svarog
09-20-2007, 01:43 PM
Notice anything missing?
http://scurvysvarog.com/files/bike_skyline.jpg
So it was a gorgeous ride and a fantastic way to spend a birthday.
Got on the road around 8pm and 30 miles into the ride realize I forgot to put the liner back in my mesh jacket when my man-nipples attempt to cut any piece of glass that comes near my body. A quick stop at a local kmart has me a bit warmer with some better clothing and on to skyline.
If you've never ridden this or any portion of the Blueridge Parkway (car or bike), go do it. Wide sweeping turns, gentle switchbacks, courteous drivers (both cage and bike) and breathtaking views. All I can say is I picked the right day to go, blue skies and almost the entire road to myself.
Pulled off at a few of the scenic overviews on the first half of the drive to relax and made my way to Big Meadows for a quick bite and back on the road.
Found out that they weren't kidding about a 24 mile stretch of loose gravel. Slow going where it looks like they're waiting to pave the topmost portion of the road. Get to the end of the drive, turnaround and start to head back up.
This was an exercise in endurance training as well. 400 miles in a day -- longest I've done.
So back northbound. Get to the gravely part again, and it got scary. I was running well under speed while on the loose gravel and realized how dangerous sudden moves were, luckily there were no cars around to spook me either time. But I saw one of the scenic over looks I wanted to stop at, started slowing to make a left turn into it. Apparently I wasn't going slow enough when I started the turn. I was in first, could have been low second, turn the bars and the bike wants to go forward for a second. My left foot shoots out to plant on the ground as I think 'oh crap, I'm gonna lowside here, luckily some sort of instincts kick in, pick up my foot (still hits the ground and a weird angle, bobs around and feels awkward for a second but not sprained/strained/broken), straighten the tire and open the throttle, while easing off the clutch. Get the bike moving forward again and we're good.
Take off to the next overlook on the right (i.e. the next one happened to be on the right) and decide to take inventory. Stop the bike, hop off -- nope, feel fine, get the heebie jeebies out, walk around, knee feels tender, but nothing I haven't felt before. Go to take the picture you see above -- well crap, where's my license plate, it was there this morning. So somewhere the wind ripped it off.
Decide that it's time to get back on the road and have to hurry off to a pirate concert back in Silver Spring MD (which was fantastic). Went a little faster than I should have once I was back on solid ground, was happy that the vulcan handled every curve thrown at it (nothing difficult, though some looong blinds and minor decreasing radius) well at or above posted speeds. A few LEOs reminded me to slow down on occasion with a flash and a wave. And I'm glad that's all it was since I no longer had tags.
Road home paranoid about that, picked up the Girlfriend and took to Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC to head up to Maryland. Again, fun ride. more twisty in a lot of locations on that. Tighter turns, smaller road size, etc -- if you know where to look.
All-in-all, a great day. Loathing getting a replacement plate, but not that big a deal considering I could have had more complications with other parts of the trip.
http://scurvysvarog.com/files/bike_skyline.jpg
So it was a gorgeous ride and a fantastic way to spend a birthday.
Got on the road around 8pm and 30 miles into the ride realize I forgot to put the liner back in my mesh jacket when my man-nipples attempt to cut any piece of glass that comes near my body. A quick stop at a local kmart has me a bit warmer with some better clothing and on to skyline.
If you've never ridden this or any portion of the Blueridge Parkway (car or bike), go do it. Wide sweeping turns, gentle switchbacks, courteous drivers (both cage and bike) and breathtaking views. All I can say is I picked the right day to go, blue skies and almost the entire road to myself.
Pulled off at a few of the scenic overviews on the first half of the drive to relax and made my way to Big Meadows for a quick bite and back on the road.
Found out that they weren't kidding about a 24 mile stretch of loose gravel. Slow going where it looks like they're waiting to pave the topmost portion of the road. Get to the end of the drive, turnaround and start to head back up.
This was an exercise in endurance training as well. 400 miles in a day -- longest I've done.
So back northbound. Get to the gravely part again, and it got scary. I was running well under speed while on the loose gravel and realized how dangerous sudden moves were, luckily there were no cars around to spook me either time. But I saw one of the scenic over looks I wanted to stop at, started slowing to make a left turn into it. Apparently I wasn't going slow enough when I started the turn. I was in first, could have been low second, turn the bars and the bike wants to go forward for a second. My left foot shoots out to plant on the ground as I think 'oh crap, I'm gonna lowside here, luckily some sort of instincts kick in, pick up my foot (still hits the ground and a weird angle, bobs around and feels awkward for a second but not sprained/strained/broken), straighten the tire and open the throttle, while easing off the clutch. Get the bike moving forward again and we're good.
Take off to the next overlook on the right (i.e. the next one happened to be on the right) and decide to take inventory. Stop the bike, hop off -- nope, feel fine, get the heebie jeebies out, walk around, knee feels tender, but nothing I haven't felt before. Go to take the picture you see above -- well crap, where's my license plate, it was there this morning. So somewhere the wind ripped it off.
Decide that it's time to get back on the road and have to hurry off to a pirate concert back in Silver Spring MD (which was fantastic). Went a little faster than I should have once I was back on solid ground, was happy that the vulcan handled every curve thrown at it (nothing difficult, though some looong blinds and minor decreasing radius) well at or above posted speeds. A few LEOs reminded me to slow down on occasion with a flash and a wave. And I'm glad that's all it was since I no longer had tags.
Road home paranoid about that, picked up the Girlfriend and took to Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC to head up to Maryland. Again, fun ride. more twisty in a lot of locations on that. Tighter turns, smaller road size, etc -- if you know where to look.
All-in-all, a great day. Loathing getting a replacement plate, but not that big a deal considering I could have had more complications with other parts of the trip.