My TNT Experiance

[Woodaddict]

Had a great time meeting everyone. You know when its your first time you want to go back and ride the rides and have fun chatting again. I have not been to a gathering of any m/c group before, so it was very fun. On Wednesday night my wife is saying " its going to rain a lot, lets take the car". I said its a m/c rally I won't be taking the car, if I had to, I wouldn't be going. So watched Wednesday night weather, and determined that a late Thursday start would be good. So we left Thursday at 12:45 pm with our rain gear and rain boots on. Right in driveway got some drops, its about 68 deg, drops stopped, and on our way west warmed up as high as 72. Then nearing foothills got into solid rain for a while, low of 52, then it would be spotty rain, would get back up to 64 deg. As it was I had to talk my wife into going, then we get this super duper cold front come in. All the guys from out west and north had to deal with it riding into the TNT. But my wife was not seriously cold, only minor, so that's good.
Our first ride was to Cherahola Skyway and Tail of the Dragon Friday. Was not raining when we left PF but raing as we entered Tellico Plains. Stopped to rest at McDonalds then go up Skyway, stopped at a pull-off, fellow motorcyclist going south told us temp was 28 and snow/hail or that white stuff on the ground up a head. WOW... couldn't be , but as we climbed to the highest point on Skyway, 5,377ft, there it was. Even saw it on rocks on grass before we got there. My temp gauge said it was 39 deg

 

[Woodaddict]

For our Saturday ride we went to Wheels Through Time museum. Me, Warren, and Wphillips007 attended.





this was outside


Then Rustinpeace met us there, and all 4 went farther on Blue Ridge Parkway, up to "highest point on the road, 6,053 ft". There was some rain, dense fog for a while and cold again, down to 42.

Lt to Rgt, Wphillips007, Warren, Rustinpeace, Woodaddict




more later.....have to goto work!!

 

[RUSTINPEACE]

Great event report Woodaddict!
I don't look to happy in the picture because one of my gloves had fallen on the ground and i wanted to grab it before the wind blew it away.

 

[Woodaddict]

Bob, my wife had a good time. She rode shuttle, did some shopping, read e-books on ipad, had her ipad to keep her busy! She was thinking/planning on riding along on the Saturday ride, but too cold and too much % of rain. She had good time 2 nights at dinner, but last dinner didn't settle too good, so she didn't make it to Saturday night dinner. She wasn't real sick or anything, just not feeling like going out for another dinner.

 

[Woodaddict]

now in the museum, they had this. look closely. a bicycle built for two? or a bicycle built for 2 of the same weight???








I also got to see 3 old bikes start up. 2 around 1910 I guess, and 1 Harley about 1945, the 45 CI military. Have vids of those, but they are a little dark so won't post them. Just about all the bikes run.

 

[Woodaddict]

now for the fun ride..................after climbing up to highest elevation with cold air...no... didn't need AC, along with rain, and fog, started descending down BRP to Hwy 215. Low and behold fantastic full SUN. Did I say SUN? yep. Rode Hwy 215 north to I-40 with Rustinpeace leading the way. Great downhill run of many twisties! Fantastic waterfall in a corner that I would like to go back and get a pic, but came upon us fast, and who wants to stop and let the others catch up.....not us! This was the part of ride that had Warren posting in another post that " he had his pucker factor going on". This road was suggested by Phil who had been on the southern part also, great ride, I would like to do that again and again. Other great riding roads leading off from BRP are Hwy 276 and Hwy 151.

 

[Woodaddict]

and now for the tidbits awards.............

You know, anyone carrying around the banner wants to be president. You just know they do! So I had mentioned that in the TNT thread, but Rick didn't want to hear about that. He even was trying to pawn off the banner to someone else to carry, but that is a disgrace, don't you know how valuable that banner is?? So when you are made president you just carry it forever!!!! That banner is so valuable that he put it in a carrying case, unlike someone else who just carried it flapping in the breeze with rain pelting it and sun drying it out to help prolong its longevity. We won't mention any names here to incriminate any certain member here who holds the posting record.
So without further addo........I move Rick from president to our newly created RESIDENT FORUM COMEDIAN. He will accept this title because I think that is why he moved to Henderson, NV. He is actually working on Las Vegas strip as a comedian!!,, bringing much moolla ( that would mean money).
And the storyteller award go to Chuck, who always had a good story to tell or real experience. But that award could be up for grabs if the "main ingredient" would have showed up, but again we won't name any names, but could be the one who holds the posting record.

The above is all in good fun, to let those know who missed it, maybe would try to make it next year. Maybe I might be able to fit in a Spearfish 2015 or 2016 rally. At least the TNT rally is a yearly event for me.

and finally but not least, but also the most important is our health of fellow rider wphillips007 who still recovering, still needs our prayers for recovery. It was great to meet him and spend some time in museum and the BRP ride.

 

[EX Winger]

A very good report , well written as well as great pictures. I especially enjoyed the bike pictures from the museum, particularly the HD ones. I can't tell from the picture of the bicycle, was that a old Indian, or a HD in the background? It appears that they let you wander around in their work shop. I say that from the shot of the Pan head and Knuckle head engines setting on the bench.

I hope your wife has recovered completely from the bug, or the bad food. Either takes all the fun out of a trip!

Eldon

 

[Warren]

I was having so much fun that I hardly noticed the rain at the rally or maybe it was that I was so focused on not ridng off the road trying to follow Rick, David and Will on the down hill twisties. By the way those PR3's are great rain tires. I never had a moment where I thought I was at a loss for traction.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I've seem people ride bicycles like that. The two folks I saw on one weren't very close to the same weight but didn't seem to be having any trouble. They just leaned toward the light side and said it wasn't hard to ride.

 

[Warren]

That did not cause me any problems as you guys were usually a couple of curves ahead of me and all I could see was open road

 

[Woodaddict]

Eldon, the bicycle pic is slightly blurred, but it has 2 wheels and the seats are offset side to side not front to back! The black thing you see is a old lantern. The workshop pics are just a room in museum, that entrance is restricted but you can look in. I do think they use the one room for actual repairs, as they always work on the many different bikes. They rode one right outside right in front of everyone to clear an area for a planned wedding later in the day. They also have started a reality show I think titled " what's in the barn". the man talking said they wanted them to tape more episodes, but they didn't have time. don't know what channel its on yet, but I think 2 shows have aired already.

 

[Woodaddict]

additional notes: went to the best BBQ on the strip in PF, Bennett's BBQ. Had my first full rack of ribs, why not, its the best, so try them out. As anyone remembers sitting near me, I did eat the whole thing! well after going outside..... forgot to put my glasses back on after helmet mounting. Back at hotel 2 miles away, got off to first take glasses off, whoops, I knew right there they were laying somewhere on ground. So zip back to BBQ place to look at parking area, parking lot, down 3 lane highway to u - turn. Not a trace of them. Well, thought that will be ok. Only need them to see up close like reading, etc. Well, so my wife had to post my 75,000 mile award request as I dictated to her. Here is my odometer pic after getting back to hotel after Saturday's ride.



So Sunday morning go out about 9am to look at nice small stream behind hotel with ducks and geese. Walking back looks like my rear tire on NT is in a asphalt sink hole. Nope, its flat!! Lucky for me by the urging of a post on this site to carry gummy worms and 12v small air compressor, able to put air in it. Start looking for the leak. Suspect the 90 deg metal air valve I put in last year. I'm laying on ground trying to get better look at it( remember lost glasses) with help of wife to look as I spin wheel. Couldn't find anything sticking out causing puncture. Have to go across street to get reading glasses. Come back with them and get small pump bottle of glass cleaner, start spraying on wheel. Don't see any bubbles on bead, valve, or on tread. What in the world!! Maybe only escaping only while riding?
So off we go careful to feel for any wobbly tire. Go thru Cherokee National forest like our Saturday ride, to that Indian museum near Blue Ridge Parkway, check it there, pump it back up some, lost about 12 lbs. Go to Maggie Valley to eat near Wheels Through Time, pump it up some more. Get gas in Black Mountain on I-40, its holding air about 35 lbs. Get home ok, look at it with my soapy water. Look all over it after pumping up to 45lbs, could not find any bubbles. Another.. what in the world! So ride to work that night, in morning( I work 3rd shift) its flat! So I had some slime with me , put that in, pump it up, get home 49 miles away. At home pump it back up to 42 lbs, check it in afternoon, down to 12 lbs! So I didn't ride to work next 2 nights, drove truck, had handyman work scheduled so couldn't get to it until Wednesday. Took off wheel and submerged in wheelbarrow, whala there is bubbles. Took tire off(I have tire changer) patched from inside. Very small cut with no foreign material stuck in there, very slow leak.
Got home ok. So moral of the story is carry 12 v air comp in pass thru.

 

[John Browning]

(went to the best BBQ on the strip in PF, Bennett's BBQ. Had my first full rack of ribs, why not, its the best, so try them out. As anyone remembers sitting near me, I did eat the whole thing!)

Sitting next to you and I saw you eat the whole thing and I really thought you wouldn't be able too. I had the half rack and that was more than enough. Your order should have been delivered on 2 plates.

 

[RedLdr1]

So moral of the story is carry 12 v air comp in pass thru.

Yep, I carry my little Slime Tire Repair Kit, a compressor and small size bottle of Slime in a zip up case, and a Stop and Go "gummy worm" CO2 kit everywhere I go...

All the "Emergency stuff" I carry, on bikes and in other vehicles, has been very usefully to a lot of other folks but not me so far...Knock on Wood.:wink: I beginning to believe the more prepared you are the less likely you'll need the "stuff"..:rolleyes1:

Regarding reading glasses.. I probably have at least a half dozen pairs of drug store "readers" laying around... A few years ago I had my optometrist make me up a set of regular RayBan Aviators with the 1.5 reading lens I need cut into them. That is the best money I ever spent on glasses! No more swapping glasses to read a map and a lot harder to forget as I reach for my RayBans as I head out the door...

 

[Phil Tarman]

It just strikes me as I look at that last picture -- you guys sure had a preponderance of silver NTs at the TNT.

Oh, Rick, one of the reasons you're never in pictures is that you're always taking pictures!

 

[Warren]

We had one black and one red. The rest were silver.

 

[RedNigel]

preponderance of silver NTs

Is a preponerance enough to make a plethora?

 

[skiper]

After a few precious beers it can't be precluded .. and don't let political correctness and persnikity posers pinch your loaf .. Go for a Ride to "Anywhere" and Be There .. L)

 

[Phil Tarman]

"Plethora" implies an overabundance, an excess. I can't imagine what number of Silver NTs it would take to be too many.