Shake Down Run for New FJR

[sprint_st]

Need to shake down the new FJR on a long run. Planning on running the Cherohala and SC/NC28. Anyone is invited to tag along. It is going to be a long day. Leaving Chesnee, SC at 8am. Will be in the Walhalla area about 10:30, Highlands about 11am, Franklin, 11:20 or so, topping off fuel at Robbinsville at noon, run the Cherahala, eat pizza in Tellico Plains about 1pm. That's about 220 miles. May return by way of the Smokies or take 68 down into GA to the Clayton area and then drift back toward the Greenville/Spartanburg area.  Actually, nothing is locked in stone and I don't even have to be back Saturday night.  Only think that is a "required" is I have to be in Tellico Plains by 3:00 because that is when they stop making brick oven pizza at this bread shop there and it's goooood!!!!

[JohnBoy]

HHHhhmmmmm!!

Ride with you, then head over toward Sparta for the night and meet up with servicerifle for an 8:30 rendezvous for a ESTN pre-ride.

I'd love to, but my gf might be slightly po'd condsidering I'll be in Brevard next weekend (riding, of course).

Might I suggest another route south outta Tellico Plains.  Have you ever tried 39 to 315 to 30?  

[mch]

I'd like to go but I finished my tires last tuesday chasing you around. I have replacements on order and I'm thinking about riding up to Sparta sunday on the honda, to prerun another ESTN route with SR.

Have fun, and have a slice of pizza for me. mmmm... pizza..

matt

[sprint_st]

JohnBoy, I'll look into that route, just might give it a shot.  I always like breaking in a new route.

Hey Matt, I explained to the Flower Child how much my dealer wants to mount tires ($37.50 each if you buy them from him and $75 if you bring them in) and she suggested I get my own tire changing machine, WHAT A GAL!!!!

[JohnBoy]

Let me if know if you have trouble locating that route.

39 heads pretty much due west outta TP, but you're not on it long.  315 then skirts south basically to the west of 68, but much more scenic and remote than 68.  You'll hit 30 at the Hiawassie River and head south down near Archville to Ocoee Lake and 74.  Those last few miles near the lake get exciting.

Enjoy!

[servicerifle]

Dude, if you have the go-ahead, and the funds, get the No-Mar.  That thing's sweet.

[sprint_st]

Dude, if you have the go-ahead, and the funds, get the No-Mar.  That thing's sweet.

Right now I'm leaning toward a Wikco and a Marc Parnell balancer plus some good spoons.  Several hundred dollars cheaper, I think.

[CafeTBird]

Or you could just take them to Cycle Gear for $25, $12 if you buy the tires there...  

[mch]

I've got the harbor freight changer with some decent spoons and it works well.

If I remember correctly, you can catch the hf unit on sale for well under $100.

I do want to get a nomar mount/demount bar sometime. It looks to be the trick to keeping your wheels nice and saving you some effort.

Yeah Scot, but where is the fun in that? Actually we just got a Cycle Gear here in Greensboro, I hadn't asked them about mount charges.

[JohnBoy]

$30 at CG.........plus the $2 disposal fee.  Did I not got the STN discount?

[mch]

I'd still rather do it myself, I can screw my stuff up just as well as some 'pro' can. And save a few bucks.

[servicerifle]

Right now I'm leaning toward a Wikco and a Marc Parnell balancer plus some good spoons.  Several hundred dollars cheaper, I think.

Matt and I have been using the Harbor Freight and the balancer, but as Matt said, the No Mar bar would at least be a good upgrade.  The Harbor Freight bar does a good job of putting red lines on your rims...but ya know what?  Those red lines don't change how that bike rides one bit.    IOW, I can deal with a little ugliness...I been lookin' at myself in the mirror all my life, after all!

Once I have my own place again (not an apartment) I'll get my own stand as well...once you start doing it yourself you cringe when you think about going somewhere else.  Not only because of the price but also because you get better quality work when you do it yourself.

[CafeTBird]

Yeah Scot, but where is the fun in that? Actually we just got a Cycle Gear here in Greensboro, I hadn't asked them about mount charges.

I have a lot of fun at Cycle Gear.  It is like Walmart for motorcyclists.  Plus, the folks that work there actually ride...

http://www.cyclegear.com

Sorry I couldn't go today.  This spring, I have too many kid activities - impeding me from supporting my motorcycle habit!?!  I have a pinewood derby and soccer camp today, and tommorrow the rents come up to the cabin...

[sprint_st]

Absolutely fantastic day. 493miles in about 9hrs and 45 minutes of road time. Pizza was great, took some time to get it, but great. SC/GA/NC28 was as close to empty as it gets. The stretch from Highlands to Franklin is in theory a great road but it always seems to be full of flatlander tourists going slow. Not today, it was wide open. It was as close to a race track as it gets. Cherohala was pretty deserted too, as was the BRP. Definitely not so at Deals Gap. That place was a zoo. Can anybody tell my why Harley drivers even go there???? I had one car pull over for me and passed another, but got behind three rolling thunders about half way through and that was the end of that. Stopped at the store for some dragon decals, I needed my earplugs in the parking lot. Loud pipes save lives, what bull shit!. As close to a perfect riding day as you can get, but this was the final straw for me, the Gap just ain't worth it.  If you haven't run SC/GA/NC 28, you definitely missing a great road.

The FJR did a great with one exception.  With GPS, Radar Detector and tunes coming in through the AutoCom I feel like a Wild Weasel.  I did some scientific suspension adjustments - added one line of pre-load to the forks and 2 clicks harder to everything without the benefit of a sag check.  Damn, it felt significantly better.  Also tried the AirHawk from the old Sprint.  Butt rot hit an all time low for nearly ten hours in the saddle.  Only glitch was I'm having problems with down shifts.  I thought I had it fixed when I foung the linkage out of adjustment but it still doesn't like a double down AT ALL.  I've got a shorter R1 shift lever coming in, maybe it will work.

[sprint_st]

Matt and I have been using the Harbor Freight and the balancer, but as Matt said, the No Mar bar would at least be a good upgrade.  The Harbor Freight bar does a good job of putting red lines on your rims...but ya know what?  Those red lines don't change how that bike rides one bit.    IOW, I can deal with a little ugliness...I been lookin' at myself in the mirror all my life, after all!

Even though I have to look in the mirror to see the test tube baby of Uncle Fester and Lurch's sister, I don't like folks beating up my rims.  Not sure if I would trust CG to give me back unmarked rims.  I know the two dealers who changed my Sprint's tires both left scars.  Also, CG is $30 each plus environment fee and tax.  At that rate it won't be all that long till you break even.

[JohnBoy]

ss,

Sounds like a great day!!  This is the season for those rds, another month or two I usually stay away from that part on NC and head up to where sr and I are going today NW NC and SW VA.  Glad you had nice weather and clear roads, ALWAYS the makings of a wonderful ride!

Were you able to check out the 'alternate' route outta Tellico Plains?

Hope to ride with ya.

[sprint_st]

ss,
Were you able to check out the 'alternate' route outta Tellico Plains?
Hope to ride with ya.

It was a little after 2pm when I got out of the pizza place and I wanted to get some dragon decal (shudda ordered them) so I went that way.  I did try 360 over to Vonoir which was a much better way to go than picking up 411 in Madisonville.  I do need to try that area of TN and N.GA.  I've ovoided N.GA because it gets loaded with Atlanta day trippers, but the good news there is they tend to lose interest as the season wears on.

Make sure we hook up at ESTN07.  I want to take at least a three day blast up into WV some time which you may be interested in.

[JohnBoy]

Make sure we hook up at ESTN07.  I want to take at least a three day blast up into WV some time which you may be interested in.

Oh I"m interested!!  

WVA riding.

[JohnBoy]

Make sure we hook up at ESTN07.  I want to take at least a three day blast up into WV some time which you may be interested in.

I needed my earplugs in the parking lot. Loud pipes save lives, what bull shit!.

You may not like my Ducati.    But I can't quite tell which is louder, my clutch or the exhaust note!!

[sprint_st]

My wife just gave me a ration of sh-t because I always come back from rides bi---ing and moaning about HD's.  Some times I want to go to one those moron events they have with a boat horn and blast them up close and personal.  Of course I might have to have my Kimber in my back pocket cause I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for dancing in the parking lot