Fifth South'n Spine Raid 2009

[docc]

That's good to know. In that case, you should plan on riding the Sport down to Columbia Thursday night and accompany us on a spirited ride east. It looks to be about 230 miles to the lodge, then we'll do a loop around the Appalachians Saturday.

[JoeGuzzi]

As much as I enjoyed last year I will not be able to make it this year. We will be on Vacation in Key West that week. I will keep an eye on the board to see if the date changes.

Ya'll have fun.

 

Joe in Atlanta

1972 Eldorado

2004 Ballabio

[Bill Hagan]

As much as I enjoyed last year I will not be able to make it this year. We will be on Vacation in Key West that week. I will keep an eye on the board to see if the date changes.

Ya'll have fun.

 

Joe in Atlanta

1972 Eldorado

2004 Ballabio

 

Too bad, Joe.

 

Three points, the first for all.

 

1. Think docc is rethinking the Tapoco Lodge thing as too small, too far east, etc. He'll probably post something soon.

 

2. Great having you join us for breakfast before the "Georgia Cold-Butt Ride " weekend before last. Don't know if you ever saw the pix as I did not post them here (no spine frames!), but they are here: http://forum.guzzitech.com/index.php?optio...=36&id=3905

 

3. I have that extra key I found for the Ballabio; I'll mail it if you'll PM your USPS address. Or, mebbe I'll just use the address to steal the Ballabio.

 

Bill

 

P.S. My folks lived in Key West for many years. Great place, especially if you can spend more than a few hours. I always felt sorry for those who drove all that way, just to turn right around and head back. Your whole life slows down if you can spend several days or more there. Bucolic in an odd, decayed, tropical sort of way. Few things in the world as pleasant as sipping a G&T on a porch in Key West in the late afternoon.

[JoeGuzzi]

Too bad, Joe.

 

Three points, the first for all.

 

1. Think docc is rethinking the Tapoco Lodge thing as too small, too far east, etc. He'll probably post something soon.

 

2. Great having you join us for breakfast before the "Georgia Cold-Butt Ride " weekend before last. Don't know if you ever saw the pix as I did not post them here (no spine frames!), but they are here: http://forum.guzzitech.com/index.php?optio...=36&id=3905

 

3. I have that extra key I found for the Ballabio; I'll mail it if you'll PM your USPS address. Or, mebbe I'll just use the address to steal the Ballabio.

 

Bill

 

P.S. My folks lived in Key West for many years. Great place, especially if you can spend more than a few hours. I always felt sorry for those who drove all that way, just to turn right around and head back. Your whole life slows down if you can spend several days or more there. Bucolic in an odd, decayed, tropical sort of way. Few things in the world as pleasant as sipping a G&T on a porch in Key West in the late afternoon.

 

 

Bill, don't worry about the key, just keep it in your tool box until the next time we get together, no hurry.

Neither my wife or I have been to Key West, I headed that way once but got bored driving and turned around before I made it all the way.

This May we are taking a trip I won at my employer. We had a contest for the southeast region to see which division could cut their electrical consumption by the largest amount.

I won a trip for two. It includes airfare, 4 days at the Weston Key West Resort and Marina, food&drink allowance and $1,000 spending money. If I tell my wife I am canceling this trip to go on the South'N Spine 5th Annual Raid you all will have to keep fresh flowers on my grave, but at least you'll have the Ballabio back after they remove it from my A - - !!!!!

 

Joe

[docc]

Joe,

 

I'm having trouble feeling sorry for you having to go to Key West and all. In fact, I'm thinking, "Hey, Key West is, like 'south' - we could do the Raid there . . ." No, really, the $1000 and drinking allowances (food is optional) should work out pretty well and your wife's gonna love us. No. really . . .

 

Trouble is, Joe's Ballabio represents 33.3% of the spine frames at last year's (non) event. I know they're becoming collector's items and all, but come on - some of you guys could have your garage queens trailered in. You know, with umbrella girls and all. Ping me in advance - I'll bring the umbrellas.

 

As Bill said, I'm concerned the Tapoco is a bit constrained and even a little remote for our purposes. From the beginning, I wanted this to be something a guy could decide at the last minute to pop in, get a room and have some good times looking over the Guzzis in the parking lot.

 

 

I'm looking at some places along the I75 corridor in Tennessee and may return us to some prior venue. I don't think we should go back to the Super8 in Athens as the warrants may still be outstanding . . .

 

Ride well, change your oil and charge you battery, docc

[docc]

Bill and I have decided to ride a little further on Friday to get into some new territory and try to make the meet more accessible for for more riders.

 

We'll gather at the Comfort Inn in Newport, Tennessee, about 40 miles east of Knoxville on I40. This is petty close to where I40 meets I75 and I81 as well as I26. Not that we're riding any interstate, just that it may make it easier for a rider to pop in if even just for the evening. Mention "Moto Guzzi" when you call for your reservations for the 'group rate.' I don't know if that means they're putting us all in the same room.

 

Riders will be arriving in small groups, solo and two-up on Friday May 15 during the late afternoon and evening. Saturday many o us will head out into the countryside, probably north into Virginia, for the non-route/un-ride since this is not a rallye, isn't a sanctioned event of anyone or any known entity. Whew, there, riding with lawyers is challenging.

 

I'll be teching some rotor temperatures on the Saturday ride just to see who hasn't been cleaning their pistons lately.

[Bill Hagan]

Howdy.

 

Kathi and I have reserved our room.

 

I cross posted this on wildguzzi, guzzitech, and http://www.georgiaguzziowners.com/ websites.

 

Lots of time and Guzzi miles 'til May, but looking forward to this.

 

Bill

[docc]

Just drove through these mountains with the family in the Volvo T5 Bomber. Nice area, even by interstate. There is no excuse for even the most garage bound V11 Stalwart not to come show their stuff at the Spine Raid.

 

OK, I guess if you live in Belgium . . . Even then, I have a guest room . . .

[Bill Hagan]

Just drove through these mountains with the family in the Volvo T5 Bomber. Nice area, even by interstate. There is no excuse for even the most garage bound V11 Stalwart not to come show their stuff at the Spine Raid.

 

OK, I guess if you live in Belgium . . . Even then, I have a guest room . . .

 

Yup.

 

I just got back from a 2000-miler via 90+% back roads Georgia, S.C, Tenn., N.C., Virginia, and Maryland on the Norge; what a joy that Guzzi is ... but, ah, I (unashamedly) digress.

 

 

Pic, btw, taken here: http://www.villaappalaccia.com/index.htm. Other Norge is Joe Sokohl's. Joe came along for a day or two south of Richmond. After he left, the both I and the weather went south. Got drenched.

 

But -- back on topic at last! -- I had intended and hoped to check out part of docc's proposed loop, but only got as near as Liberty, SW of Johnson City, Tenn.

 

That was near enough to see how grand that part of the world is. Kathi and I are looking forward to this gathering. Even bought a Carabinieri tee on ebay so I can "talk cop" in event we have any LEO events.

 

Bill

[docc]

Time to dust off the V11, mount that new tire and charge the battery.

 

Two weeks from Friday and it's off to the mountains!

[Bill Hagan]

Time to dust off the V11, mount that new tire and charge the battery.

 

Two weeks from Friday and it's off to the mountains!

 

Think Wayne Orwig, Mike Maillard, Kathi, and I will be the Atlanta contingent. Tim Hayes (another red Norgester) will be there from Spruce Pine, N.C., and Rick Mathis, Franklin, Tenn., will catch up with us (if he can; he has one of the slower, silver Norges ) on the loop somewhere on Sat.

 

Bill

[Wayne Orwig]

Newport Tenn?

 

Are you guys going to Dollywood?

[docc]

Aww! You've ratted us out!

 

But, I've heard there is a really knarly downhill gravel back way in . . .

[Wayne Orwig]

Aww! You've ratted us out!

 

But, I've heard there is a really knarly downhill gravel back way in . . .

 

 

Great, I'll be on the Stelvio then....

 

[docc]

I could lick a Stelvio.

 

Don't let me around the Grappa . . they don't allow this sort of thing in East Tennessee . . .

 

(Otherwise): I'm hearing the grumblings of folks prepping their Guzzis for a gathering. If *you* are wondering if *you* should show up (*you* know who *you* are!), this is it!

 

*I* can't wait!!