::: Viethorse visited GA and ride on Smoky Mountain

[Viethorse]

Hi all.
I had a good time with TWT friends in Texas, as you can see in this thread.

After getting all my things done in Texas, headed to Atlanta with some other friends and a new riding plan to Smoky Mountain.

Thursday morning, took the 7:45A flight, cheap one, by SouthWest:

Landed:

A friend of mine came to pick me up from the ATL airport:

He left for me this room in his guest house in Atlanta - two beds, with all other stuff i.e. kitchen, laundry etc...:

Get all my package stored at his house, he drove me to Alabama.
On the way, feel the heat of motorcycle, which I hard to see in Houston:

Arrived Alabama:

And almost there:

We stopped outside for lunch. The accent of people here make me difficult to understand. However, all the thing around lunch was motorcycle related - all the guys around talking about motorcycle, wearing motorcycle shirts... etc... What an impression!

Into the gate of the Museum:

Baber started his collection from 1989.
1994 he opened the non-profit museum.
Now there are around 1200 bikes models showed on 05 stories building.

Front view of the museum:

These Ducaties right at the entrance of the museum:

Some small stuff:

Well, I have quite a lot photos of many beautiful bikes in there. Don't know if you guys interested in so I can post here. If not, we may skip it.

 

[Red Brown]

Trung,

Thanks for taking me along. I have never been to the Barber museum. You're pictures look great.

RB

 

[Viethorse]

Thanks RB.
It's really great if you can see the bikes there by your own eyes.
I have told my friend that I just need a tent then let me sleep inside this museum for some days....
Inside, the light is not so good for taking photos. If using flash, the bike will looks funny. So I choose the slow speed shooting. Therefore the photos look a bit red/yellow. Sorry for my bad technic.

The museum is arranged with a "mixture style". Means you can see all kind of bikes (naked / sport / cruiser...) and all year of them (old and new) on the same floor. I have asked the admin there, and he said that 's the intention of them. They don't want anybody come in the Museum and miss some good stuff. They want all the visitor can experience every kind of motorcycle during their visit.

and many more....

 

[sKatZ]

Thank you for sharing your trip! It looks like a wonderful place to visit.

 

[Morgan Buchanan]

WOW! Glad you had such an awesome time!

 

[Viethorse]

Yeah, that 's good place to visit.

--------
During my visit, they have so called a qualification practice of the Vintage bike racer on the track behind the Museum. Enjoy seeing all the beautiful beasts in the Museum and hear the racing sounds from the windows - what a feeling!!

Oh, this bike looks sick:

This looks still very new, even the wooden parts:

An interesting info is the starting point of this Museum was from three VFR - hehe, as I am a VFR owner also:

Cool set up - feel like on a track:

 

[Gravel Guy]

 

[cdc]

Never imagined the museum was so nice.
Great pictures.

 

[Texas T]

Your pictures really make me want to go see the place.

 

[Viethorse]

For sure you will love that place.
Well, I think that's it for the museum. Actually there are many more bike models, all are so great. I meant you come here and don't want to leave!

Some special stuff, i.e. Micheal Jordan's racing bike:

Or a steam bike:

Just wanna have them all !!!

Remember the dinner with my friends, we had to out of the museum and back to Atlanta.
I took a nap in the car then I drove my friend's car on the way back as he seemed also tired after a long day with me to the Museum.

Here was where we had dinner that day:

The place is a meeting place of Atlanta bikers every Thursday night. That night was the last one before all the bikes are stored in the garages until next year riding season:

Great opportunity to meet with Mike Thomas (nick name Mike_On_Bike), who is very impressed to me with his strength and great recovery after a serious accident (he had a high-side which resulted several surgeries all around 6month) now in his body, a lot of places are made by titanium. He got the accident about a year ago, just before mine for about 1 month. We had shared and talked to each other a lot from the time he was in ICU:


He looks great as always:

And he could drink well, too:

Went sleep quite late that night for packing stuff for the long ride from the day after.
...

 

[Tracker]

subscribed!

 

[Texas T]

That night was the last one before all the bikes are stored in the garages until next year riding season:...

Whaaaa? Atlanta has a riding "season"?

Tell them to put on some proper riding gear and go

 

[The Bruce]

Barber is a must see for riders. Enjoying the report, thanks.

 

[Viethorse]

Whaaaa? Atlanta has a riding "season"?

Tell them to put on some proper riding gear and go

Well, I was told that. And that night was very chilly, colder than my last night in Austin. And so for next days.
I was invited to a so called secret place, where all the professional stunters practice and show up. But it was too late, I had to focus on my core trip in the next day.

 

[Viethorse]

Friday morning, 12Oct, me and my friend was two-up on his Red VFR to other ridding buddy's house.
Until now, I still don't understand what made he missed the road and went further than the house may be around 10miles. LOL....
At least, we get to the right place, my friend was almost falling into sleep.
Beautiful white pearl VFR was up on the trailer, ready for the trip:

Getting the bike, check around and make all the baggage organized and ready to roll.
His bike is almost the same as my bike in Vietnam, just the difference is mine is ABS version. It 's really great that he installed the Power outlet on this bike, it's good for me to use it for my GPS. Thank to my great GPS, I brought it from Vietnam, installed the US map myself and it works fantastic since the time I was in Texas.

Our first stop was for gas. Here was the second stop, for our stomachs. Hahah...

Young friend was so amazing, he got the things so well prepared and organized. He was a bit too excited with the drinks LoL...

Other was, too:

You have been caught:

Then we were heading to the Blood Mountain, where they said it's a good start for a mountain ride.

Nice lake beside where we stopped:

The gravel on the right shoulder made my friend dropped his bike:

Nothing serious, prepared to roll again:

Nice roads ahead:

I could not stay behind the trailer, even though there was a beautiful VFR on it. Push more gas, rode on my own GPS:

Started feeling the twisties...

....

 

[Viethorse]

After around 15mins cornering, we stopped at a tourist place:

Wrestler came in:

I was there with the RWB VFR:

I have no idea why people hang a lot of shoes on this tree:

At the time we arrived, a singer was sitting infront of the shop, playing a country song with his guitar. Great moment with the nice view, nice song and music, with good friends, in a bit chilly weather.

We on road again:

We started to see the fall color:

Fall smell, color and feeling are all around...

The road and view was too beautiful then, I was so excited, so that I keep riding ahead, passed the entrance of the cabin.

Rode for a while, not seeing Wrestler in the mirror, I stopped beside of the road to wait:

Then I saw him, he asked me to return as I passed the destination.
We head back, and I saw Switchblade, other inmate on the way. We all came to the cabin.

...

 

[Viethorse]

The cabin entrance:

Front view of the beautiful cabin:

04 bikes at that time:

Friends were offloading food and drinks:

Some nice view around:

Front yard of the cabin, where we had a big fire on the next day. Awesome place:

Someone so excited before going for the dinner:

Dinner menu - Good Friends, Good Food, Good Times:

...

 

[Viethorse]

Saturday morning, discussion for the ride:

BR was ready for his Dragon session:

8:40AM, we reached the Deals gap:

A group photo in front of the Deals Gap store. RA was the one taking this pix:

Took some photos here, it was my dream to be there and ride there:

My great friend:

Other pics of the place:

It was quite early so there were not many bikes:

...

 

[Tourmeister]

I sure hope you ran Hwy 28 South from Deal's Gap all the way through Franklin to Highlands... Awesome ride!

 

[Texas T]

I have no idea why people hang a lot of shoes on this tree:

...

There are various trees around the country where people do this. A very famous tree in the state of Nevada was cut down by vandals in the middle of the night, much to the disappointment of many.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/29064

 

[Viethorse]

I sure hope you ran Hwy 28 South from Deal's Gap all the way through Franklin to Highlands... Awesome ride!

Hey Scott, that 's the one I rode in the next few days. As you said, great twisty road!!

There are various trees around the country where people do this. A very famous tree in the state of Nevada was cut down by vandals in the middle of the night, much to the disappointment of many.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/29064

Thank you, now I know why they are doing so.

 

[Viethorse]

Ok, let the time flow...
Kebrider, Switchblade, and probably Adam have done some Dragon laps before. Just me, BR, RollingAgain just arrived.
People was considering of having breakfast first then slay the Dragon. However, I myself was so excited of the fist time there, and I think RollingAgain and BR was most likely prefer do the Dragon right away.
I quickly grabbed a Snickers to ensure my stomach wont do any revolution before the real breakfast.
People was trying to warn me of the dangers and some precautions should be taken..
Then we headed to the Dragon, ****, I was so excited...
I still remember that since beginning of my trip planning, my core is always the Dragon. Well, it quite easy to understand that the Dragon has been being marketing so well, it became a very well-known place. And it seemed to be the only and the most preferred riding place to me, as I had no idea about the Blue Ridge Parkway or Cherohala, etc....
I saw all the guys, BR, Kebrider and his wife, Switchblade are all familiar with the road. They seemed remember every curve on the Dragon. I felt a bit in-confident. I think I did a lot of brakes in front of each decent curve.
Well, I was almost complete one-way of the Dragon.
I think I was a head of BR, RollingAgain and Kebrider's wife.
Then to a left turn corner, I was coming out a bit wide. I realized that right in front of me was the cliff, it was too close. I pulled the brake lever, the bike almost stopped but I could not turn it back to the pavement. Front wheel was on the dirt at the time the bike totally stopped.
I put my right leg down and try to keep the bike up straight. Dang... the shoulder was too low. My **** short feet could not touch the land. The bike slowly turned and dropped to the right shoulder.
Haizzz.... First time there and I did not complete the Dragon!

RollingAgain came in and helped me to put the bike up. I was so lucky that the bike was leaning on the soft soil, so the fairing scratches are minimum.
Kebrider, Switchblade and BR pulled back from the end of the Dragon. They said there was a round 1 mile left. **** it, just a last mile but I did not make it!?
Bike was okay, myself was ok. I asked the guys keep continue to the end of the Dragon.

I dont know what they called this place, but that is the end of 11miles Dragon:

This girl was on a Vespa and she was cornering so well. I passed her just some bends before wheere I dropped. I think she was the one told my friend that I was in the ditch!! She head back early, may be did not want me to slow her down. LOL...

Some more view there:

This 's way back to the Dragon:

On the way back, I had chance to stop once more time here:

And had chance to take photo with the Killboy cameraman:

Big thank to RollingAgain:

Look at his happy face, I can understand my drop was nothing! LOL !!

He might not have such happy face if he could not find his tankbag. There was a lot of money inside:

Killboy guy has put up his photos of my friend when he had low side with his beloved 3rd gen VFR:

It was really badluck to him. He loves the bike so much.

 

[Viethorse]

Back to the Deals gap resort, more bikes were coming:

I did not have anything to hang on here:

Someone climbed quite high to hang the stuff:

Breakfast:

It's nice place and really impressed me, the things I had only seen on internet:

Dave showed me his big photo on the wall. Great one!

Done the breakfast, we prepared for Cherohala. I was told that this Cherohala skyway is one of the most beautiful riding road during this season.
So, what to wait for?? Just took some more photos before departure:

...

 

[Viethorse]

Left the Deals gap, we rode on the Hwy-80 heading to Cherohala Skyway.

Stopped for fuel:

My excitement before going to the new road:

As per my request, Kimball lead us to visit the Cross, where we tribute to a passed away friend:

The road after that was really amazing. Left side was the cliff, right side was a river. That day I could not stop to take any photos there. However, I have tried to have some photos during my lonely ride later on.

Fall colors:

It's very nice curves:

....

Dave was heading back and we didn't understand why we stopped:

Really great weather to ride out:

(to be continued...)

 

[The Bruce]

Looks wonderful. Great scenery this time of year.