czakky Posted February 16, 2014 Posted February 16, 2014 Some time around the end of April/ beginning of May I'm taking some time and going to beat the he** out of my V11(in a good way). I'll be heading out of the Tampa Bay area of FL heading north through GA into SC and spending some time in the Pisgah Nat'l Forest of NC. After that it's time to boogie on with my chubby dance partner, no planned route and the better part of a week to earn those merit badges the authorities hand out. So that's where I need help, because when you've been living in FL for a few years and see a map with all these squiggly lines it gets a bit overwhelming. You guys have super secret merit badge free roads and I won't tell. I'm looking to possibly go as far north as WV splitting nights in a tent and at low-brow seedy motels. What should I check out? Where are the good rides? I've never been to this part of the country and in case you can't tell I can't freakin wait!
LowRyter Posted February 16, 2014 Posted February 16, 2014 great riding country. I've traveled there 4 times. Some great rides are the Tail of the Dragon (129 from Tenn to Deals Gap NC), Hwy 28 from Deals Gap to Highland NC, Cherocola Parkway. You might consider staying in Telico Plains TN or Robbinsville NC. Take a ride to Maggie Valley to see Wheels Through Time museum. I don't have any experience in N Ga but the rides around Suches are documented.
mznyc Posted February 16, 2014 Posted February 16, 2014 I've been riding that area for about 15 years and probably clocked 10's of K's of miles from Front Royal,Shenandoah Valley,Blue Ridge and N.Georgia . There's good riding in SC and South Georgia but the best stuff is the area of where Tenn-Ga-NC meet.Defiantly the best in the East and what a Guzzi is bred for as opposed to the flats/heat/humidity of Tampa Bay.I would go directly to North Georgia and work your way to the Gap.The Gap is definatley a different animal than it was when I first started going there with all commercialism and traffic,but during the week it's not bad at all and there's hundreds of miles of killer roads leading to and from it. If you and your wife are up for it, you could get there in about 7hrs of slab + breaks. This is a great web-site for getting road descriptions,even though most of the best roads Ive found over the years were from just looking at a map and thinking,"Hmm that looks good",... http://www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html Ive never trailered a bike,always slabbed it down to Skyline Dr and worked my way down to the good stuff via the squigley stuff on various Honda's over the years.Maybe too far for the Guzzi,so might break down and load her up and head down this year with the Scura in tow. We have several members who are local who I'm sure will chime in.I'll put together a list of roads Ive done,.... Prepare to be blown away,....
czakky Posted February 16, 2014 Author Posted February 16, 2014 Awesome, exactly the insight I was looking for. @LowRyter: I'm gonna have to check out Wheels through time and research the Suches area. @mzync: I'll try and hit Deal's gap during the week. No wife on this one, she hasn't ridden with me for any distant since I had my old cb750 about 6 years ago. Doesn't sound like there are any bad options once into N. GA. Hopefully the Guzzi does better then my old cb750 (which on the trip that is on my avatar we ended up having to bypass the starter solenoid w/ a screw driver all the way through Ontario. But that's another story) and reliability is a concern. Can't freakin wait!!
mznyc Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 Ive never heard anybody talk about this road but try to hit it every time im near the Smokies.Docc you know about this,..?
czakky Posted February 17, 2014 Author Posted February 17, 2014 Are you running GPS on the Guzzi? I've got it, but when I'm "touring" I like to use maps. Ive never heard anybody talk about this road but try to hit it every time im near the Smokies.Docc you know about this,..? Logged.
mznyc Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 Two things to be aware of on that road.It ends as an unpaved road going into the National Forest,(I always turn around,although a DS would be fun to explore with) and I had a black bear cub run across the road a few years ago.It hadn't been resurfaced recently as of last summer(still a blast) but I have done it when it was and ,oh boy!,Usually no one on it, just a handfull of houses up that road and no crossroads. That brings up another point.Critters aren't as big a deal in Fla,as they are up there.Once you get into GA,respect those deer and bear Xing signs.They are there for a reason. This took about 5 mins waiting at a bear crossing sign for this female to walk out.
czakky Posted February 17, 2014 Author Posted February 17, 2014 Very true about the critters. How's the weather usually towards the end of April? I'm not planning on staying dry or totally warm, but i'm happy to have two-three days of good weather within a week.
mznyc Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 Im usually down there in late spring and summer so the locals would know better but temps ,should be good.Ive been lucky the last couple times in June and July the temps were unseasonably cool.I would think spring/fall would be the best time.
gstallons Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 Two things to be aware of on that road.It ends as an unpaved road going into the National Forest,(I always turn around,although a DS would be fun to explore with) and I had a black bear cub run across the road a few years ago.It hadn't been resurfaced recently as of last summer(still a blast) but I have done it when it was and ,oh boy!,Usually no one on it, just a handfull of houses up that road and no crossroads. That brings up another point.Critters aren't as big a deal in Fla,as they are up there.Once you get into GA,respect those deer and bear Xing signs.They are there for a reason. This took about 5 mins waiting at a bear crossing sign for this female to walk out. How would you like to stop for a roadside potty break and have that thing come up on you ?
docc Posted February 18, 2014 Posted February 18, 2014 Ive never heard anybody talk about this road but try to hit it every time im near the Smokies.Docc you know about this,..? I'm not up on that one. You have point of reference (west of Bryson, northeast of Waynesville, off of US 129)?
mznyc Posted February 18, 2014 Posted February 18, 2014 Let's see if this works,.. https://www.google.com/maps/@35.7819411,-83.1555205,13z
czakky Posted February 18, 2014 Author Posted February 18, 2014 Yeah, we don't have roads like that here in FL....
docc Posted February 18, 2014 Posted February 18, 2014 You've got to be the type that looks for the gnarliest roads imaginable to scour the Appalachian divide for stuff like that! And then go ride it!
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