Road check - NE TN and eastern KY

[bogfro]

So how do you think a FJR would do on the road?  I've done some gravel roads on it and it did not seem too bad.  I road a little bit of the paved section and it was cool and was woindering about the rest of it.

I wouldn't do the unpaved section of it with anything less than a dual sport.  I did it with a KLR, and there's lots of washed out ruts, rocks, and stuff.  At times, even the KLR felt too heavy.  Now the paved section you could probably do with an FJR (although there's lots of other bikes better suited to it)....there's just a lot of narrow spots, and you'll need to move over if there's someone coming the other way.  Plus it's hard to drive an FJR only in 1st/2nd gear for a long way  

[Guy]

I wouldn't do the unpaved section of it with anything less than a dual sport.  I did it with a KLR, and there's lots of washed out ruts, rocks, and stuff.  At times, even the KLR felt too heavy.  Now the paved section you could probably do with an FJR (although there's lots of other bikes better suited to it)....there's just a lot of narrow spots, and you'll need to move over if there's someone coming the other way.  Plus it's hard to drive an FJR only in 1st/2nd gear for a long way  

I rode it on my wee little VFR, and thought it could be fun if it weren't so overgrown with branches and moss and leaves in the road. The other two guys (Sprint ST and C14) weren't so enthused. We all felt that it would be great on a motard, or at least something that was better geared for the road. Constantly going from 1st to  2nd back again because neither gear ratio was quite right.

[Jonathan]

I wouldn't do the unpaved section of it with anything less than a dual sport.  I did it with a KLR, and there's lots of washed out ruts, rocks, and stuff.  At times, even the KLR felt too heavy.  Now the paved section you could probably do with an FJR (although there's lots of other bikes better suited to it)....there's just a lot of narrow spots, and you'll need to move over if there's someone coming the other way.  Plus it's hard to drive an FJR only in 1st/2nd gear for a long way  

Thanks for the info.  I may just have to add another (but smaller) bike to the fleet.  Getting off the beaten path is fun from time to time.

[bogfro]

I rode it on my wee little VFR, and thought it could be fun if it weren't so overgrown with branches and moss and leaves in the road. The other two guys (Sprint ST and C14) weren't so enthused. We all felt that it would be great on a motard, or at least something that was better geared for the road. Constantly going from 1st to  2nd back again because neither gear ratio was quite right.

You did the UNPAVED part on a VFR????  

[Guy]

You did the UNPAVED part on a VFR????  

Oh hell no, that was on the paved part.

Here's my take on Little Shepperd Trail, it can be a fun road, but at least for me, you need the right bike. A smaller dual sport or motard, and at least a couple of runs through to get a good feel for the road. It is one lane, very tight corners, and not a lot of good sight lines. It is very lightly traveled road so you don't have to worry about cars much, but the downside is that debris is not blown of the road. There are some spots that are hella fun, but you really have to be on the ball to ride the road.