Here's the body of an email from one of my buds about last Sunday in Suches...
Motorcyclists of all kinds were out in force. Plenty of louder than s#!t "Harley Trains" in the mountains making it difficult to get around them. There were also plenty of louder than s#!t sport bikes in the mountains having no difficulty what-so-ever passing everything in sight - blind corners, double-yellow, strings of cars or bikes, it didn't matter.
The Georgia State Patrol (and Forest Service?) had a four car road block set up on Hwy 180 (Wolf Pen Gap Road which is the one I fell on). They were checking licenses for all bikes and most vehicles. I think the Forest Service guy was there to tell the State Patrol which people were locals and they were flagged through. There were also two "fresh" crosses with flowers nailed to trees on the road which probably explains the enforcement. Had a guy at TWO tell me that the Georgia State Patrol was conducting a 3-week "slow em down" campaign in North Georgia - supposedly even using helicopters.
It's probably a safe bet to say that loud, speeding, reckless, dying sport bikers are causing the attention. That said, I had to stop on Hwy 60 coming south from Blue Ridge to flag traffic down after a Harley full-dresser went too wide in a corner, cleaned out a ditch, and pitched it's driver. After the emergency vehicles arrived at the scene, I left. Hummm, maybe we're all part of the problem...?
It's Pure Carnage up in the mountains every weekend, moto-types of every ilk stuffing themselves under guardrails, launching themselves into streambeds and into SUV grills with great abandon. Small wonder the Locals are getting sick and tired of having all of their EMS rescources scraping motorcyclists off of their scenic pavement, at their expense. If I had multiple asshats blasting past my driveway at 100mph+ and/or 108DB every weekend I'd be in my Sheriff's office discussing the matter myself.
I had a great ride up around Ellijay on Sunday but in 225 miles I had a two-up heavy cruiser cross into my lane on HWY 52, a Goldwing unwisely tail me into the tight part of HWY 9 South of Dawsonville (hope he made that 25mph right hander) and a Race-rep pass me and the pick-up I was following at Warp 8 seconds before the F150 left-turned into a church on Hwy 53 without bothering to signal.
Regards,
VFR_ATL
PS That's Nothing compared to the 100mph Wheelie-In-Traffic Urban Moto crowd down in ATL....
Ican't get enough of the urban crowd. About two years ago I was having lunch at TWO when some urban types rolled in on chromed out, extended swingarm, single-front-disc-more-dollars-than-sense 'busas. An exact quote: "This place is just a dirt parking lot full of shitty bikes. Let's go back to downtown." Exact quote.
Yah, I wish the rest of you crazy SOB's would slow down and stay off my favorite roads, that way it's only one guy flying by ! :P Actually I like to ride quick, but never usually get much over 80 and I try to respect everyone and everything else out there ! Pissing people off is not in our Sports interest. When I pass cages I try not to go blasting by and scare the hell out of them, I go by as quick, quite and smooth as possible using my turn singles and a friendly wave every time. I will almost always back it off if I even see someone out on there property and even wave at them too ! I want there experience with a motorcycle(mine) to be as pleasant as possible, not a reaching for the phone to call the LEO's type thing. It pays in the long run to piss off as few people as possible when riding, Respect my friends ! :thumbsup:
I don't speed, but I pass people who do ! :rolleyes:
Some of those posts above are just side-splitting hilarious (LOL) :D !
Seriously, the place is a zoo (60, 180, 129 loop), especially early Spring, and I try to avoid it at all costs regardless of season. I've ridden up there enough to know where and when to ride. There are many spectacular roads well off the beaten path not often frequented by the types you see around T.W.O.
It's all about self preservation.
Read this to yourself a few times quickly and you'll figure out the type that races around up there on a regular basis, the WERA boys excluded ;) :
I AM SOFA KING WE TODD DID :joystick: !
Later
P.S. - That road block is not a new occurrence - routine.
vfrmonkey, Apr 11 2005, 02:17 PMIcan't get enough of the urban crowd. About two years ago I was having lunch at TWO when some urban types rolled in on chromed out, extended swingarm, single-front-disc-more-dollars-than-sense 'busas. An exact quote: "This place is just a dirt parking lot full of shitty bikes. Let's go back to downtown." Exact quote.
I say having them go back downtown is a good thing! :thumbsup:
I try to follow the same practice as Baileyrock but for some reason, HD riders just hate it when you try to pass them, they move to the left sometimes or even roll on when they catch sight of you?? Some guy tryed to do that to my Buddy Craig so Craig just stuffed it in before a turn came up, what would have been a normal turn had to become an improptu race to the turn?? Then the guy had the nerve to come over to our bikes and start writing down our plates when we pulled in for gas. Nick and I had to wait for the next open part of road to get around him and I even waved? We just took off and nothing came of it.
We already got a ticket that day after this grumpy State Patrol officer gave us a ticket, he had to stalk us for 10 miles to get somthing on us, so he just decided to claim we were speeding when we weren't!! I mean he was right behind us for 10 miles?? We were all glued to the speedo?
It was a weekend down the Poudre Canyon and we were passing cars 3 or 4 at a clip cause well they were really moving slow, its easy to pass several cars when they are going slower than 30mph, but like I said there is always some guy who wants to gas it just as you start to pass??
Colorado is not as populated as back east so there is a lot of wilderness where you can safely gas it and not have to encounter a pedestrian, or somebodies driveway for miles and miles. Driveways always make me wonder, who the hell is gonna spring out of one like a fricken jack in the box to make me crash?? So I slow the Fook down when I see the familiar signs of a driveway.
X-Euro, Apr 11 2005, 09:37 PM...you'll figure out the type that races around up there on a regular basis, the WERA boys excluded ;) :
P.S. - That road block is not a new occurrence - routine.
Look Ken! We've been excluded again!!! Just like down at the country club! :)
I just sent an email to my friends that come down in the spring to ride saying the same thing. It's not bad in winter/fall, but spring the crazy's all come out and the LEO's follow. Time to sneak off to my favorite secret roads for the summer... I could tell you where they were, but I'd have to kill you afterwards :insert stupid phrase emoticon here:
Track day season anyway. Me and a bunch of friends are planning to be at Barbers June 4th and 5th... any VFRD members want to make it a non-event??? Best track in the world! (Well, my little world).
X-Euro, Apr 11 2005, 05:37 PMRead this to yourself a few times quickly and you'll figure out the type that races around up there on a regular basis, the WERA boys excluded ;) :
Hey, I resemble that remark. :goofy:
I was actually up there Sunday also, but riding 2-up with the wifey. We were just out for a nice casual ride taking things easy. I was stuck in the line of traffic on 60 a couple of miles north of T.W.O. because of the wreck. I also got stopped on 60 about 15 miles north of T.W.O. because they were checking licenses. They didn't care about insurance or registration, just drivers licenses. At least they weren't discriminating, cars and bikes both were being checked.
I agree with everyone here. On populated parts of the roads, I keep the speed "reasonable". No need to hit 150 on the straights between the twisty bits. On Sundays, close the throttle when you go by a church. How many times have you been in church and something distracting was going on outside?
The guy who owns the cabins near the store at the top of Blood Mountain on 129 is world famous for calling the cops. I always put it back in civilian non-frightening mode before I get within earshot of that guy...
STAY AWAY FROM 129/60/180 WEEKENDS!!! I worked / road in Blairsville for 2 yrs ending last spring. I continued to go up and ride on weekends and have seen the cops/bicycles/cages get worse on weekends. I just bought a trailer to haul up to NC and ride, no crowds. We rented a Harley Ultra to tour NC for a couple days (glad to be back on my VFR and F4i) so I decided against better sense to scour north GA and see how bad it was on the return. A local sherriff had radar in a corner on 129 north of vogel state park. a few miles up the road on 180 between vogel and Suches (t.w.o.) were the state patrol stopping everybody, then on 60 between Suches and 19 was a Lumpkin county sherrif with radar. That confirms my pledge to stay away on weekends. Don't forget there is also waaaaay toooo much traffic of all types to have any fun on weekends. It was amazing how little traffic there was in NC on the Cherohala skyway, 143, 28 etc, it was all ours. Just my .02 worth. One good thing about the Harley, since it has nooo power you don't even think about riding fast but rather just enjoy being out cruising/touring. As soon as I returned the Harley I hopped on my VFR and was amazed how light/fast/powerful it felt after 600 miles on a slow cruiser. Then I hopped on the F4i and was really grinning (and breaking the law again). Its impossible to back off the throttle on the F4i, it just sings and begs you to ring its neck, a little better on the VFR. Some day I hope I can enjoy just touring/cruising and doing the speed limit.
baileyrock, Apr 12 2005, 08:06 PM"Some day I hope I can enjoy just touring/cruising and doing the speed limit.
Steve "
Good luck with that ! :beer:
:unsure: If you had to guess what will next week (Mon-Wed) be like for a couple of flat-landers. I really like that area around Suches/Vogel/Morgantown. Just how strict on the speed limits. Thks for any input.
baileyrock, Apr 11 2005, 09:24 PMYah, I wish the rest of you crazy SOB's would slow down and stay off my favorite roads, that way it's only one guy flying by ! :P Actually I like to ride quick, but never usually get much over 80 and I try to respect everyone and everything else out there ! Pissing people off is not in our Sports interest. When I pass cages I try not to go blasting by and scare the hell out of them, I go by as quick, quite and smooth as possible using my turn singles and a friendly wave every time. I will almost always back it off if I even see someone out on there property and even wave at them too ! I want there experience with a motorcycle(mine) to be as pleasant as possible, not a reaching for the phone to call the LEO's type thing. It pays in the long run to piss off as few people as possible when riding, Respect my friends ! :thumbsup:
I don't speed, but I pass people who do ! :rolleyes:
I agree.........no need to speed excessively in the straights. Enjoy the curves and be respectful of others on the road. Pass as couteously as possible......no need to raise the ire of someone in a 3400 pound cage. Unfortunately, there will always be some riders out there who have a little too much testosterone and not enough good sense.
m-w should be better but you still have to watch 129. A friend of mine got a speeding ticket in her car last wed! on 129. Don't forget the other side of 180 to Richard Russell hwy.
I also forgot to mention that 3 weeks ago I went up to the loop 1290/180/60 at 745am Sat. to beat the crowds and spotted through the trees in the campground across the street from the cafe at turners corner (129 and 19) a local sherrif waiting for the games to begin. 5 minutes later on my way to 60 and t.w.o. on 19 a state patrol and at 11am on 60 returning from morganton past t.w.o. was the lumpkin county sherrif. If not for warnings from another rider I would have got pulled over.
Good luck if you choose to ride there.
Steve
Pal, Apr 12 2005, 01:32 PM:unsure: If you had to guess what will next week (Mon-Wed) be like for a couple of flat-landers. I really like that area around Suches/Vogel/Morgantown. Just how strict on the speed limits. Thks for any input.
Not surprising to hear of increased police presence up in there. I rode every other weekend from Asheville to I-40, US74, 28, then 129, then Cherohala, then reverse route.
All the way there I would see excessive speeds displayed by other riders, fresh gouges in the pavement leading into the armco, fresh gouges in the pavement leading off the side of the mountain, new stories about accidents by the fellow on the overlook selling T-shirts, even riding by crowds of people standing around someone trapped wedged and mangled under the armco, keeping him company until LifeFlight arrived.
It all started with increased police presence, then roadblocks, then covert surveillance (I have tapes from both stationary and mobile units). It got to where I just didn't go there anymore. I sold my bike in early 2002 to get something else. I heard plenty of stories after that.
After all, can you blame the municipality? They were getting hammered with all these emergency calls and the taxpayer was having to foot the bill (not local but statewide...explain that to the people holding the pursestrings). It couldn't continue.
I think it was last Thursday April 28th during out TexasMac Meet that our group headed down to T.W.O., Blood Mountain, etc. After having lunch at Turner's Corner our group split up and X-Euro and I headed to and across 60 north. We were having fun coming up the mtn. and slowed for some reason up on top when we come around and there's 4 State Troopers coming the other way, Radars Blazing. Two SUV's and two Cruiser's, they must have been working an area up there earlier and were heading home. I gave my friendly wave as we passed each other and they didn't turn around. On Saturday morning April 30th in the Robbinsville/Gap area I saw two State Troopers, a interceptor Camaro Sheriffs car and two standard Cruisers. I decide to call it a day after a morning ride and head home. :unsure: