| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
I finally got the opportunity to take my first serious trip on the '00 Cyclone, from Cincinnati to Deals Gap. We left on saturday July 6, and made the drive from Cincinnati to Fairview where our Hotel was on SR411. Two of us were riding, me on my Cyclone and Jim on a Kawasaki ZR-7 (Not a ZX-7, big difference). Mike, the third on the trip, was pulling his Honda XR-650 on a trailer with his jeep. He did not want to pull it through the gap and annoy everyone, so we picked a hotel on our side. We stayed at one of those old strip hotels along 411, the "411 hotel". It was about what you would expect, old and pretty worn out, but reasonably clean and friendly owners. It actually had quite a bit of character, complete with room lights that dim every time the big neon sign out front blinks all its lights (about once every 5 seconds). Good for a laugh. It was "clean enough", and the water for showers was hot, the air conditioning worked, and 3 people packed into a room (bring an air mattress for the third) was only $33 per person total for two nights. Can't beat that, all we did was sleep there. On saturday evening, while there was still light and after we took an hour or so to recover from our 300+ ride there, we took a lap up and down the gap. For people that have never been there, I don't know how to describe it. Turn after turn after turn, all tight, most diminishing radius, many with gravel here and there, but great pavement, altitude changes galore, and wonderfully banked turns. And motorcycles of all types everywhere, it was almost as much fun to pick a good corner with a nice view and just watch people come by, from the howling dragging sportbikes with full leatherd riders, to the squids in tank tops, to the loping cruisers. Everyone was great, and the variety of bikes was fantastic. Of course the GSXR's and R6/R1's were a dime a dozen, with a few F4i's, but there were tons of other more interesting bikes, from BMW horizontal inline fours to 50cc Aprillas. There were many more cruisers there then I expected, and you could hear them dragging parts all the way up and down the mountian. The road itself was just repaved, and is in good shape on the TN side. The NC side after the resort is grooved and rough, but usable, and most of the good turns are before the resort. The gravel berm gets thrown up onto the road by cars and trucks in a lot of places, and between that and the diminshing radius turns everywhere, a sensible rider ends up getting a little stressed out and a little slowed down. It's still a great ride though. Someone who took the time to learn how to ride a Firebolt the way it wants to be ridden could absolutely rule in the Gap. The ability to correct a line mid turn, the broad power band, the great brakes, would absolutely shine here. There were some VERY GOOD riders there on all sorts of bikes, some others that were obviously making it through by having more balls then brains, and some like me riding a "conservative aggressive" ride and still learning. To each their own. There were some pictures down at the "resort" (which was not much different then our hotel... a pretty livable looking dive) of the after effects of lowsiding in a T-shirt. Ouch. Frankly, while the gap is a "must see" and a fun experience, the Cherahola Skyway is the real treasure around there. Ride through the gap, hang out at the resort store and watch the bikes for a while, then head on over around the big loop and take the Skyway. The road could not have been layed out better for a great ride. Wonderfull views, tons of great stops, fantastic road surface, and incredibly well well marked turns. Very few suprises, generally good sight lines, and not a diminshing radius turn in the bunch. While Deals gap (on a Buell anyway) is all about second gear, the Skyway is all about third. Fantastic 50-70mph sweepers that just keep going and going, and you can just keep leaning and leaning. There was probably 30 miles of this, and the altitude varied from under 1000 to over 5000 feet. The views were mind bending, and the road was nearly empty of cars, and not even many bikes. It was amazing. A side trip off this route will take you to a nice waterfall, a slow but scenic 15 mile ride to and from it, but a pretty view. The only mishap on the trip (thank God) was Mike getting a wasp down his jacket, which lead to a couple stings and a good laugh (after the fact). The bikes all did wonderful. Mike is a fantastic rider, and had factory rubber (which is actually pretty decent) on his XR650 dual sport, and was patient with Jim and I. He could smoke most of the sportbikes through the gap on the corners, but they would of course kill him on any straights and on the brakes, and he had a lot of float to manage on the quick transitions. Still, there were probably a lot of raised eyebrows under the helmets of R6 and GSXR-600 riders as they saw "some dude on a dirtbike" that never seemed to leave their rear view mirror. Both the Cyclone and the ZR-7 performed wonderfully, and it was a real pleasure to have a single bike that did such a good job of eating up 300 miles of interstate, and felt just as at home in the twisties. My Buell was the only one I saw during the whole trip, which suprised me. Where were you guys? Anyway, I felt like I was on an exotic, I saw more Ducattis and Aprillas then I saw Buells  I was a different rider at the end of the trip then when I started. I could actually choose a good line, my Banke rearsets were dragging at will, and I just about shredded the sides of my stock D-205 rear. It was in good shape when I left, it is just about shot now, and it was worth every penny. I have new respect for the tire now, it really shined in this type of ride. The center did not wear much on the 600+ miles of interstate, and after a few hard turns you could feel how sticky and ripped the sides of the tire were... it was sticky to the touch. Of course, Dunlop has now discontinued this tire, so I have to find a good replacement. The ZR-7 was running the same D-205s, but in different sizes, and showed much less wear. I don't think he was cornering as hard as I was, and was definately not powering out of the exits like I was. His inline four was definately easier on the tires then my basically stock twin. Those corner exit launches were just SOOOO much fun, I could not help myself. No mechanical problems at all on the Cyclone through the whole 1000 mile trip. Ran like a clock. Only one broken bike seen on the whole trip, an older big twin that had some sort of bearing problem and got hot enough that the primary gasket failed. We helped him as much as we could, but as none of us had any impact tools on the bikes, we could not do much for him. Without a bearing or primary gasket anyway, he was headed for a trailer regardless. Interestingly, it almost felt like the Cyclone was running better at 5000 feet then it was lower on the mountain, but the air was cool and the views were great, so it was probably more temperature or psychologically related then an indication that I am running lean. I have a 200 main, with the 45 slow jet, and my forcewinder has been ground out correctly for the vent. With that and my stock exhaust and no intake leaks, I can't imagine I am lean. I was VERY glad I was running full synthetic. That engine was absolutely baking from time to time during the trip,but it never complained a bit. I would have been nervous with normal oil in there as I felt the heat rolling off the bike (and the pavement, and everything else). The Buell was an absolute blast to ride. On the gap, I just left it in second and had a blast just ripping from corner to corner while every else was constantly rowing through the gearbox. Ditto on the Skyway, I just left it in third most of the time and enjoyed power anywhere and any time. The inline four behind me had to run high revs and shift often to keep power on tap, and would lose ground accelerating out of corners due to shifts (even though both bikes have similiar peak crank numbers). The XR650 was suffering as the speeds went up, but Mike is such a good rider that there was no comparison. On the Gap, Jim and I tailed a GSXR-600 and kept up with him pretty easily, but he was, like us, riding at a fast but carefull pace. On the Cherhola Skyway, we rode with an R6 for a while, and by then we were getting MUCH better with our techique. It was probably my first really aggressive ride with good riders. I kept up pretty well and stayed very comfortable with my margin while moving very quick following a pretty good rider on a very good bike. I can't emphasize enough how much better a rider I was after the trip then I was when I left. Turn after turn for mile after mile with no interruptions or distractions, great roads, and little traffic finally got me past the hump so I can finally ride the Cyclone the way it was made to be ridden. I could not be happier with such an interesting and versatile bike given what I paid. Pictures to come soon. My wife had our digital camera with her, and Mike has not sent me copies of the pictures we took with his yet. Frankly, we were so busy riding and having so much fun, we did not spend much time taking pictures. Mikes camera (like most digitals) had horrible lag between button press and picture take, I was wishing I had my Nikon with me (which is not perfect either, but a LOT closer). My jury rigged GPS (more on that to come later, watch the knowledge vault) worked perfectly as well. It is basically a $120 Delorme GPS receiver rigged up to a Palm Pilot that sits on the tank. You download routes to the PDA ahead of time, and your progress is tracked as you travel. I could glance down as I approached a turn and get a decent idea if it was a little bend or a huge diminishing radius loop. I need to work out a few more details (power and mounting), but it is close and it worked realy well. The GPS allowed me to plot routes of mind boggling complexity and follow them easily and with little distraction, as well as giving me "over the horizon" views of upcoming road features. The trip was fanstastic, I can't recommend it highly enough. Anyone who can't get to California needs to try and get to the Deals Gap area. it was fantastic riding all over, great people, and we just scratched the surface. Pictures to come soon... Bill | ||
| Turnagain |
Bill, much thanks for your excellent report & the time you put into it!  got me daydreamin' now, Steve(2) | ||
| Ferris |
Reepi, GREAT REPORT!!! can't wait to see the pix FB  | ||
| Reepicheep |
You were dead on with both comments before I went Ferris... the roads there totally chewed through my tires, and the Skyway was the REAL treat of the trip. Thanks for the tip! Next time I will bring the good camera and get some better shots, but I should have two or three by tomorrow sometime. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Finally got the pictures...  Fortunately, Mike was trailering his XR along (thats a long way on a thumper on that seat), so I did not have to pack a lot of luggage.  The three of us hit the road...  The hotel was nothing fancy, but acceptable for three guys that just want a place to crash and a hot shower. $33 each for two nights!  That same day, we went up to the overlook at the start of the dragon. Jim is riding a Kawasaki ZR-7, a great standard, and I am on my 00 Cyclone  Mike is riding he XR finally, it is free of the trailer. Day Two: Unknown sportbikes "dragging  " round the corner.  Mike thought that whole knee dragging thing looked like fun, so he gave it a try. He never did figure out what the appeal was   Mike was annoying the GSXR crowd to no end by being a 650cc single dirt bike that refused to dissapear from their mirrors. They crushed him in the straights, but he caught them in the corners...  Jim has only been riding a couple seasons (started a year after I did), and was doing fantastic.  I was on the cyclone, and having a good time and finally got comfortable choosing a line at speed... Mike was a big help with patient coaching.  And finally, the obligatory shot of me dragging parts of my Banke rearsets....  I highly recommend it. Note there are no pictures of the Cherhola Skyway... we were having too much fun to stop. That is the REAL jewel of the area. Sorry for the poor picture quality, I did not have my Nikon along so I was very limited in what I could make the camera we had do, and I was just focused on experiencing my first serious bike trip. More and better shots next time! | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Bill, Great pics & nice report! Yes, the Cherohala is the "great discovery" of everybody that goes looking for the Dragon and decides to "venture" out a bit. One piece of advice, please don't take this the wrong way, I'm trying to help. All the riders of the bikes shown were hanging off the bike while being ON or OVER the YELLOW CENTER LINE! I always try to treat this line like a cliff, I stay away from it! Just wait a split second longer before you start the turn and try to say to the middle or slightly outside of the lane. This helps you to see farther down the road and react to what you see. This also helps to keep "oncoming traffic in your lane" moments to a minimum by giving you more space. It's hard to get yourself to do this, because you think that you will run wide, but if your entry speed is reasonable, you'll power through the turn every time and be safer at the same time. Can't wait till September! | ||
| Blake |
WAY cool report and pics Bill!!! Thanks for sharing. One editorial comment... My jaw hit the floor when you talked about your Banke "rearsets" dragging. Basically cause the one and only time my Banke rearsets have ever drug (other than the shift lever) is when, running aggresively on racing tires, I lowsided in turn 2 at Oak Hill Raceway. Upon inspection of your pictures, my delicate track riding ego was relieved to find that you do indeed have a Banke shift lever and pegs, but not the "rearset" variety. The rearsets put your pegs about an inch higher than the passenger pegs and move them aft about four inches. You basically cannot fold your knees any further, they are more aggressive than even the XB9R's footpeg ergonomics. I highly recommend them!  "> (Message edited by Blake on March 12, 2008) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Thanks Blake.. They are up a little and back a little, but only maybe 3/4 of an inch. They fall about half way between the original bolt hole and the isolator socket. They came used from someone on this list and I think came from an S1. The foot pegs are also VERY long, which makes it easier to touch them as well. If I do any proper leaning, they never come close. If I stay straight with the bike, they touch occasionally. I guess I should call them by Banke "little bit backsets" José.. no offense taken, I appreciate the feedback. Those particular turns through the dragon are just so freaking sharp, if the sightlines are good (as they were on this one), hugging the yellow line gives a far gentler line, more room to reduce speed and reset a new line, and more options to work around the patches of gravel that sat here and there. On the blind corners, we gave plenty of margin. I've gone back and forth on the whole line thing myself... but thats a whole 'nother topic. Do I deliberately throw away half or more of my cornering margin by trying to hold myself to a third of my lane through the whole turn? Do I hold the center line on clear left hander with a good line of sight knowing that all I have to do to get back into my lane is either brake or give it more gas? Thats kind of where I am at now. For a left hand turn, I pick a line as close to the center (without crossing) as conditions and sight lines will allow. If I give it more gas, I run wide away from the center. If I brake, I stand it up and run wide away from center. If I have to do an emergency stop, I have the most road possible to bleed as much speed off as possible before restarting a new line (or hitting a ditch). Visibility through the turn does suffer though, but left handers that are THAT blind are pretty rare. Like I said, I have been all over the map with this, so I don't claim to have the answer. I appreciate any input. | ||
| Ferris |
> ...and try to stay to the middle or slightly outside of the lane. < i should keep my mouth shut, i really should. that said, i'm SO not a fan of ripping thru a corner in the MIDDLE of a lane, due to oil droppings and the fact that marbles tend to congregate there. and equally distasteful to me, usually, is ripping thru a corner on the OUTSIDE of the lane, due to considerably fewer options to change mind and line. José, providing the riders in the pics above could see if any oncoming traffic was, well, oncoming, they are using pretty much the same lines that i would be using if i were trying to keep you behind me! ride (what else?) to lean, FB | ||
| José_Quiñones |
That works on a race track, I agree. I don't "race" on the street. On the street I have had way too many cars in my lane to feel safe that close to the center. If you can't see through the end of the turn, it's like playing russian roulette. If you CAN see through the turn, that's ok, but I try not to stay that close to the center. I'm not always succesful at it, but that's what I try to do. Besides when the roads are wet, like they are EVERY MORNING at the Gap, that striping is SLIPPERY. The only time I worry about oil is if a bunch of Buell/HD's are in front of me, but they hug the yellow line, so the middle/outside will be OIL FREE! YMMV | ||
| Rick_A |
Great report! It was good readin' |
