| Author | Message | ||
     Mikef5000 |
That's not common for me! Soooooooo, I left on the motorcycle at 7 AM... for a little ride.  I first went southeast to Seneca Rocks national park in West Virginia, to see what that place is all about. Friggin BADASS place to mountain climb. Not my kind of mountain climb, mainly because you have to look like this guy:  Case in point; from most zoomed out to most zoomed in:    Yeah, the arrow's pointing to a guy. I then headed north. The plan was to follow the Appalacian mountains, and stop and camp whenever I found a place. I made it up through Maryland's panhandle and into PA when it started to get late. Weeeelllllll I can come up with a million excuses, but I ended up getting a hotel room around 8:00 instead of camping. Started a little later Monday at 8 AM, proceeded north into the Allegheny National Forest. Most of the roads around here were flat and straight. NOT what I was hoping for in a National Forest in the mountains. This was more of a place of the off road types. There were dirt roads all over, and ATV and Dirtbike trails everywhere. Someday when I get my dream bike (Ulysses) I'll go back and get dirty. I rode all over up there trying to find a good road, but didn't have much luck. Pictures from a pit stop in the park:    I also went up to New York... you know... just to say I did. Pictures from an overlook in New York:   Found this little guy on my seat when I stopped at the overlook. Something tells me he didn't have as good of a ride as I did.  Then came across this place! I had to stop for a few pictures:   I COULD NOT keep the darn visor clean. I had to use the windshield cleaning stuff at about every gas station I went too. Bugs out there must be juicier than the ones back home.  I had a Energy/Nutrition bar for breakfast and lunch both days, and a few drinks along the way. Then stopped for a burger Sunday night. Gas was much cheaper out there than back home. Most places were about $3.30 a gallon for premium. Plus the hotel was $50 for the night, I'd say gas, food, and lodging... this whole trip cost me well under $200. I have almost no chicken strips left on my new battlax's. The grip was EXCELLENT. I was completely romping on it and then never gave a hint of slippage. (speaking of which, I couldn't have asked for any more outa this bike. That many hard miles in so short of time and absolutely nothing went amiss. I was not riding easy, every chance I had to pass a car, the bike was all up for it! I love this thing.) The whole trip was just under 1200 miles, and 5 states. The best roads of the trip, without a doubt, were in eastern Ohio and West Virginia. Oh yeah..... I had work at 7:30 this morning. I'm freaking HURTING. My groin muscles are killing me, aaaaaand my ears are still ringing. (That's probably not good) More info to come, right now I have to go take an exam that I should've been studying for. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Very cool, thanks for the write up. There is some great riding near Seneca rocks. Just the right prescription for chicken strips. I am heading back to that area in August. PS always wear ear plugs, it'll help with the ringing ears. You'll thank me in 10 years. | ||
| Ghostrider |
I didn't know the Chippendale's did mountain climbing! | ||
| Court |
That is an awesome ride! What a story. . . .thanks for taking us along. I thought that was you . . . could you see me waving from the mountain? I could only free one hand.  | ||
| Ducxl |
Pretty cool Mike  .I remember you from MB-IV.Cool "Cyclone" photo op.Check out our "Buell" photo op in the Storm fronts/NEBO.Fun stuff | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
You and I burned some of the same roads this weekend. I stopped at the Front Porch Cafe on my way home from DC on Sunday. If you take 33 into VA you will find some nice banked twistys. Let me know the next time you want to go to WV and I will tag along. You can put some miles on the Uly if you want.  | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I wear headphones right now, so regular earplugs don't work. (I don't blast music, just enough volume to hear it along with the sound of the bike) I might invest in some sound cancelling headphones though, or some 'swimmers-ear wax' stuff. I rode Rt. 33 all the way from Columbus to Seneca Rocks, and it was an absolute awesome ride. I just now found out about Rt. 50, which according to my dad, and a ton of people online, is darn near comparable to The Dragon, but 50 miles long! All my riding in West Virginia was great. If (read as When) I do this again, I will stay in West Virginia instead of heading north. Ugh, back to class.... | ||
| Thumper74 |
So in a few weeks we can get guided tours right? | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
Nice write up there mike, Met ya also at MBIV, You were looking for a tire I believe. I offered one and had the stuff to do it. Then a couple hours later I saw ya with a new tire on the bike.  Glad ya had fun and hope to ride with you again in the mountains! ride safe! ride hard! | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Hehe, people remember me! I feel so honored! Why aren't people making fun of the picture of the guy yet? I'm starting to get worried. I found that tire down there in Delonaga. As of 1 week ago, it was completely bald in the center just like the first. That makes 5 months of ownership, and 2 bald rear tires! No burnouts at all either! Not-a-one! Buuut, I've also put about 5k miles on it. These darn sports tires. Now I have my Sport-Touring tires and I'm in love. I found this for sale along my way home:  http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/21/281564.html?1180498991 Oh I forgot to mention... This ride proved to me that I am in no way, shape, or form, running an iron butt ride anytime soon. This was 1200 miles in 36 hours, and I'm hurting. By the end of both days of riding, I was stopping about every 100 miles. Not even getting on my reserve tank. Which leads me to my next thought... Riding alone is fun! Until MB4, I had never riddin with sport bikes, ever. That was an awesome experience, and was the first time I ever got to ride quickly with anyone. Until then, I had only riddin with my father, on his harley, and his friends, on their harleys. The way home from Badness though, I was alone... and it was another new experience! Well this was my first real ride, all alone. It was a blast not worrying about passing on the 2 lane, and wondering if anybody else had to make it. Just stopping when I want to stop. And doing whatever I wanted. Going as fast as I wanted (or as slow.... but usually as fast). I cannot wait to ride with some sporty bikes again, but this is a very entertaining alternative for me! I've got a bunch more random thoughts, but that's all for now. |
