| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
Glad y'all had a good weekend. I had to choose between Suches, a local hot rod show, and a heavy equipment show in NC. I picked the heavy equipment show. It never fails- nothing going on for 6 months, then BAM- 3 things at once! | ||
| 86129squids |
RD and I got to my house about 730. Slowed down by a 2017 Nissan GT-R that self-immolated on northbound 129, mile 7 in Deals Gap. Overall, had a GREAT ride back home. The Cherohala was spectacular, even discovered that someone had planted tomatoes and peppers on the perimeter of the Tellico Plains Exxon, apparently forgot about them... I brought some home. RD sprung for Marco's baked sandwiches and a ginormous chicken Caesar salad for dinner, delivered. I'll be the last in bed, about to soak in the hot tub for a few. So glad to see all the usual old nutters, ride/eat/repeat. Looking forward now to the next time. Thanks to you all. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Did everybody else make it home safely? I know Crusty, Froggy and Squids made it, I saw Fran on 400 southbound when I was heading back up the hill to gather my wine club shipments. RD, Eric and Lee, it was great meeting you guys, hope to see you all again! I have to say I was really impressed with Lee's riding skills on a borrowed bike in the rain. A good time was had by all, looking forward to doing it again. | ||
| Crusty |
Rest break during Saturday Morning's ride  Brad found a sign:  Parked in front of Jim's:  The Roadster at Two Wheels of Suches:  | ||
| Buellish |
It was a haul but I made it home ok.Boy that fog was really something,I left at 1:30 and it was still thick in Suches.Matthew,what's that hiding behind the much traveled Roadster,is that a Buell at a Buell event? | ||
| Crusty |
Buellvemberfest 2017 I’m home. It was a wonderful weekend. I ate too much and rode too fast and hung out with some crazy (but really cool) people and helped build campfires that were too big and too hot. I even managed to get lost on the way home. I arrived on Thursday afternoon and set up the tent fairly close to the Lodge. I knew there was going to be a campfire, so I set the tent up a ways off from the fire ring. I like my tent a lot and would really be bummed out if sparks from the fire burned holes in it, or even set it on fire. I’ve been wanting to sleep in my tent for a while and Buellvemberfest seemed like the perfect opportunity. I was a bit slow in getting the tent set up. After not using it for over a year, I had to think a bit about what I was doing. It wasn’t reflexive. One of the air valves on my sleeping pad didn’t want to close and it took me a while to get it shut. It’s been getting more and more difficult over the past while, but now it was almost impossible to get it shut. I think I’d better get a new pad before I head for the Arctic on my next Great Ride. At any rate, I really enjoyed sleeping in the tent again for the weekend. Froggy arrived about a half hour after me. He was staying in a cabin. Once he got settled in and unloaded his bike, we decided to head over to Jim’s Smokin’ Que for dinner. At first, I thought that eating BBQ three days in a row might be too much, but then I figured that I wouldn’t be back for a long while, so I might as well get my fill. I had different items each time I went, and I don’t feel I ate there too much. In fact, I’d probably go back this week if I was in the area. I do feel that I ate too much, but that’s because the portions were so large and the food was so good I couldn’t stop. For the record, I had a Pulled Pork sandwich with Baked Beans on Thursday, a 1/2 rack of ribs with Baked Beans and Peanut Butter Pie on Friday and a Brisket sandwich with (what else?) beans on Saturday. All of it was superb. People (besides me and Froggy) started showing up late Friday morning. Matthew said he hadn’t eaten anything yet and he was hungry, so we rode over Wolf Pen Gap to get lunch. After lunch, we all rode over Blood Mountain. We then split up. Mike headed towards Dahlonega, Matt and Froggy went that away and I rode over the Construction Area on Rt. 60 back to TWoS. I can’t remember the name of the guy on the Suzuki who was with us, but he had someplace to be, as well. When I got back to the Lodge, OurDee and Squids were there. and we shot the breeze for a while before dinner. Friday night, we built a fire. It took quite a bit of work to get it going. We tried everything we could think of, but the wood just didn’t want to burn. We used paper, we shaved pieces off the chunks of wood to create kindling, Brad even threw a whole roll of paper towels in the fire ring and lit it. The fire would light for a couple of minutes, then die down. Brad kept spraying carb cleaner on the flames and when the can ran out, he started spraying Brake cleaner. I cut an empty pepsi bottle in half and used the two halves to hold Gasoline. That was the final trick that got the wood burning. I decided that on Saturday, I’d buy a bottle of Charcoal lighter fluid so that it would be easier to get the fire started. Also on Friday night, Mike arrived in his truck hauling a bike with a flat tire. Eric was on his way to the rally when he got a flat. He called Mike who rescued him. We all reacted like Badwebbers, and soon tire plugs and compressors were out and people were working to plug the holes and air up the tire. OurDee plugged two holes, but there was a gash that was too big for the plugs, so we left the bike on the trailer for the night and Saturday morning, Mike drove Eric and the bike to a shop in Blairsville that had a tire. The rest of us headed out to ride some of the local roads. We stopped for a short rest at one point, and Mike and Eric joined us and we rode over some wonderful roads through really beautiful country. One thing that I really got a kick out of was that out of 9 bikes, eight were different marques. we had one each, Moto Guzzi, Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha, EBR, BMW, Harley-Davidson and two Buells. We rode around until lunch time, then wound up at Jims. After lunch, we split up again. I saw Brad and RD pull into a Family Dollar store and remembered that I wanted to get lighter fluid, so I pulled in, too. It started pouring rain around the middle of the afternoon. I was at the lodge, but a large group had gone on a Crooked Road Liquor Run, and they got soaked. After dinner, we built a fire. It took about 3/4 of the bottle of lighter fluid to get the fire going, but once it did, it burned hotly. Hot enough, in fact to have the steel fire ring glowing orange. WE burned something like 10 wheelbarrows of wood. It was a BIG fire. Matthew took some pictures and even some video of the fire with his phone. I’m hoping that the picture of the fire ring with the logo of TWoS came out and that he posts it on Badweb. Sunday morning, the fog was really thick. You couldn’t see for more than a couple of hundred yards. I waited until almost 11:00 before I decided to risk it, and headed out. To my surprise,I rode out of the fog in a mile or so, and had a clear ride until I got back to Cincinnati. The clear, sunny day didn’t prevent me from taking a wrong turn and seeing a sign that said Welcome To North Carolina. I was stopped on the side of the road looking at my map when a local couple stopped and told me how to get back on course. Then, when I took the turn off that said, Rt. 68 North, I found I was on Rt. 68 South. I think it was all a plot to keep me in Georgia. At any rate, I found the rain when I got close to the Ohio River, but it was light, and I made it home without incident. Buellvemberfest what just what the doctor ordered for me. Great People, a Great campground, wonderful food and phenomenal roads make for a very revitalizing and enjoyable experience. | ||
| Pwnzor |
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| Buellish |
That's a cool pic!I had a great time this weekend,enjoyed seeing everyone and meeting Ourdee and Lee.I had a lot of fun chasing you up Blood Mountain Saturday Matthew! | ||
| Ourdee |
I had a great time. After being in Indiana and Illinois for decades I had forgot how to turn. I'm no where near the level of some of my brothers but I can get through a corner again. Thanks for the patience from everyone while I got my legs back. I'll try and post more later. Here is a pic of something I got off my bucket list when Brad and I left.  | ||
| Ourdee |
Oh ya, Made it back to Indianapolis. Got soaked the found the 50 degree temps. Good to meet everyone! Lee made it easy to take a good line. I just played follow the leader. (Message edited by Ourdee on November 06, 2017) | ||
| 86129squids |
I'm just resting today, watching the leaves fall, and reminiscing about the weekend... after all the BBQ, gonna cook some pan seared sea bass and tilapia with veggies, over rice with a curry sauce. Still got some pulled brisket in the fridge... I had NO idea that Eric's son Lee was supposedly a "novice", riding a loaner CBR600, stepped up from a CBR250, until almost the end of the trip. I had a great time with him chasing me much of the time on Saturday. I had the thought going down to TWoS that I could have brought my copy of "Twist Of The Wrist"... had I done that, I would have gladly given him the book. Kid's really got skillz!!! On the Beemer, I always try to pick the best lines to make up for lack of power... maybe I helped a bit.  Matthew, thanks for the Stranahan's sips, the wood, the KILLER ribs, and the gift of your company again. It's always awesome to catch up with the motley crewe of Buellligans, anytime, anywhere. We didn't QUITE get the band back together this time, but there WILL be that day. A new year is almost upon us! A "bucket list" item I'm shooting for next year is making Barber's Vintage Fest, in October. Maybe we can coordinate efforts... tickets go on sale in July, generally. So glad to see you all, meet Eric and Lee, and Fran, and rock North Georgia once again. Peace and happy trails, youn's. | ||
| Tootal |
I had a lot of fun chasing you up Blood Mountain Saturday Matthew! I chased Matt down Blood Mountain, 180 and Richard B. Russel Hwy. Not at one time was I ever bored!!  Really great to see all you'all had a great weekend. Looking forward to the next event and hopefully I'll be there. | ||
| Buellish |
You,Vern and Jeremy need to make the next one Greg! | ||
| Riding_tall |
What a great weekend. I’ve been telling everyone at the office what a great weekend I had, if they ask or not. I have run out of co-workers and I’m moving on to customers. The weekend started out a little rough, a flat tire on 60 but Mike saved the day.  an impromptu tire plugging seminar ended when we found a 3rd hole that was more of a gash than a hole, how can a tire get 3 holes in it in at same time??  Had some wonderful riding Saturday morning after getting the new tire. It was great to see some old friend and meet some now ones. The supply run ride with Charley was epic.This is why we are bad weather bikers. Once it started to rain and I saw Lee keep hustling it in the wet I was both nervous and busting with pride at the same time. Fran representing for the 3%’s, it was great to be riding with him and Charlie again.  Saturday nights campfire. The fire ring was glowing red.  Sunday Lee and I waited for the fog to lift and did some more riding.   We headed North on 60. We traded bikes a little way up 60. Cut over Skeenah Gap and went Down Richard Russel. It got real foggy on RR   We then went up Blood mnt but that run was a little subdued. Just as we started a bike signaled us to keep it slow so I figured he was warning up about the PoPo and the last ticket I had there was pricy. However, it was all LIES. We could have had a clean run going up, it was a just little foggy at the top. We swapped bikes back going down and the change was quite startling.  After that there were just too many cars on the road and we headed home and got in just after dark. There may be something better than riding and hanging out with friends and family but I don’t know what that could be. Had some bad news today, a close family member is very sick and it sounds like she won’t make it, life is shorter than you think. Enjoy it while you can. | ||
| 86129squids |
Awesome pics, great to met you two. Prayers up for your loved one... and, you're right. Live well, live hard, vigorously, and hone the edge. Do enjoy the chowchow... Lord willing, I'll work the garden again in 2018. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Eric, I really enjoyed meeting you and Lee. I'd like to repeat that Lee has got a great skill set, shows no fear and handles the rain and varying road surfaces like he's been doing it all his life. As long as he doesn't mind riding with us old farts, make sure he knows he's welcome any time! | ||
| 86129squids |
... so, both the Maryville paper and Knoxville Snooze-Sentinel posted pieces on the 129 Crispy Nismo we saw on Sunday- base price said to be $109K, with the Nismo accessories, add $65K. Marshmallow$$$, anyone??  Oh well. Dude surely had it insured properly...? Wonder how they're gonna hang that thing on the Tree Of Shame? | ||
| Crusty |
OK; I gotta ask. What's a $174 K Crispy Nismo? | ||
| Ourdee |
The car that ignited at mile 7 on the Dragon. Fire breathing dragon! Brad and I rode the dragon in the dark. What a hoot. It doesn't look the same in person. | ||
| 86129squids |
Crusticle: It's Nissan's top shelf sportscar, if you wanted to, you could throw about 200K at it. Nissan GT-R "Premium" is what this thing was apparently. Talked to a friend today who knows the guy who's car got BBQ'ed, she says he's a nice guy. Again, hope he had a good insurance agent. Someone said that the leaves accumulated in the wrong spot, someone else said the rear brakes/rear end caught fire. I miss my 1978 280Z. (Message edited by 86129squids on November 07, 2017) | ||
| Pwnzor |
It looked exactly like this:  But it used to look like this:  | ||
| Ourdee |
It wasn't as big as either of those 2 pics when I saw it. TWOS is good for you! This pic. is the lowest reading I've had in a year.  | ||
| Ourdee |
Place where we formed up.  | ||
| 86129squids |
Matthew, I think it was a fancier version... turned out extra crispy. I don't care that it's worth close to 200K, my old Z car is still cooler. They had a program, back in the day, where you could send a '78 or earlier Z back to Japan, have them send it back through the factory, then give/sell it back to you with a new/2nd warranty. THAT'S what I'm looking for. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Holy crap we've gotten old. Blood pressure cuff at a Buell rally?  | ||
| Reindog |
"Holy crap we've gotten old." Next thing will be Badwebbers writing covered call options. | ||
| Ourdee |
Covered Call Option Strategy. A call option is an agreement that provides the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock at a specific “strike price.” ... If you own 100 shares of XYXYZ you can write a call option on that stock, with a strike price that's above the current share price.Nov 11, 2014 Just because I copied and pasted it doesn't mean I am doing it. | ||
| Buellish |
Joe Alberts has crashed his Husky and is in the hospital in Blairsville but is being transferred to the trauma center at the Gainesville hospital.He has broken ribs,a broken ankle and a low oxygen level.He went down in gravel on Johnny Gap Road near his house north of Suches.I hope to know more tomorrow. | ||
| Froggy |
I didn't take many pictures this time, but here are a few that I did take. Can't start any trip without stopping at the Awful House  I had to make a detour, and got routed right by this landmark  The food at TWoS is fantastic as usual. I don't recall the rib eye steak being on the menu last year.  Friday night, Squids is our professional fire starter  Waiting for others at the end of the Richard Russell Highway  Some bikes at TWoS  On my Saturday afternoon solo ride, Waze sent me down this finely paved road.    Back at TWoS for dinner  Saturday night fire was done right  Sunday morning, heavy fog as I rolled out, unlike how it was for Crusty I had encountered patches of heavy fog for about an hour  And a trip home wouldn't be complete without I-81 north coming to a standstill due to an accident. Even though Waze got me around the worst of it, it added well over an hour to my drive.  I stopped at a Sheetz to refuel me and the truck, and saw this slice of heaven on the menu, so of course I got one.  I tried getting the picture of the "Welcome to NY sign" but this is as good as it got.  It was great to see everyone again, and meet some new faces. March/April can't come soon enough. | ||
| 86129squids |
"Peanut Butter Fluffer Nutter"?!?!    Someone in marketing gets extra credit for that! I'm still coughing from Friday's wet wood puny a$$ fire. We attempted Firepit Jenga Saturday, but the fire needs to be well established from the bottom, not the top, with a whole jug of accelerant... Crusticle is a pyro, and Matthew aided and abetted. Good times all around. |
