EOM Rally "Riding"

[jnor]

I've got a question about riding groups/speeds whatever with people going to the rally. At 58 I have no thoughts of being the next Casey Stoner......I don't ride at "cruiser speed", but i'm not a kneedragger either. Also i'm trying to talk my wife into going to the rally, and she is apprehesive about "how fast".

I went to a Busa rally at Deals Gap with a buddy of mine, while setting at McDonalds in Robbinsville after the first day we decided that we needed to stop riding like idiots, and enjoy ourselves, we found ourselves in groups riding way faster than we would normally ride (he had a Busa, I had my FZ1). He is 62 , i'm 58, both of us have been riding all of our lives. At that rally one person was killed, and I think there were 4, or 5 bad wrecks (I know it was a Busa rally).

I guess what i'm saying is.....will ther be people at a FJR rally that just want to ride the great roads in WVA., but not try to be a superstar on the street? I would think so. And I know there will be different people with different "skill" levels, and different "risk" levels.

 

[jwilly]

jnor, This is a fair question and one that comes up often. To answer you question directly: yes there will be plenty of other riders that want to ride at a more sedate pace and stop more often to take pictures.

Having said that, this event is pretty open as far as where you ride ans with who. You need to take the initiative when you get to the event to meet some other folks and look for some riding mates. You will find a group to ride with if you try.

Of course we want people to ride safe and certainly within their envelope of comfort as to avoid someone getting hurt or worse.

Look forward to meeting you at EOM.

JW

 

[Herkypilot]

My wife and I went to EOM '07 and we had a great time. JimLor lead a group of two up riders at a very moderate pace. No pressure to ride fast at all. My wife had nothing but good things to say about the memories of that ride. Unfortunately, she won't be abe to make it this year as she has to work. She would definately go again if the opportunity came up. You will get a feel for how a group wants to ride. If you read the routes as posted on the EOM site https://fjreom.com/rides.aspx, they explain some of them and what to expect.

Herkypilot

 

[HaulinAshe]

I think JimLor will be setting exactly the pace you prefer. He's a very careful and accomplished rider. There are certainly others.

Whatever you do, don't put your wife on the back and follow me, JWilly, ExtremeMarine, Grumpy, HerFJR, Zoom, ... the list goes on.

My license plate reads "ASHE-2". You'll probably never get the chance to read anybody else's.

Avoid me like the plague.

(Hey, at least I'm honest!)

The biggest thing is EXACTLY what JWilly said, You have to take the initiative and take control of your ride. Make it yours, keep it yours, and have safe fun. You and the wife will have a blast!

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Paging Jeff Ashe or others who are familiar with the routes posted,

Having never been through that neck of the woods, I am not concerned, but curious as to some of the descriptions of the routes. For example, Jeff had mentioned to possibly consider another route than EOM8 (forgot the longwinded name), if you weren't familiar with narrow mountain roads. What are these roads like? Very twisty with no painted lines in poor condition? Please enlighten me, pardon my ignorance.

For the record, I will be looking to ride a spirited, yet controlled ride on some of the twistier routes, such as the pucker or pucker south rides.....not looking to be dragging any knees, but certainly not a leisurely two-up pace, either. I'd be happy to ride with anyone of similar interests. Guess I'll take the advice given previously and just get down there and meet you all and go from there! I can't wait. Hope to meet everyone that shows up.

CJ

 

[Fencer]

Paging Jeff Ashe or others who are familiar with the routes posted,
Having never been through that neck of the woods, I am not concerned, but curious as to some of the descriptions of the routes. For example, Jeff had mentioned to possibly consider another route than EOM8 (forgot the longwinded name), if you weren't familiar with narrow mountain roads. What are these roads like? Very twisty with no painted lines in poor condition? Please enlighten me, pardon my ignorance.

For the record, I will be looking to ride a spirited, yet controlled ride on some of the twistier routes, such as the pucker or pucker south rides.....not looking to be dragging any knees, but certainly not a leisurely two-up pace, either. I'd be happy to ride with anyone of similar interests. Guess I'll take the advice given previously and just get down there and meet you all and go from there! I can't wait. Hope to meet everyone that shows up.

CJ

The roads are very similar (more than likely) to the same roads you ride on at home. Most are good, some need the DOT to come by a address some issues. Watch for the occasional gravel in the corner, and always be on the defensive.

The worst road I encountered last year was the road that went down into the gorge. It was a pocked marked 1 1/2 laner. But no one went down on that road (the bridge at the bottom can be slippery an we had at least 2 go down on the bridge, so be careful there) ESP in the morning if wet.

All in all you can ride at your pace and have fun.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

So it's not the roads I should be worried about then, it's Jeff I have to be concerned about, eh? Gotcha!

 

[smokeFJR06]

I'm contemplating attending my first EOM this year as well. There are virtually no twisties here in central Illinois so I always enjoy a good ride with twisties and no corn fields. All the trips I've been on with buddies in the past have been ride fast and stop only if you have to. If I make it down to EOM this year, I'm ready for some twisties at a leisurely pace to enjoy the scenery. I'll be coming alone as well.

Smoke

 

[Scab]

Just make sure you come on, Smoke. You'll have a great time. Besides, I'm always the slowest anyway. It's why I always ride in the back.

 

[smokeFJR06]

Just make sure you come on, Smoke. You'll have a great time. Besides, I'm always the slowest anyway. It's why I always ride in the back.

"Slowest anyway?" Don't know if I believe that with all those CRASH CLUB stickers at the bottom of your sig! :lol:

 

[spklbuk]

Paging Jeff Ashe or others who are familiar with the routes posted,
Having never been through that neck of the woods, I am not concerned, but curious as to some of the descriptions of the routes. For example, Jeff had mentioned to possibly consider another route than EOM8 (forgot the longwinded name), if you weren't familiar with narrow mountain roads. What are these roads like? Very twisty with no painted lines in poor condition? Please enlighten me, pardon my ignorance.

For the record, I will be looking to ride a spirited, yet controlled ride on some of the twistier routes, such as the pucker or pucker south rides.....not looking to be dragging any knees, but certainly not a leisurely two-up pace, either. I'd be happy to ride with anyone of similar interests. Guess I'll take the advice given previously and just get down there and meet you all and go from there! I can't wait. Hope to meet everyone that shows up.

CJ

EOM-08 route is different from any of the routes from last year. Much of the route is similar in nature to the road thru the Gorge that Fencer described. It is made up of a mix of brief stretches of main state level roads but only to allow connection between the county level roads that make up the majority of the route. There is brief stretches of tight one laners with no lines, extended stretches of one and a half laners with no lines and extended stretches of one and half and two laners marked with lines. The pavement is moderate to good along the entire route. The segments were chosen specifically for their twisties which are definitely not lacking, but also b/c they are FJR doable. Expect to get real friendly with 2nd and 3rd gear. Check out this thread for some representative pics.

There are places that you definitely do not want to screw up, but the whole route is quite rideable with due caution if you understand that you are sharing the roads with local cages, wildlife, errant livestock gravel, occassional rocks and an occassional pit bull, etc.

My wife and I have ridden the entire route two up at least twice. Just don't let yourself get in over your head, pay attention to the cautions . The description is in no way intended to scare anyone off, it was simply to let you know what to expect before lift-off. Just ride your ride and all will be well.

 

[HaulinAshe]

I feel it's prudent to remind everyone that each area has its unique characteristics. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to come from a significantly different area/state, and expect to just "fall right into" riding WV. Each state has its own highway engineers, unique road maintenance issues, etc. There are certainly more similarities than differences, but the differences are nonetheless very real.

Our very own, extraordinarily competent Grand Pubaah, ExtremeMarine, has been confined to his fairly-flat area of Michigan lately. He has remarked about having apprehensions for his initial miles in the mountains that he used to ride so often.

Please give yourself some time to learn, adjust and avoid assuming anything. Even the more mellow routes deserve some time to get friendly with their nuances.

 

[spklbuk]

Also i'm trying to talk my wife into going to the rally, and she is apprehesive about "how fast".

If she is riding her Versys she will really appreciate WV roads!! and can certainly do so at her own pace.

 

[Geezer]

I have been to a couple of EOMs as well as a bunch of other FJR gatherings. I have never felt any pressure to ride any faster than I was comfortable with at any time.

 

[extrememarine]

I am but a humble student of the Master...

Our very own, extraordinarily competent Grand Pubaah, ExtremeMarine, has been confined to his fairly-flat area of Michigan lately. He has remarked about having apprehensions for his initial miles in the mountains that he used to ride so often.

Seriously, though, I can say that over time, you loose the familiarity to that type of riding when you don't do it every weekend. Add to that, this year I'll have the boss on the back seat as well. I know that I will not be at the same level I was last September.

What it all comes down to, beyond all other factors, it to ride your ride. This applies to every situation on the motorcycle. The first time I rode with other FJR's (frosty balls 1), I was in way over my head in N. Georgia. What caused that was the simple fact that I started riding out side my zone, riding at someone else's pace. The 2nd time the front end almost came out from under me, I came to my senses. 3 corners later, here was scab & his bike sticking into the side of the mountain. On the way home from that ride, I decided that I would never ride someone else's pace again.

No matter who you choose to ride with at EOM, the only thing that matters is that you know where the next stop is and how to get there. Once you're on the road, you have to ride at your pace. I encourage this type of riding to everyone in a group setting. I've attended an annual ride with another group of riders for a couple of years and have witnessed riders being sucked into someone else's pace and the ugliness that follows. Fishing a bike out of a river is no fun.

For anyone who worries about the pace at EOM, remember, that no one else controls your right hand but you.

Ride Safe,

Wayne

Please give yourself some time to learn, adjust and avoid assuming anything. Even the more mellow routes deserve some time to get friendly with their nuances.

+gunny

 

[Scab]

"Slowest anyway?" Don't know if I believe that with all those CRASH CLUB stickers at the bottom of your sig! :lol:

Well, one was just plain my fault. Two is believed to have been caused by a medical condition (since fixed). Three, rear-ended by the wife on her bike. My fault, I guess, I bought her the bike.

And that's why I'm slow for sure now. Too many ghosts.

 

[smokeFJR06]

I am but a humble student of the Master...

Our very own, extraordinarily competent Grand Pubaah, ExtremeMarine, has been confined to his fairly-flat area of Michigan lately. He has remarked about having apprehensions for his initial miles in the mountains that he used to ride so often.

Seriously, though, I can say that over time, you loose the familiarity to that type of riding when you don't do it every weekend. Add to that, this year I'll have the boss on the back seat as well. I know that I will not be at the same level I was last September.

What it all comes down to, beyond all other factors, it to ride your ride. This applies to every situation on the motorcycle. The first time I rode with other FJR's (frosty balls 1), I was in way over my head in N. Georgia. What caused that was the simple fact that I started riding out side my zone, riding at someone else's pace. The 2nd time the front end almost came out from under me, I came to my senses. 3 corners later, here was scab & his bike sticking into the side of the mountain. On the way home from that ride, I decided that I would never ride someone else's pace again.

No matter who you choose to ride with at EOM, the only thing that matters is that you know where the next stop is and how to get there. Once you're on the road, you have to ride at your pace. I encourage this type of riding to everyone in a group setting. I've attended an annual ride with another group of riders for a couple of years and have witnessed riders being sucked into someone else's pace and the ugliness that follows. Fishing a bike out of a river is no fun.

For anyone who worries about the pace at EOM, remember, that no one else controls your right hand but you.

Ride Safe,

Wayne

Please give yourself some time to learn, adjust and avoid assuming anything. Even the more mellow routes deserve some time to get friendly with their nuances.

+gunny

Very well put and good advice.

Smoke

 

[smokeFJR06]

"Slowest anyway?" Don't know if I believe that with all those CRASH CLUB stickers at the bottom of your sig! :lol:

Well, one was just plain my fault. Two is believed to have been caused by a medical condition (since fixed). Three, rear-ended by the wife on her bike. My fault, I guess, I bought her the bike.

And that's why I'm slow for sure now. Too many ghosts.

Wow, I understand. When it comes to group riding, my preference is leading or sweep rider.

 

[zorkler]

The main thing to allways think about is to ride you own ride . And keep that mindset no matter what .