Well, a lot has changed in the year since my last post. I sold my bikes and bought a boat and a Miata, which I fixed up into a little sports car. But I couldn't stay away from motorcycles!
A couple months ago I bought a new, leftover 2009 KLX250S. I have always dreamed about having a little dual sport bike to play around with, but I wasn't sure it was for me. Let me tell you, this little bike is a lot of fun! I have been dive-bombing my local construction sites and railroad access trails with glee. I heart trespassing.
Tonight I am at the Iron Horse Motorcycle Campground in Stecoah, NC. It's a really nice place. Tomorrow morning I will head out to do some riding in the national forest, on the Cherohala Skyway, and beyond. Me and my 21 horsepower will have us a time.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, March 1, 2010
Late Winter Death Trip to WNC
The weather was supposed to be nice for my first trip to the mountains to really try out the VFR. However it didn't really turn out that way.
I spent two nights in Hot Springs, NC at the Iron Horse Station (there are two Iron Horses in NC - the campground in Stecoah, and the Iron Horse Station in Hot Springs). The Iron Horse Station is named not for motorcycles but for trains, but that doesn't stop it from being a great place to base a trip. Rooms start at $65 per night and are way cooler than a holiday inn. The rooms sit above a nice bar and restaurant - not a biker-type, rowdy place, but more like a bistro. There's no "scene," just a nice place to relax and eat. The rooms don't have TV's or phones, and most have skylights instead of windows. Perfect for me - I like to ride motorcycles by day and read books by night. http://www.theironhorsestation.com/
I rode up on Friday afternoon, arriving around 5:30 pm from my home in West Columbia, SC. There are several fun ways to get to HS but I took the most direct. My feet were really getting cold at 34 degrees F outside, but my heated vest and gloves, and insulated pants, kept the rest of me warm. Little did I know how attractive 34 degrees would seem the next morning.
Saturday I had coffee and granola in the cafe next door and headed out into a cold, gray morning. It was about 29 degrees, but it was only 9:30 am - surely things would warm up?
I took Hwy 25/70 east out of town, towards the crossroads of Hurricane, then left onto 208 for my first time on that road. 208 is a beautiful, rural road that parallels a winding tributary of the French Broad river, rising from about 1600 feet at the intersection of 25/70 to 3000 feet at the highest.
At 3000 feet, it was 21 degrees outside. I was having fun, but at 21 degrees a young man's thoughts turn to survival. My feet were very cold, but the heated gear did its work and kept me going. I need better boots, or more sense.
From 208 I turned right onto 212, then right again onto 352 into Ernestville, Tennessee, where it was a balmy 29 degrees. I passed a really beautiful, snowy waterfall somewhere in there. Then I took Spivey Mountain Road/US19W east, back into NC. This is a fun, remote, very rural road that lead all the way down to 19E, familiar territory, which took me to Burnsville for lunch. The temp gauge read 31 on the VFR as I pulled head-first into a slightly downhill parking spot - classic mistake, for which I paid dearly come kickstand-up time.
Lunch break.
Let me take a moment to point out that not only was I the only motorcycle on the road the entire trip, I drew looks like I was Evel Knievel just starting his run up to the ramp (the VFR Anniversary red, white and blue color scheme notwithstanding). The waitress at the Garden Deli looked at me like I was a space alien.
After lunch I headed for Asheville to look at boots at MR Motorcycles, a truly awesome bike dealership. They didn't have any warmer boots for me, but they have some incredible deals on new bikes, so if you're looking, you might want to check them out. They have all kinds of gear on sale too. Asheville was downright hot at 42 degrees, and the sun was out. It was a pretty day.
Let me also point out that weather.com said it would be highs in the mid-50's in Hot Springs all weekend.
From Asheville I headed out of town on New Leicester ("Lester") Highway, and made the left onto Newfound Road, an extremely fun and scenic motorcycle road, which comes out in Canton, NC, on I-40. I headed one exit farther west on 40 and gassed up, then made a right at the light onto Thickety Road, a tight, twisty residential/farm road. At this point the sky began to darken, as Thickety Road turned into Crabtree Mountain Road.
The elevation began to rise, and the temperature began to fall. I rose as high as 3600 feet, and temps fell into the 20s again. At this point the road surface turned into pea gravel on asphalt, probably a de-icing measure. With zero traction, I climbed the twisty ribbon of asphalt and horror at bicycle speed, the 500lb VFR wearing my forearms and wrists slap out.
Then things got interesting.
A lone Subaru Outback and I made our way up and turned right onto 209, towards Hot Springs, and my deluxe walk-in shower. I began to see more and more snow on the ground and in the trees as we climbed. We reached an altitude of about 3800 feet, and it began to snow. It snowed and snowed, harder and harder, falling onto the asphalt. The temperature gauge read 29, then 28, then 27, then 26, until I was sure the wet pavement must be icing up soon. I studied the road surface, looking for the glassy reflection of ice.
The road meandered along the mountainsides, with a steep drop to the left, and a steep hillside to the right. I came around a bend at about 25 mph, and there it was - a drift of snow that had fallen from the hillside and spilled across 3/4 of the roadway, lying about 4 inches deep, and about 10 feet across. There was no time to stop. There was no time to swerve. There was no time to brake - indeed, that would be suicide. There was only time to pray - out loud, in a calm voice - "God, help me, please help me through this. Please, Lord." - and I was through. I was immediately embarrassed. "I know it's been a while, God. Sorry about that whole atheism thing. I'm still finding myself."
The snow fell, and I kept on, through Luck, NC, and Trust, NC, past the cool gas station, following the river, following the river, up and down, through the misting snow, tired, cold, scared, and fully alive, I went round and round the bends towards my temporary home.
As I neared Hot Springs, the sun briefly came out, and it stopped snowing. It was 32 degrees as I rolled down Bridge Street, stopping at the entrance to the Iron Horse, and shutting down the VFR.
If you know you're going to make it home, it's not really an adventure, is it?
The Route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=hot+springs,+nc&daddr=hurricane,+nc+to:N+Carolina+212+N+to:Ernestville,+TN+to:sioux,+nc+to:US-19W+S+to:burnsville,+nc+to:asheville,+nc+to:Hendersonville+Rd%2FUS-25+S+to:Biltmore+Ave+to:Patton+Ave+to:N+Carolina+63+W%2FNew+Leicester+Hwy+to:I-40+W+to:Champion+Dr+to:Thickety+Rd+to:N+Carolina+209+N%2FCrabtree+Rd+to:N+Carolina+209+N%2FRush+Fork+Rd+to:N+Carolina+209+N+to:35.892708,-82.83042&hl=en&geocode=FWWsIwIdGCEQ-ynd_tW9GDJaiDHuknZX8TSleQ%3BFR8CJAId9zcR-yk5xDSLXzBaiDFx-XNeh7ZmPQ%3BFRJOJQIdYOIS-w%3BFUhoJgIdEBwV-ylPWetNCmtaiDE9zrU1fc0yeQ%3BFbqhJQIdkEYX-ynrZq4jzXJaiDEmLbwx7VblTw%3BFdvFJAId3ekW-w%3BFRgOJAId3y8Y-ymz6iW-rgNaiDFYzBffZZvD_A%3BFTE6HwIdYVMU-ykJbw88qYxZiDFdOjQGwTHvlA%3BFSdgHgIdlqIU-w%3BFYAiHwIdlFwU-w%3BFWgDHwIdaqoT-w%3BFYWJHwId2MkS-w%3BFcJ3HgIdLFAQ-w%3BFUB3HgId2MwP-w%3BFQx2HgIdvr0P-w%3BFV8tHwIddYcO-w%3BFZZaIAIdtWQO-w%3BFbeGIQId3oEP-w%3B&mra=mi&mrcr=14&mrsp=18&sz=13&via=2,5,14&sll=35.871803,-82.837601&sspn=0.10697,0.264187&ie=UTF8&ll=35.789969,-82.750397&spn=0.856631,2.113495&z=10
I spent two nights in Hot Springs, NC at the Iron Horse Station (there are two Iron Horses in NC - the campground in Stecoah, and the Iron Horse Station in Hot Springs). The Iron Horse Station is named not for motorcycles but for trains, but that doesn't stop it from being a great place to base a trip. Rooms start at $65 per night and are way cooler than a holiday inn. The rooms sit above a nice bar and restaurant - not a biker-type, rowdy place, but more like a bistro. There's no "scene," just a nice place to relax and eat. The rooms don't have TV's or phones, and most have skylights instead of windows. Perfect for me - I like to ride motorcycles by day and read books by night. http://www.theironhorsestation.com/
I rode up on Friday afternoon, arriving around 5:30 pm from my home in West Columbia, SC. There are several fun ways to get to HS but I took the most direct. My feet were really getting cold at 34 degrees F outside, but my heated vest and gloves, and insulated pants, kept the rest of me warm. Little did I know how attractive 34 degrees would seem the next morning.
Saturday I had coffee and granola in the cafe next door and headed out into a cold, gray morning. It was about 29 degrees, but it was only 9:30 am - surely things would warm up?
I took Hwy 25/70 east out of town, towards the crossroads of Hurricane, then left onto 208 for my first time on that road. 208 is a beautiful, rural road that parallels a winding tributary of the French Broad river, rising from about 1600 feet at the intersection of 25/70 to 3000 feet at the highest.
At 3000 feet, it was 21 degrees outside. I was having fun, but at 21 degrees a young man's thoughts turn to survival. My feet were very cold, but the heated gear did its work and kept me going. I need better boots, or more sense.
From 208 I turned right onto 212, then right again onto 352 into Ernestville, Tennessee, where it was a balmy 29 degrees. I passed a really beautiful, snowy waterfall somewhere in there. Then I took Spivey Mountain Road/US19W east, back into NC. This is a fun, remote, very rural road that lead all the way down to 19E, familiar territory, which took me to Burnsville for lunch. The temp gauge read 31 on the VFR as I pulled head-first into a slightly downhill parking spot - classic mistake, for which I paid dearly come kickstand-up time.
Lunch break.
Let me take a moment to point out that not only was I the only motorcycle on the road the entire trip, I drew looks like I was Evel Knievel just starting his run up to the ramp (the VFR Anniversary red, white and blue color scheme notwithstanding). The waitress at the Garden Deli looked at me like I was a space alien.
After lunch I headed for Asheville to look at boots at MR Motorcycles, a truly awesome bike dealership. They didn't have any warmer boots for me, but they have some incredible deals on new bikes, so if you're looking, you might want to check them out. They have all kinds of gear on sale too. Asheville was downright hot at 42 degrees, and the sun was out. It was a pretty day.
Let me also point out that weather.com said it would be highs in the mid-50's in Hot Springs all weekend.
From Asheville I headed out of town on New Leicester ("Lester") Highway, and made the left onto Newfound Road, an extremely fun and scenic motorcycle road, which comes out in Canton, NC, on I-40. I headed one exit farther west on 40 and gassed up, then made a right at the light onto Thickety Road, a tight, twisty residential/farm road. At this point the sky began to darken, as Thickety Road turned into Crabtree Mountain Road.
The elevation began to rise, and the temperature began to fall. I rose as high as 3600 feet, and temps fell into the 20s again. At this point the road surface turned into pea gravel on asphalt, probably a de-icing measure. With zero traction, I climbed the twisty ribbon of asphalt and horror at bicycle speed, the 500lb VFR wearing my forearms and wrists slap out.
Then things got interesting.
A lone Subaru Outback and I made our way up and turned right onto 209, towards Hot Springs, and my deluxe walk-in shower. I began to see more and more snow on the ground and in the trees as we climbed. We reached an altitude of about 3800 feet, and it began to snow. It snowed and snowed, harder and harder, falling onto the asphalt. The temperature gauge read 29, then 28, then 27, then 26, until I was sure the wet pavement must be icing up soon. I studied the road surface, looking for the glassy reflection of ice.
The road meandered along the mountainsides, with a steep drop to the left, and a steep hillside to the right. I came around a bend at about 25 mph, and there it was - a drift of snow that had fallen from the hillside and spilled across 3/4 of the roadway, lying about 4 inches deep, and about 10 feet across. There was no time to stop. There was no time to swerve. There was no time to brake - indeed, that would be suicide. There was only time to pray - out loud, in a calm voice - "God, help me, please help me through this. Please, Lord." - and I was through. I was immediately embarrassed. "I know it's been a while, God. Sorry about that whole atheism thing. I'm still finding myself."
The snow fell, and I kept on, through Luck, NC, and Trust, NC, past the cool gas station, following the river, following the river, up and down, through the misting snow, tired, cold, scared, and fully alive, I went round and round the bends towards my temporary home.
As I neared Hot Springs, the sun briefly came out, and it stopped snowing. It was 32 degrees as I rolled down Bridge Street, stopping at the entrance to the Iron Horse, and shutting down the VFR.
If you know you're going to make it home, it's not really an adventure, is it?
The Route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=hot+springs,+nc&daddr=hurricane,+nc+to:N+Carolina+212+N+to:Ernestville,+TN+to:sioux,+nc+to:US-19W+S+to:burnsville,+nc+to:asheville,+nc+to:Hendersonville+Rd%2FUS-25+S+to:Biltmore+Ave+to:Patton+Ave+to:N+Carolina+63+W%2FNew+Leicester+Hwy+to:I-40+W+to:Champion+Dr+to:Thickety+Rd+to:N+Carolina+209+N%2FCrabtree+Rd+to:N+Carolina+209+N%2FRush+Fork+Rd+to:N+Carolina+209+N+to:35.892708,-82.83042&hl=en&geocode=FWWsIwIdGCEQ-ynd_tW9GDJaiDHuknZX8TSleQ%3BFR8CJAId9zcR-yk5xDSLXzBaiDFx-XNeh7ZmPQ%3BFRJOJQIdYOIS-w%3BFUhoJgIdEBwV-ylPWetNCmtaiDE9zrU1fc0yeQ%3BFbqhJQIdkEYX-ynrZq4jzXJaiDEmLbwx7VblTw%3BFdvFJAId3ekW-w%3BFRgOJAId3y8Y-ymz6iW-rgNaiDFYzBffZZvD_A%3BFTE6HwIdYVMU-ykJbw88qYxZiDFdOjQGwTHvlA%3BFSdgHgIdlqIU-w%3BFYAiHwIdlFwU-w%3BFWgDHwIdaqoT-w%3BFYWJHwId2MkS-w%3BFcJ3HgIdLFAQ-w%3BFUB3HgId2MwP-w%3BFQx2HgIdvr0P-w%3BFV8tHwIddYcO-w%3BFZZaIAIdtWQO-w%3BFbeGIQId3oEP-w%3B&mra=mi&mrcr=14&mrsp=18&sz=13&via=2,5,14&sll=35.871803,-82.837601&sspn=0.10697,0.264187&ie=UTF8&ll=35.789969,-82.750397&spn=0.856631,2.113495&z=10
Sunday, February 28, 2010
DL650 In The Dirt
Let me preface this by saying that I've never ridden a dirt bike. In my world, "dirt riding" means gravel roads, dirt roads, and front yards. Period. I wouldn't take it onto a dirt bike track, through a lot of mud, in sand, snow, or ice - on purpose.
But this is a blog about riding in the mountains - and if there is one constant when it comes to mountain riding, it's that conditions will change. Most of the best mountain riding is done in remote, rural areas. You're going to get chased by dogs. You're going to see cows. You may spot a llama or an ostrich. old men will try to kill you with tractors. Cell phone reception seems like a distant dream - if it's not coming from a satellite, you ain't picking it up.
In these remote areas, the main challenges are 1) weather conditions, and 2) road surface conditions.
1) Mountain weather comes up fast and leaves just as quickly. The weather on one side of a tunnel or a pass can be sunny and warm, and it can be cold and raining on the other side.
2) Road maintenance varies. Some roads, like the Blue Ridge Parkway, are nearly flawless for the most part. Others, especially in rural areas, are chewed-up, bombed-out and depleted. Even paved roads may have loose sand, and trailers kick up gravel on the insides of turns. Also, paved roads abruptly, unexpectedly may turn into dirt or gravel roads, then change back to pavement again, then back to gravel, etc.
Not being a dirt rider per se, I can say that the Strom is a great bike for rough roads, dirt roads, and gravel roads. Why? Because first, you have excellent control over the bike - you have handlebars! You have a high, SUV-type seating position to see what's coming up. You can stand up on the pegs easily. You have a 19-inch front wheel to minimize bumps and help you maintain control. Finally, the cable-operated clutch is light and easy to operate without fatigue, which is critical, because slow dirt riding requires a lot of clutch work.
Liquid cooling means you can chug along all day at 5mph. The large gas tank and excellent fuel mileage - 45-55mpg, easy - mean you can wander for hours without getting stranded. Also, the bike has excellent ground clearance to clear obstacles and ruts.
It's not a dirt bike - but it is "dirt-bikey" enough to get you where you need to be in the mountains.
But this is a blog about riding in the mountains - and if there is one constant when it comes to mountain riding, it's that conditions will change. Most of the best mountain riding is done in remote, rural areas. You're going to get chased by dogs. You're going to see cows. You may spot a llama or an ostrich. old men will try to kill you with tractors. Cell phone reception seems like a distant dream - if it's not coming from a satellite, you ain't picking it up.
In these remote areas, the main challenges are 1) weather conditions, and 2) road surface conditions.
1) Mountain weather comes up fast and leaves just as quickly. The weather on one side of a tunnel or a pass can be sunny and warm, and it can be cold and raining on the other side.
2) Road maintenance varies. Some roads, like the Blue Ridge Parkway, are nearly flawless for the most part. Others, especially in rural areas, are chewed-up, bombed-out and depleted. Even paved roads may have loose sand, and trailers kick up gravel on the insides of turns. Also, paved roads abruptly, unexpectedly may turn into dirt or gravel roads, then change back to pavement again, then back to gravel, etc.
Not being a dirt rider per se, I can say that the Strom is a great bike for rough roads, dirt roads, and gravel roads. Why? Because first, you have excellent control over the bike - you have handlebars! You have a high, SUV-type seating position to see what's coming up. You can stand up on the pegs easily. You have a 19-inch front wheel to minimize bumps and help you maintain control. Finally, the cable-operated clutch is light and easy to operate without fatigue, which is critical, because slow dirt riding requires a lot of clutch work.
Liquid cooling means you can chug along all day at 5mph. The large gas tank and excellent fuel mileage - 45-55mpg, easy - mean you can wander for hours without getting stranded. Also, the bike has excellent ground clearance to clear obstacles and ruts.
It's not a dirt bike - but it is "dirt-bikey" enough to get you where you need to be in the mountains.
The Bikes - Suzuki DL650
If you have to have only one bike for riding in the mountains, the Suzuki DL650 should be very high on your list. It's cheap, powerful, relatively light, and you can load it down with a lot of gear. While it's not a true dual-sport bike, it is the better choice when road- or weather conditions deteriorate, which they quickly can when one is riding in the mountains.
I have a lot of add-ons (aka, Farkles) on my bike. The most critical is the luggage - I have basic Givi hard saddlebags - E36N's - and an E46N topcase with a backrest for my lady. This upgrade instantly transforms your basic Strom into a cross-country-capable hauler. I can load all three bags down with stuff, put my wife on the back, and we can GO.
A lot of people wonder about the power difference between the DL650 and the DL1000. I've never ridden the DL1000, but I can tell you that I've never felt slow on the 650. With my wife on the back, I'm not going to be hot-dogging it, anyway - not if I want everyone to stay happy! I weigh about 215, and my wife weighs about 115, so we weight about 350 with full riding gear. We probably pack close to 70lbs in the bags. The DL650's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is 926lbs, and the bike itself weighs about 450lbs, so carrying capacity is about 476lbs, and we get pretty close to that number on a regular basis. The goes up the mountains and down the mountains with absolutely no problems. Power and handling are still what I would consider sporty.
One thing people don't realize about the DL650 is that it has a greater carrying capacity than the DL1000 based on the GVWR - it even has a greater carrying capacity than the Honda Goldwing at 418lbs! Trust me, if YOU'RE bringing your wife or girlfriend, SHE'S bringing a lot of stuff!
Riding solo on the DL650, with minimal load, the bike really feels sporty. It's not as fast as the VFR, but it really starts pulling in the upper rev ranges.
I have a lot of add-ons (aka, Farkles) on my bike. The most critical is the luggage - I have basic Givi hard saddlebags - E36N's - and an E46N topcase with a backrest for my lady. This upgrade instantly transforms your basic Strom into a cross-country-capable hauler. I can load all three bags down with stuff, put my wife on the back, and we can GO.
A lot of people wonder about the power difference between the DL650 and the DL1000. I've never ridden the DL1000, but I can tell you that I've never felt slow on the 650. With my wife on the back, I'm not going to be hot-dogging it, anyway - not if I want everyone to stay happy! I weigh about 215, and my wife weighs about 115, so we weight about 350 with full riding gear. We probably pack close to 70lbs in the bags. The DL650's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is 926lbs, and the bike itself weighs about 450lbs, so carrying capacity is about 476lbs, and we get pretty close to that number on a regular basis. The goes up the mountains and down the mountains with absolutely no problems. Power and handling are still what I would consider sporty.
One thing people don't realize about the DL650 is that it has a greater carrying capacity than the DL1000 based on the GVWR - it even has a greater carrying capacity than the Honda Goldwing at 418lbs! Trust me, if YOU'RE bringing your wife or girlfriend, SHE'S bringing a lot of stuff!
Riding solo on the DL650, with minimal load, the bike really feels sporty. It's not as fast as the VFR, but it really starts pulling in the upper rev ranges.
Welcome to Hidden Drive!
I am creating this blog to share motorcycles stories, review equipment, and talk about the best motorcycling routes and hidden gems in the Appalachians (WNC, TN, VA, GA). I will also discuss safety issues, maintenance, tools, riding techniques, and whatever else crosses my mind!
My current bikes are a 2009 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom, and a 2007 Honda Interceptor (25th Anniversary Edition).
My current bikes are a 2009 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom, and a 2007 Honda Interceptor (25th Anniversary Edition).
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