SAAVA
Junior Member
RE: 2,000 miles two-up on the stock seat from FL to NC and back over 6 days. [/B] A long first day ending in the dark and wet on a newly chipped sealed twisty pass, An Idyllic Campground, The BRP, Tickling a Rattler, Slaying a Dragon, Waterfalls and Hikes
Goal: Getting out of flat and straight Florida and finding some twistys, sights and relaxation in Western NC.
The Ride: 2008 Yamaha FZ6 purchased new in 09. Starting Miles for trip: 34,656
Preparations: New rear PR2 from Hap's in Sarasota, visual inspection of the FZ6, Oil change, packing the saddlebags for two + camping gear.
Background: Having just moved to Florida from Michigan, Stephanie and I were both suffering from straightflatanomia and could use some twisty elixir. Outside of freeway on-ramps and an occasional round circle, central Florida is sadly devoid of turns. The Smoky's of North Carolina were the intended retreat for our troubled s-oul-quared tires.
Saturday, August 18, 2012: False Start
We had originally intended on leaving this morning, but with the radar map showing a large swath of rain up the length of Florida, we stuck our noses outside and decided to venture back to the warm bed. The weather was unsettled and so was my stomach from last night, that it was an easy choice to return to sleep. No rush folks, this is meant to be a vacation.
Sunday , August 19, 2012: 703 miles from Sarasota, FL to Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground two-up.
I have experienced the Heart of Darkness and it is 700 miles two-up on the FZ6 stock seat. I am 6'00 and Stephanie is 5'7, and along with saddlebags you can imagine how comfy that ride was.
We left Sarasota at 6:40 AM and headed straight up I-75, until Macon, GA, where we exited and took route 11, deciding to try out Georgia's back roads. Route 11 was a fun reprieve from the monotony of the freeway. We then tacked right and joined route 441 where we found some more rain leaving us drenched. In retrospect, passing Tallulah Gorge, we should have stopped here for the night and we hope to visit the area on a future trip.
The ride finally started to get interesting once we turned onto 246 & 106, but given the wet roads and our growing fatigue, we took it easy until finally lost the day's light at Brevard. As we were only about 30 miles from the campground I thought let's just finish the ride up 276. It was here that the fog and mist settled in and the paved road disappeared: fresh new chipped seal and no markings. Dark, wet, and a gravelly road found me laughing in my helmet and it took us about an hour to make it to the campground.
We were in at 9:30 PM making for a 15 hour day on the bike. Stephanie was cold from the last part of the ride that I fortuitously told her to place her hands on the engine to warm up as I set up the tent. It was here that she caught a falling bike. The bike must've been more tired than us at point as it wanted to lay right down. In the dark, I hadn't realized that the ground was so soft from the rain and the side stand had given out. Placing the bike on the center stand took care of anymore potential falls.
Monday August 20, 2012: Mostly rest, hiking and doing battle with the Rattler 209.
And on the second day we rested, somewhat. We slept in and had breakfast at the campground. I big thanks to Phil, his wife and son for being great campground hosts. If you are ever traveling through the area, Blueridge Motorcycle Campground is about eight miles off the BRP on 276 should be on your list. They have cabins and tent sites, a nice lounge all located in an beautiful setting along a small stream. And you are sure to meet other interesting motorcyclists. Just bring warm clothes and a good sleeping bag as it can get chilly at night in the mountains.
After breakfast we hiked up Mt. Pisgah and a couple other short hikes before having lunch at the Mt. Pisgah Inn. We then decided to check out the Rattler, 209. I can't say I had my best ride on the Rattler. We were still recovering from yesterday's long ride and I knew to take it a little easier. The sight lines weren't the best either, but we still had fun,--albeit-- at a slower pace than I would usually take it.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 Slaying the Dragon
Today was the big day. The Dragon beckoned. We had a great ride heading south on the BRP until its terminus outside Cherokee. This is the best section of the BRP, and a must for all riders. Absolutely gorgeous scenery around every bend and there are many bends on this section. We then veered towards route 28. There is a brief section on 28, that was probably my favorite section of road the whole trip as it entailed a very tight climbing corkscrew section with perfect sight lines. I was off the seat and leaning left and right as I smoothly led the FZ6 through what it does best, hitting each apex spot on. A great feeling when man and machine meld in perfect unison. My best riding of the trip.
Shortly afterward we arrived at Deal's Gap where we stopped to take in the scene. Stephanie was feeling a little intimidated by all the squids and pirates and it didn't help that she saw pictures of rider's road rash who had been burned by the Dragon. I reassured her that the Dragon is only another road with a lot of marketing behind it and not to worry. Afterward, she told me she had decided to ease her mind by counting each turn, but only made it to four when she then realized it wasn't all that different from other roads. I rode the Dragon in a spirited, fun manner, but nothing approaching knee dragging. I'll leave that for the track as trees and other vehicles can leave a nice mark. By the return trip, we were both tired and took the quickest path back to the campground. A good day.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012 Hiking and rest.
We hiked to some waterfalls and to the top of Devil's courthouse, and spent little time on the bike except for getting us to the hikes. That night watching the news from the lounge, we heard Tropical Storm Isaac was headed towards Florida, so we decided to start heading home the next day, but break up the trip in two days.
Thursday, August 23, 2012 Pulling up stakes
After sleeping in, we packed up the saddlebags and hit the road this time bypassing 276 and taking 215 towards SC. What a ride to finish our time in NC. Fresh tarmac along most of its length with a great variety of turns. This then lead into 178 another great road before running into 11. We then made our way towards GA.
I do not mean to disrespect any fellow central Georgia riders, but the area would be perfect for a horror/Zombie film and I am actually thinking about coming up with a script and offering the locale for a modern day Deliverance. For example somewhere around the towns of Louisville and Brevard we came to an eerie abandoned town. Brick and glass storefronts were completely deserted and stretched for at least 80 yards on both sides with a deserted police car in front of one of the derelict stores. Thirty seconds later, we came across an odd looking ten year old with big glasses riding a tricycle meant for a five year old. We both looked at each other over my shoulder and then I patted the motorcycle on the tank and asked that it not suffer any misfortune right here or anytime soon. And I meant it. The rest of day was spent just riding to Tifton where we spent the night at Motel 6.
Friday, August 24, 2012 Back Home
All I-75 back to Sarasota. Final reading was 36,585 miles on the odo for just under 2,000 miles over six days. The bike performed admirably, but isn't the best suited for long two up rides. At times, I wish I still had my Tiger 1050, but then I remember all the issues I had with the Tiger as opposed to none with the FZ6. I hope some have found this ride report helpful and amusing. A few pictures below. Cheers.
Goal: Getting out of flat and straight Florida and finding some twistys, sights and relaxation in Western NC.
The Ride: 2008 Yamaha FZ6 purchased new in 09. Starting Miles for trip: 34,656
Preparations: New rear PR2 from Hap's in Sarasota, visual inspection of the FZ6, Oil change, packing the saddlebags for two + camping gear.
Background: Having just moved to Florida from Michigan, Stephanie and I were both suffering from straightflatanomia and could use some twisty elixir. Outside of freeway on-ramps and an occasional round circle, central Florida is sadly devoid of turns. The Smoky's of North Carolina were the intended retreat for our troubled s-oul-quared tires.
Saturday, August 18, 2012: False Start
We had originally intended on leaving this morning, but with the radar map showing a large swath of rain up the length of Florida, we stuck our noses outside and decided to venture back to the warm bed. The weather was unsettled and so was my stomach from last night, that it was an easy choice to return to sleep. No rush folks, this is meant to be a vacation.
Sunday , August 19, 2012: 703 miles from Sarasota, FL to Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground two-up.
I have experienced the Heart of Darkness and it is 700 miles two-up on the FZ6 stock seat. I am 6'00 and Stephanie is 5'7, and along with saddlebags you can imagine how comfy that ride was.
We left Sarasota at 6:40 AM and headed straight up I-75, until Macon, GA, where we exited and took route 11, deciding to try out Georgia's back roads. Route 11 was a fun reprieve from the monotony of the freeway. We then tacked right and joined route 441 where we found some more rain leaving us drenched. In retrospect, passing Tallulah Gorge, we should have stopped here for the night and we hope to visit the area on a future trip.
The ride finally started to get interesting once we turned onto 246 & 106, but given the wet roads and our growing fatigue, we took it easy until finally lost the day's light at Brevard. As we were only about 30 miles from the campground I thought let's just finish the ride up 276. It was here that the fog and mist settled in and the paved road disappeared: fresh new chipped seal and no markings. Dark, wet, and a gravelly road found me laughing in my helmet and it took us about an hour to make it to the campground.
We were in at 9:30 PM making for a 15 hour day on the bike. Stephanie was cold from the last part of the ride that I fortuitously told her to place her hands on the engine to warm up as I set up the tent. It was here that she caught a falling bike. The bike must've been more tired than us at point as it wanted to lay right down. In the dark, I hadn't realized that the ground was so soft from the rain and the side stand had given out. Placing the bike on the center stand took care of anymore potential falls.
Monday August 20, 2012: Mostly rest, hiking and doing battle with the Rattler 209.
And on the second day we rested, somewhat. We slept in and had breakfast at the campground. I big thanks to Phil, his wife and son for being great campground hosts. If you are ever traveling through the area, Blueridge Motorcycle Campground is about eight miles off the BRP on 276 should be on your list. They have cabins and tent sites, a nice lounge all located in an beautiful setting along a small stream. And you are sure to meet other interesting motorcyclists. Just bring warm clothes and a good sleeping bag as it can get chilly at night in the mountains.
After breakfast we hiked up Mt. Pisgah and a couple other short hikes before having lunch at the Mt. Pisgah Inn. We then decided to check out the Rattler, 209. I can't say I had my best ride on the Rattler. We were still recovering from yesterday's long ride and I knew to take it a little easier. The sight lines weren't the best either, but we still had fun,--albeit-- at a slower pace than I would usually take it.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 Slaying the Dragon
Today was the big day. The Dragon beckoned. We had a great ride heading south on the BRP until its terminus outside Cherokee. This is the best section of the BRP, and a must for all riders. Absolutely gorgeous scenery around every bend and there are many bends on this section. We then veered towards route 28. There is a brief section on 28, that was probably my favorite section of road the whole trip as it entailed a very tight climbing corkscrew section with perfect sight lines. I was off the seat and leaning left and right as I smoothly led the FZ6 through what it does best, hitting each apex spot on. A great feeling when man and machine meld in perfect unison. My best riding of the trip.
Shortly afterward we arrived at Deal's Gap where we stopped to take in the scene. Stephanie was feeling a little intimidated by all the squids and pirates and it didn't help that she saw pictures of rider's road rash who had been burned by the Dragon. I reassured her that the Dragon is only another road with a lot of marketing behind it and not to worry. Afterward, she told me she had decided to ease her mind by counting each turn, but only made it to four when she then realized it wasn't all that different from other roads. I rode the Dragon in a spirited, fun manner, but nothing approaching knee dragging. I'll leave that for the track as trees and other vehicles can leave a nice mark. By the return trip, we were both tired and took the quickest path back to the campground. A good day.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012 Hiking and rest.
We hiked to some waterfalls and to the top of Devil's courthouse, and spent little time on the bike except for getting us to the hikes. That night watching the news from the lounge, we heard Tropical Storm Isaac was headed towards Florida, so we decided to start heading home the next day, but break up the trip in two days.
Thursday, August 23, 2012 Pulling up stakes
After sleeping in, we packed up the saddlebags and hit the road this time bypassing 276 and taking 215 towards SC. What a ride to finish our time in NC. Fresh tarmac along most of its length with a great variety of turns. This then lead into 178 another great road before running into 11. We then made our way towards GA.
I do not mean to disrespect any fellow central Georgia riders, but the area would be perfect for a horror/Zombie film and I am actually thinking about coming up with a script and offering the locale for a modern day Deliverance. For example somewhere around the towns of Louisville and Brevard we came to an eerie abandoned town. Brick and glass storefronts were completely deserted and stretched for at least 80 yards on both sides with a deserted police car in front of one of the derelict stores. Thirty seconds later, we came across an odd looking ten year old with big glasses riding a tricycle meant for a five year old. We both looked at each other over my shoulder and then I patted the motorcycle on the tank and asked that it not suffer any misfortune right here or anytime soon. And I meant it. The rest of day was spent just riding to Tifton where we spent the night at Motel 6.
Friday, August 24, 2012 Back Home
All I-75 back to Sarasota. Final reading was 36,585 miles on the odo for just under 2,000 miles over six days. The bike performed admirably, but isn't the best suited for long two up rides. At times, I wish I still had my Tiger 1050, but then I remember all the issues I had with the Tiger as opposed to none with the FZ6. I hope some have found this ride report helpful and amusing. A few pictures below. Cheers.
