April 19th ride to the GA mountains

[ibppjr]

Who's in?

I was going to Barber, but I think some heavy duty mountain blastin' is in order.  

A few of us are heading north from Coweta Co, it'd be cool to meet up with some others up north at some point, like lunch somewhere (I hear TWO has good burgers).

[jeremy556]

I will probably be up there if the weather is good; same as every other weekend.

[Sign Guy]

Looks like there are 4 of us now committed. Two Futura's (assuming Clint brings his) and two Ducs (ST3 & 4). We are going to leave from the Honda Safety Center and then heading out at your own pace. I'll need to know about how many for maps. It is a great ride. Search Dream House 500 and you'll want to go. Come on chime in guys!

[evilted]

What time are you guys starting from the HREC in Al'fretta'?

That's a Saturday, so I need to be home by 3 p.m. to make a guitar lesson, which means somewhere not too far from 400 in Dahlonega at 2 p.m.

[ibppjr]

I'm an early riser and would like to get a good jump on the day.  Maybe 8-9am...what say you other guys?  Some of us have a 60 mile ride to get to Alpharetta so that would be a pretty early start.

[atwowheelguy]

I would love to join you, but I got some free tickets and a free bed 3 miles from Barber that weekend. Let the others who join you know what the Dream House 500 is all about. Our Routemaster has again agreed to produce another great route this year. The lunch catering volunteers and the band are back on board, too. I haven't heard any dinner suggestions better than the steak and chicken grill, so we'll probably do that again, too. Don't know yet if we'll have the $1,000 gift certificate again, but we're working on it. It'll be Saturday, October 4 this year. Same start location and time.

Come again and bring the folks who join you for the ride on the 19th.

http://www.dreamhouse500.com

[Sign Guy]

I'm with you Paul we need to be leaving HSS NLT 9:00. Didn't get a chance to put the general route together today it will now be at earliest Tuesday. I knew a few sections we were on (Helen to Suches and north) but the rest of the time I hadn't ridden any of those roads.

[atwowheelguy]

What time are you guys starting from the HREC in Al'fretta'?

That's a Saturday, so I need to be home by 3 p.m. to make a guitar lesson, which means somewhere not too far from 400 in Dahlonega at 2 p.m.

This is a 300 mile route through the twisties. At the '07 500, departure was about 7:30 - 7:45 a.m. I rode the Adventure Tour route, and we didn't get back until after 5:00 p.m. I understand the Sport Tour Riders beat us back about 20 minutes. I expect you will be abandoning the route early if you have those time constraints. Come back on October 4 for the '08 500 when you have time to enjoy the full pleasure of a new route.

Check a ride report: http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,16287.0.html

[evilted]

Yep, with a stop for lunch ~300 miles in North Georgia generally means 6 hours of riding from garage door to garage door, so it's likely I won't be able to hang around for the full ride unless it ends up back at the HREC at 3 or so, in which case things will work out perfectly.

This is a 300 mile route through the twisties. At the '07 500, departure was about 7:30 - 7:45 a.m. I rode the Adventure Tour route, and we didn't get back until after 5:00 p.m. I understand the Sport Tour Riders beat us back about 20 minutes. I expect you will be abandoning the route early if you have those time constraints. Come back on October 4 for the '08 500 when you have time to enjoy the full pleasure of a new route.

Check a ride report: http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,16287.0.html

[ibppjr]

Yep, with a stop for lunch ~300 miles in North Georgia generally means 6 hours of riding from garage door to garage door, so it's likely I won't be able to hang around for the full ride unless it ends up back at the HREC at 3 or so, in which case things will work out perfectly.

Come on and ride with us until you have to bail!  I don't think that anything we're doing is set in stone, other than the time we plan on leaving the HSS.

[2wTraveler]

I really would love to get up there, but I am also headed to Barber. There should be enought STn riders in the area for us to have a regular group headed for the mountains. I make it up there most every weekend.

[atwowheelguy]

I really would love to get up there, but I am also headed to Barber. There should be enought STn riders in the area for us to have a regular group headed for the mountains. I make it up there most every weekend.

It would be great to get up a group of STn riders for the Dream House 500 in October.

[Sign Guy]

This is a very rough outline of the areas the ride will cover. Turn by turn maps obviously will be provided.

Alpharetta to Coal Mtn.,
Around Lake Lanier,
North close to Negro Fork Reserve in SC,
Helen to Suches,
West close to E. Ellijay
South to Dawsonville
back to Coal Mtn.

Total mileage including back to Alphretta is 300+ miles.

I think we should go ahead and set a rain date of the next Saturday 4/26.

Maybe we pull the ETD in a bit earlier lets say 8:00-15. What do you guys think?

[ibppjr]

Sounds good to me

[ibppjr]

 :thumbsup:Current weather forecast for North Georgia on the 19th is sunny skies and mid 70's.

BRILLIANT!!!!

[ibppjr]

Okay, meet up at Alpharetta @ 8:00am, we'll head out about 8:15am.  

I'm estimating at least a dozen riders as of right now.

[Clint64]

8 am sounds good to me.  Are we taking the same route that was used for the Dream House ride last year?

Clint

[ibppjr]

Our destiny is in the hands of Sign Guy...

[atwowheelguy]

Our destiny is in the hands of Sign Guy...

The author of the Dream House 500 Sport Touring Route is a fellow by the name of Mike Knowles. Also known amongst sport touring aficionados as "Magellan". Enjoy.

[ibppjr]

The author of the Dream House 500 Sport Touring Route is a fellow by the name of Mike Knowles. Also known amongst sport touring aficionados as "Magellan". Enjoy.

Thanks.  And I agree with you that getting a group of ST'ners together for the ride in October would be a good deal.

[Sign Guy]

Clint, it is the same route. You bringing the Futura out to play????

I could only hope to have time enough to put a ride like this together. I'm lucky to get up to the Mtns a few times a year. I'll be making black and white copies of the maps and marking the stop signs with a red sharpie.

[Clint64]

I''ll be out to play but on the K1200s instead.  With the new exhaust it sounds alot like the Futura with the H-pipe and tunes.  I'll look for my copies of the maps, at least I think I kept them.  

Clint

[Sign Guy]

Weather is looking more like T-storms (40% @ this point). Paul, doing what you do, what are the best sites for weather forecasts? Know you don't do VFR on a daily basis but....

If it looks more than not there will be significant rain I call for postponing until the next weekend. Mid-day Friday we should be able to make a call.

[Clint64]

Weather is looking more like T-storms (40% @ this point). Paul, doing what you do, what are the best sites for weather forecasts? Know you don't do VFR on a daily basis but....

If it looks more than not there will be significant rain I call for postponing until the next weekend. Mid-day Friday we should be able to make a call.

The following weekend works for me.  This Sunday the forecast looks better.  I might preview the route if the ride on Saturday is rained out.

Clint

[ibppjr]

For local stuff I usually just check the forecast and radar on weather.com.  If we have to delay the ride, that's what we gotta do.

If it's decided to be too wet for the 1st annual EUROTRASH 500 (as Don has named it), it's supposed to be sunny at Barber.  I'm going riding dang it!

[Sign Guy]

I use that and wunderground.com. Good thing is that the chances are dropping this morning we are down to 30%. Hopefully it will continue to trend in that direction!

[ibppjr]

30% chance of t-storms, which are usually quite isolated, and we will be a moving target, I think that lowers the odds of getting a sustained dowsing to like ZERO.  

As so famously stated buy Bluto in Animal House, "LET'S GO!!!!"

[Sign Guy]

Just caught the Eurotrash 500. That's great!

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor??? Hell NO, I'm with BLUTO, LETS GO!

Honda Rider Education Center
1450 Morrison Pkwy
Alpharetta, GA 30004

I figure we leave the Shell Station at 154 and I-85 6:45 or so. KSU at HREC 8:15 or so. Looks like at this point we have 16 riders. I'll make 20 copies of the route to make sure. If we have more pods usually form anyway.

For anyone who has not been to HREC before, there are two entrances. One leads to a parking lot full or trailers, that's not it.

[atwowheelguy]

Here's an idea for a nice gesture to recognize the work that went into producing the route sheet. Offer each rider an opportunity to make a donation to the Dream House, as well as an invitation to the '08 Dream House 500. One of you could bring any donations collected to the '08 Dream House 500. Just a thought.

We will have another great route in October. I hope you have great weather for the ride on Saturday. Wish I could go with you.

[Clint64]

Here's an idea for a nice gesture to recognize the work that went into producing the route sheet. Offer each rider an opportunity to make a donation to the Dream House, as well as an invitation to the '08 Dream House 500. One of you could bring any donations collected to the '08 Dream House 500. Just a thought.

We will have another great route in October. I hope you have great weather for the ride on Saturday. Wish I could go with you.

That sounds like a great idea.  The Dream House is such a good operation and the service they help provide is very meaningful.

Clint

[jed]

SWMBO gave me the stamp of approval for this weekend, BUT the damn bike is acting up again.  Rode it to a client and back yesterday and it doesn't want to idle hot anymore.  Not fun on the connector at 14th in stop and go traffic.  I looked like an idiot trying to stop, keep the revs in the right range and get a foot down in a coordinated effort.

Off to the Ducshop for me.

[ibppjr]

Well my baby is shined up and ready to go.

[Sign Guy]

All I have to do is make copies of the route and check the tire pressure.

Hoping for no rain but my boots have more silicon than Hollywood Blvd on a Saturday night.

[ibppjr]

All I have to do is make copies of the route and check the tire pressure.

Hoping for no rain but my boots have more silicon than Hollywood Blvd on a Saturday night.

 

[jed]

The Duc is at The Ducshop, and what a shop it is!  Nice spacious three lift work area with an NCR and two Ducs on the lift.  Rode the multi into the storage area and it was filled with about 50 or so ducs and other assorted bikes of all stripes including a TZ500.  Mark was as nice as he could be and I have no doubt they'll resolve the issue with the bike.

So you guys with the Italian twins - think about the Ducshop the next time you need service.

[Clint64]

Looks like we might have a wet start to the ride in the morning.  I am in.  Who else?

[ibppjr]

It may start a little damp, but later in the day it will be great.  I'm believin' for sunshine!

There's no way I'm missing out on this one.

Dang Jed, couldn't they have coughed up a loaner for ya?

[Sign Guy]

We lost one of the Falcos. Is Don still going?

[ibppjr]

Yep, he left today with another fellow riding a K1200GT.  They're up riding today and will scoot down to Alpharetta and meet us in the a.m.

[Clint64]

Guys, picked up a nail on today's ride, so I am going to get that taken care of in the morning.  Maybe next time.

[ibppjr]

That's a bummer man!  Hope your tire isn't trashed.  We still have quite a few Beemers that'll be representin'.

On another note, there is a desire amongst participants of tomorrows colossal event to partake in a time of breaking their fast and fellowship...you know eating biscuits and shootin' the breeze.  Bill, maybe you know of a general area we could stop and have a little breakfast and get to know each other?  Maybe get an hour up the road and surprise some little country restaurant owner?

[Sign Guy]

Sounds like a good plan but I don't know of any places off hand. Outside of the Helen/Suches area I didn't have a clue where I was, just following the map. Bring it up at the pre ride meeting. I'm sure that some one will have an idea or we could just play it by ear and let who ever heads out first pick a place and park in a conspicuous spot. So, how many do we have going? Both committed Falcos dropped out due to work/personal stuff.


Clint, bring the FUTURA!!!

[evilted]

Think I'm gonna pass on this, guys.  Enjoy the ride and catch you some other time!

[ibppjr]

Sounds like a good plan but I don't know of any places off hand. Outside of the Helen/Suches area I didn't have a clue where I was, just following the map. Bring it up at the pre ride meeting. I'm sure that some one will have an idea or we could just play it by ear and let who ever heads out first pick a place and park in a conspicuous spot. So, how many do we have going? Both committed Falcos dropped out due to work/personal stuff.


Clint, bring the FUTURA!!!

I've got a half dozen guys that I've been talking to that say they're in.

In your best guess-timate, what town will we be near in about an hours riding time?  I could google it and see if someplace looks like an option.  I don't even know which direction we're going when we leave Alpharetta.

[jed]

It may start a little damp, but later in the day it will be great.  I'm believin' for sunshine!

There's no way I'm missing out on this one.

Dang Jed, couldn't they have coughed up a loaner for ya?

Well there was this little NCR jobby on the lift, but it dropped a valve at Daytona -- who says Ducs don't need redlines?

Mark of the Ducshop called today.  He put the bike on the dyno ran it, got it hot, it stalled.  Then he put the Mathesis and the gas analyzer on it.  Too rich at idle so he leaned it out and then he adjusted the synch between the throttle bodies.  Says it idles much better.  He's going to run it cold again in the morning to make sure all it well, but it looks like the bike is good to go!

I was kinda hoping I would need some head work as he had the 1080 pistons sitting in a nice glass case and said with those, pods instead of airbox and a PC we could be pushing 100 or so HP.  As is he said 79.8 RWHP per the dyno.

Anyway, ya'll have fun, and if your twins need work take it to the Ducshop!