long bridges that transverse the many lakes and inlets. The evolving scenery made short order of the miles to the next stop. Before long, I found myself in Florida, the last of the 48 contiguous states I have been to on my FJR. Woo Hoo!!
Now truth be told, my travels in the state were limited. Nonetheless, for the short ride in Florida, I was subject to the laws of that state, enough to say the FJR and I have been there!
As the long shadow cast by the FJR in the picture above shows, I was starting to run out of daylight. With two of the three objectives now accomplished, it was on towards completing the last one, running the Blue Ridge Parkway from start to finish. With little daylight left, it was back to the super slab with hopes of running up towards Birmingham, AL. Unfortunately, I got as far as Evergreen, AL before I elected to call it a day.
Monday greeted me with more great weather. This day would be spent once again on the super slab on my way towards Cleveland/Athens, TN. Not much to report here other than the fact that I-59 in northern AL would serve as an excellent test bed for anyone wanting to fine tune their compression and rebound dampening adjustments on their FJR. More similar to the expressways I'm used to up here, this stretch of highway was uncharacteristic of the roads many of you enjoy in the south. Passing through Chattanooga at rush hour then on to I-75, I made it out to Cleveland, TN. Now I was on the edge of motorcycle Nirvana, at least for those of us on the right side of the United States. Loose route planning (more like seat of the pants) for Tuesday had me running on the Cherohala Skyway, Deals Gap, (aka the Tail of the Dragon), US-28, then on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's time to rid the Michelins of their slight center flat spot that had developed from all the highway miles to this point of the trip!
Once on the Cherohala on Tuesday morning, I had it all to myself as I traversed west to east. Again, blessed by gorgeous sunshine, cool temperatures and the absence of any vehicles in my direction, I felt like I won the lottery! Here is a shot from one of the highest points on the Skyway, almost one mile above sea level...
Note that the the oil stains on the pavement are not from my FJR. I will let the reader draw their own conclusion as to what make of scooter may have deposited them.
Given my route planning skills (hardly), I actually ended up riding the Dragon twice once I got off the Cherohala. Memory fails me as to the exact sequence of roads that I executed between 128, 28 and NC-146. All I know is that at one point I captured this shot that puts a smile on the face of most sport and sport touring pilots, and has all the cruiser types wondering what chrome part is going to drag first...
My initial south-north run on the Dragon was unencumbered by the usual cruiser/tourer slow moving crowd, enabling me to actually work up a sweat at the end of the run. Thanks to a few sport bike pilots coming the other way, I became well aware of the two local Sheriff squad cars parked alongside the road between the end of the Dragon and the Foothills Parkway. With my radar detector lit like a Christmas tree, I actually gave them a little wave as I passed by doing the speed limit. Realizing I was going the wrong way from my intended target, the Blue Ridge Parkway, I had to run the Dragon again to get to US-28. Tough to take, I know! Running the other way on the Dragon, I laughed as the cruiser driver in front of me dragged hard parts in the corners. The sound of grinding metal was so significant, I could actually hear the scrapes even with my ear plugs on!! Here is a little pic of yours truly, courtesy of one of the pro photographers along the route going the other way..
With my bearings all reset, I made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It took a little longer than expected to get to this point, but for those of you familiar with the roads mentioned above, getting turned around in these parts is not that hard to take on a bike like the FJR! Additionally, I incurred a delay at lunch. I came upon a Kentucky Fried Chicken location that offered an all you can eat buffet. But the real deal clincher for me was the fact that fried chicken livers and gravy were part of the buffet. Well, to a northerner like me, this is the equivalent to striking gold! I don't know of any KFC around here that has ever had fried chicken livers. Just don't tell my cardiologist of this encounter...I doubled up on the Lipitor later that evening as a precautionary measure!! Anyway, here is the pic at the southern end of the Blue Ridge, in the Cherokee, TN neck of the woods...
Once on the BRP, I caught up to a BMW pilot that was moving rather, shall we say, briskly along, given the 45 MPH speed limit. I elected to follow and soon determined that this guy knows what he's doing. I think I followed him for a good 40 or so miles before he elected to pull over at one of the many scenic overlooks along the Parkway. Complimenting him on his riding abilities, I introduced myself, and he, Kit, did likewise. Needless to say after shooting the breeze for just a few moments at the overlook, we hit it off. Turns out he was running solo after his intended riding buddy crashed the rented BMW at the onset of their trip. He was headed back to Arlington, VA after spending time with family in GA. We concluded that there is an additional margin of safety in riding together as opposed to going at it individually. So we thought, why not!
Traffic on the BRP was rather light, impeded occasionally with members of the cruiser crowd that don't know that they can move over in their lane allowing us to pass. We agreed to spend the night in Boone, NC and solved several of the world's problems over dinner. Granted, there was a significant deal of scooter discussions as well. I enjoyed chatting with Kit as we never seemed to run out of stuff to chat about. Given his relative proximity to the Parkway, he was kind enough to let me run point for a significant portion of the road. Here's one of the views from the Parkway..
One of the most amazing things about the FJR is how effortlessly the bike gains altitude, never breaking a sweat as it climbs to the elevations like those in the picture above.
Here is Kit on his BMW 1200 RT at one of the scenic overlooks on the BRP...
The next morning it was back on the Parkway to complete the remaining 200 or so miles. At the onset, we had to take one very well marked detour, then shortly thereafter, another. I also recall a couple of instances where the road was down to one lane with flagmen in place to impede our progress. Even still, we were able to make great time as we headed towards Waynesboro, VA where the Blue Ridge ends. We elected to stop for fuel and lunch in Buena Vista, VA. It was interesting to note that his BMW 1200 RT and my FJR seemed to consume about the same amount of fuel, enabling us to continue to run together without the other having to worry about another fuel stop. We were both impressed with the ride from the Parkway down to Buena Vista along US-60. For about 4.5 miles, US-60 did not have one stretch of straight in, as it descended at about a 9% grade. Trust me, we weren't complaining and actually considered the short trip from, and back to the Parkway along this route as an added bonus!
Here is another pic taken from the BRP as we approached the end to the north....
The above pic doesn't even come close to properly capturing the views and vistas one can behold on this magnificent road. I recall parts that actually had you looking down on the tops of adjacent mountains as the road twists and winds, with each curve unfolding a new view! Roads as these do define motorcycling bliss!!
One side note is how different scooter pilots respond to situations. This day, Kit and I came upon a biker with a brand new low riding Harley thing. It was all shiny and the rider was adorned in his orange Harley jacket with a matching black and orange helmet. I will give the guy credit for considering the additional safety benefits of sporting a full face helmet. However, it was overkill. This guy was not doing more than 40 MPH, and to make matters worse, he made no effort whatsoever to move over when Kit and I filled his rear view mirrors with our headlights. We had to wait for a passing lane to get around him. Kit says these guys "ride to pretend, and pretend to ride." By contrast, a few miles up the road we caught up to a couple of ST guys, one on a Honda ST1300, the other also on a BMW 1200. Within one mile, both these guys moved over into a scenic overlook to let us by. Perhaps Harley guy should take note, but we knew he would never catch up to the two ST pilots.
As we approached the end of the BRP, I came to the sudden realization that I just completed objective three of three on the trip. Kit and I exchanged contact info as well as good byes. I would like to think that he and I can ride again someday. He is a good guy! Here Kit and I take a few pictures at the north end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Later in the day it was time to begin pointing the FJR towards home in Detroit, in earnest. Considering my proximity to US-250, and knowing that it will lead me across all of WV and into OH, I began to proceed west on that road. It was towards the VA and WV border on US-250 things became a little tense. For what seemed like 10 to 15 miles, long sections of the road were covered in "loose stone". Although well marked by orange construction signs, the abundance of this stone made for travel difficult to say the least. To make matters worse, they had the stone spread in parts of the road with the tightest curves. Additionally the sun was setting which also prompted the deer to make their presence known along the roadside and in some cases in the middle of it. I'm not sure if this method of road rehabilitation is someone's idea of a joke, but be assured I was not at all pleased. The loose stone cleared up and the road conditions improved as soon as I crossed the WV state line.. Thank you, Senator Byrd! Proceeding along US-250, I made to Elkins, WV for the night. The place I spent the night was, at one time, a hospital that had been converted into a Days Inn. I never experienced anything like that before.
With good weather and hopes of getting home by evening I set out on Thursday on the last leg of the trip. Taking US-250 to the WV border I crossed into OH to ride two of my favorite roads in the southeast of that state, those being OH-148 and OH-800. Both present a nce mix of tights sweepers, elevation changes and great views. Both these roads provide ample opportunity to keep the tires rounded. I then rejoined US-250 in Strasburg, OH, only to find detours and construction that prompted me to seek alternate routes through north central OH. My goal at this point was to get on OH-2 outside of Sandusky just to ride across that road's bridge as it passes over Sandusky bay. This stretch of road and accompanying bridge are reminiscent of the bridges I had crossed earlier in the trip on Sunday in AL. They almost seem out of place considering their proximity to Lake Erie instead of the Gulf region.
Another 100 miles or so of super slab got me home but not before having to make one more stop about 40 miles from home. Amazingly, this journey would end having me wear the rain suit, just like at the onset of the trip. At no other point in the trip did I even consider putting that thing on... Kind of makes you wonder...
With the FJR finally in the driveway at home I checked to odometer.. 3180 miles in six days. You do the math.
In retrospect, it was great! Hats off, and many thanks to Reaper and Patriot who helped me fulfill my SS1K objective. I also appreciate Patriot’s input on scenic points while in the LA/AL neck of the woods and offering me to stay at his place at the end of my SS1K run. Thanks to Kit for hooking up with me and allowing me to crash his party, while also running point for a significant portion of the BRP. Thanks also to Marian, "the wife" whose constant support for this crazy thing I do on two wheels is endless and for also proofreading this post!
I feel very fortunate to have accomplished the three of three objectives I set out last week. Blessed by God, good friends, good weather, a very capable FJR, and all of you on this board and I am very thankful.
Sorry for the long post. I trust some of you find this somewhat interesting.
Now, who's up for a ride to AK? Think about it while I go perform an overdue oil change on the FJR!
Cheers!
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