6 of us decided to do a w/e in the north/central PA mountains for this w/e trip. We planned to stay in cheap cabin in Coudersport, PA.
For this trip, I decided to take my sport touring track bike R1. It's surprisingly comfortable and is as smooth as a Cadillac compared to my paint can shaker KTM 625smc. Well, it is a thumper.. Anyway, as you can see, the R1 still has track plastics. I slapped on a headlight, mirrors, signals, and tail light/plate. They were calling it a locomotive. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...45_zjYtL-M.jpg This guy cannot live w/o his phone.. I try to use my phone as little as possible on w/e bike trips. It's my time to get away from it all. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...20_yRE7P-M.jpg We had some unexpected roadside repairs.. Front cylinder was cutting out. The sparkplug got wet from all the rain.. Bad design for the SV. Luckily we found a Napa to fix it up in a couple hours. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...73_DprbD-M.jpg no..we never laugh at other people's misery. we're laughing *with* you.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...87_2iGo4-M.jpg ...and finally the weather clears! http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...25_aahKk-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...18_CzLU5-M.jpg Pit stop at the PA "grand canyon". http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...57_4AV6p-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...31_Ey85z-L.jpg hmm...no so "grand" if you ask me. Well, I did just get back a few weekends prior from a 1 week trip to *real* Grand Canyon. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...13_9fsGR-L.jpg Rt 6 is not the place for a spirited ride as a few of my buddies found out the hard way. They can't say I didn't warn them. Lucky for me and a couple others, we hung back enjoying the scenery. Rt 6 is not tight enough to really enjoy it unless you're doing stupid speeds anyway. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...60_WvRgR-L.jpg Otherwise, the ride was going smoothly...until... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...27_xGJ9m-L.jpg We had another unplanned pit stop. One of the new guys on our ride target fixated and ran his nice shiny Ducati into a ditch going about 20mph around this turn. Luckily, it was a soft ditch on the side of the road and the damage was very minor. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...982_VgeDN-L.jp And, moving on. We head towards Centralia, PA to check out the deserted town d/t an underground coal fire. Having some fun in the mud in Centralia, PA.... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...17_Ww7rR-L.jpg ...sort of. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...58_UmyLN-L.jpg Let's try that again.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...34_qth6J-L.jpg ...oops. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...10_rrQqX-L.jpg TJ showed us this creepy memorial. It had a photo of the kid at the memorial when he was alive. MD was weirded out by it so naturally TJ snatched one of the little green toy soliders and hid it on MD's bike. LOL, seeing MD's reaction when he found it about an hour later after we left Centralia.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...66_CT7Gb-L.jpg This w/e trip didn't go as smoothly as it could've, but it was still better than staying home. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...78_ATryV-L.jpg |
Cool as hell Song!
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The road is calling me once again...and I must obey! :ride:
We leave in just one more week...! This is the planned route for my next motorcycle ride. Hopefully the weather cooperates and the pavement is smooth. I hear there are some beat up roads from the harsh New England winters. Most days will be about 250-275 miles of twisty back roads over 9 days and about 2500 miles total. We’ll ride up from Philly to Danbury, CT Friday night after work, then head north through the Green Mountains to the Canadian border and head east through the White Mountain area of NH. We’ll check out Mount Washington and stay there for a couple days to do a little sightseeing. Next we’ll head back west via the famous Kancamagus Highway and back through VT towards the Adirondacks where we’re renting a lake front house for a few days. Then we’ll continue south through the Catskills and camp for a night there at our usual spot near Big Pond (free primitive camping spot). Then we’ll ride home from there through some nice north Jersey roads. :ride: http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont.../WholeTrip.jpg |
Appalachian Twisties 2012
10 days, 3000 miles on my 2006 KTM 950SM. :clap
This year, our crew (Mike, Tony and me) will head south in search of the best roads possible along the Appalachian....from Philly, PA to Asheville, NC and back. It's only 3 of us this year (normally it's about 5-6 of us) so we're changing things up a bit. Instead of making reservations at certain spots where we'd spend 2-3 days at a time riding locally, this year, we've made one giant route with no preplanned stops for the night. We'll just find a cheap motel when we feel like stopping. In the morning, we'll get an early start since we won't have tents to take down/repack, have breakfast and ride most of the morning, hopefully find something interesting to stop and check out during the middle of the day, and then ride most of the mid/late afternoon through early evening until we feel like stopping and/or find something good to eat. Hopefully we'll be able to find some good BBQ. I'm in Western Massachusetts so I'll be high tailing it tomorrow night after work to meet up Mike and Tony in Philly. This is the route we have planned. PA though a bit of DE, then MD, and glorious WV...a bit into VA (although I'm not really fond of most of VA), and then back into WV....:D http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...hghH/0/O/1.jpg We will continue through western WV....some of the best twisties I've seen along the east coast. We continue along the yellow route south.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../0/XL/2-XL.jpg We will cut through VA....amazing roads all thoughout this area. We've been through this area before. If you're in the area, look for War, VA....nothing but tight twisty roads. We'll continue south towards Ashville, NC through TN and back into NC... Then we'll follow the pink route back north, hit up the Blue Ridge for awhile and then back through VA where we'll just have to pass back through War. :D http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../0/XL/3-XL.jpg Can you tell we are fond on WV yet? We'll continue north following the green route through WV. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...rmX3/0/O/4.jpg Just in case we run late, I made the route towards the end near the interstate, although our goal is to avoid the interstate whenever possible. Tony has been known to nod off on the bike while droning down the interstate so for his safety, we'll have to comply. :D Anyway, we'll ride east along PA's country side toward Pottstown, PA. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...fq8p/0/O/5.jpg From here, Mike and Tony will continue east towards Philly, PA and I'll continue heading north (pink route) back towards western Massachusetts through eastern PA, Catskills NY, and then finally MA. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../0/X2/6-X2.jpg This'll be my setup for the 10 day trip. Since we're not planning to camp at all, my luggage is much lighter. Tony say he wants to find the dingiest cheap ass motels, which is fine by me, but I just hope we don't pick up any bedbugs! If we do, I might have to burn all my stuff before I go home. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0121249-XL.jpg 10 days / 3000 miles of twisty asphalt, good food, and the company of great friends...a perfect combination for an epic moto trip. :deal Stay tuned for pics.. |
DAY 1 Appalachian Twisties 2012
Trip officially starts for us.. It was supposed to be 3 of us, already down from our usual crew of 5-7 regulars for our annual week long MC trip...but I was disappointed to see our 3rd having to drop out d/t work, life, the usual bullshit that gets in the way, sometimes. This year it would be just Tony and me. I'm posting some pics Tony took...you can see his ride report and pics here, great moto site. Check it out. http://2wheelslittletime.com/?cat=5
First, I'd like to say I installed ADVMONSTER's LED lights...and boy am I happy I did. Check it out. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-20-M.jpg OEM lights http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...7210659-XL.jpg With LED on low setting...i'm guessing about 30% http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...7210717-XL.jpg OEM and LED on high beam / full power....wow is all i can say. the high beam bypass relay is absolutely worth it. i had someone merge too close to me on the highway one night. i flicked the highbeam and s/he immediately got back into the original lane.. that sold me right there. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...27210726-M.jpg Saturday morning, bright and early, we head off. Not many pics this day as we are making our way through to the promised land...West Virginia. Yea, I can't wait to hit the road too. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...isties-3-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...isties-4-M.jpg first break http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...isties-7-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-10-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...isties-9-M.jpg lunch time.. chicken was awesome. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-13-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-14-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-16-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-18-M.jpg West Virginia...finally. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-19-M.jpg Dinner http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-22-M.jpg Dirt cheap but tasted great. I think it was about $12 http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-24-M.jpg Tony noticed my rear sprocket was a bit worn and my chain loose.. This would soon become my nightly ritual. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-25-M.jpg ...but I wouldn't be the only one. Tony discovered an oil leak, which luckily turned out to be minor. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-30-M.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...sties-33-M.jpg End of Day 1...and some much needed rest. An awesome start to our trip. Stay tuned for more. :D |
Day 2
weather was amazing. low/mid 70s!!! wish everyday could start like this.
http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-42-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-48-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...3082211-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-46-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-50-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...3091444-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-54-XL.jpg Saw this at one of our stops.. and no, it was not a pet store. Seems the only smart one is the one in the back. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-58-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-62-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-66-XL.jpg these are the roads we seek on these trips. a sign of good times to come. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...3130950-XL.jpg Was surprisingly good, although I was famished. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...3134448-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...3134708-XL.jpg back on the road! we covered about 300 miles a day. the skies literally looked like this all day long. temps steadily climbed to about the low 80s by mid/late afternoon. the awesome views, the cool breeze going through my jacket, smooth twisty pavement, and little to no traffic to speak of.. we were a bit worried before the trip about the usual hot steamy weather this time of year. it's hard to believe how lucky we got on the first week of june. i think we hit Virginia tomorrow... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-77-XL.jpg Can't wait for Rt 16 South, just before Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-85-XL.jpg Took a break here to check out this mystery hole.. no cameras inside so no pics. it's worth checking out. i learned there are only 4 kinds of poisonous snakes in the US. we got in with the last tour of the day. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-88-XL.jpg i wonder how long this was here... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-87-XL.jpg back on the road!! http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-92-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-93-XL.jpg has nice rooms and great views http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ties-99-XL.jpg powdered organic wheat grass. 2x per day. good stuff. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg hawk's nest lodge restaurant. it was about average. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...3193857-XL.jpg like i said, amazing views from our balcony. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg End to another great day on the road.. |
Day 4...Bristol, VA to Ashville, NC. A good day of 350 miles.
http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont...rack-Day-4.jpg We hit up IHOP for some food. I don't often have pancakes but when you're at IHOP, it almost seems like a sin not to. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...5074804-XL.jpg Yet again, another beautiful day...as you can see in the photos. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg and we soon come across a road we have never traveled, although we've ridden around this area many times. Route 421. It is awesome. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg simply gorgeous...i love it. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg notice, they have no ethanol in their gas! perfect. i wish more stations would at least offer this. i'm sure many riders would pay for it. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg wanna race? http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg couple random Indians at the country store. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg our next stop.. i just could not get over how awesome the weather was this week. first week of june in TN/NC and we were having low/mid 70 temps, slightly breezy, and thousands of friendly clouds. doesn't get better than this. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg we found a little note left for the 2 of us. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg 209 south is AWESOME...very tight, very twisty, and very smooth. no traffic. i didn't get a chance to take my camera out on this section. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg these tires have amazing traction, and were wearing very evenly... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Disappointment. It was Tuesday. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg that sucks. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Oh, well. No biggie...because we were heading to the Blue Ridge Parkway next...one of my favorites. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg here we take a break and regroup. Tony thought I was riding a tad bit too fast; I thought I was riding reasonably (fast in the corners and within 5mph of the speed limit in the straights). We settle on him taking off a few minutes before me so I can catch up later. Works for me. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg There should be more of these signs on the roads we often travel. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg since we didn't go through Deal's Gap this year, Tony took an action shot of me. Too bad by the time I came back around, there were cars driving ahead of me. Notice my awesome LED lights. They were flawless. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg OMFG....dinner time, finally. We are absolutely starved. We settle on this little joint. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...5184617-XL.jpg my mouth is watering just thinking about this meal. they were the absolute best hush puppies i've ever had, and I've had quite a few during the years living in Atlanta, GA. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...5184731-XL.jpg it was so good, I decided to have another. yea I know, a bit excessive, but it all made sense in my mind at the time. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...5190754-XL.jpg and now, time to finally head back to the little motel, adjust my chain (again), and pass out for the night. what a great day of riding today. |
Day 5...
This is as far south as we go this year. From Ashville, NC we start heading back north and eventually end at Pineville, WV. Another glorious 350 mile day coming up.. http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont...rack-Day-5.jpg But first, we grab some breakfast. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Really, I don't eat pancakes this often...but hey, I'm on vacation! http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...6082222-XL.jpg And we head back to one of my favorite roads...the Blue Ridge Parkway. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg So many thick clouds, it started to remind me more of the Smokies than BRP.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg As you can see in the breakfast pic, the pavement is dry. It was cloudy today, and at the elevations of the BRP, we're basically riding in those clouds, and hence the 100% humidity turned the roads wet. Yea, it got thick in some parts. And yes, that's a car in front of us. Kinda hard to pass when you can't see past the car right in front of us! http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Still, it was a great view at one of the overlooks we took a break. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Damn...it's like a wall. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg The other side of the overlook...we could literally see the clouds moving through. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg We decide to give it another go and hope it clears up soon....but we find otherwise. We didn't come up here to do LESS than the speed limit...this was getting ridiculous. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg And now, it was starting to rain. First rain of the trip, so we put on a rain jacket and cover our gear. It's nice to be parked on *THIS* side of the LEO. Seems every year I end up finding myself having a [not so nice] chat with an LEO, but I'm happy to report this year the streak has been broken! It's about time. Here we met a nice couple heading back south (Alabama I think) from their trip up north. Nice Honda, although the newer one looks butt ugly IMO. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Soon, we decide to head off the BRP (sadly) in search of dry pavement. And sure enough, once we got off the Blue Ridge, it was dry. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg random bumper sticker I saw at a gas station. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg lots of nice smooth pavement. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg cloudy but dry. good enough for me. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Truly, this is what MC trips does for me. My religion. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Hell yea, we love Rt 16 by Hungry Mother State Park so much that our route back home goes through it again. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Gorgeous. I could hang out here all day, going back and forth on this section of Rt 16...but we must continue north. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...6180026-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...6180034-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...6180030-XL.jpg We finally make it back to War, WV looking for a hotel for the night. We hope to find a room at the War Hotel... little did we know, it turned out to be the worst piece of crap run down hell hole half way house wanna be building. Seriously, it was bad. I wish my camera battery didn't run out by this point bc I would've loved to take some shots of this place. Obviously, we decide to head up the road to find another place. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...6185535-XL.jpg last picture of the day. the next hotel was something like 70 miles, as the crow flies, according to the GPS. we ended up riding another 130 something miles after we were already quite tired when we got to War, WV. Oh well, good thing my ipod hadn't run out of juice. We settle on a 2nd floor motel above a commercial building with a subway downstairs, which we had for dinner. It was about 10pm at this point. We inhaled our food basically, and then I proceeded to lube and adjust my chain again. By this point, I was getting pretty good/quick about it. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...6185542-XL.jpg Through it all, another great day. :nod2: |
Day 6. Today we travel 275 miles from Pineville, West Virginia to Arnoldburg, West Virginia. It's always a great day when you can spend the entire day riding in WV.. As you can see, we try to avoid big cities and interstates like the plague...even it if takes us the long way around.
http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont...rack-Day-6.jpg As I mentioned earlier, we were holed up in a dingy motel above a Subway, so that's what we had for breakfast too. I wasn't too excited about it, but we didn't have many choices. It was this or the gas station across the street. Their breakfast sandwich was surprisingly good. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...7085224-XL.jpg Time to hit the road.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg we traveled through man country. weird name. we didn't stop to find out why. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg One of the roads was going through some resurfacing. No one was around so I rode the left side most of the way. i think this went on like this for about 3-4 miles. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg lots of these on the main roads from all the coal mining going on around here http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Seriously, how can the weather be so awesome for so long during the first week of June!?!?? I don't know and I don't care. I'm just thankful. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg The roads in this section were awesome. Houses were scattered about every so often, but the pavement was smooth and very grippy, very little traffic and no speed limit signs (just turn speed warnings). state speed limit is 55 so no worries. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg yes, please keep the kids fenced in and out of the road. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg we've never been on this road before. it just seemed to go on and on and on... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg and on...and on... this stretch went like this for about 20-30 miles! http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg We finally take a break at a local 'have everything' store. it was a grocery store, deli, hardware, auto parts, lumber, and anything else you might need in a pinch kind of store. I asked to use the bathroom and was directed to the storage/employee-only section of the store. Nice friendly people. You don't get hospitality like this (usually) anymore...too bad. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg later we hit up some tight side roads. it was a nice change as the temps started to climb to the mid 80s. yea, we were spoiled by the mid 70 temps. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Route 16 is a damn fine road. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg It about about 7pm by now, and we could see some dark clouds moving in ahead of us. Luckily, we came upon this Y intersection in Arnoldburg, WV. We saw some cars and bikes parked in the center of the intersection and hoped this meant there was a restaurant nearby...and sure enough, there it was....the Y Restaurant. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg And literally next door, the Y Motel. The waitress told us that if no one was at the office, to simply use one of the rooms with a key still on the door, which meant no one else was using it. Move the room number off the board and pay the lady later. This was a first for me. The owner later told us that she has never had anyone use the room and run off w/o paying. They recently had a couple dirt bikers from Canada come through here who were riding all dirt roads/trails from Canada and only getting off to get gas, food, essentials. Sounds cool. I've never done that kind of dirt biking trip, but I put it on my bucket list. We're need to keep this on our route for next time. http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont...C-Trip-147.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg but first, we get some much needed food. the bbq pork sandwich was not the best in the world, but for just a couple bucks, it's worth a try. i'm usually not a salad-appetizer kind of guy. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...7182122-XL.jpg the steak dinner was a whopping $12.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...7182646-XL.jpg Tony basically brought a tankbag worth of clothing on this trip and he ran out of clean socks. After washing them in the sink, he hung them up to dry. I suggested he try microwaving the wet socks to steam the moisture out of them vs. drip dry (read: wet socks in the AM). pretty funny seeing hot steaming socks come out, but it worked! http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg After adjusting my chain yet again, it was time for some much needed rest. Life on the road is awesome. |
Day 7...almost over.
Friday, June 8. We leave Arnoldburg, WV and make our way to Bedford, PA. This would end up being our longest day of the entire trip. When it was all said and done, we did 455 miles this day. We headed back to the Y Restaurant for a quick breakfast and hit the road. I think it was about 8:30am. The biggest downside to the entire day had to the be that middle section of the route that's a straight line.. it went through all these towns and we had the unfortunate luck to hit it about 4:30pm. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Great way to start any day.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Why did the turtle cross the road? http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Another gorgeous day http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg Unfortunately, we saw too many of these.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg some crappy road food.. the iced tea was the highlight of the meal. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...8162638-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg That'll buff right out. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg As the sun starts to set on my left, we continue to ride.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg This was not a good food day. We're going to have make up for it tomorrow. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg |
Day 8...[unexpectedly] the last day of the trip for me...read From Bedford, PA to Saylorsburg, PA
This is Tony's gps route. We basically split up about half way. He continued towards Philly and I made my way northeast towards Saylorsburg. http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont...rack-Day-8.jpg Today's our last day together on the same route. I think we were both starting to feel the miles and looking forward to our own beds. I had another day of riding scheduled before I would make it back to Northampton, MA. Tony remembers when this OJ was a normal serving at restaurants. This was their "small". http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...9094846-XL.jpg the regulars http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...9100933-XL.jpg A proper breakfast. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...9100309-XL.jpg Nice eye candy, but I'd hate to be behind a line of these Sunday drivers. http://2wheelslittletime.com/?p=787 http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont...c-trip-161.jpg After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, it's finally time to hit the road again. We head west through the backroads of PA.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg more downhill twisties coming up. i prefer downhill over uphill. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg there was rain in the forecast for this general area, but somehow we were able to skirt around it the entire way. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg I finally make my way to Saylorsburg, PA where I would spend the night. I planned to ride one more day from here to western Mass...but my rear tire would dictate otherwise.. at first I thought I might be ok for another 200 miles... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...9194508-XL.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...wisties-XL.jpg BUT, i thought better of it, when I noticed THIS: http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0103317-XL.jpg I considered myself lucky to have made it this far and did not want to test my luck any further. I would have to u-haul it back the rest of the way a few weeks later. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Other/phon...4130704-XL.jpg overall, this is exactly the motorcycle trip format that i prefer....select the best possible roads as top priority, then see if there are any potential interesting stops along the way, avoid any sight-seeing detours that alter the best route for a lesser quality route, and have a good mix between camping and hotels, occasional stealth camping if possible, and try to eat at only quality local restaurants. try to avoid chain restaurants and fast food places. no preset reservations for hotels, campsites, etc so we can set our own pace/distance. to account for delays, we routed the last leg of the trip somewhat parallel to a major highway/interstate so if needed, we could book it back home. all in all, it was a great trip. it's not often that i'll return from riding so many days and so many miles, and find myself daydreaming about being back on the road on another trip. usually, these bike trips beat me up a bit and the rest is welcomed. this year was quite the opposite. i think the 950sm is the perfect sport touring machine for me. well, that's all folks! hope you enjoyed the report! |
That was amazing! I love your ride reports. It's like living vicariously through you. lol
You should make a coffee table book about all your trips. Too amazing to not share with a bigger audience. |
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This is RR long overdue..finally getting around to it. Better late than never. This was our annual week long spring ride. Normally we head south towards WV, VA, NC and TN...but this year (2011) we decided to switch it up and check out New England.
Our planned route: Ride up from Philly to Danbury, CT Friday night after work, then head north through the Green Mountains almost to the Canadian border and then head east through the White Mountain area of NH. Check out the Mount Washington area and stay there for a couple days to do a little sightseeing. Next head back west via the famous Kancamagus Highway and back through VT towards the Adirondacks to stay at a lake front house for a few days. Then continue south through the Catskills and camp for a night there at our usual spot near Big Pond (free primitive camping spot). Then finally ride home from there through some nice north Jersey roads. http://2wheelslittletime.com/wp-cont.../WholeTrip.jpg Friday, we meet up after work in central Jersey. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...20Tour-1-L.jpg Morgan's bike. At least one girl noticed this during our trip...she honked and yelled at my buddy "I like your monkey!!!" But he didn't hear her with his ear buds and music on. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...20Tour-2-L.jpg my usual piggy passenger http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...20Tour-5-L.jpg just taking a quick break... we start on some nice NY roads. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...20Tour-8-L.jpg dinner at a diner near our first night's hotel...new colony diner. good food, fast friendly service. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-14-L.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-11-L.jpg Day 2....!! http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-12-L.jpg but first, a little breakfast.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-15-L.jpg nature calls. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-18-L.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-19-L.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-20-L.jpg perfect weather. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-22-L.jpg we make into Massachusetts... this area has some of the finest, tightest, smoothest roads I've ever ridden. there were many bicyclists riding pretty damn fast down hill. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...Tour-2-2-L.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-24-L.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-26-L.jpg vermont already.. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-29-L.jpg http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-30-L.jpg matt's keeping up pretty well with his KLR.. we only have to wait a few minutes before he caught up to us. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-31-L.jpg riding is finally done for day 2... we settle in at a state park. http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-34-L.jpg we were too lazy to set up tents... http://songyi.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0Tour-37-L.jpg |
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