# Annual Motorcycle trip



## Pappy (Jun 8, 2016)

It's that time of year again. Know this is not the right place for the post but.............
Will be riding from Central Florida to Morgantown West Va. on Friday morning. This time Lesa will not be with me on her bike. She is pursuing a second career, as a flight attendant. Won't quite be the same without her riding beside me. 
Will be meeting up with over 350 Honda Valkyrie Riders in Morgantown to share the roads and wind and sights. I hear it is beautiful up there! 
Will be back in around ten days or so.....good Lord willin' !


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## Kismet (Jun 8, 2016)

Have a great trip!

Keep the shiny side up, and have good roads, good weather, and some way to sip water as you're riding. I found out about dehydration the hard way. It is not fun.

=D>


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## lovedr79 (Jun 8, 2016)

honk and wave as you pass harrisonburg Va. or route 33. have fun and be careful!


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## Johnny (Jun 8, 2016)

When you pass through Summersville, WV - let out a WHOOOPPPP for me !!
Lived there for 3 years.
and I swear - if I had to ride over that New River Gorge on a bike, I would go
clear around to South Carolina if I had to - - - just to go around it !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you get to "Twist the Dragons Tail" on the way back.

stay safe my friend


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Jun 8, 2016)

Wishing you a safe journey, Pap!


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## -CN- (Jun 8, 2016)

I'm pleased to see you and your wife suiting up in proper riding gear (albeit, open-fingered gloves) for your excursions. Ride safe!


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## Jim (Jun 8, 2016)

Have fun, be safe!


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## hankthecrank (Jun 8, 2016)

C'mon up Pappy! Weather is going to be good and the hills are beautiful. It's election year in Wv so watch for the pot hole patchers.


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## WaterWaif (Jun 8, 2016)

Travel safe!


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## Steve A W (Jun 8, 2016)

Ride careful and have fun!
Good Luck to Lesa on a new career.

Steve A W


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## Pappy (Jun 8, 2016)

WOW! Thanks for the warm wishes! 
I always look forward to these trips. Will be a bit different without her by my side this time. We know each other's riding style like the backs of our hands. I can hear her engine in sync with mine and know her distance by the sound. When she gets bored up she comes and rides literally by my side for miles on end. She is better than I am in the twisties and I always have to try and catch her in the straights. 
Will be travelling up with two friends and accomplished riders this time. I have ridden with one on several occasions and he has ridden with the other as many or more times and gave the big thumbs up .... so that's the plan. 
I should have plenty of GoPro video to sort through by the time I get back so stay tuned. Lesa leaves for the friendly skies again in the morning. Heading out to Dallas which is her current base. I may head west to West Tenn. to see her on her next days off at the end of the WV event....who knows. She will head there to see her Mom for a few days since I will be gone.


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## Fire1386 (Jun 9, 2016)

Sounds like an excellent time, have fun Pappy..... we do similar thing on our Goldwing from time to time.


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## misunderstood (Jun 13, 2016)

Have fun at Inzane and be safe. I look forward to the pics and video when you get back. Sold my Vallyrie 3 weeks ago and started missing it before the member from the forum even showed up to get it. Didn't think I'd run into VRCC members here 8)


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## Pappy (Jul 1, 2016)

*Back from the trip. Ten days of cool weather, borderline cold in the mornings in some areas! Amazing sights and roads. 
I did quite a lengthy trip report over in the V4musclebike forum. There were already tons of reports surfacing in the Valkyrie forum anyway. 
Let me know if this is visible to you or not. Hope you enjoy if it is. Let me know. *

https://v4musclebike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26786


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## DaleH (Jul 1, 2016)

LOVED it ... made me feel like part of the trip! Ride ... cigar, drink, hotel, maybe another drink ... and repeat. 

Like you, I can do well WITHOUT the babysitting!


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## Johnny (Jul 1, 2016)

wow !! makes me want to trade in my Harley for a Valk !!

awesome writeup

anytime you come home with the same amount of paint
that you left with, is a good trip.

I can see how this is only a once a year thing - it must be exausting.
Both physically and mental. 

LOL you mentioned parking in the gravel . . . . 
Alton Brown of Feasting on Asphalt was going about
5 miles an hour on his bike and dumped it on gravel
and broke his friggin leg - right there with the TV crew
filming away. Them loose rocks will get ya !!


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## Pappy (Jul 1, 2016)

DaleH said:


> LOVED it ... made me feel like part of the trip! Ride ... cigar, drink, hotel, maybe another drink ... and repeat.
> 
> Like you, I can do well WITHOUT the babysitting!



*Dale - That is why we pick like minded riders, with similar riding styles. Motorcycle riding is probably the most dangerous sport I have taken up. More dangerous than flying (until you get into high performance aircraft) and more dangerous than the Drag Boats and roundy-round boats I ran for years and years. I like to concentrate on what I am doing, knowing the others are like minded. Babysitting a new person at the levels we were at would drag on all thought processes and become dangerous for all. Not saying any of us are "That" good, not by any means, but we are at the same level.*
*
For those who are just coming into the conversation....here is the write-up again
*
https://v4musclebike.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26786


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## misunderstood (Jul 4, 2016)

Pappy, awesome read and felt like I was on the ride with ya. Did you get to do the Cherohala Skyway while near the dragon? If not include in your next time up there. You'll love the road and altitude. Thanks again for sharing the ride :beer:


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## nowgrn4 (Jul 5, 2016)

Great thread! Thanks for sharing!

We've had a place 20 Mi. west of Murphy NC about half way between Ranger and Duck town on 294 for 20 years. I bet we've ridden every road up there at least twice. Going up leafing again this fall for a few days and then to Barbers for the Vintage Festival.

Gratuitous pic of my Guzzi during one of my solo Covered Bridge Photo tours.


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## Pappy (Jul 7, 2016)

misunderstood said:


> Pappy, awesome read and felt like I was on the ride with ya. Did you get to do the Cherohala Skyway while near the dragon? If not include in your next time up there. You'll love the road and altitude. Thanks again for sharing the ride :beer:



We did not hit the Cherohala this time.....that is a definite on my list of things to do. Thanks for the tip!


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## Pappy (Jul 7, 2016)

nowgrn4 said:


> Great thread! Thanks for sharing!
> 
> We've had a place 20 Mi. west of Murphy NC about half way between Ranger and Duck town on 294 for 20 years. I bet we've ridden every road up there at least twice. Going up leafing again this fall for a few days and then to Barbers for the Vintage Festival.
> 
> Gratuitous pic of my Guzzi during one of my solo Covered Bridge Photo tours.



Where is that bridge? Looks like one I would love to see. How do you like your Guzzi? Those bikes have interested me for quite a while. The Valk stays but from time to time I have added, ridden, and sold others. The next on my list is a 1996-2003 Triumph Thunderbird or Adventurer. The one with the 900cc 3-cylinder in it. Love the look, layout and sound of them.


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## nowgrn4 (Jul 9, 2016)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swann_Covered_Bridge there are a bunch in Alabama https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1VhwQzM6adoRv_mfbRJnC8OO0fgc&hl=en as well as Ga, Tenn and NC.

Love My Goose. I've had it 14 years now. Never been in the shop except for a PCIII Dyno-Tune. Damn thing is indestructible. This is my eleventh Dirt/Dual Sport Bike and my first shafty, the most enjoyable bike I've owned by far. I sold my DR650 and DRZ 400 not long after gettin it in '02. Getting older and mostly ride with my DW now. Mostly day rides to eat out somewhere, "Ride to Eat, Eat to Live" :lol: I moved it up to our lake place 3 years back. Great riding in ONF. No more city riding for us, way too many distracted cagers.

A Tiger? Great bikes. I would love to have a ST 1300, but the 2.4Mi dirt road to get to my lake house would make getting in and out a PITA.

Gratuitous pic of my DW and goose on the Tamoka Trail, Bikeweek last year.


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## dootech (Jul 13, 2016)

I used to work at a Honda dealership, I hated working on these things. Enjoy your trip


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## misunderstood (Jul 13, 2016)

dootech said:


> I used to work at a Honda dealership, I hated working on these things. Enjoy your trip



No worries. Most Valkyrie owners never trust the dealerships to work on them properly and do their own wrenching :LOL2:


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