EOM-08

[thompsonian]

I'll help out by makingmy Famous French Toast for breakfast!!!

 

[HaulinAshe]

Actually TRYING to be serious here...

My thinking behind moving it farther north, was to both give the northerners a distance break and to allow exploration of a region better suited for earlier dates. Seems that so far, the northerners don't care much about distance.

The more I travel, the more I realize that the best damn motorcycle roads in the United States are the ones I've grown up riding (Blue Ridge & Smokies). I'll go wherever it's held. I'll contribute however I can.

 

[cota95]

As one of the guys that had to travel a distance (750 miles), it doesn't matter to me if it's in Lewisburg again. I think New England and NY were well represented at this years festivities. I thought this year being closer than last years made for a very enjoyable ride (one day of slabing and a half day of great backroads). Just my .02

 

[Sully1300]

I agree with Ashe, I have ridden all over the northeastern side of the country and it seems the farther you get away from the Appalachian Mtns. the more you have to look for roads of choice. I am not saying there aren't great roads other than in the mountains but just not road after road of the riding that we all bought sport tours for. I grew up in northern NY and without getting too far northeast into the Adirondacks, Vermont, northern New Hamp & Maine (which is spectacular by the way) in which we would all have to ride considerable distances to get there, there has got to be some untapped destinations elsewhere.

Don't get me wrong, I would venture back to Lewisburg in a second to hang out with you all - awesome roads, great company, great facility. I'm just throwing out ideas.

Between the Chattahoochee Natl. Forest and northeastern WV/northern Virgina (the Appalachian Mtn range) there has got to be an area or two to explore. We have only scratched the surface so far with Townsend, Boone & Lewisburg. Macedonia, GA, Franklin or Highlands, NC area, Asheville, NC, Maggie Valley, NC, Johnson City, TN, Cumberland, KY, Roanoke, VA are areas I have ridden through in the past that made me stop and appreciate the gift I've got with sport touring.

Are there any friends of EOM that can chime in on these areas or others that you know well?

 

[spklbuk]

(snippet)

the best damn motorcycle roads in the United States are the ones I've grown up riding (Blue Ridge & Smokies).

Yer stretchin' em northward to include the Allegheny Plateau and the Ridge and Valley Province of your favorite "radar detector" state I presume?...otherwise I call bullshit!

 

[luvtoride]

(snippet)

the best damn motorcycle roads in the United States are the ones I've grown up riding (Blue Ridge & Smokies).

Yer stretchin' em northward to include the Allegheny Plateau and the Ridge and Valley Province of your favorite "radar detector" state I presume?...otherwise I call bullshit!

Werd!

 

[donaldb]

I have not been able to make a EOM event because of a conflict w/attending a work related conference each year which closely coincides with EOM during the month of Sept. However, in 08 the annual conference is located in WV, so depending on what week we have the conference maybe I will get lucky and be able to combine the two events :yahoo:

 

[Fred W]

Technically, the Appalacian Mountains stretch from Alabama all the way north to New Brunswick, Canada.

https://www.discoverlife.org/co/

https://www.discoverlife.org/co/images/parks.640.jpg

But looking at the map in the second link it sure looks like something in the "Blue Ridge area" is central to the eastern seaboard.

 

[FJRski]

My thinking behind moving it farther north, was to both give the northerners a distance break and to allow exploration of a region better suited for earlier dates. Seems that so far, the northerners don't care much about distance.

Between the Chattahoochee Natl. Forest and northeastern WV/northern Virgina (the Appalachian Mtn range) there has got to be an area or two to explore. We have only scratched the surface so far with Townsend, Boone & Lewisburg. Macedonia, GA, Franklin or Highlands, NC area, Asheville, NC, Maggie Valley, NC, Johnson City, TN, Cumberland, KY, Roanoke, VA are areas I have ridden through in the past that made me stop and appreciate the gift I've got with sport touring.

Hey Jeff - - If you are leading, I'll follow wherever - - I was still dryer after we crossed that creek than I was after riding in the rain the day before - - seriously though: I was very happy with Lewisburg. I'd return there, and I hope to be able to attend EOM 8 wherever it is. Every good plan is the result of some compromise. Upstate NY, central PA, VT, NH, even Jersey, believe it or not, have some great roads, but you have to contend with uneven surfaces, potholes and repairs instead of gravel. So take your pick. But I don't think these areas offer the variety that you find in NC & WV. And I have to believe there are some great areas in the nearby states of KY and TN for those with a need to break new ground. And I don't think the distance bothers most FJR riders, long as you can make the trip on one set of tires. I'd vote for Lewisburg again.

 

[Charlie Hoss]

I've been to the last three EOMs. My favorite for riding was in Townsend, TN. Next was Boone, and last was WV. I went on 2 of the planned routes and couldn't have a great time riding due to all the gravel in the corners. Am I the only one concerned about that? Did the other routes have that much gravel in the roads? On one ride we took into VA, the gravel magically disappeared as soon as we crossed the state line and riding pleasure improved drastically. Of course, stress from "radar detectors prohibited" syndrome went way up!

I had a great time overall in WV, but would like to ride where you can put more trust in the condition of the next curve.

The Brier Inn was excellent.

I think there are some excellent roads in SW or Southcentral VA, perhaps in the Roanoke area. Except for that stupid radar detector law......... h34r:

 

[Sully1300]

I went on 2 of the planned routes and couldn't have a great time riding due to all the gravel in the corners. Am I the only one concerned about that? Did the other routes have that much gravel in the roads?

Charlie,

I couldn't agree with you more. I guess I needed to be a bit more cautious.

Overall, the event was great just a few too many puckers in the corners.

 

[Fred W]

I went on 2 of the planned routes and couldn't have a great time riding due to all the gravel in the corners. Am I the only one concerned about that? Did the other routes have that much gravel in the roads?

Charlie,

I couldn't agree with you more. I guess I needed to be a bit more cautious.

Overall, the event was great just a few too many puckers in the corners.

Was that at EOM? I mean, did you earn your second two icons at the same event?

 

[wheatonFJR]

I've been to the last three EOMs. My favorite for riding was in Townsend, TN. Next was Boone, and last was WV. I went on 2 of the planned routes and couldn't have a great time riding due to all the gravel in the corners. Am I the only one concerned about that? Did the other routes have that much gravel in the roads? On one ride we took into VA, the gravel magically disappeared as soon as we crossed the state line and riding pleasure improved drastically. Of course, stress from "radar detectors prohibited" syndrome went way up!
I had a great time overall in WV, but would like to ride where you can put more trust in the condition of the next curve.

The Brier Inn was excellent.

I think there are some excellent roads in SW or Southcentral VA, perhaps in the Roanoke area. Except for that stupid radar detector law......... h34r:

Regarding gravel...my experience was just the opposite...we dipped into VA and that's where I found gravel across the lane. In all states I've been in...if you stay in the wheel tracks...any gravel is generally wiped away by the tire traffic. Quite frankly, I've been in WV and a few other states...didn't seem any worse there than other places. I have thought and still do that WV is better at building good roads than the surrounding states.

In any case...sorry about yer bad experience.

This whole thread is a bunch of venting anyways...but as usual...the person that picks up the mantle and does all the work usually determines where it is. Attendance has been growing each year...I am glad that I finally attended my first EOM.

 

[luvtoride]

I've been to the last three EOMs. My favorite for riding was in Townsend, TN. Next was Boone, and last was WV. I went on 2 of the planned routes and couldn't have a great time riding due to all the gravel in the corners. Am I the only one concerned about that? Did the other routes have that much gravel in the roads? On one ride we took into VA, the gravel magically disappeared as soon as we crossed the state line and riding pleasure improved drastically. Of course, stress from "radar detectors prohibited" syndrome went way up!
I had a great time overall in WV, but would like to ride where you can put more trust in the condition of the next curve.

The Brier Inn was excellent.

I think there are some excellent roads in SW or Southcentral VA, perhaps in the Roanoke area. Except for that stupid radar detector law......... h34r:

Something to keep in mind Charlie, what you guys saw where the gravel is concerned isn't completely normal conditions. In this part of the US we have had no rain to wash the roads. I am not positive how bad the rain deficit is in WV but here in VA we are more than 13" in the red where rain is concerned. I know for sure that WV is also in a deficit.

Sully, absolutely no disrespect is meant in this comment... & what happened to you was horribly unfortunate... but we looked at the curve where you went down. There was no gravel to speak of. You may have hit a loose rock? I am extremely confident in saying that can happen on any road in the US except for the possible exception of a race track.

 

[cota95]

Funny, I was in Boone for EOM and I ran into just as much gravel on the routes that I took. That year, the reasoning was that the gravel was in the corners because of excessive rain> I think gravel is part of the riding experience down there, just like pot holes are for us up north Charlie.

 

[thompsonian]

The WVDOT seems to know just which roads are the most fun on a bike and tend to re-berm them frequently thus spilling gravel all thru a corner. Of course there is the obvious fact that no one in this state can drive worth a shit.

 

[tstaff]

no one in this state can drive worth a shit.

I've followed some WV logging truck drivers who would take offence to that comment. :wacko:

 

[JimLor]

Hey, you sleep warm, get 3 hots a day, and no one is shooting at you...stop whining!

Geez, some people would friggin' whine if you hanged them with a new rope!

 

[mdisher]

no one in this state can drive worth a shit.

I've followed some WV logging truck drivers who would take offence to that comment. :wacko:

Amen to that... We followed a couple logging trucks over 311 last weekend and they were flat hauling ass, and keeping it in their lane the whole time. Far better than most cages...

 

[thompsonian]

no one in this state can drive worth a shit.

I've followed some WV logging truck drivers who would take offence to that comment. :wacko:

If you're following logging trucks that fast, my friend you have much bigger cajones than I do. Every time I get behind something like that, all I ever see is half the trailer across the yellow 99% of the time.