Strider's 2014 Trip Report Thread

Strider7

Strider7

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Since I like Dustin's format so much, I figured I would follow suit and start a thread of my own. Now I doubt I will log as many miles as Dustin, with such a late start in the season, but who's counting miles anyway! People just want to see pictures!

Here are some pictures from my recent - I just got back home this morning - trip to The Dragon/Smokies ...

Oops ... I ran out of fuel. 187.4miles wasn't enough to get to the next exit for fuel. Obligatory Mr. Bean face for my first time running out of fuel on a bike. I would never have pushed it that far if I didn't have a friend following behind in a car. On the way back home I logged an even higher mileage on one tank - and that WITHOUT running out of fuel. It was something like 194.7 miles - I don't remember exactly, but something like that.








This trip was with an annual gathering of Integra owners, but since my car wasn't ready, I took the FZ instead!




This was another, larger waterfall near the Bridal Veils Fall.






















The wife of one of the Integra folks rides a BMW 1000RR, and they trailered it up with his car from Florida. So, I had someone to ride with. The folks at Dragon Pitt BBQ were very accommodating for our group.

Cool bike on display at Dragon Pitt BBQ


 
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I had a chance to do a little fishing while I was there, with a friend from Maryland.










That new tire ain't so new anymore! We have a beer exchange every year, so I had a friend mule some Texas beer up for me to share with everyone.
 
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Hey! Glad to see another trip report thread! Great photos! Would you recommend visiting The Dragon and that general area? You've ridden the west coast if I remember right; how does it compare?
 
Dustin said:
Hey! Glad to see another trip report thread! Great photos! Would you recommend visiting The Dragon and that general area? You've ridden the west coast if I remember right; how does it compare?
Click to expand...

Yes, I would recommend visiting! Even if only to say that you've done it! The area is great, and The Dragon is fun but can be very busy on the weekends, depending on when you go. I enjoy some of the other roads in the area more than The Dragon itself. It goes without saying that if you can plan to be there during the week, the crowds will mostly be elsewhere, and you'll have more of the area to yourself. Last year I went in the second week in August, and there was just the right amount of traffic for me - I saw other bikes occasionally, but the large crowds just weren't there.

As far as comparing it to the west coast, well they are similar and yet different at the same time. With the west coast you have, well, the coast. Coastal cliffs and curvy roads hanging right off the edge of the water. In the Smokies, you have that trademark evening to morning smoky fog, cold clear water, green trees everywhere! If you like BBQ (if I remember right, that might be lost on you - I think you are more of a veggies kinda man) then there's plenty of it to be had.

I've stayed at Fontana Village four years running now - twice at the Lodge, once at the campgrounds, and this time I shared a cabin with a couple of friends. I like Fontana, and will continue to stay there.

You will more than likely get wet while in the Smokies. It rains every time I'm there, but it's never for very long, and it never spoils the trip. I don't remember getting rained on in Cali.

Like Cali, there is good riding all around the area. Just going from your place of lodging or campground to go eat or pick up supplies in the next town over is a blast. There's a reason I keep going back, and part of it is definitely the curvy roads and beautiful scenery. I know a group of folks that goes every year, so that is somewhat of a draw for me too.

No doubt there are other places that look and feel very similar in both Cali and your Canadian 'home turf', but I'd say if you have a chance, make a Dragon run.
 
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Thanks for the pictures and report. I'm riding my Hondapotamas back to the Smokies in late September. I will be spending a few days Maggie Valley and Greenville SC riding with the locals so we may go by the falls.Never been that far east, looking forward to riding in those Appalachians states.
 
Here's a little clip from some GoPro footage that I took on our way back home. This was on The Dragon. The bike is fully loaded, and my moto skills are only adequate, so please excuse my lack of 'go fast'.

Anyways, about half-way throught the video, I wave by one of the locals, and his response is a cool wheelie before he drags a knee around the next turn. This dude was knee draggin every turn, it was cool to watch.

The resolution is crap, but I guess that's a downfall of using photobucket instead of youtube. I need to try and remember my youtube account login and upload it over there.

http://vid56.photobucket.com/albums...agon 2014/LocalWheeliesDragon_zps33b19559.mp4
 
I loved Fontana as well. Ah, the fog - I remember it - the fog also causes some wet, slippery spots when it condenses so gotta be careful. I was not worried though, as the traction and pavement quality is great and grippy.

The things I miss on the west coast, is the greenery and shade and close places to eat out and fill up. The roads here are not maintained as well as the east and there is a lot of run-off gravel off the cliffs in blind corners. It is very dry and can get a lot windy. The best part is the close proximity to twisties. So it is a tradeoff.
Strider7 said:
Yes, I would recommend visiting! Even if only to say that you've done it! The area is great, and The Dragon is fun but can be very busy on the weekends, depending on when you go. I enjoy some of the other roads in the area more than The Dragon itself. It goes without saying that if you can plan to be there during the week, the crowds will mostly be elsewhere, and you'll have more of the area to yourself. Last year I went in the second week in August, and there was just the right amount of traffic for me - I saw other bikes occasionally, but the large crowds just weren't there.

As far as comparing it to the west coast, well they are similar and yet different at the same time. With the west coast you have, well, the coast. Coastal cliffs and curvy roads hanging right off the edge of the water. In the Smokies, you have that trademark evening to morning smoky fog, cold clear water, green trees everywhere! If you like BBQ (if I remember right, that might be lost on you - I think you are more of a veggies kinda man) then there's plenty of it to be had.

I've stayed at Fontana Village four years running now - twice at the Lodge, once at the campgrounds, and this time I shared a cabin with a couple of friends. I like Fontana, and will continue to stay there.

You will more than likely get wet while in the Smokies. It rains every time I'm there, but it's never for very long, and it never spoils the trip. I don't remember getting rained on in Cali.

Like Cali, there is good riding all around the area. Just going from your place of lodging or campground to go eat or pick up supplies in the next town over is a blast. There's a reason I keep going back, and part of it is definitely the curvy roads and beautiful scenery. I know a group of folks that goes every year, so that is somewhat of a draw for me too.

No doubt there are other places that look and feel very similar in both Cali and your Canadian 'home turf', but I'd say if you have a chance, make a Dragon run.
Click to expand...
 
Well, we just got back from Maine earlier today. It's about a 28 hour run for us. I rode the Fazer in, and she took a flight and met me there. We spent a week there enjoying the coastal communities and eating lobster and fish. Sadly, the bike did not make it back under her own power. There was a flash flood at the first hotel we stayed at, and our rental car and the bike were both inundated with water. Three inches of water dropped in ninety minutes - the bike was completely submerged for hours.

Anyway, BEFORE that happened, it was a good bike trip ... Pictures to follow ...
 
Strider7 said:
Well, we just got back from Maine earlier today. It's about a 28 hour run for us. I rode the Fazer in, and she took a flight and met me there. We spent a week there enjoying the coastal communities and eating lobster and fish. Sadly, the bike did not make it back under her own power. There was a flash flood at the first hotel we stayed at, and our rental car and the bike were both inundated with water. Three inches of water dropped in ninety minutes - the bike was completely submerged for hours.

Anyway, BEFORE that happened, it was a good bike trip ... Pictures to follow ...
Click to expand...


Wow, that sucks man! Sorry to hear that. Is the bike totally toast and were you insured for something like that?
 
Yes, insurance will cover the bike (full coverage) ... I did not have 'trip interruption' coverage though - so I am on the hook for the rental truck, BUT they're working with me on it all. They have been generous.

As for the bike, my opinion was that it would be totaled. I mean, come on, PORTLAND?!? The place is a peninsula, and we were only one mile from the bay, on a full moon, at high tide. But the insurance company maintains that no salt water touched the bike - I am not so convinced. However, they worked quickly to get the bike taken to Reynolds, a Yamaha dealership in the next town over. The guys at Reynolds worked hard to try and get the bike up and running so that I could ride it home. All the folks at Progressive have been working hard on my claim.

In the end though, they were not able to get it road ready. It needs a gauge cluster and they didn't have an air filter for it.

They dropped the exhaust to drain water, pulled the plugs and evacuated water from the cylinders, did 5 oil changes, flushed the brake fluid and coolant, drained the fuel tank, replaced the plugs, and lubed 'stuff'. The bike is running, and sounds pretty much like normal. There are some other things that I want addressed though: all bearings - wheel, steering, swing arm; possibly new seats - they're soggy; and the forks need to be rebuilt. I've been told that a lot of those systems are 'sealed', but I'm not buying it. It's a motorcycle, and while it was built to be washed and ridden in the rain, it wasn't built to be a submarine. This thing was completely submerged for HOURS - like 7 hours. I am expecting a lifetime of weird electrical problems, but we'll see.

Progressive has been great so far, so even though they don't want to total it, I'll just have to wait and see what they're gonna do.
 
Dustin said:
What a hassle, keep us posted. I'm not so sure I'd want to have that bike back, either
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Yeah, it's gonna be hard for me to trust it. But at this point, I have purchased the trip interruption coverage, and will just ride the heck outta the bike. If it has ANY problems whatsoever after this, I will reference this one event for the life of the bike. Basically, I'm gonna maintain that any future problems have been caused by this flood event.
 
Well, before I start in on the Maine trip pictures, here's one that came to me late - from the Smokies trip a few weeks ago.

Bridal Veil Falls ...
 
The first day I left directly from the fire station and rode from Houston to Tugaloo State Park in Georgia. It is very near the South Carolina state line. I arrived there very late and set up camp in the dark. I'm kinda used to doing it that way, sadly, so these shots are from the next morning before I broke camp. I just stayed there overnight. It was a nice park, what little I saw of it, and I would like to return there again.













Some of the other campsites ...




And other shots from around the park










 
Great photos! I really love the shots of your camp site all set up. It looks like this little luxury 'camping nook' all for you. Brilliant
 
Dustin said:
Great photos! I really love the shots of your camp site all set up. It looks like this little luxury 'camping nook' all for you. Brilliant
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Yeah, I picked one of the 'regular' 35' campsites. There were also 'deluxe' sites that I believe were a little larger. Mine was not a waterfront site (it was VERY close to the restrooms and showers though!), but many of them were. The campsites dotted the edge of the lake, all around that part of the park. I'm fairly certain that the photos of those other campsites show one of the 'deluxe' sites.
 
Second day

Well, after a nice breakfast buffet at Shoney's in Lavonia, GA, I returned to the campsite. I had gotten up early, an hour earlier than normal for me - I was on Eastern Time now, so that I could go and get a good breakfast to set me up for another long day of riding. That first day had been decent with no real troubles, but it was more than 13 hours in the saddle, and much of it wet. I had started encountering light showers near Biloxi, MS and just rode right through them without stopping to throw in the rain liners. By Mobil, AL and for sometime after the rain became quite heavy, but by that time it was too late to worry about being wet, I was already thoroughly soaked - so I just kept riding. Needless to say, it was good to get out of the wet clothes and into some dry ones when I arrived at the campsite pictured above.

Normally I don't let myself get that wet, but I was trying to make time, and it just kinda worked out that way. The radar showed intermittent showers, and at first I figured I would just get a little wet and then dry out as I rode along. That worked for a time, but I didn't quite skirt around one of the larger storm cells the way I thought I would - hence the soaking. No worries though, I had spare clothes that were dry, and fresh tires on the bike that work great in the rain.

Anyways, back to the second day. So after breakfast, I paid for the campsite (remember, I had gotten there too late the day before to register and pay), broke camp, took the few pictures I posted above, and hit the road. The next stop would be Manassas, VA to visit briefly with my uncle. Well Day Two proved to be a wet one as well, but I had the rain liners in this time. My first couple of hours in Virginia were cold and wet. Cold enough that with the rain, I had to throw in a third warm layer. The rain did let up though, it always does, and I got to my uncle's place and enjoyed dinner with him.

My next stop, and where I would sleep for the night, was in Owings Mills, MD at a friend's house. He and his wife just purchased their first home, and were excited to have me stay there and check out the house. Here's a picture of the bike in the garage with a couple of Integras. When not playing with motorcycles, I also have an Integra that gets used in a 'sporting' fashion from time to time.



Before arriving at my uncle's place, I notice that the chain was making a lot of noise, and that it had become quite loose. It worried me, but I kept riding. I knew that once I got to my amigo's garage, we could open the front sprocket cover and look for damage. With more than 20,000 miles on the bike it was nearing time for chain and sprockets, but I had decided before I began the trip that they would hold until I returned home with around 25,000 miles on the clock. I figured that they looked decent enough, and that 25K was a good compromise between the 20 to 30K that many report getting on the stock components.

Fortunately, my concerns were over-inflated and the sprockets were fine. The bike just needed a chain slack adjustment. It was VERY loose, but all was well after a few wrenches were turned. We took care of that immediately upon my arrival at their place, and while enjoying a couple of 'Dirty Little Freak's from DuClaw Brewing Company. Try it out if you like beer, it has some chocolaty notes - among others. The photo above was taken the morning of the third day, before I burned off for Maine.
 
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