GixxerJasen Does Georgia....kinda.

[gixxerjasen]

What a crazy series of weeks Ive had. First I accepted a position at a new company, which meant a departure from my current company and from a lot of people I very much enjoy working with. As the sole network administrator at the company this left them in a difficult situation. I managed to negotiate some extra time for my start date in order to assist with this transition. We ended up finally hiring a guy to start with only four days left in my notice, so I spent that time trying to cram all the details of my job into his head before I had to leave.

All that said, I timed everything perfectly. We had a long planned vacation for Spring Break that I did not want to miss out on. My sister recently moved her and her family to Dahlonega Georgia. My parents and her husbands family were all coming up for a big family vacation.

Wait a second. You opened this to read a ride report, not a family vacation!

Just wait, one thing my family has learned over the years, when we go to a place that is a motorcycling destination, my bike goes with me. This time on my newly acquired Kendon fold up trailer.

Here she is, one big fat trailer queen.

Day 1 - Saturday

Drove from Texas to Alabama.

Two things are sure at the end of the day.

1. My five year old son is tired of being in the car.

2. Me and my wife are tired of being in the car with our five year old son.

Day 2 - Sunday

One broken strap required a quick trip to Home Depot. I really knew these straps needed replacing so this is my bust here. Thankfully I run the rule of using more straps than is necessary.

We arrived at our very rustic cabin. Wed only spend the first day here and the nights, otherwise wed be at my sisters place hanging out.

It only has the very very basics, but thatll do and the price is definitely right and you cant beat the view from the front porch.

My sister and her family are actually enroute from Florida this day because of a funeral they had to attend on Saturday so we had some time to kill as wed arrived several hours ahead of them. I introduced my son to the time honored tradition of throwing rocks into a body of water. We also hiked around and explored the area.

Evidently hes got a mind of his own that greatly differs from his dad.

No real riding today.

Day 3 - Monday

Rode the bike over to my sisters house. The 10 miles between the cabin and their house is pretty amazing, especially for a Texas boy used to flat straight roads.

Approximate route, with actual addresses left out.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.6273639,-83.9550488/34.5353211,-83.9848749/@34.5805249,-83.96964,13z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-83.9901191!2d34.5649506!3s0x885f68ec06380aa9:0x6a899e7bd38b03af!1m0!3e0

One tradition we have, is that when we have these big family get togethers, each night someone cooks for the group. Its fun and saves money on restaurants. My night is Tuesday night, but Im making my always successful Ree Drummons Dr Pepper Pulled Pork. To do pull this off properly, it requires slow cooking the pork for 6 hours the day before, turning the pork every two hours. Im doing up two pork butts, one spicy and one for the wimps.

After getting the pork in the oven, I turn to google maps and start looking around. Now that Im here and have a bit of a lay of the land, I can figure these maps out. I plot me out a loop thatll take about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how shaky I am on these twisty roads and if I stop and sightsee much. I get this laid out in the time it takes to get to the first turn, then I suit up and head out.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.5398108,-83.9873211/34.7708244,-83.9140217/34.6853284,-84.0209667/499+N+Grove+St,+Dahlonega,+GA+30533/@34.6921768,-83.9441261,12z/data=!4m26!4m25!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-84.0066866!2d34.6050056!3s0x885f69362e7b3591:0x27eb2e5afa1cacb1!1m0!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-83.9823273!2d34.6639846!3s0x885f6ba8a45e4463:0xf3c7975695d03831!3m4!1m2!1d-84.0130182!2d34.6009806!3s0x885f69344a3f699f:0x405804efdf5532fd!1m5!1m1!1s0x885f689d0ef24a99:0x83c82f2d9c90900!2m2!1d-83.9872487!2d34.5399517!3e0

The direction of the loop is the opposite of the map.

This was a good run, out 19 a little bit and then up 60. I was pretty much in love with 60 at this point. Very twisty, along the side of a mountain with very little traffic, good views, and a crossing of the Appalachian Trail.

I turned east on 180 and found zero traffic on a tight technical road. At this point I thought this road was pretty amazing. My opinion will change in a few days though.

Finally I turned back toward home on 19. This portion of 19 is more heavily traveled, and as evidenced by the uphill passing lanes, is a truck route. Most of this part of the loop is downhill for me but I can see those extra lanes over on the other side. Good pavement, and still not a whole lot of traffic. I didnt get held up at all today on this road.

I ran back to the house and finished the pork so itll be ready for the crock pot for tomorrow.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Day 4 - Tuesday

Today is dads day. Of the four full days well actually be here, the weather report is only nice for Monday and Tuesday. Temps in the 60s and sunny, before the storms move in. Thats why I chose today to be dads day.

So, Ive taken the parentals for rides a few times over the years. Both have decided that theyd rather not ride on a motorcycle. My dads last ride he said scared him to death, not so much because he didnt trust me, but mostly the lack of control thing. I understand this because while I trust my wife to drive the car, Im much more nervous if Im not in the drivers seat.

Recently dad has had some medical scares though, and hes re-evaluated himself. Hes realized hes going to miss out on some fun things in life because hes been scared to do them and is tired of being scared. For this reason, Ive been taking him on a bunch of roller coasters lately, and he loves them.

So, when he found out I was bringing the bike, he asked if Id take him for a ride in the mountains. I rounded up a helmet in his size and wrangled up a jacket. I then hit up Georgia Roller from the FJRForum to send me a nice easy route that wasnt too long in the saddle. He shot me over a nice loop out of Dahlonega to hit up the Amicalola Falls halfway through. We decided wed take the bike and the car so my wife, mom, and son could enjoy the falls as well.

Well, wouldnt you know it, I ran out of the house with the wrong route in my tank bag map pocket. I knew the return route was pretty much the direct route to the falls, so I punch up the falls on the GPS and let it take us there.

Dad getting suited up.

Dad and son by the bike.

Apparently we were quite the sight at the gas station there getting ready to ride.

Dad and son at the park after the first ride. Hes smiling, he had a blast!

And dad proudly hanging out next to the bike.

Amicalola Falls is pretty spectacular. Its a bit of a hike to get to the actual base of the falls, and those of us who are out of shape are in awe of those who run the steps for fitness.

Only two of us made it to the base of the falls. Lets just say one of us was exhausted and out of breath, and the other one was five years old.

The route there.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Dahlonega,+GA/Amicalola+Falls+State+Park+Rd,+Dawsonville+30534/@34.5425167,-84.1875312,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x885f663a6c225031:0x4107f4a9601eba83!2m2!1d-83.9843953!2d34.5261465!1m5!1m1!1s0x885f7792ace306b1:0x5f7ad06cbcf3502f!2m2!1d-84.2508811!2d34.564363

I asked dad if he wanted to ride back or if he was done. He surprised me by saying that not only did he want to ride back, but he was disappointed that the road wasnt twistier. I offered to take him all the way back to the cabin since we needed to get the other car, and he already knew those roads. He had a blast and hasnt stopped talking about it since.

A good day on the bike, and what looked to be like my last day due to the weather rolling in. Rain and cold were in store for us over the next few days.

Day 5 - Wednesday

Storms rolled in about 2am. Raining and cold with a high wind advisory. Not a good day for riding, especially enjoyable riding. We pack up the car and head over to my sisters house to just hang out and let the kids play.

Oddly, the storms roll through by lunchtime and by about 1pm its sunny, but still in the forties and windy. I notice that the roads are drying up, so I decide, eff it, and run and grab the bike. I dont have good cold weather gear, so I have to deal with just the quilted liners in my airglides and just be chilly.

I start off by running by the motorcycle dealership Riders Hill that Ive heard so much about with the intention of buying a Riders Hill T-Shirt.

Yea, its a little dead in the middle of the week. I go inside and theres another rider milling around looking at stuff. He leaves shortly after I walk in. I wander around, nice place, try on some gear, look at stuff and find their T-shirts. Meh, its just a Suzuki T-shirt with the huge Suzuki logo in the middle with a small at Riders Hill silk screened under it. Nothing too special. Im mildly interested, but seeing as Ive been in the shop 10 minutes and not ONE employee has bothered to poke their head out of the back offices, I figure they dont want my money and walk out.

Having had no time to plan todays ride, I run the same route as Monday, but I run it in reverse this time. The run up 19 is amazing with the extra lane. Theres very little traffic and I start to get really comfortable with this mountain riding stuff on the FJR. I had an amazing time running up this road.

I make my turn onto 180. With a few days of riding under my belt up here now, my opinion of this road has changed. Many sections are too tight for the FJR to enjoy it, the road surface is sketchy, and theres some rain troughs in a few of the corners. This road would be a blast on a supermoto, but not so much the FJR. Im quite happy to finish this road and turn south onto 60. Running downhill on 60 Im having a great time and getting my groove on, when I get a subtle reminder to turn it down a notch, especially with the blind corners.

Thank goodness I wasnt running a few seconds faster!

I make my way back to the cabin and park the bike having had a good ride on a day when I wasnt supposed to ride at all. Lets see how tomorrow works out.

Day 6 - Thursday

We head over to my sisters house and I watch the temps come back up into the 40s again. Its sunny and the wind is gone. Ive been perusing maps and come up with a good loop for today. Im DEFINITELY going out!

My run up 19 is shaping up better than yesterday. Im in the groove, feeling good, having an amazing time, until. Blah, pass one car just before the passing lane ends, and end up behind an SUV, which is behind another car, behind a slow moving semi truck.

We plod along up the hill, and I can tell the car right behind the semi truck is really antsy and impatient. Hes swerving to look around the truck at every opportunity. Well call him Douchey from here on out.

Finally, we get our passing lane back. SUV in front of me makes no move to go around, but Douchey in front of him peels off the formation and floors it. Finally! Someone is going to drive well in the mountains. Im interested to see an enthusiast drive up here, so I pin it and tail along behind him to watch. We hit the first set of curves and he starts using up every inch of pavement on our side of the road, both lanes, to hit his apexes. Hes running outside inside outside to maximize his speed through the curves. This is why I call him Douchey, at least hes not using the oncoming lane any, but its much more fun to just stay in your own lane and ride, which is what Im doing.

And then I notice, for all his posturing running outside inside outside, Im sitting in my lane and being held up. WTF? Ok, time to leave Douchey behind. I set it up, rip up the passing lane and zip past him all while staying in my own lane. Once Im by, he continues his driving of using both lanes, and I easily walk away from him never hanging off or crossing the lane lines. Yea, Ive got a huge grin inside my helmet.

I get a gentle reminder of my poor form and how far Im leaning over when I drag my toe slider. I pull my toe in and start sliding a cheek off the seat and all is well from then on out.

Video of me passing Douchey and a little bit afterwards.

 

[Niehart]

Thanks for taking us along and congrats on the new job.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Good Stuff!

I picked up on your Bozo's T-shirt in the pic with you and your son by the water. You inspired me with that ride/story and I will never forget it.

I am glad you and your family were able to combine your vacation like that. That is not always easy to do.

Great, great Stuff with your Dad! I am so happy he had a good ride with you, sharing these things with the Dear Old Dads is priceless.

Just a passing thought, and please can I NOT get flamed for this one? Instead of using the Canyon Dancer on the bars, use the soft straps and go to the bottom triple clamp. It is easier than it sounds and the bike is much more secure. Yes, I have done this both ways and will never use the Canyon Dancer again if I can help it.

Thanks for sharing all of this, and glad you had fun. Good luck with the new job.

 

[gixxerjasen]

That's exactly how I transport my dirt bikes. The canyon dancers are tied down loosely, not super tight. With the rings on them it cannot come off unless the strap breaks. Having the straps just snug reduces the risk of them breaking. Then I have the others to help out with the holding it up and keeping it from moving forward and backward movement. I've had good luck with the canyon dancers over the years so long as you don't strap them down super duper tight.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Nice Spring Break vacation Jasen. Thanks for sharing the ride(s) with us!

--G

 

[TomInPA]

Really enjoyed the trip report, and I think a toy hauler might be the way to enjoy some riding while keeping the non-riding wife happy. Thanks. Where did you score the trailer?

 

[Klubis]

Nice ride report, Jason,

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Great report and wonderful photos gixxerjasen!!

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Scooper]

Thanks for taking me along . Not been out much this year yet.

 

[BullCBX]

Great ride report. Glad you enjoyed the roads. They are quite different than those in the DFW area. We moved here from Wylie back in 1995 so I can relate to the difference. Next time let some of us know your heading this way and we'll join up with you for some fun riding. Would like to hear your opinion of Wolf Pen Gap road (180)? When I was up there a few weeks ago the road surface was still covered with debris from all of the rough winter. Seems like Georgia does not know how to use salt, so they just throw a lot of cinders and sand. Makes the roads a complete mess in the spring. When I went across 180, i was sure I was going to low side somewhere along the way. Have been waiting for a little more rain to clear the road.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

I'm glad your trip seemed to work out mostly. And I'm glad your Dad seemed to enjoy his ride. You seem like you have a very nice & close family that makes time for each other even though you live states apart and are all adults with your own lives children. That's nice to see.

I hope your job works out well. Congrats.

 

[Bugnatr]

Very nice indeed, thanks for sharing. Good luck with the new job and homestead.

 

[Burnspot]

Great report, thanks! Good luck with the new job!

 

[Tyler]

Great report... riding with your dad... priceless! B)

 

[gixxerjasen]

Where did you score the trailer?

Craigslist locally. And "Score" is the right word for it. Been looking on there for a trailer to take the bike out there, don't know if you've priced the Kendon's at all but they ain't cheap. A guy not too far had it listed for $750.00. I shot him an email, he called me the next day. I said I was interested and wanted to see it and buy it if it looked as good as the pics. He told me, he had about 20 emails (I believe it) and I was the fifth email. He went down the line calling folks back and I was the first to not try to lowball him on the phone. I told him, those guys just know it's a trailer, I know it's a Kendon and the price is already the lowball price. Nice guy, even if he did trade his ZX10R in on a Harley.

Great ride report. Glad you enjoyed the roads. They are quite different than those in the DFW area. We moved here from Wylie back in 1995 so I can relate to the difference. Next time let some of us know your heading this way and we'll join up with you for some fun riding. Would like to hear your opinion of Wolf Pen Gap road (180)? When I was up there a few weeks ago the road surface was still covered with debris from all of the rough winter. Seems like Georgia does not know how to use salt, so they just throw a lot of cinders and sand. Makes the roads a complete mess in the spring. When I went across 180, i was sure I was going to low side somewhere along the way. Have been waiting for a little more rain to clear the road.

180, yea, it was a bit of a mess. Not so much gravel as up there with the icicles, but not too bad. The road surface wasn't the greatest though, and those rain troughs in the turns sure did suck, especially when they aren't so obvious in the shade and you hit that first one not knowing it's there....that'll leave a stain.

Sure was nice to have a private little road though. I think the only car I saw was parked in a pullout somewhere.

 

[puppychow]

Georgia done good. Those map routes look very appetizing and probably whet your appetite for food pr0n!

 

[hppants]

I really enjoyed reading this. Especially the ride with your dad. The smile on his face looks genuine.

I've ridden that area of Georgia quite a bit. It's excellent riding. The extra lane on the uphill of some of those state highways is a friggin blast. If conditions allow, I you can let 'er rip a little on the inside lane, knowing that you have the outside lane to pull up on if things get too twitchy.

Kind of has me jonesing to go back...

 

[gixxerjasen]

The extra lane on the uphill of some of those state highways is a friggin blast. If conditions allow, I you can let 'er rip a little on the inside lane, knowing that you have the outside lane to pull up on if things get too twitchy.

Exactly!!!