Dedicated Video Post!!!

441 South from Gatlinburg to Cherokee

Nothing was open so I could eat. Turned around and headed back up 441 to Gatlinburg for some dinner.

My first try on US129. It was extremely wet which made it that much more entertaining.

My final run on the Dragon for the day. It was my third go at it. Run number 2 is for my own personal memory banks :)

And that concludes my recording of this fantastic trip. Thanks for riding along with me.

Post-trip reflection and Damage Report

Was I unprepared for the events that took place on this trip? 

I've been asking myself that ever since I got home. To be honest, I don't think I was. I may not have prepared to fully cover the extent at which the rain came down on my return, but other than that, things could have been much worse. Who actually expects to be caught in rain all the way down the east coast? Yes, I did get a spook with the assumed bad gasoline at the start which eventually led to the spark plug boot snafu on the way back. I did my best to make sure I had the resources and capability to overcome such instances. Aside from not packing dialectric grease (which will be done on trips here on out), I stand by my previous statement. Even my amateur-ly set-up suspension performed better than expected, now that I come to think of it. If one were to remove the circumstances that were outside of my control, this trip could have been 99.5% successful

99.5%? Why not 100%? There still were little things that affected overall success, but only in ways if they had not been addressed during the trip, where they could have led to possible catastrophic failure. For starters, I probably should have replaced my chain prior to leaving. The thing already had about 18,000 miles on it, and I was about to put another 1,500 on it pretty much in one go. It's been a good chain, but I could tell that it was beginning to bite the dust, but I decided to roll with it anyway. Maintenance is top priority when it comes to this essential piece of equipment already, with it getting cleaned, lubricated and properly tensioned (if needed, which is few and far between) about every 700 miles or once a month. More so if it rains due to the possibility of rust. The chain was perfect before I left. Had a bit of a sag the day I left. I lubed it before I got on the road to head home. After putting it on the stands and giving Jarvis his post trip inspection, I found it to be quite a bit on the loose side. The tools were available to adjust it, but it really hadn't gotten to the point where I needed to worry. Perhaps I put myself out there in this regard. If the chain had broke or jumped the front sprocket, it could have made for quite the dilemma thanks to the rather fragile clutch push rod and oil seal that are ridiculously close to those moving parts. I made a note to make it the first thing I address to get him road ready again.

Oil consumption was a larger issue than I had anticipated during this trip as well. All of my trips before making this one had been sub 200 miles. I had made some to Orlando before where I get there one day and come back the next, but that's still a piece of cake in flat Florida. The mileage on the oil was a tad on the high side before I left, but well within the suggested replacement window. When I arrived at the hotel, Jarvis' oil was right where it needed to be according to the manual. Smack in the middle of the sight glass window. This was checked on flat surface with the bike upright (not on the kickstand!). Bombdiggity! That's right where it was when I left. After my day of romping in the mountains, the same procedure was used and NO oil could be seen in the sight glass. No biggie. I had some with me and was expecting some level of consumption. The entire quart ended up having to be used. This surprised me quite a bit, since I'm used to longer trips using less oil. Again, I was prepared for such an occurrence and knocked it out of the park to get myself home.

The rain. Oh, the rain on the way back. I'm not sure I could have been prepared for that even if I wanted to be. I wore rain pants and the waterproof liner every time I was on the bike. So I was prepared in that aspect, but I really could have used a few changes of clothes on the way home. Packing them would have been in vain though since it took a very short amount of time for me to go from dry to wet. I learned that sometimes "waterproof" things can only be so waterproof. And of course the stupid spark plug issue...

As cliche' as it sounds, I overcame quite a bit of adversity during this trip, should it be the weather or mechanical issues. Since it is my first of many. I'm sure what I faced on this trip will pale in comparison to what is coming. If you're wondering if you should take a mototrip or something of that nature, just go ahead and do it. You will test yourself mentally and physically, as well as your machine. Of course, be careful and certain while getting your bike and supplies together. If you don't feel comfortable doing your own maintenance, have a shop do it and plan to have it done at your destination if you have a far trip. If your bike is in good shape and you pay attention to what it's telling you en route, you will be able to take it anywhere you want.

Plan for what you know and what you don't. If you choose to travel by yourself, make sure plenty of people know where you're going. Share your route and don't stray too far from it in case something happens. If that doesn't suit your fancy, just be sure you have a way to reach someone should something happen. Traveling solo means that you can move at your own pace and do whatever it is you please. This also gives you a chance to reflect on things and just enjoy the simple and scarce pleasure of being alone. If you choose to bring along some buddies, make sure everyone is on the same page at all times. I'm sure that would make things exponentially easier. Most of all, be sure to ride well within your limits when you are someplace you don't know and BE SAFE!!! Nothing can beat how rewarding a feeling you get when you finally get to "Point B" intact and it's always better to arrive home in one piece. Regardless of where you choose to go or who you choose to go with I highly recommend doing it.

It was cold, it was wet, mentally and physically taxing, extremely unfamiliar, almost scary at times and far away from home. But would I do it again?

You bet I would.

Damage Report:

Jarvis handled the trip remarkably well. Not too many things went wrong aside from what I've already wrote about, but a problem has arisen that may be related to the trip. Here is a list of things that happened or needed to be fixed when I got home.

- Chain needed a massive adjustment and extensive cleaning due to rain and salt scum from the road. It will probably be replaced in the near future.
- Left rear turn signal needed to be rewired. I must have separated some wires when taking my tool kit out on the way up. I thought it had been flooded since it was full of water at one point, but I lucked out.
- Entire bike needed a massive cleaning
- The bolt that held my horn to its bracket decided it wanted to stay in the mountains. I noticed my horn swinging by its wires at one point.
- My gauge cluster had some internal moisture for a few days, but that has since dried out.
- My winter gloves are completely worn out and need to be replaced.
- Something in my Sena SMH5 headset has malfunctioned and won't work properly. I imagine from excessive water exposure. I have already contacted Sena and will be sending the unit in for a replacement since it's still within warranty.
- Although it may be unrelated, my laptop crashed a few days after I got home. The main reason why I haven't gotten to any videos yet.
- I have been getting error codes (C42 for my fellow SVers that may be reading) pertaining to the ignition system every now and again. Thought it may have finally been the "dreaded green connector" problem, so I removed the said connector altogether to no avail. I think I have it isolated to the actual switch inside the key barrel. Too much water/grit/whatever may have found its way in there and is messing with the internal contacts. Hopefully this will phase itself out, but is quite the nuisance whenever it occurs. It's gotten better over the past few days.

Nothing too out of the ordinary. All can be easily fixed or adjusted aside from that occasional error code. All it takes is one or two more tries at turning the key and everything comes on as it should.

Thanks to an extremely helpful friend who was able to back up my hard drive from my crashed laptop after the fact, I now have access to all my videos from the trip again. They will be posted soon after I sort through and edit them.

Who knew getting home would be so hard...

March 17th

More rain. Steady and cold. Hit snooze too many times and I'm running late getting things together. Jarvis still needs a looking over before we hit the road and I need to eat.

Everything was packed the night before so that's taken care of and just needs to be hooked up to the bike. Maintenance is done and I still have to eat, check out, and get gas. I'm really short on time, so I wolf down two cereal bars. Gear up, check out and head to the ridiculously expensive gas station. Water is already starting to penetrate my gear and I haven't even left town yet. It's slow going due to clouds again and I choose not to take 32 out since it's super wet and I don't want to do the unpaved portion in the rain. I go the normal way GPS tells me and right before I get onto 40 my front cylinder drops.

For those who are familiar with the SV650, this is an all too common issue that is easily rectified with the application of dialectric grease to the spark plug boot. I had done this prior to leaving, but removing and cleaning the boot on the way up rendered that useless. I know exactly what to do, but I need to find a place to stop to do my work. A rest stop should do the trick. It's freezing and this is the first time I can see my breath in my helmet.

This is where people started to offer assistance to get me on my way. A first for me, I must say.

Another older couple parks beside Jarvis at the rest stop as I'm sitting on the ground in the freezing rain with my hands in his innards trying to dry up the spark plug port. They ask how far I have to go and I can see the concern on the woman's face as I tell them I'm alright and I've done this fix many times before. They go inside the visitors center, do their business and come out just as I get everything set and fire Jarvis up.

He's running OK now, but the woman is still insisting that I take a dry towel she is trying to give me. I respectfully decline, telling her that it wouldn't be very dry in a few minutes anyway and thank her for the offer. The couple give me their well wishes and off they go. Not 30 seconds after they leave, the cylinder drops again and I haven't even left the parking lot. I hurry to get going in hopes that the heat from the engine will help evaporate the water, but there is just too much moisture on the road and I end up causing a back-up in traffic because I have very little power to negotiate the hilly mountain road. Every vehicle on the highway is trying to get by me so I pull off at the very next exit to find a gas station in hopes that they carry the dialectric grease I so dearly need. No dice. Every other automotive thing you could imagine... except for what I need. So I grab some more towels and get to drying things out again.

The rain has died a smidge, so I thought I would get lucky and finally get the engine up to temperature to boil off any excess water. Nope. Same story, different on-ramp. The next exit is for Canton and looks a little more populated than the previous ones I limped into. There is an Ingles grocery store and I finally feel like I will catch a break trying to find what I need. I call my fiancee' on the headset to update her on the situation and ask her what time it is since I don't want to take my phone out in the rain. 10 in the morning. It has taken me 2 hours to go 63 miles. FANTASTIC! As I wander around the Ingles, a voice behind me asks "Hey, didn't I pass you on 40? You were going awfully slow for a bike." An older gentleman who owns the voice walks up and I explain to him what the situation is and what I'm looking for. He says they probably won't have any, but walks around with me anyway to try and find it. I guess he could see how frustrated I was getting and tells me that he might have something in his work truck that could help. Electrical contact spray or something. I thank him, but spray would wash off just as soon as it is applied in my case. He goes on his way to finish his grocery store run and I'm finally able to get my phone out to aid in my adventure without it getting soaked since I'm indoors.

I find an auto parts store about a mile from where I am! Finally!!! Light at the end of the tunnel! As I'm getting my gear on, the man from Ingles has found me in the parking lot and pulls up next to me, rather adamant that I use the spray he has, which is now in his hand hanging out the window. Again, I politely decline and thank him, but tell him what I've found not too far away. I shake his hand and get back on the road, very slowly. It's only a mile, but I still miss a turn and end up going into some sort of factory that smelled of sh**. Turn around, make the proper turn and find my auto parts store. I buy a small tube of grease, just enough to cover what I need. Grab some more paper towels and get to work. I'm pretty sure that I was colder in Canton than when I was in Gatlinburg. I was having a hard time working my fingers because of the cold, but I still got it done.

While I was working in the parking lot, another Canton resident comes over and asks me if I'm alright. I explain my situation again and he tells me that he's a member of the "G2 Riders". I can't remember his name to save my life. He tells me it's a legitimate operation and would have given me his card if he had one on him. I'm in the process of putting everything back together when he lets me know that I can contact him through a phone number (that I immediately forgot) and he and his friends will get a truck to take me and the bike somewhere so I can use their tools to finalize my repairs and get my operation back on the road. It is a very generous offer, and I am rather skeptical about it since I'm so far from home, but I know all I need to do is liberally apply some grease to my spark plug boot and button everything back up. Sure enough, that's all I needed. Jarvis' idle was bouncing all over the place while I let him warm up, but I think it was just from how cold it was at that particular moment. Fairly certain it was the coldest either one of us had experienced together, wind chill and all.

I can't find anything on the "G2 Riders" anywhere on the web, Facebook, or anything of the like. If anyone happens to come across this and/or knows of this group, please tell them I said thank you for the extremely generous offer to help me get home. I greatly appreciated your genuine concern to get a fellow rider back on the road.

Finally headed home for good! The grease did the trick and Jarvis is running like the champ he is. The rain never stops. The hours go by, people sending me their well wishes as they pass by me at gas stations and rest stops. I had to stop more than I would have liked in order to ring out my gloves. The nitrile gloves had long since bitten the dust during my attempts at repairs, so it was just regular gloves and under-liners. Since I hadn't eaten a proper breakfast, my body was much colder than usual during my stop for lunch. It took me 25 minutes to properly warm up and be able to use my fingers for more delicate tasks like using the phone or handling money. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a cup of coffee so much in my life, or a meatball sub for that matter. Altogether I think that break lasted nearly 45 minutes.

Getting closer to home, I begin to realize that there is not a dry spot on me. My headset had stopped working some hours ago, Jarvis' speedometer was behaving strangely because of the rain not letting up at all during the entire trek. Until I made my last gas stop at the Woodbine exit, where it reduced to a drizzle. An hour left and it was 7 pm. I just wanted to get home. Would have already been home, showered, eaten dinner and unpacked had it not been for the malfunctions as soon as I got on the road. Made the call to update my ETA, gassed up and made the final streak.

Rounded the corner to see the garage already open and my smiling fiancee' awaiting my arrival. 12.5 hours later, my adventure had come to a close. It was an awesome feeling to pull in and officially put the kickstand down on such an incredible trip. 

An Epic Sunday Funday

March 16th

It's raining. A drizzle at first while walking to go eat breakfast at the Donut Friar, but it ended up becoming a steady downpour by the time I left. 

Inside the Donut Friar

I could clearly see those mountains the day before.

I was in a hurry to get on the road because I was really excited and had completely forgot to grab the box of attachments for the cameras before I left. That left me with my helmet mount for the ActionCam only. Bummer, but I still got some good stuff. Headed south on 73/441 for a bit to Old Scenic Highway 73 and Little River Road to the strip that would lead me to Foothills Parkway. I didn't mean to take Little River road, but I'm glad I did. I would have missed some beautiful stuff.

The rain had picked up by now, but I was still able to get some amazing views from the parkway. This photo sums up my views until I got to US129.

Note the soaking wet asphalt.

The parkway takes you straight to US129. I stopped for a little bit next to a huge rock outcropping on Chilowee lake to ring out my gloves and warm up some. For some reason, I got extremely excited during this stop. I was yelling as loud as I could and laughing, not believing that Jarvis and I had actually made it. Aside from a car here or there, things were quite desolate. I had not seen another motorcycle since I-95. Despite the rain, cold and general removal from everything, I was unbelievably happy at that moment. 

Putting things into perspective...

I thought there would be more signs indicating when the Tail of the Dragon actually started, so I didn't realize that I was on it until I had the first few curves under my belt. 

"Hey, you're about to be on The Dragon"

Stopped, fired up the ActionCam, and filmed my first, very wet, run on the Dragon. It was loads of fun even with the rain. Before I knew it the Deal's Gap resort was in front of me. I pulled aside so I could dry off and buy some tokens of my completion of this famed road. A small truck had pulled over to let me pass during my run, and it had also come into the resort. The old couple that was in it walked up to speak with me, the lady starting off the conversation with "You're a true die-hard!!!". Continued to tell them that I was up from Florida and it was actually my very first time on the road. 

Awwww yeahhh!!! Nothing to donate!

Needless to say, they were impressed. Hung out in the maintenance bays to dry off a little more and congratulate myself on not having anything to donate to the famed tree of shame. So I buy a hat and some stickers, chat with the employees that were working for a bit on where I should go next, then got back on the road headed for the Cherohala Skyway.

Honestly, I couldn't really tell you much about the North Carolina side of the Skyway because I COULDN'T SEE A DAMN THING. It was covered in clouds and I could barely see more than 30 feet in front of me. At first it wasn't that bad, but as soon as the climb started, man did things turn sour. Prior to riding into the clouds, I was actually admiring how cool they looked crawling down the mountainside. Little did I know that for the next 45 minutes Jarvis and I would be going 30 mph up this winding road. A small break allowed me to assess the full gravity of my situation... 

Where I just came from...

Where I was going...

I passed the highest point of the road at 5,377 feet but didn't bother to take a picture of the sign because I was just too damn cold. Shortly after, something wonderful happened. THE SUN CAME OUT!!! Never thought that something so simple would bring me so much joy. I stopped at the first pull off I found, parked the bike and spread out on the ground to stretch and warm up. If you ever get the chance to ride through a cloud at the top of a mountain, I would suggest that you pass up the opportunity. The down hill back into Tennessee was beautiful and made for some spectacular views. I tried to stop for pictures as often as I could, but by this time I was so cold and hungry that I wanted to get to Tellico Plains as quickly as possible. 

"Sunshine yes! Sunshine yes!"

Winding through the valleys was uber fun and I did actually have to brake for wildlife once as I came through a turn. A fairly large buck decided to plant himself in my line, but took off before he could cause me any more trouble. Arrived at Tellico Plains around 2:00 and ate at the TelliCafe and conversed with some wonderfully hospitable people. The old lady who ran the place kept wanting to feed me coffee and place my gloves over the oven to get them warm and dry. That beats Jacksonville "hospitality" any day.

During my research before the trip and speaking with the Deal's Gap employee, I added "Moonshiner 28" to the list of roads I wanted to complete, but I had to go a round-about way to get back there since there was no way I was going to head back over the skyway considering what I had just dealt with. Went up 68 to whatever the main road is it runs into to 72 then US129. Did the Dragon again in order to get to 28 and noticed that it was drying up. Made a note to come back this way in order to do it one more time going north. 

Just one of a thousand waterfalls I passed.

Fontana Dam

28 was more relaxed a very pretty. Civilization was so far and few between that I could essentially stop in the middle of the road to take pictures and rest, as shown in the waterfall picture above. Made a stop at Fontana Dam to take some pictures and continued on my way. Went up and over some more mountains and through more clouds to get to Robbinsville, gas up and head north on 129. Cell coverage was nil in these areas and GPS on my phone was generally unavailable, so I actually had to use a paper map to figure out where the hell I was. Filmed a fast, third and final run on the Dragon. It started out wet, but dried up nicely afterwards. Went on to take Foothills Parkway back to Gatlinburg. Because it was raining that morning, I missed a lot of the views offered by the pull-offs. Because it cleared up for the most part, I was able to catch most of them on the way back. Same goes with Little River Road and Scenic 13. A pretty epic selfie was taken before I got back to the hotel.

Am I doin' it right?

You may be wondering why my hands are blue in the photo above. Through my browsing of forums, I read that wearing a pair of latex or nitrile gloves under your liners and gloves helps keep your hands warm and dry. Riding a motorcycle with hands that are wet and cold is not safe at all. This was put to the test when riding Cherohala. It did work for the most part, but there was just too much water to keep things completely dry. They never got too cold though, which made me extremely happy.

 Altogether, Jarvis and I probably scooted around the mountains for a good 300 miles that day. I tested my mettle and riding skills on many unfamiliar roads in less than favorable conditions (sometimes much less than favorable) without incident. A sigh of relief was exhaled when I did get back to the hotel. All in all, I was happy, Jarvis was happy, and everything was right in the world.

**If you're wondering where the videos are, they are still in post production so I can make them nice and pretty for you. They will have a dedicated post in a few days.**

Brake First, Ask Questions Later

The trip was a success. I made it back in one piece and so did the bike. Despite the weather's best efforts to bring me down, it didn't happen. I was able to do all of the roads that were originally slated on my ride plan and make it back to the hotel before dark both days I was in Gatlinburg. Because each day was so eventful, they warrant their own posts delivered over a few days. That will make things more manageable for everyone involved. These will be photo heavy with each shot preceded by a narrative. The post trip montage will follow after all the updates. So get comfortable and let's start from the top.

March 15th

With everything mostly packed the night before, getting ready that morning was rather easy. All that had to be done was pack a few more cords, eat breakfast, get geared up, say my goodbyes and get under way. It seemed like Jacksonville didn't want to let me go because there was a rather large crash blocking three lanes on 95 near downtown. It was 6 in the morning and people still managed to find ways to smash into each other when no one else seems to be around. Passed that and opened it up, preparing for the long haul.

Two hours and 110-120 miles in and the bike cuts out. WHAT. THE. HELL. I begin to pull over, but Jarvis turns back on. There is a noticeable lack in power and I'm getting the "FI" light and rotating "CHEC" on my instrument cluster. I'm still running, so I decide to try and ride it out. Until it happens again! He cut off for a little longer the second time, so that instigated finding a gas station to figure out what the hell was going on. I'm not really panicked but rather extremely pissed off. I pull apart what I can in the parking lot of the gas station I was at with the stock tool kit, with people looking on in confusion. I checked battery connections, made sure the spark plug boots were seated properly and that the plugs were actually tight, scraping up my knuckles on radiator fins in the process. Thought the tank vent might be blocked or clogged due to the heavier than usual tank bag, so I removed the bag, opened the gas cap and cranked him up. He ran fine for a minute, then the idle dropped again and up flickered there error signs. Damnit. Something has to be fouling up the fuel pump in one way or another. After a distressed call to the fiancee' and some deliberation that I should call off the trip and turn around, it was decided that I should fill up, add some fuel system cleaner, and push on. Jarvis ran strong after that with no hick-ups for the next 6-7 hours. I'll chalk this scare up to bad gas that I filled up with at the Gate station the night before.

After navigating around an accident on 95 that had people hanging out outside of their cars, I kept going until I hit 26 west that cuts across South Carolina. Heading further inland, the road became more and more hilly. It was fun, but was killing my miles per gallon. Stayed on 26 until Highway 40 in NC. It wasn't that long before I started seeing mountains in the distance and I couldn't help but hoot and holler at the sight of them. 

I was getting close to my destination. 40 was super fun! An excellently paved road carved through the mountains along the Pigeon River. I don't think the Pilot Road 4's that Jarvis wears have ever actually been "warm" in Florida, but they sure were blazing down 40. 

I wanted to do an actual mountain road before I got to the hotel. I made a lot of rest stops along the way up and amazingly wasn't really that tired. Pulled off on Waterville Road to take 32 West shortly after passing into Tennessee. 

Researching this road on Google Maps left me with some questions as to whether or not it was fully paved. It wasn't, but only for a short portion. Still fun though and I was able to get my dual-sport on for a bit. When the road became paved again it started to get twisty to the point of epic proportions. I quickly learned that I needed to adhere to getting all of my braking done before entering a corner, else I would be shunted off down the side of a mountain. Brake first, ask questions later, you know. I had my fiancee on the phone via a Sena headset so I wouldn't have to worry about calling someone if something detrimental happened to me. Completed that little filament of hell with a smile on my face, giggling all the way.

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to have a Shriner's parade on the main drag of Gatlinburg needs to rethink what they are doing with their life. I got there around 3:45 and didn't get to the hotel until AFTER 5. Officers were redirecting huge amounts of traffic onto tiny back roads. In my opinion, it wasn't really that well thought out. The temperature had also risen to an uncomfortable level with all my layers and gear on and I was sweating up a storm while stuck in all the traffic. 

I had already decided that Saturday night would be spent back on the bike heading south on 73/441 towards Cherokee for dinner after checking in. 

This was a beautiful road! The weather was nice, although it did get pretty chilly as the elevation rose. I had stripped a few layers off before leaving the hotel since they were soaked with sweat and I was somewhat unprepared for the trip back because it got so cold. For some reason I decided to leave my overpants in the hotel room. Getting to Cherokee was interesting. There was a Toyota Camry in front of me that I decided to pace myself with since I was on an unfamiliar road and was under the impression that the speed limit would at least be heeded. Boy was I wrong. This dude was hauling ass! I did try to keep up, but stayed a little slower because I wanted to get some good shots with the ActionCam and there was a lot of salt residue on the road. Snow was everywhere once we got pretty high. Finally get to Cherokee and NOTHING is open because the season for them hasn't started yet. Awesome. I originally planned on getting there, eating dinner, and getting back on the road before the sun went down. One of my highest priorities was to stay off of the roads after dark because I knew nothing about them. Since nothing was really open, I turned around and headed back the way I came, stopping here and there to snap some pictures.

Ended up walking around a little and eating in Gatlinburg. Got back to the hotel room to transfer all the video and pictures, made sure all the cameras were charged, and got some much needed rest for the following day.

We are in the green.

It's that time. The weather has been holding out well enough where I didn't feel the need to cancel, so the trip is a green light. Here is what I'm looking at now. Hoping that the rain will be mostly during the evening Sunday night and run through Monday morning. It's predicted at only half an inch of rainfall, but that half an inch can makes things extremely slick.

  An epic theme song has been chosen and the bike is as ready as it will ever be. All maintenance has been done; oil and brakes checked, chain cleaned, lubed, adjusted to spec, and every piece of luggage stuffed with the necessities. To be honest, the camera stuff is taking up a lot of room that could be used for more clothes or something, but that's not really needed since it still is an extremely short trip.

Here is Jarvis, in all his sport-touring glory.

After quite a bit of deliberation, I decided to forgo the backpack. 8-9 hours is a long time, and it would be even longer carrying that thing around. All of the cameras and attachments are more easily accessed, as well. If they were in the pack I would have to stop, take it off, search for what I need, set it up, then put everything back on. It will be much easier with everything right in front of me, for the most part. Plus, it would be just something else to keep track of.

In preparation for tomorrow, I didn't get in my full workout today as usual. It was kept at a fast 2 mile run with my dog. The reasons for this are as follows... First, I would rather not be sore before departing. I'm going to be sore enough as it is when I get back, so I would like to be as comfortable and limber as possible initially. Second, if I don't work out I simply can't sleep very well. A little exertion tonight will hopefully calm me down from my already jazzed state, allowing me to get some much needed rest. I have also been stretching more often than usual in hopes it will aid me in the comfort department.

Nearly every trip or ride report I've read up on recommends leaving early in the morning, so that's what will happen. I'm shooting for 5:45-6 am. That will give me a head start on any traffic that might build up and at least put me past Savannah shortly after the Sun rises. Getting by there early would be great since it's St. Patrick's Day weekend. The trip back on Monday should be even more interesting, since it will actually be said holiday.

Updates will be posted here and there, with a post-trip report afterwards. I would imagine the majority of motorcyclists would be heading south to Daytona for the final weekend of Bike Week. I choose to head the opposite direction into the maw of an all new adventure. That makes this trip sound way cooler that it probably is....

Wish me luck.

Time to get my money's worth out of this crampbuster.

Hoping for Fair Weather and Packing Options

So we're about a week out from my day of departure. It's been quite a roller coaster with the weather here in Jacksonville and it kind of has me nervous for next week. Accuweather has had a lot of traffic coming from me lately since I've been looking into Gatlinburg's extended forecast pretty much every day. Although those things seem to be accurate about 0% of the time, I hold on the opinion that it is actually letting me know what I could be in for. As of late, snow appears here and there on the days the trip is supposed to happen. Since I have absolutely no experience with riding in snow, the trip will probably have to be cancelled if snowfall does occur. This would devastate me, but that's what I get for scheduling a northward trip so soon into the year. Here is what I'm looking at is very moment.

I think I've gone over the list of things I would like to take on the trip about a million times. First and foremost, my cameras (Sony ActionCam, a "GearPro", and my fiancee's point and shoot) and computer will be coming along, including the mess of cables that will be needed to keep everything charged. The cameras will either be attached to me or the bike so they will never really be in the way or take up much space. All needed attachments will be stowed in a box in a saddlebag. Bringing along a few snacks and water for gas stops is also quite important. The only time I will really be stopping stopping will be for lunch, so these snackies will save me some time and money. I now have a travel sized can of chain lube and will be getting a quart of oil to bring along as well. I've found that longer trips don't really consume that much oil on the SV, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.


I reality, I only really need to bring a day and a half worth of clothes. Impressing someone is not at the top of my list of things to do during this trip and I think my fiancee will be happy enough to see me when I get back that she would deal with my stank. Staying comfortable and warm is at the top of the list and I will be dressed accordingly. The necessary extras will be packed away nicely and anything larger like liners or sweaters will be bungeed down when not being worn. The same goes for rain pants, but I think I'm just going to wear them from the start to save time. Three pairs of gloves will be making this trip with me. A smaller, full gauntlet style in case the weather permits; a thick winter style glove that will probably be toast due to old age after this trip; a medium thickness "rain" glove with a convenient squeegee on each thumb. I'd like to keep my options open in this department, obviously.


All of this stuff will be able to fit in my current luggage set-up (Cortech tank and tail bag and soft BILT saddlebags). I've already done a dry run just to confirm so there are now surprises when the day comes. The question that I have been rolling around lately is whether or not to bring my backpack to keep more valuable things on my person. Cameras will be removed each time I stop and put into my tank bag, which is magnetic. I usually take that off and carry it like a lunch box whenever I stop anyway. The P.a.S., my laptop, and the cords would be put in said backpack if I were to bring it. Otherwise, everything would find a home in either the tail or saddlebags. My fiancee thinks I should keep my back free since it is such a long trip, which is a valid argument. But keeping these things close to me at all times sounds beneficial as well since I've read and heard too many stories here people get their jollies off by stealing things from traveling motorcycles.


I am also in need of a theme song for this trip! It will most likely be enjoyed by my ears a few times on the way up and used in the inevitably cheesy trip video that will be composed post-trek. Thoughts and recommendations are appreciated!


Now....more waiting....

Countdown to Gatlinburg: A Florida Boy Heads to the Mountains

It's happening. March 15th-17th. The mountain ride expedition. Something that I've read up on every day to increase theoretical riding techniques for when I actually get there. The trip that has only been a thought for the past 2 years. The dates were kind of forced on me due to the availability of the hotel, but it's far enough into the year where weather shouldn't be to bad and soon enough to not interfere with coaching spring flag football. This will be my solo vacation to clear my head before the swathe of events planned for this spring and summer (coaching, wedding, honeymoon, etc.) begin to take hold. To make things a little more interesting, I've decided to keep track of my thoughts and happenings, before, during, and after this event on here for your reading pleasure. Funny how a steal of a deal on Groupon can get the wheels turning on things.

So there it is. 530-something miles one way. This will easily be over 1500 miles round trip. Something the mighty SV, Jarvis, will handle quite well I believe. It's going to be quite the haul, especially for one day. Since I will only have 3 days to make it up, have fun, then come back, the trips to and from Gatlinburg will have to be knocked out as quickly as possible. March 15th will be departure day with plans on getting to the hotel around 3 or 4. I've altered the route there a smidge so I can negotiate my first serious mountain road right before I get to my destination. I've kept it open to take the original route around said mountain if I'm too weary from the trip up, which is a definite possibility. Although I'm young and resilient, I may have to utilize my better judgement for this bit. My return date will be the 17th.

Here is my endgame. A collection of roads well known in motorcycle lore. I plan on making my way over to Deal's Gap, better known to some as "The Tail of the Dragon", the Cherohala Skyway, as well as any other roads that tickle my fancy on what I hope will be a fantastic Sunday the 16th. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the shoddy weather that's has been crapping all over the southeast will take a break so I can actually enjoy the trip. I don't care if it rains on the way there or the way back. Just let that Sunday be sunny and dry. Since this is my first BIG trip, I'm going to attempt video-documenting with multiple cameras. Not only will this give me something to look back on in the future, but it will keep me occupied en route.

Since I will be by myself...
On a motorcycle...
For 9 hours...

The reward will be well worth it.

The planning stages have already been completed much earlier than anticipated, aside from some last minute maintenance that will have to be done right before I leave. New or replacement parts that were necessary have already been bought and installed, spark plugs have been replaced and air filter cleaned. Everything will be gone over with a fine tooth comb the night before embarking on this ultimate super-slab session. The excessive highway does not bother me. That's what podcasts and music are for. The only "concern" that I have will be how this Florida boy, whose largest grade change was encountered going over railroad tracks, will handle switch back turns integrated into 3 story elevation changes.

Engine braking will be a must.