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Author Message   Jb2 Posted on Friday, April 11, 2008 - 12:21 pm:        For those of you who already know, and for those who don't, I'm hanging this thread to organize the information for those planning to attend. We're gathering in Franklin, NC to set a new memorial cross at the intersection where Dad lost his life six years ago. The whole thing started out as a small get together but has grown into quite a gathering(mostly due to Ferris and Court). The host motel for the gathering is the Franklin Motel. Their number is 800-433-5507. If you mention Big Jim's Ride when making your reservation they will try to keep our rooms in the same block. The rooms will sell out over Memorial Day weekend so make your reservations now. I have a friend riding down in our group that is looking for someone co-op a room with. The high point of the weekend takes place on Saturday May 24th. We'll leave from the parking lot of the Franklin Motel at 5:00 pm and ride ten miles to Lost Bridge and set the new cross. I'll say a few words but plan to keep it short then we'll ride back to Mike and Sue Breedlove's. There we'll partake in a feast(BYOB) with plenty of socializing and consumption of adult beverages and cigars. Lou "Mystic" Usher will be providing almost non-stop music for the gathering. While there are no real planned rides for the weekend there is a ton of riding in the area. I'll be there all day Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th and will be leading some small rides. Ferris will leading a little bigger ride leaving out Saturday morning. He's shooting for a loop that includes the Cherohala Skyway and the Dragon. Anyone else who knows the area well would also be invited to lead a ride on Friday or Saturday. If you get lost or have questions I can be reached at 765-499-0806(24/7) or bantzfam AT gmail DOT com(prior to May 22nd). This celebration has evolved from a small gathering to set a new cross to nearly 60 people planning to attend. Many folks who were involved in Matt Ware's benefit will be there. And, I doubt there's anyone attending who hasn't lost a fellow friend/rider in their life. So instead we're celebrating the many folks that we've lost along the way. My short list includes Dad, Steve (Axl) Aldridge, Gordon Buhle, Matt Ware, Andy Speigel and others. This gathering is not to mourn but to celebrate their lives, motorcycling and the friendships that result from riding. Mike Breedlove is a good example of the friendships that happen on two wheels. He arrived at the crash shortly after it happened. He found out that Dad had been killed and that he was traveling with his son. He came to the hospital and introduced himself and offered his home and help in my situation. He and his wife fed me and helped with logistical problems. When the teenager who caused the wreck went to trial Mike took each day off work and escorted my Mother to the trail. He's been the host of every gathering we've had in Franklin since. He and Sue represent exactly the type of friendships and folks we are celebrating. Lou and Carol Usher have been providing entertainment for our gatherings since Dad's passing. They have refused any compensation for their time but instead have become friends with all of Mike and I's friends. They will bring plenty of Lou's cool CDs and t-shirts so bring some extra folding cash. Dad gave me a lot of things but the ones that I'm most fond of is his friendship and motorcycling. This will be a celebration of the brotherhood of motorcycling. Hope to see you there! Ride Safe, JB2 (Message edited by jb2 on April 11, 2008)   Ulywife Posted on Sunday, April 13, 2008 - 10:06 pm:        JB2 - looking forward to meeting you and sharing this weekend with new friends. Carlos, the children and I will be there Friday afternoon.   Jerry_haughton Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008 - 11:13 am:        all - on early Sunday morning many of us who are attending Big Jim's Ride will be heading from Franklin, NC to Cherokee, NC for breakfast, then up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Fancy Gap, Virginia to FB&D's place for what JB2 has dubbed the 'Run to the RidgeDome.' we'll have a BBQ with all the fixin's here at the 'Dome on Sunday night, along with copious high-quality refreshments, and all are welcome (BYOC: Bring Your Own Ceegars :-) early Monday morning most everyone will need to scatter to the four winds on their respective returns to reality, and me 'n D will saddle up, too, and ride outbound for a spell before we return to Fancy Gap and our reality. the RidgeDome is small and undergoing ongoing renovation. that said, we can house up to four folks, using the guest room (perfect for a couple), couches and floor space. anyone staying here would NOT need to bring bedding. several folks who are already inked for this little gig-within-a-gig have booked rooms in the town of Fancy Gap proper, which is about four minutes up the Parkway from us. should you wish to do so, too, here's the info you need: - Lakeview Restaurant and Motel, Fancy Gap, VA USA - 276-728-7841 (this will ring to the restaurant, which also manages the motel room rentals) - Intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway and VA Hwy 52 - Mon-Sat 7 am to 9 pm, Sun 7 am to 2:30 pm. their usual rates are $40 a night, but because it's a holiday weekend they're getting $50 a night. the place ain't fancy (despite the name of our Gap), but the units overlook the lake and the Parkway, and adjoin the restaurant. there's fuel (24-hour via card readers) and modest supplies available at the Chevron next door to the Lakeview. for anyone not wishing to ride on Sunday night after the BBQ, we will have a designated driver available and secure garage space here at the 'Dome for your scoot. it'd help me 'n D to know how many folks are planning on doing the BBQ with us on Sunday night, so we can have enough provisions on hand. see y'all soon. :-):-) FB&D   1313 Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 02:02 pm:        I'm hoping to head West out of New Bern, NC on Saturday, May, 24th after returning home from a business trip the night before. I hope that I can make it to the Franklin Hotel to meet up with everyone by 5:00. I'm pretty sure that I will stick around for the BBQ on Sunday night. An ulterior motive of mine on this trip is to check out the Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley. I'd like to check it out before they move it to their new location and figured since it is so close that this may be my best opportunity to do so. I don't want to step on any toes, so this is something that I could probably do on my way home on Monday (assuming the museum is open then - Email already sent...). I gotta figure out the logistic details, but my plan for Memorial Day Weekend was already to head West. This gives me the destination. 1313   Jerry_haughton Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 09:30 pm:        I'm pretty sure that I will stick around for the BBQ on Sunday night... that'd be most excellent. :-):-) FB&D   Ulywife Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 09:14 am:        Carlos and I will be there. What can we bring/do to help out?   Jerry_haughton Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 12:09 pm:        Kristi, also most excellent! will you and Carlos be overnighting here at the RidgeDome, or at your Dad's cabin? our guest room is not spoken for yet, and would be perfect for a couple... FB&D :-):-)   Jb2 Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 01:15 pm:        FB&D, Bhuff and I will be there for the Run to the RidgeDome. We're staying at the Lakeview. This could be quite a gathering when all is said and done. JB2 (Message edited by jb2 on May 12, 2008)   Ulywife Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 05:25 pm:        FB - we'll be staying at Daddy's cabin. I'm hoping they will offer to keep the little ones! Carlos may be on weed eater duty Monday AM. kls   Jerry_haughton Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 08:21 pm:        JB2 and Kristi: cool, and cool. :-):-) FB&D   Denisea Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 04:14 pm:        JB2, sounding like the makings of a party on the Ridge. Kristi, Thanks for the offer but you guys get to be the guests this time, take advantage of it! D   Ulywife Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 05:39 pm:        Thanks for the offer but you guys get to be the guests this time, take advantage of it! Consider it done! But you know I'm always ready to help should you need me to.   Twig Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 05:58 am:        Jerry, will it be okay if I stop by next Sunday? My wife will be in Santa Cruz next weekend ironing out some family matters, so I'll be looking to ride somewhere. Still need to stop by the Mill to pick up a couple of things, and since it's so close, it would be great to see you and Denise again.   Jerry_haughton Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 08:03 pm:        hi Twig :-) we SHOULD be around on Sunday, we've got a ton of stuff to do to get the place ready for the invasion. is Mabry Mill open yet? i seem to recall last year that most venues on the Parkway didn't open until Memorial Day Weekend. no promises, but maybe we could cut loose for a bit and ride up there with you... FB&D   Twig Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 04:45 am:        Hi Jerry, I should have stated "would like to join you for the cookout" on the 25th. We're heading to Carolina Beach this weekend to visit our oldest son. I'd also like to bring you and Denise a little something you might enjoy.   Denisea Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 09:46 am:        Twig, We'll look forward to seeing you on the 25th.   Jerry_haughton Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 10:34 am:        Twig, what Denise said. :-)   Henrik Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 10:37 am:        I should be there for the duration, both Franklin and the Dome - provided I don't continue to screw up getting the S2 ready. My wrenching has gotten *really* rusty ... sigh. Henrik   Denisea Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 10:55 am:        Henrik, Coolness. Looking forward to meeting you in person. D   Reepicheep Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 08:32 am:        I quickly learned that you ignore any invitation from Jim and / or Ferris at the risk of spending the next 5 years kicking yourself for missing something special. Here is my tentative plan... Thursday Night (May 22): Leave Cincy at about 4 PM on Thursday with two bikes on the trailer. Arrive at the Knoxville Motel 6 at around 10-11 pm. Friday Morning: Leave Knoxville Motel 6 at 8-9 AM, take the car and trailer to the Deals Gap / Cherohola area, arriving at 10-11 AM. Friday Early Afternoon: Unload the KLR-250 and ride one or both of the dual sport tracks (Parsons Branch off of deals gap, and I think there is one off the Cherohola as well). Friday Late Afternoon: Load the KLR back on the Trailer and roll into Franklin, maybe as early as 3 or as late as 7, depending on how much fun the dual sporting is. Friday Evening: Franklin motel Saturday: Group rides and the BBQ, again staying in Franklin. Sunday: Run to the Ridge Dome. I think I will be trailering the bikes as far as Asheville, unloading the XB there, and riding the rest of the way. That puts me in the right place to make it back home the next day after another long ride on the blue ridge. Monday: Ride the bike back to Asheville and load up the trailer, and drive back to Cincy that night. It'll be great to meet more of the people I have known here for so long...   Jb2 Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 10:07 am:        Reep, All, Can't wait. Each night this week has been a string of phone calls from folks who are coming. I haven't talked to anyone who isn't thoroughly stoked. Lou's even created some new material for our gathering Saturday at Mikey's. This could be close to epic. JB2   Henrik Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 10:17 am:        Denise - likewise My plan so far; Leave Gotham at the crack of dawn or earlier on Thursday. Ride as far as my a$$ can handle and crash for the night. Then hopefully just have a few hundred scenic miles to Franklin. Figure I should be there late Friday afternoon or early evening. Henrik   Denisea Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 11:02 am:        Sunday: Run to the Ridge Dome. I think I will be trailering the bikes as far as Asheville, unloading the XB there, and riding the rest of the way. That puts me in the right place to make it back home the next day after another long ride on the blue ridge....hang with FB&D ...partee...partake of many adult beverages...partee...partake of the best BBQ ever...partee...smoke a few ceegars...partee... AND HAVE FUN... There, fixed that for you. (Message edited by denisea on May 16, 2008)   Henrik Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2008 - 03:13 pm:        OK, so this is almost a repeat of my bike wrenching troubles (read stupidity) of two years ago ... Will I ever learn - most likely not Left side front brake installation is turning on to be even more of a challenge than originally estimated: - front fender mounting point needs to be trimmed to clear the caliper - found that out after completing the 1st installation. - Left side caliper drags on brake disk. R&R everything including torque to spec, to attempt shimming = no good. - Realize there is not enough room on left side to shim for proper spacing and caliper alignment. - R&R everything again to try sanding down caliper mounting points on lower for legs (YIKES!) - Try to tweak both right and left side: Right side now in good alignment, but needs 0.016" shim at both top and bottom bolts Left side caliper now slightly tweaked in opposite direction with only a fraction of clearance to the rotor - R&R everything yet again for another go at sanding the left side - can probably remove 0.005" top and bottom (fingers crossed). Oh, and left side caliper mounting bolts no too long and hit carrier mounting points - get out the grinder ... and I haven't even cranked over the motor to see if it'll run ... =:-0 Stay tuned ... Henrik   Milo_h Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2008 - 07:33 pm:        Geez Henrik, I sure hope you have a backup plan :-) Peace Milo   Henrik Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 10:08 am:        Geez Henrik, I sure hope you have a backup plan :-) No, not really. The SV is in an even worse state ... However; 7 1/2 hours of "fun" later, I'm estimating I had the front wheel on and off about 14 times including the two calipers with everything torqued to spec each time. In between several tries with just the calipers and shims. Lots of sanding, tweaking, shim making etc. later the front wheel is now shimmed 32/1000" to the right. Both calipers are now perfectly in line with the rotors. The right caliper is perfectly centered and the left is 4/1000" off, which is plenty close. The parallel thing is what really matters as long as the rotor clears. For your info; soda can metal (Diet Coke) is 4/1000", and aluminum casing (painted white) is 16/1000" thick. Along with a step drill and tin snips they make a good basis for custom shims I'm heading out to double check everything with a clear head this morning. I was pretty fried last night and didn't quite trust my judgment. Need to fix a few electrical gremlins, change the gas and then try cranking it over. Fun never stops. If all falls into place I'll get it inspected Tuesday, and start packing. Henrik   Ulywife Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 04:32 pm:        Hope it all works out.   Henrik Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 09:32 pm:        Fret not my friends - I'm not quite panicking ... yet It's been a lot worse before other trips : http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=37&post=730382#POST730382 Front brakes are mounted, pads are in and the brakes bled. However, pads are dragging and the lever is soft - i.e. more work to do apparently. Fresh gas is in the tank, and the old girl cranked right over after having sat for 2 years. Electrical is working - including brake light ... Need to take it out for a spin and bed in brake pads and see if the dragging goes away. Change oil and primary fluid. Of course I now find cracks in the saddlebag inners - but maybe I just need to schlepp less crap and just go with a tail pack Stay tuned ... Henrik   Jerry_haughton Posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 - 06:34 am:        go, Henrik, go! :-):-) My plan so far; Leave Gotham at the crack of dawn or earlier on Thursday. Ride as far as my a$$ can handle and crash for the night... Henrik, me 'n D were wondering if you'd mind some company on Friday? our plan is to head down the Parkway to Cherokee and then south into Franklin. this would make a leisurely-paced 300-mile day out of it, and we'd like to roll out of Fancy Gap on Friday by about 7 a.m. or so. FB&D   Henrik Posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 - 07:12 am:        Henrik, me 'n D were wondering if you'd mind some company on Friday? Ferris & D; that'd be great! I'll have to look at maps and route plans and see how far I'd need to go Thursday ... on a good day 700 - 750 miles is my limit (ouch). I'll check things out today and get back to you. Henrik