[Chain]

Dear mod(s), you can unpin the Hoot-bound thread in this folder now. Thanks, Chain

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Hi all, I'm back. I've only just skimmed Active Topics before settling in to type this post and I see Diesel for one didn't have a overwhelmingly good time. That's unfortunate, because two of the guys in my party of five are veteran Hoot goers and the roads and routes I experienced were beyond belief. I guess having a tour guide is the difference here.

So this would seem to be a good opportunity to offer a quick apology to Diesel, FBToronto, BEFREE, Niner, et al for my not getting our schedules lined up for a meet or some riding. As Diesel pointed out, cell phone service was sketchy at best and I admit to some poor planning in general. Naturally, I was somewhat obligated to the itinerary of my group... and getting something to fit in with other 'biker gangs' proved to be a logistical puzzle I didn't have an easy solution to. Oh well, live and learn. Better/more/farther out planning next time.

In any case, the Hoot was an experience I will never forget. We arrived from Omaha on Tuesday morning after driving a thousand miles all night Monday evening into the a.m. Got a few hours of riding in after Hoot registration, mostly around Knoxville and a few outlying county roads (441 was pretty nice, but only a mere glimpse of things to come).

Wednesday. Our first full day. Dreary looking, but the rain was holding and we set out on the Cumblerland Gap Group Ride. (I was REALLY looking forward to Route 70 about halfway through this trip.) We made it to the village of Cumberland itself for a few photo ops and lunch under the roof of the massive raised deck they supposedly built for the event. Good food, lots of people to talk to and bikes to look at... and then the heavens opened up and it POURED on us the rest of the day. I mean P-O-U-R-E-D. Despite some rain gear, I've never been so wet and miserable in my life. The day was a bust and I went to bed sore, cold, tired and not optimistic about the rest of the week.

Thursday made up for all that. We road the Cherohala Skyway. It was just plain gorgeous. Stunning. Captivating. Not enough adjectives, really.

LINK 1

LINK 2

What came next was something I never thought I'd see. Deals Gap. The most challenging, undulating, serpentine ribbon of asphalt I've ever seen or ridden. Utterly fantastic (except for the squid on a blur of a blue sportbike who blew his line and came into my lane on a blind corner... thank god I avoided him). Scrubbed my tires clear to the edges (the rear at least), something I'd never get fully accomplished in Nebraska/Iowa. It was a frickin blast, but proved tiring after riding it over and over. Bigkid did it three times back to back and proved to be one of the faster/safer riders out there. The only fly in the ointment was heavy bike traffic, too many cages, a long camper 5th-wheel monstrosity being pulled up the road and a semi with trailer too. Two crashes while we were there. In total, a neat but dangerous place from what I saw.

LINK

Friday was even better. Weather was perfect with sunny skies and temps hovering in the high 70s. We road about 200 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway through the Smoky Mountain National Park. Over 6,000 ft. in elevation, breathtaking views, clean crisp air and a repeat of what we'd seen all week long... perfectly manicured stretches of twisty asphalt without a blemish to be seen. I can't put into words what it was like running up, then down, the mountains of the BRP. Spellbinding, an experience I'll take to my grave. The best day of the three IMO. Not as much work as The Dragon, still great buckets full of fun, better scenery and, thankfully, no traffic.

LINK

Hey, for you BRP fans, we happened across a little route marked 151 which takes you down off the Parkway and into the tiny burg of Pisgah. It's like a mini-Dragon, maybe even tighter. Really dark though, due to the canopy of trees, really narrow, and strewn with a few leaves and a twig here and there, but what a good time that particular road was. The 954 was uber-overkill, but a guy could have alot of fun on a Hawk or SV! Then we took 151 back to I40 and ran the half hour or so of high speed sweepers down out of the mountains while enroute back to Knoxville. Fast and fun, the best slabbing I've ever done (if you can really call it slabbing).

And like that, it was over. <sigh>

Saturday, very early, we loaded up the bikes, said our goodbyes over parking lot coffee, and made the LONG trek back home. Took us 15 grueling hours, but in total, the ~750 miles we got to ride in and around Knoxville made it worthwhile.

I would recommend this trip, be it to coincide with the Honda Hoot or not, to EVERYONE on this board, at least to those who are within a day or two drive time of Knoxville. It's an experience you'll never forget.

Thank you to Critz for your generous server space, otherwise I couldn't share this stuff...

Chain's Hoot photos here ------> LINK

[Red Rider]

Let me be the first to welcome you back! *Been kind of quiet around here while you were away... * *Looks like you had a great time...did you ever actually make it to the HOOT?

[Holeshot]

Isn't HOOT some sort of street drug-slang?

[stegen]

Holeshot : Isn't HOOT some sort of street drug-slang?

No, owls hoot

[firebladetoronto]

Hey Chain...glad you guys had a great time, and I am dissappointed that we did not hook up, but it seems that you were in good hands and got all the right roads. The Hoot is interesting, but it would be more fun to come down here during the week and ride those roads....it will be like your own personal playground...very quiet during the week (Non hoot week).

I rode the gap all day Friday, and then went to the hoot on Saturday and test rode everything I could find. Started with the Mille, then the Buell Firebolt (Piece of do do), then the SV 650, then the Kawi 636, and then finished off with a 45 minute ride of a VTX 1800. That VTX was fun. Actually went fastest on the VTX..got it up to 95 mph.

I offically became a member of HRCA and did way too much walking that day. But it was sure a pleasure to get back on my 54 after all the vibrating V twins...

Well Chain...you know the roads now, so get back on your bike and come on down for a ride.

[Bacchus]

Holeshot : Isn't HOOT some sort of street drug-slang?

He meant 'wh00t!'

Hi all, I'm back

Glad you had a great time Chain!

[Chain]

Bacchus : Quote (Holeshot @ June 22 2003, 8:36am)Isn't HOOT some sort of street drug-slang?

He meant 'wh00t!'

Hi all, I'm back *

Glad you had a great time Chain!
Thanks Bac. Good to see you made it back from Whipper Territory and are alive and kicking! Find anything you liked out that way?

[cbr99xx]

Welcome back Chain, glad to hear you had a good time. I would like to echo what Firebirdtoronto had to share about coming back sometime during a non-Hoot week.

I was up that way, on the B'bird, this weekend myself; I stayed in Robbinsville N.C. last night. I started out early this morning on the Skyway... had it all to myself... it was great! I then hit 68 south in Tellico TN, through Hiawasse N.C. on 294 and on to Suches Ga. on hwy 60. It was a great day .

[Cliff]

Nice pics. Glad you got home safe.

[bwhip]

Glad to hear about your great trip, Chain! Welcome back. Great photos - that looks like an awesome place to ride.

[Chain]

Thanks guys...

[ratter]

welcome back, sounds like you had a great time

[slowpoke]

Wow!, I know what you mean about 151 off of the BRP. I took a little detour down it riding 2up back in May and almost got taken out by a big pickup pulling a huge camper, naturally taking half(or more) of my lane. You don't need caffiene when riding in Tenn., or N.C., adrenaline is more than enough!

[2OHOH2]

Welcome back Chain

I couldn't make it out there Friday (something came up), and figured it wouldn't be worth it on Saturday to make it there a few hours before closing... I figured right.

Good to hear that you had a memorable time

[BFREE30]

Hey Chain, glad you had a great time. We went to the Dragon on friday, and all was going well until a pickup truck came around a curve into my lane and I had to lowside my new 03 954. It ended up going off the road and down the embankment about 10 feet. Took 5 guys to get it out of there. I tore up my leg, but thanks to Joe Rocket and HJC, my head and arms stayed intact. The bad thing about it is that the pickup truck saw me crash, and never stopped. We got the bike back out, and it was rideable so I finished going up to the gasstation/store. I hung one of my mirrors on the tree of shame. Thank god the bike was still in ok condition because we rode the smokies the next day thru gattlinberg all the way to Cherokee N.C. To end this story, I got word from the insurance , and it's a total. The frame got dinged, and swing arm spool snapped off. So I need to decide if I'm gettin a new 954 or something else.. What a drag... I'd ride it again though, just watch out for cages and trucks....

[Chain]

2OHOH2954 :

Woulda been good to hook up you you (and others) OHOH, but schedules are like that aren't they?

BEFREE, holy sh*t! Man, I'm so sorry to hear that you had a nasty spill. It never ceases to amaze me how little damage these new bikes can sustain before the insurance companies total them out. Could they be THAT costly to repair? Will they give you even CLOSE to what you paid for the bike or are people automatically upside down when they total a new sportbike?

There were three crashes at the Gap when we were there the day before you, two requiring squad runs for the victim bikers.

Personally? I'm glad I rode the Dragon to experience it, earn the t-shirt and get the pics, but it's not the first place I'd visit for a return trip to the Smokies.

As to replacing your bike, hell - there's alot of riding yet to do this season. If I were in your shoes I might not get another soon to be replaced 954, but I'd surely have the bike replaced with something this year.

Good luck.

[Diesel954]

Hey Chain I got the Dragon on video. Had my camcorder taped to the top of my tankbag. It was on my first run around so it wasnt the fastest trip or anything. If you or anyone else wants a copy let me know. In all there is about 49 minutes of footage total. Some of the early footage is not good as the camera was too low and the Fabbri screen was too dark. But the Dragon looks good.
We rode the trip home straight through. 876 miles! My ass will curse that stock seat forever.
Did you check Killboy.com for pics? I talked to him for a little bit. He was the guy in the yellow Xterra taking pics on the Dragon.

[Chain]

Long trip home for you, to be sure. Yeah, I saw Killboy but didn't stop to talk to him. Didn't really have a chance lest I be run over by fast movers behind me, hehe. (Actually, I made a decent showing for myself methinks.)

[roadrunner954]

Nice pics Chain! Whats the story with your dirty black hands?

[Chain]

roadrunner954 : Whats the story with your dirty black hands?

Tour Master 'Robo' gloves - we got so wet on Wednesday that the leather dye actually leached out of the gloves and stained my hands... damn near forever. <sigh>