Deals Gap '08 -- a new idea

[bucks1605]

Hey Ben, how's the bike coming? Are you going to make it?

No.I came back from picking up the GS twins and my fridge crapped out while I was away.Spent all day Wensday fixing it.Today my youngest son got up sick with a stomach ache.I'm so close.A few brackets to fab up and pick up some parts.Then it's time for test and tune.My carbs are off and valves need to be adjusted.  I was really looking forward to this year's meet.Now I'm so bummed out I don't wanna finish the bike but I will.Oh yea,I forgot.My MC permit expired and I was supposed to take my driving test today.Darn it that makes me  .Now I can jump on the bike and take off when I do finish it. 

Talk about set backs! Jeesh, maybe next year. Hopefully I'll make it out next year, my bike still isn't completely done either.

Is D gonna make it this year?

[ben2go]

Hey Ben, how's the bike coming? Are you going to make it?

No.I came back from picking up the GS twins and my fridge crapped out while I was away.Spent all day Wensday fixing it.Today my youngest son got up sick with a stomach ache.I'm so close.A few brackets to fab up and pick up some parts.Then it's time for test and tune.My carbs are off and valves need to be adjusted.  I was really looking forward to this year's meet.Now I'm so bummed out I don't wanna finish the bike but I will.Oh yea,I forgot.My MC permit expired and I was supposed to take my driving test today.Darn it that makes me  .Now I can jump on the bike and take off when I do finish it. 

Talk about set backs! Jeesh, maybe next year. Hopefully I'll make it out next year, my bike still isn't completely done either.

Is D gonna make it this year?

Is it baking there bucks?The reading on my thermometer is 103*. 

Not sure about dgyver.

Once I get my bike finished I'm done.No more mods or tear downs until I have project Lite Wait on the road.

[bucks1605]

Same here with the mods, I was thinking about doing the rearsets, but I was just like it's summer I'm just going to ride and enjoy the work I've already done. Except my valves, which I'll be checking in a few weeks.

My thermometer on my computer is saying 90, but it feels hotter.  Really dry sweltering heat.

[dgyver]

It has been too dang hot to enjoy it. Especially wearing full leathers. Need to wait until it cools off some.

Been working on some finishing touches on my 92.

[bucks1605]

It has been too dang hot to enjoy it. Especially wearing full leathers. Need to wait until it cools off some.

Been working on some finishing touches on my 92.

You ain't kiddin!

We're all awaiting pics of your finished masterpiece. 

[dgyver]

I plan on taking some new pics with the installed tail tomorrow. Finished the primer today and will be painting it tomorrow. I will update my diary thread with them.

If I went to Deals, the tail would have only been primered. 

[bucks1605]

I plan on taking some new pics with the installed tail tomorrow. Finished the primer today and will be painting it tomorrow. I will update my diary thread with them.

Nice, I'm looking forward to that.

If I would have gone to deals, I would have had horrible braking power, and probably ended up off the side of a cliff. 

[oramac]

Well, I'm still here in Gatlinburg, but I'm back from the Gap.  It was a great time.  Nate went down two miles into his first trip up the dragon.  The bike was little worse for wear, but about an hour and a half at wheelers got it rideable for the rest of the rally.  The weekend netted me about 400+ miles.   It was a great time!  I'm glad we went.  I guess Terre Haute, IN (my home town) is all but under water. 

More to come...

[bucks1605]

Well, I'm still here in Gatlinburg, but I'm back from the Gap.  It was a great time.  Nate went down two miles into his first trip up the dragon.  The bike was little worse for wear, but about an hour and a half at wheelers got it rideable for the rest of the rally.  The weekend netted me about 400+ miles.   It was a great time!  I'm glad we went.  I guess Terre Haute, IN (my home town) is all but under water. 

More to come...

Glad to hear the trip went well, aside from the wreck. Yeah, we've been getting some nasty storms here in the Midwest over the past week.

[dgyver]

Send some of that rain here!

How hot was it at Deals? It has been hitting over 100 at times here. I hate I could not make it. Next time it needs to be in a cooler month.

[oramac]

I had a fantastic time, and the riding was superb. The weather was pretty hot on Saturday, and there were some brief periods of rain, but otherwise it was a good time.  I got to the gap on Friday about the same time as Nate.  Here I am rollin' in on the dragon on Friday...loaded down with camping gear and all...

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=04RK00PX050752&po=752

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0CVY00CL021493&po=1493

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0QAK009F041456&po=1456

We went to hit the dragon after I dropped all my stuff off, but that was cut short when Nate went down.  We got his bike roadworthy and headed off to Robbinsville to eat some tasty BBQ at Sweetwater Barbeque with the gsresources group.  Later, Nate and I ran the gap from deals gap resort up to the overlook and back in the dark.  Now THAT was an adreneline rush.  People think the gap is a challenge in the daylight.  Try it when you can't see.   

Saturday we all met in Robbinsville at 8:00 AM and headed off down 129.  We went all the way in to Georgia, hit a road called wolf pen gap, and stopped for lunch at "two wheels only"  From there we took 60 up to 68 back to Tellico Plains, Tennessee and across the Cherohala.  We then took a little detour on Joyce Kilmer road, that turned into a crappy a$$ beating of a washboard road.  Nothing like a tight switchback when your front wheel is skipping all over the place.  Once we got back to 129, we headed back to the resort, and Nate packed up to see his father.  I rode out to Robbinsville once again, and ate dinner with the gsresources guys at the two wheel inn.  Back to the resort at about 11:30, and hit the sack.

Sunday I rose early and packed up.  I felt like $h!t for some reason.  I hit the dragon at about 7:30 AM to ride back to Gatlinburg.  I ended up with a Harley on my butt all the way through.  I was taking it easy and not breaking 40 mph since I was feeling bad, I would pull away from him in the corners, but he would glue himself to my tail every time the road straightened out.  We got to the overlook and pulled over, and he said he couldn't believe how far I was leaning my bike, and he was dragging hard parts in every corner trying to keep up.    

The rest of the ride was beautiful, but uneventful, back to Gatlinburg.  I'll link up some pics and vids if I get them uploaded.

I wish more of you could have been there!   Maybe next year.

[ben2go]

Oramac you picks aren't coming up. I is  cause I didn't getta go.It was 103* on one of those days.It was Hot.The heat has prevented me from finishing my bike still.High humidity along with high 90's,just don't go well with working out side in the sun.

[oramac]

Try 'em now...

[yamahonkawazuki]

if i may ask, what was nate riding?, cause a bike i helped out wiht, we got on the road, and its owner took it to wheelers to ahve a shifter welded

[oramac]

He was riding an '05 (i think) black GS500f.

[ben2go]

Try 'em now...

Nice! 

[yamahonkawazuki]

He was riding an '05 (i think) black GS500f.

kk, this one was different. was a yam, an r1 lol

[simoniz]

Now my GS is finally on the road and I am enjoying it, I want to know when the next Deals Gap meet is - don't tell me it's in 2009??? I am about 2 hours away from The Dragon.

[oramac]

Now my GS is finally on the road and I am enjoying it, I want to know when the next Deals Gap meet is - don't tell me it's in 2009??? I am about 2 hours away from The Dragon.

Ok, I won't tell you :p  j/k  seriously though, set up your own deal.  You never know when or who can make it 'till you try.