500 km Sport Touring and Adventure Touring Event, 10/6/07, North Georgia

[atwowheelguy]

Look for this poster and a flyer in a bike shop near you in North Georgia beginning in August.


Third Annual Dream House 500

A Special North Georgia Adventure Touring and Sport Touring Event

Alpharetta, GA     Saturday, October 6, 2007

We are pleased to announce the third annual Dream House 500, a special adventure touring and sport touring motorcycle event to be held Saturday, October 6, 2007. The AMA sanctioned ride will start and finish at the Honda Rider Education Center in Alpharetta, GA.


Three complimentary meals will be included in the day's activities. A continental breakfast will be served during morning registration. Lunch will be catered on the shore of a beautiful north Georgia lake with live music entertainment.



The entree for the hot evening meal on the patio will be your choice of grilled chicken or steak.

After the evening meal, we will award our grand prize, a Tucker-Rocky catalog

and a $1,000 gift certificate to spend on anything in the catalog. The prize is courtesy of Tucker-Rocky  http://www.powersportrider.com/cgi-bin/zcatjpg and BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta  http://www.bmwmcoa.com/.

The sport touring route will be about 500 km (300 miles). The adventure touring route for those who like a little dirt on their tires will be about 400 km (250 miles). The ADV tour is shorter to allow time to enjoy a selection of scenic Forest Service roads in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Each rider will be issued a route sheet with detailed route instructions. These are self-guided tours, but we encourage riders to travel in small groups. We will have guides available for those who want one.

This is not a parade event. This is for riders who like to read maps and ride lots of miles of twisty pavement (Sport Tour) or twisty dirt roads (ADV Tour).

Please join us and our sponsor, Maxxis Tires, for a special event for a special cause. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Inc, a non-profit corporation, headquartered in Lilburn, GA.   http://www.dreamhouseforkids.org/

The founder of the Dream House, Laura Moore, was chosen as ABC News Person of the week in January, 2007.
Watch the video here (after the 30 second commercial) http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2774657

The minimum donation requested is $100 per rider and $50 per passenger.

Tell your friends and family that you are raising money to help medically fragile children who have been abandoned by their families. Ask them to sponsor your ride for $5 or $10. You will be surprised at how quickly it adds up to $100 or much more.

Details of the event are here: http://www.dreamhouse500.com

An event flyer with map, schedule and registration form is here: http://www.dreamhouse500.com/registration.pdf

Registration in advance is recommended.

6:30 a.m.   Registration opens
7:15 a.m.   Riders meeting
7:30 a.m.   Departure
5:00 p.m.   Arrival at finish
6:30 p.m.   Ceremonies complete

Ride reports for a previous event are here:
(adventure tour) http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/DL650/message/17748 and

(sport tour) http://www.bmwmoga.info/centerline/newsletter/05_11_l.pdf (1.3mb)

Call 770-923-1685 for more information.

Sam Shaw
Organizing Committee
Dream House 500

[Clint64]

Thanks for posting.  I attended last year's event and must say that it exceeded my expectations.  Really a first class set up for a worthy cause.

Clint

[atwowheelguy]

Thanks, Clint. We plan to do at least as well this year, with a few improvements to boot. We hope you can return and bring a friend  .

Sam

[jed]

Looks like a good event to me.  I'll do my best to attend!

[Huron52]

 I don't get it

If this is to take place in North Georgia why  is it saying 500kms.... why not 300 miles  

[jed]

It's a charity ride.  They could call it the North Georgia 23,000 Cubit ride for all I care.  Get over it.

[Sign Guy]

     

Good one Jed!

Count me in.

[Huron52]

 Wow that went over good

Excellent event, good cause....

[flynfink]

Same weekend as Duc's Fly South.. I'll be in Hiawasee with USDesmo.

[Sign Guy]

BUMP

[stefrrr]

I kinda wanted an excuse to go to Georgia one last time this year...  

[jed]

Sign up.  I'm going to make this one actually!

[Beatkiddo]

I kinda wanted an excuse to go to Georgia one last time this year...  

I am looking into this, and may go...  Are you riding up?

[atwowheelguy]

Come one, come all, and the more the merrier! It would be good if you could pre-enter at least a week in advance so we will know you are coming and can prepare enough food for everyone. All three meals for the day are included.

The entry form is here: http://www.dreamhouse500.com/registration.pdf

[Beatkiddo]

I am looking into this, and may go...  Are you riding up?

I may not be going after all, since I have the Karoo's on her, and they say that knobbies are not desirable.  Now is my F650 GS considered  "small, knobby-tired dual sport motorcycles"?  I think the 650 is small, but maybe they mean the 200-450 range...

[atwowheelguy]

I may not be going after all, since I have the Karoo's on her, and they say that knobbies are not desirable.  Now is my F650 GS considered  "small, knobby-tired dual sport motorcycles"?  I think the 650 is small, but maybe they mean the 200-450 range...

The route is about 165 miles of twisty pavement and about 75 miles of dirt/gravel roads in the mountains of North Georgia. Expect to leave the start at 7:30 a.m. and arrive back there at about 5:00 p.m. That's 240 miles in 9-1/2 hours. In between will be two checkpoint/rest/gas stops of about 15 minutes each, one stop at the waterfalls for a few minutes and a lunch stop of about one hour at the lake, with a live band. Other than that, you can expect about 8 hours in the saddle. Of course you can bail out at any time and take the shortcut back to the finish. You decide if your seat/butt combination is up to that and if you can stand for your tires to tolerate the 165 miles of pavement. We have had in the past a KTM 640 Adventure and a Kawasaki KLR 650 at our event and the riders had a great time. It all comes down to the rider. If someone wants to ride it on their 250cc dual sport with knobby tires (hard seat, high rev vibrations), they are welcome to come. It would just be a tiring day for me (old fart) on one of those. You will note that the bike shown on the Dream House 500 Adventure Tour web page is a BMW 650 . http://www.dreamhouse500.com/adv_tour.htm

It is a first class event, an all day ride, in beautiful country, meals included, for a good cause. You decide. Here is a report from our first event two years ago. We have since engaged our own band for lunch and changed the adventure tour route to include fewer total miles but more off-pavement mileage.

"Dream House 500 ride report (2005)

Looks like I was the lone rider from our group for the Dream House 500 in Alpharetta, GA this Saturday. The event started early from the Honda’s Alpharetta riders center. We were greeted with coffee and assorted other goodies while ride packets were handed out. The first year event had two distinct groups that had separate riders meetings. One for the adventure tour riders and one for the standard ride. Both were close to 300 miles in length and our paths crossed a few times. I went on the adventure group ride (naturally) that included about 40miles of North Georgia Forest Roads. It looked like about 30 riders were going on the touring ride with their route sheets on all manner of motorcycles. There were 15 or so adventure riders and I was the lone v-strom rider. We had quite the mix. A few BMWs, a Cagiva Grand Canyon, a KTM 650 Single, and a few KLR 650s. They asked us to ride in small groups to help keep an eye on each other and detailed route sheets were passed around. By 8 AM we were on the road. I had never ridden in the North GA mountains and didn’t know what to expect. The weather was perfect, about 62 degrees at the start and dry all day. I ended up in a group of about 5 riders and Rick riding the Caviga was elected lead (he’d proofed the course earlier). While I grew up in California carving canyons, that was a long time ago. My recent DL-650 experience had been the mostly flat straight pavement of North Florida with plenty of limestone roads thrown in. This was a lot different! A mile or two from the Honda Riders Center and we were two laning some beautiful rolling country roads with almost no traffic. As the mountains grew around us the roads (almost universally smooth) started to kink up nicely with wonderfully banked corners. The tempo increased and my inexperience was showing as I struggled to coordinate braking, banking and throttle as we approached blind curve after blind curve. Just when it seemed to start to flow for me, we were off in the woods and new challenges. My 650 was wearing its original trailwings which had been more than adequate for my typical flat/dry (maybe sandy) limestone roads. The trails we were riding Saturday were narrow, single-car hardpack with large loose rocks on top. To add to the thrill, shoulders were non-existent with vertical, heavily forested drops. I quickly learned to use the rear brake gently and let the engine do most of the braking. The dirt road conditions were perfect except for the large marbles on top. Recent rains had been light enough to keep the dust down w/o creating much mud. It seemed that we would hit about three or four miles of dirt, then back on the pavement, then another foray in the mountains. At one point we took a quick break at the Front Gate of the Army’s Mountain Ranger Training Camp outside of Dahlonega. One of the locals knowing I was from out of town started to explain about the military mountain climbing, rappelling and tactical training that took place there when I ruined it by explaining I had been though that camp in 1978 as a trainee. Strange that my first time back since then was on my DL-650 on a ride I hadn’t mapped out. The National Forest is so much nicer from the seat of a bike instead of walking with a ruck! About 10 we stopped at a small local gas station to top off. Ran into another Light Strom rider there. He had the Suzuki gel seat and I asked to try it out. Was nice, a bit taller and broader than the stock seat. We were off before I could ask his name or see if he was one of ours. The next stop was down another dirt road to a place called twin falls. Very nice, and since it was warming up, I was wishing we had longer to dawdle. I’d have loved to dangle my feet for a few minutes in the cold water. I guess they knew that would be the case because just around the corner we made our first double ford. The water was about 6-9 inches deep, 6-10 feet across and the bottom was covered in large stones. Whoo-hoo my first water crossing soaked my feet through what were supposed to be waterproof boots. 20 minutes later and after two more similar fords we were at a fish hatchery/state park for the included complementary lunch. We ate within earshot of a group singing ole fashioned country in the next pavilion. With lunch out of the way and almost all our dirt roads vanquished for the day we attacked some serious mountain roads. Again, I was fascinated by the smooth pavement and great banking. The mix went from 20-30 mph hairpins to 80 mph sweepers. The KLR’s were left behind while the Caviga Grand Canyon, shod with pure street tires and the KTM stayed out front. Still 'dialing it in' I was happy to hang in the middle with the BMWs. At the 3PM checkpoint we were all looking the worse for wear and no one was hurrying to fuel-up drink-up and go. Finally, the call of a promised finish line barbeque got us going and we knocked down the last 50 miles to the Riders Center. At the sign-in we had chosen beef or chicken and now with our finishing line goody bags we were handed either a chicken breast or New York strip to put on the grill. So as other bikes arrived and parked we enjoyed great conversation while in the backdrop about 8 six to ten year olds were learning how to ride dirt bikes in Honda’s clay training center. About 6:30 awards were handed out and I was disappointed that my poker hand failed to win (2 pair, 4s and kings). They gave out about $1500 worth donated items including a $1,000 dollar gift certificate from the local BMW dealer (my dinner mate who owned a BMW 1200 said “ yeah, that’s about one years worth of services!" We raised about $6,400 for the Dream House which is a group that recruits and trains foster parents for children that need long term medical intervention. They also help pay to properly equip their homes. This is to get the children out of the hospitals and nursing homes they are cared for in otherwise. All in all, it was a great weekend (270 miles there, 280 miles on the ride and then back for another 270) and you can be sure I'll be back again next year.

Dan......who should have been cutting his wiregrass instead of riding all weekend."

[ibppjr]

If my schedule allows, the kid and I will be there.  I've got the Ducati heading in for service next Tuesday and the Triumph is primed and ready!

[atwowheelguy]

Recent article published in the North Georgia Mountains Magazine about this event:

http://northgeorgiamountainsmagazine.com/dreamhouse500.html

[jed]

My signup sheet and check are in the mail....

Debating spending Friday night in Alpharomania or getting up around 4:30 on Sat...

[chromekid01]

Same weekend as Duc's Fly South.. I'll be in Hiawasee with USDesmo.

I too will be in Hiawasee for this on my Multistrada.

[jed]

So James, when do you guys get the 848's in stock?  

[dark_isz]

I sent my check off last week for this fine sounding event. This will be my first overnight tour, I'm looking forward to it and hopefully meeting some ST.N folks as well!

[jed]

I've got a black multi with fork mounted lights and will be arriving with a guy on a red Futura.  See you there!

[ibppjr]

As I've shared elsewhere my ST4S is having the lower end bearings replaced and I can only hope that ATD has it ready before then.  I'm scheduled to work that morning as well, but hopefully can drop the trip.  I really NEED to go riding!

[Clint64]

My form and check sent out yesterday.  Look forward to seeing some of you there.

Clint

[atwowheelguy]

We are 5 days from the Dream House 500 on Saturday, Oct. 6. The forecast is for sunny and warm weather. We have three good meals and some fine entertainment lined up. We also have a beautiful 300 mile Sport Tour route and a 230 mile Adventure Tour route. Seventeen riders are entered. One of them will win a $1,000 Tucker Rocky gift certificate and several others will win a nice prize.

Download your entry form here: http://www.dreamhouse500.com/registration.pdf

[atwowheelguy]

I would be interested to know what you thought of the Dream House 500.

[jed]

Loved it!  The guy on the white GL was fast, Bill and I enjoyed following him through the twisties after lunch.  And what a great cause!  I'm going to really put the pressure on folks I know to donate next year.  I still can't get over some of those kid's stories.

J from Charleston learned that an FZ6 doesn't make a good dual sport bike and that you can't cut corners when there's a mountain in the way.  The turn after the short bridge got him.  Bike was ok and so was he.  He actually did really well riding in the mountains after that!  Didn't seem shaken up at all.

Made a few new friends and had a great time!  Wished I'd raised more money though!

[Sign Guy]

 

Ditto!!!

Best route of any ride I've ever been on. I'll be riding it again as soon as the schedule permits. Reminded me that the southern section of 348 is my favorite stretch of road anywhere and that Wolf Pen Gap is the slickest!

Jay, Kent, and everyone else It was great to meet you and look forward to doing it again.

Jay...well, great way to shake it off.  Kent, we have some decent riding in the Chat Hills area, I'll keep you in the loop.  And Jed, a track day does you good!

I'll be back next year and with more $$$ for a great cause.

Bill

P.S. All Hail BEN on the WING!!!

[dark_isz]

I had an incredible time! The route was awesome, the food was fantastic, and the folks I met were all great people! Aside from my little mishap, which I am extremely grateful for all those that stopped to help (Jed, Bill, and Kent, you guys are the reason I recovered so well, thanks for the support!) I don't think I could have asked for a better first tour. The bug has bit me, and I can't wait to do it again.

I'm also really glad I got to meet the folks from the DreamHouse. It felt really good to be helping out those kids, and getting to meet one of them face to face really helped drive the point home.

Here's the pic I took of the bikes after the ride. I am looking forward to next year's ride already.



Thanks to those that put this event together, y'all did a great job!

 

[Clint64]

Great ride.  Like Bill I have saved the route sheets since many of the roads were fantastic.  It was nice to meet the folks from DreamHouse and become more informed about the great work they do with the kids.  I am committed to working harder at raising money for the ride next year.

Clint