The 1st TNT Rally

[Comanche]

Add one more kudo, Rick.

And you reminded me of something. There is an elderly man who attends some of our men's prayer breakfasts at church. His wife passed away a few months ago and he lives alone in an assisted living center. I usually ride my bike to those breakfast gatherings, and he will inevitably come over as I get my gear on next to the NTand talk wistfully about his riding days.

I gotta find out where he lives, put an extra helmet and jacket in the top box and go take him for a ride!! Thanx for the reminder - and thanx for making that man's day (or as Phil said, probably the next few months.)

 

[Mellow]

Did you also notice that about half the traffic speeds up in the rain? Lower visibility and Less traction = Higher speed! I'll never figure this place out...:rolleyes1: Hopefully we will be "escaping" soon...

Where ya gonna go, Florida? When it rains there people just stop

 

[junglejim]

After leaving TNT Sunday AM I rode back roads to Jasper In. Today I rode almost all back roads to Edgerton Wi. Great riding both days with only a few sprinkles. About 400 more miles to home tomorrow. I haven't gone without my electric vest yet, but I did turn it off for a while this afternoon.

 

[RedLdr1]

Where ya gonna go, Florida? When it rains there people just stop

Florida I'm not doing Florida again, three times is enough "sunshine" for me!...:noway: I was just in Florida all last week and not everyone stops when it rains. Instead they turn on their Emergency Flashers and slow down to 15MPH....in the left lane of I-75N! But it was a snowbird, I got a real good look at their Michigan license plate, so maybe that one doesn't count...:rolleyes1:

 

[WVRider]

Well I made it back home to WV today. Today was a beautiful day and I was able to jump off the super slab after about 200+ miles and did back roads through part of Kentucky, SE Ohio and into WV. It was great meeting all you folks at the TNT. Enjoyed some great riding, although I hated Wendell getting injured. Hope everyone makes it home safe. Will try to post some pics soon. Here's a couple just to tease.

 

[Rob]

I just got home about an hour ago myself. Left Sunday morning and headed up to Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners, PA and camped and left there this morning for the 8-9 hour ride back to NH. Lots and lots of slab. And more slab. But I planned it that way to get home quickly. Hit a lot of rain on the way to Bob's house on the way down, but it was gorgeous weather anywhere from 50-70 the rest of the trip - just where I like it for riding. Just a sprinkling of rain here and there. Didn't hit much more until I got back to Massachusetts which is just about home so no complaints here on weather that's for sure!

Bob - thanks so much for letting me stay at your place Thursday night. It was great to meet Sue and Andrew. Glad Andrew had a good time on the trip - I hope he can make future ones. He's a great rider!

DJ and Barry it was great to see both of you again. Thank you DJ for riding lead and taking us through some spectacular roads - the snake, back of the dragon, rattlesnake, and a bit of the BRP. If we do this again next year, I think we should plan on hitting up the cherohala skyway. maybe move the gathering a bit closer to there perhaps?

And it was fantastic to put some faces to the names and meet some new people: Falcon, Warren, Woodaddict, Junglejim, Chucksklrst, Wphillips, John Browning - hmm who am I forgetting?! Oh John, thanks for linking your brake light - DJ and I were talking about it too. It works really well!

I thought Pigeon Forge was going to be a bit more, well, backwoods and maybe run down? Couldn't be more wrong. That's one nice thing about a touristy hub of a town - plenty of choices for restaurants and lodging and everything is in good shape. The texas sampler from the bbq place on Saturday night was FANtastic.

I can't imagine being there in the summer - between the heat and the mobs of people I'm sure it gets it must be a complete zoo there. I think May was perfect.

 

[Chucksklrst]

Spending the night in Kansas City. 778 miles today. Will finish the last 604 miles to Denver tomorrow. Going through St.Louis today I ran into another NT on the side of the freeway. He was from Washington State and waiting fore his buddy who took a wrong turn. Stopped and checked to see he was OK and then told him about the Forum. Maybe when he gets home he will find us. As I said "there are more NTs out there then we think. Looks like this little bike is catching on.

Got home today about 3 pm Colorado time. Nothing very exciting happened today on the way home from Kansas City. Rick, you will like this; Yesterday with about 150 miles left in the riding day, my Sena unit went dead. No more music, no more voice directions, no phone interface. As I am riding in silence, I realized the outlet I had it charging on the night before was tied to the light switch. Light off---- No charge. This morning after charging it all night I left the motel headed into Kansas City freeway exchange. I could not get the GPS to blue tooth with the Sena unit. So I had to navigate through the city the old fashion way. (By reading the road signs and my paper map) As soon as I am out the other side of KC and on I-70 West the Sena unit and the GPS hook up and I have no more problems the rest of the trip home. Go Figure. I did have some hellish cross winds from Topeka to Hays Kansas. Stopped to rest in Salina KS before taking up round two of fighting the Wind Dragon. The wind almost blew the bike off the side stand. Got to Hays and it was like someone turned the fan from extra high to medium blow. After crossing into Colorado the Wind was turned off and the rest of the ride was beautiful. Especially after the mountains came into view. Had a great time and really enjoyed the trip and meeting up with some of our forum members. Total miles traveled: 3474 miles

 

[WVRider]

Hey Rob, check it out. Will get some more uploaded to photobucket and shoot you a link.

 

[Miairhead]

I suggest we should think about a TNT next year, maybe in a little different place (nearer the Blue Ridge perhaps, or ????). I know I did not make it, but sure would of rather of been riding in the Smokys then having pancreatitis. So think about a place for next spring, and can discuss it latter date. It sure looked like a good time.

 

[Mellow]

Hunts Lodge in Tellico Plains, TN is a nice place for a gathering.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Hunts Lodge in Tellico Plains, TN is a nice place for a gathering.

+1 to that!

 

[Miairhead]

I found this link about places to stay along Blue Ridge
http://www.blueridgemotorcycling.com/destinations/#lodging

 

[junglejim]

I arrived home this afternoon, completing 3 days of great riding mostly on back roads to get here. Cool with a few sprinkles, but I stopped short of the severe T-storms yesterday. I had one close call with a deer. I was on a busy interstate near Madison and the deer was laying dead in the road. I couldn't see it until the semi ahead of me had straddled it. Good thing I was in his wheel track.

Interesting that in WI I counted dead deer along the road and the number of motorcycles I met. Count was dead deer 50, motorcycles 10. I knew I was home. I just measured my tires and I guess I'll be ordering some new ones next week. I have 12K on the front PR3 and it will go another K. The rear has 8 or 9 K and looks good for another 2 K or so.

I'm glad to have met you wonderful new friends. I got soaked on the way down but the camaraderie was worth it. All of you are welcome to come here (but not at one time) if you ever ride north. I live right on the route of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. I'd host a "Northern" NT event if I thought anyone would come. But I give you all credit for more intelligence than that.

 

[Woodaddict]

These are for Mairhead, for working so hard and not being able to attend his own idea

some signs.......




and if you want to mow fast....outside WTT museum

 

[Phil Tarman]

Great pictures. One request: Would it be possible to edit the captions to link Forum user names to real ordinary human names. Without that I'm not sure who I'm looking at.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Thanks! That'll help me a lot!

 

[Chucksklrst]

The critters are everywhere, two legged and four. It does not matter. I have a better chance of seeing them in the daylight then I do at night. Not a guarantee, but a better chance that I will see them and be able to avoid them. Besides, my eyes don't make the adjustments needed at night as quickly as they once did. Better to come home the next day in the daylight then not at all.

 

[Rob]

I avoid riding at night like the plague. Have seen one too many deer on the sides of roads or eyes reflecting back to scare me away form doing it further.
Glad to hear it was a near miss rather than a collision. Wendell's ordeal is more than enough to handle at the moment.

 

[RedLdr1]

That was definitely a nasty near miss... I used to like to ride, and drive, at night... But even with perfect vision, thanks to lens implants, and Yellow lens RayBan's to enhance my night vision, I've come to realize the dangers far outweigh the benefits for me..... I have enough additional lighting to "fry the retinas" of anything in front of me but that is no real help when Bambi pops out of the bushes all of six feet from the roadside. I realize the same thing could happen in the daylight but it is much less likely....and in the day light I can better see my evasive options...

 

[RedNigel]

Glad you missed the critter, Rick!

I have ridden with Rick and he has pretty darn good reflexes.
Rick, you probably did what you had to do and don't even know you did it...know what I mean?

Sometimes our body just does the right thing in spite of us.

I remember an episode ( I wont tell the whole story) I was convinced in my mind that I was going to drown...But my body never stopped fighting. Thats why I am here today