3rd/4th South'n Spine Raid 2007/08

[99d12]

Leaving for Columbia this afternoon! If I can get out of here early enough will do all back roads, there are some very good ones between here and there (AL65 to Huntland) . My son was 50/50 on making the ride last night, work obligations. Those things suck!

 

See you guys in the morning!

 

Is that 7:00am for breakfast or 7:00am we are rolling?

 

David

[docc]

0700 breakfast. Sidestands up at 0830.

 

Nose2wind is already in TN from Dallas and headed this way. We're going to go over his Sport to see if we can stabilize the idle.

 

David (99d12) call my cell when you get here and lets hook up. 931-446-1237

[motowfo]

Just got done destabilizing my ride... the test run will be the raid!!

 

Rick

 

PS... at least the Sporties have more than 1.5" of rear suspension travel!!

 

0700 breakfast. Sidestands up at 0830.

 

Nose2wind is already in TN from Dallas and headed this way. We're going to go over his Sport to see if we can stabilize the idle.

 

David (99d12) call my cell when you get here and lets hook up. 931-446-1237

[docc]

I guess the Centauro makes no dual-sport pretenses.

[Bill Hagan]

Kathi and I had to leave the Spine Raiders late on Saturday, but here is a pic of Friday night "discussions" and a shot of us in trail on the Cherohala Skyway.

 

More pics and tales to follow from us and the other Raiders soon.

 

Bill

 

 

[99d12]

South'n Spine sounds good but I must say "Spine Raiders" sounds better! How about "The Southern Spine Raiders!" with a buccaneer theme. Kinda has a Pirates of the Caribbean sound to it.

 

Arrrg! Arrrg! We ride Guzzi's! Got a bitch! We'll take your spine!!!

 

I can see a whole line of T-shirts and merchandise from this!

 

Derek (my son) and I made it home fine.

 

What a great weekend! If you ride a Guzzi and live in the SE US and have the chance to join us next year you will not be disappointed. This is a loose group, all about the bikes and the ride with a heap of personality to boot.

 

I just got home and shared a couple bottles of wine with my incredibly understanding wife, who said she will be there next year!!! I think there is a Norge coming in the next few months! Yea Ha! Then it will be Bill and I bringing up the rear with our two great wives as pillions, stem wear anyone? we have fine wine! and cheese!

 

I hope everyone makes it home safe, I know we have a few riders still on the road as I type this.

 

Better than great weekend!!!

 

Thanks to docc for organizing everything!

 

And special thanks to the guys at Coarse Motor Sport for being open late and having a tire, to Josh for picking up the tire and delivery, to Gary for mounting and balancing the tire, and docc and Dave for all the stuff in between my discovering I have cords showing (on a 2500 mile tire) at 6:00PM on Thursday evening and having a new tire on the bike by 10:30PM. Rock n' Roll Baby! We rolled at 8:30 am Friday morning! These are great people to ride with!

 

My son thinks we are all certifiable, but he can't wait until next year! Ballabio anyone?

 

Later!

 

Time for Sushi!

 

David

[Bill Hagan]

More -- way too many! -- pics to follow soon, but here's a vid of us rolling out from an overlook on the Cherohala Skyway, a road that runs a 50-mile ridgeline between Tennessee and North Carolina. It started off foggy, even misty, but, as you can see, that soon lifted and ... well ... life is good.

 

In this vid, we're at the 5K+ feet point or so, near the crest, about 3/4 of the way between Tellico and Robbinsville.

 

Have your volume up for the start-up and roll-out, then turn it way down because after we launch, it's pretty much just distracting wind noise. We, however, could hear those Guzzis sing.

 

http://www.use.com/10740

 

This is a great road. For more info, see http://www.cherohala.org/ & http://www.cherohala.com/

 

Bill

[docc]

This is surely an (un)event to remember. Thanks to every one for bringing this together.

 

Year one there were four Guzzis. Three of those lunatics have returned every year. Last year there were seven of us ( five Guzzis). This year thirteen with eleven Guzzis. Some of these folks had never ridden with other Guzzis or been able to compare notes on experiences. Invaluable!

 

I learned several good lessons:

 

* Motorcyclists are still some of the most interesting human beings on earth.

 

* Guzzi people are particularly intelligent and witty.

 

*V11lemans.com forum members are a peculiar lot. If they ask you a question: be advised: they've already done the search, read all the posts and know everything you do. You can't get away with anything with these folks. They are completely unbullsh**able.

 

*I don't look in my mirrors enough.

 

* By the time the cop passes eight bikes, and passes the lead bike on the right, they're pissed.

 

 

Thanks particularly to Josh for casually and continually looking the bikes over. My Sport ran a lot better with the left plug screwed all the way in.

[Guest italytn]

I concour w/all previous comments... great ride, and thanks to the "tech session" on Saturday, my drive shaft looks like Josh and Rick's!!

 

btw couldn't bring myself to get on I40 . Ended up going across 70 to 53 before hitting the slab in mboro

 

This is surely an (un)event to remember. Thanks to every one for bringing this together.

 

Year one there were four Guzzis. Three of those lunatics have returned every year. Last year there were seven of us ( five Guzzis). This year thirteen with eleven Guzzis. Some of these folks had never ridden with other Guzzis or been able to compare notes on experiences. Invaluable!

 

I learned several good lessons:

 

* Motorcyclists are still some of the most interesting human beings on earth.

 

* Guzzi people are particularly intelligent and witty.

 

*V11lemans.com forum members are a peculiar lot. If they ask you a question: be advised: they've already done the search, read all the posts and know everything you do. You can't get away with anything with these folks. They are completely unbullsh**able.

 

*I don't look in my mirrors enough.

 

* By the time the cop passes eight bikes, and passes the lead bike on the right, they're pissed.

Thanks particularly to Josh for casually and continually looking the bikes over. My Sport ran a lot better with the left plug screwed all the way in.

[motowfo]

Next time I want to wear out a set of perfectly fine tires... I know the guys to do it with!

 

Great time! Thanks Docc for inspiring us to attend the officially unofficial non event/gathering!

 

Hope to do it again in the near future! (New shoes should be in on Tuesday, so anytime after that is good with me!)

 

It was a great pleasure meeting everyone and I felt right at home even though I had a V11 - 1!

 

Rick

[DRM 53]

I've got to concour with all the above comments.What a great time I had! The roads and weather were near perfect (Saturday that is) ,beautiful scenery,good food,talk, laughter,bike inspections and tech talk too.I can't wait until we can get together again.After looking at my tires when I got home ,I know I've never had them that heated up.They had that melted rubber look to them,it sure was fun making them get that way.

[andy york]

even though I only stayed a night, it was good to see the gang (or should I say raiders! )

and meet some new faces. I think F Troop might be fitting

I hate getting home and cant find anything cause wifey moves it.

I saw Bills picture of the Cherohala but I cant down load mine.

rain 50 degrees hail wind....guess I shoulda stuck around.

I need to hear more about the cops !

Did you guys add to my tally?

Would have like to have seen Bill in action

maybe you will get by the shop this week Docc.

Later andy

[Josh]

I'm still smilin'! Thanks to all for the good times.

[Bill Hagan]

More -- way too many! -- pics to follow soon, but here's a vid of us rolling out from an overlook on the Cherohala Skyway, a road that runs a 50-mile ridgeline between Tennessee and North Carolina. It started off foggy, even misty, but, as you can see, that soon lifted and ... well ... life is good.

 

In this vid, we're at the 5K+ feet point or so, near the crest, about 3/4 of the way between Tellico and Robbinsville.

 

Have your volume up for the start-up and roll-out, then turn it way down because after we launch, it's pretty much just distracting wind noise. We, however, could hear those Guzzis sing.

 

http://www.use.com/10740

 

This is a great road. For more info, see http://www.cherohala.org/ & http://www.cherohala.com/

 

Bill

 

You saw the vid of the Cherohala, and here are the pics. As threatened, there are lots of 'em. Get a beer ...

 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9wgryy...0&y=-sllhm8

 

Kathi and I had a great time with these super folks. Thanks to all who played with us.

 

Oh, if you still need more ... here's a vid of doing the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap. It's 8 1/2 minutes long, and would have been worse--I mean longer--but my batteries died. Wayne Orwigs says if I went faster, they would have held up!

 

Anyway, for you armchair critics and discussion board QB's who think I was dawdling, note that I was two-up and first time through the Dragon on the Norge. More important, I trust you note only one m/c caught us, a fast little once-clad, but now naked, sportbike. I caught a fat beemer who was very unhappy to be in my gun camera. Wish my cam batteries hadn't died so you could see him trying to get away, but to no avail. He watched my gun ports twinkle and was a decal on my fuselage.

[docc]

What a fun collection of pictures. I absolutely cannot believe you got a portrait of the guy we passed in his 6- series bimmer; then ended up seated next to him at lunch!

 

I also have never known anyone to routinely photograph their food.