I had planned another run to the Dragon's Tail today, but a phone call from a friend right before I was about to leave changed my mind. He had driven up there earlier that morning and said that the salt on the roads was terrible and a lot of riders were complaining about the conditions. So after mounting up my lower fairing with much needed help from Corey, we headed to scenic Townsend.

The weather was perfect. Warm enough for a t-shirt but not too warm for leather. It was a pretty uneventful ride over there. Once in town, CB suggested that we ride to Cades Cove. Cades Cove is basically a 12 mile nature trail that you can drive on. The road is a single paved lane, marred with potholes and rough patches. Not sportbike friendly at all. It was also wet, muddy, and still covered in salt in a lot of spots. The last time I rode this one was on a bicycle, which I would have gladly traded my 500 for at several points today! To make matters worse, tourists take this road at a blistering 5mph, stopping frequently to take pictures of each individual deer they pass. At one point we got stuck behind a dually and ended up inhaling diesel for about 20 minutes until we finally decided to pull off. I know this is all sounding like one big complaint, but it was actually a pretty nice day. We did see a lot of deer, afterall!

I think the only thing that truly bothered me today was the fact that my bike kept mysteriously conking out on me, earning me the new nickname "Breakdown." It would be running fine, and then suddenly it would act like it wasn't getting fuel and just lose all power and shut off. It did this 3 or 4 times. It started back up each time with some help from the choke, and after running it with the choke for a few moments, it would run normally. I just installed a new fuel filter, so I don't think anything is getting clogged this time. Perhaps the petcock is dying :(

I'm too tired to remember anything else that happened today, so I'll let CB fill in the gaps and I'll go ahead and get to the meat'n'taters... PICS!

Ignore the fingers that somehow made their way into some of these. I took them with the GoPro, and apparently the wide angle can pick up fingers that aren't anywhere near the lens...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/PICT0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/PICT0002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/PICT0004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/PICT0003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/PICT0005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/CadesCove006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/CadesCove008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/CadesCove011.jpg

Heh... heh... Corey's idea:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/CadesCove014.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/CadesCove001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Psycho5005/Cades%20Cove/CadesCove002.jpg

At least my lower fairing stayed on.

Oh yes, and I forgot to mention... my bike wasn't the only one "breaking down." Sooomeone had a taillight bulb burn out. Call the dealership!

LED Taillight bulb = PA-FO-MANCE MAAWWDZ! :D

:kewlpics: Thx for posting 'em!

Last time I was at Cades Cove the roads were one piece, if I had any idea it was going to be like it was I would have rather gone up to Pigeon Forge and battled traffic there.

Lots of bikes today. We even saw some sport bikes getting driving awards from the local police officers. Here we sit at Subway having some nice dinner when we hear sirens and see a cop going by at what had to be close to 100mph. Never even saw the bikes go by. You could get up to about a buck 80 on that road and I'm sure they were doing every bit of it.

The weather was pretty great. Left Knoxville in about 65 degree weather. Got home after dark, again... The poor 500 has been tempermental with each outing. Nothing serious, just a nuisance. For what It's worth, my bike had a tail light issue that we had to solve at the local Auto Zone. 2 people in 2 different cars stopped me to inform me I had a tail light out. That was a kind gesture on their part and much needed, especially on a bike. Kudo's to those nice people out there who still care about another human being.

It seems like each time we go out we tend to find the most generous people. Often we find these people when we are not at our personal best. Incredible to know these people exist.

Jimi and I were worried about our bikes being loud and disturbing the wildlife. At the same place those pictures were taken is a small parking lot. A family climbed out of a busted old Pontiac and here came the most loud children I have ever heard in my entire life. Jimi and I just kinda looked at each other and felt instantly better about ourselves. Also, when parking at another spot a little girl ran out in front of my bike. She about got squished and she was very lucky I was paying attention and that I can control my bike in a panic stop. A 50 lb little girl is no match for a 500 lb bike and rider. Remeber adults, keep track of your children, you never know when they may become a Ninja 250 hood ornament.


You'll notice I got some new leathers. I'm very happy with them. Frank Thomas brand from Cycle Gear. I recommend them to the ladies. They flatter the curves while giving good protection and excellent airflow.

Until next weekend, don't feed the wildlife. ;)

And right as we're about to pass those cops who have several sportbikes pulled over, mine starts to die again. Luckily I was able to save it by pulling the clutch and revving it until it backfired and started running normally again. Good times. Incidently, my bike only breaks down when I ride with you, CB. You're bad luck!

I've been called worse. :)

...wait a minute... the only time you ride is with me... I think it's you. Besides, my bike broke this time too. It's must be you.

Fair warning to anyone who rides with us, your bike may break down. Old and new alike. We have toolkits, flashlights and cameras on every trip now to see, fix and document the brkdwn's as we now refer to them.

Hey, I ride solo sometimes. Just not long distances because I need backup in case of brkdwns!

thanx for sharing yer riding day and pix...beautiful views..

any idea why the bike keeps stalling out on ya?

aloha

:yo:

Thanks.

Either the filter is still getting clogged, or the petcock is shot? It's sporadically not getting fuel, and there seems to be no trigger. The first thing I did was check to make sure there was still gas in the tank (durf.) I tried switching it to reserve and it wouldn't even start. I topped the tank off and added an entire bottle of STP fuel treatment on the way home, and it managed to make the last 15 minutes of the ride home with no issue.

/moved to ride reports

Thanks.

Either the filter is still getting clogged, or the petcock is shot? It's sporadically not getting fuel, and there seems to be no trigger. The first thing I did was check to make sure there was still gas in the tank (durf.) I tried switching it to reserve and it wouldn't even start. I topped the tank off and added an entire bottle of STP fuel treatment on the way home, and it managed to make the last 15 minutes of the ride home with no issue.
Jimi,

wasn't this bike's gas tank resealed? Is it delaminating inside and possibly clogging the filter in the petcock? Also, have you tried popping the filler cover open when it stalls? May be a clogged vent to the gas tank.

... have you tried popping the filler cover open when it stalls? May be a clogged vent to the gas tank.


vent is what i thought of also, but didn't know of other tank issues ..

:suspicious:

Yeah, at one point... crap. I thought my new filter would solve the issue. But I forgot that there could be a screen at the petcock. I'll try the vent idea too. Good thing the weather is warming up, because I have a lot of stuff to work on.

Sounds like you still had a lot of fun! Those were some great pictures! I am going to have to make it down to TN sometime! :)

You are more than welcome to come... at your own risk...

It's nice riding around where we do. There are plenty of tourist traps to stop and rest at. There's a bunch of bikers and fellow sports car enthusiasts. The scenery is beautiful and the weather is fair. All in all it has the best and worst of about any state. Just a nice, little average place to live in.

If we can keep Jimi's bike from a brkdwn then we should be able to start taking longer rides. Also, I'm going to have to switch sprockets. My little 250 just can't cruise like it's big brother.

My 500 can't cruise like it's little sister either... I kept having to pull the clutch in when we were following those cars because first gear just wasn't low enough! That's the only time I've ever been on my bike and thought to myself, "I wish I was on a Vespa scooter." Never again.

LOL!!

My bestfriend out in CA has a Vespa as well as a BMW (one of those bee lookin ones) and she loves them both! Of course she pretty much loves anything on two wheels...

Anyway we went for a ride on her birthday two years ago?... And because her S/O's bike was broken he took out the Vespa and I'll be damned if he didn't keep up with the entire group taking those corners like he was on a Busa or something :) It was great!

Hey, a Vespa will outcorner a Busa any day! It's fun to watch that. It's all rider. Or perhaps... it's allllll in the hips!

Hey, a Vespa will outcorner a Busa any day! It's fun to watch that. It's all rider. Or perhaps... it's allllll in the hips!

I'm all for the "small bikes rock" club, but at some point these claims do start sounding silly. Even to those of us in the same club. In what scenario would a Vespa outcorner a Busa, other than a MSF parking lot?

Short wheelbase vs long wheelbase. Too much power to take a turn on the throttle. I'm a firm believer a Vespa could out corner a Busa on the Dragon or some such road. Now, put them on a track and there is absolutely no comparison. With that said, do you drive on the street or track more often?

As uplifting as it can be to believe that every dog has its day, no, that statement is not correct. A Busa handles just fine, and it would destroy a vespa (or a 250) in the same skilled hands on any public road, no matter how tight, and on any track, no matter how tight. This doesn't mean that a good rider on a small and light bike can't embarrass a lesser-skilled rider on a more formidable machine, and that's what makes riding a light bike fun.

But to propose that a Vespa beats a Busa (or any sportbike) through those 313ish turns, well, it's only a wishful fallacy.

I'm by no means arguing that bigger is better. Or that lighter, smaller bikes can't be as much fun or even more fun than larger, heavier machines. Or even that there might not be a particular 1st gear full-lock turn that individually would be easier on a tiny bike. It's just that less power isn't always better than more power. And smaller isn't universally faster than bigger.

With that said, do you drive on the street or track more often?

I try to put on 20k+ miles on the street each year, and try to hit 8-10 track days a year. This past year I had closer to 30k miles on the street, and I think I only made it to 5 or 6 trackdays, but I hope to do a few more this year. I've owned fun bikes from the most powerful (ZX-12R, when it had 8 hp on the busa, currently a ZX-10R with 165 hp), to the least powerful (our pair of Ninjettes, a Buell Blast), and they all have their pros and cons.

I'll argue til the end of time about how much fun I have on the smaller bikes, as well as how much more we can learn about riding (maintaining momentum, better corner speed, better cornering lines) when on such a bike. And often, I choose the ninjette over anything else in the garage. But translating that preference into a belief that it can outhandle or outrace an equally skilled rider on another sportbike just can't be supported. And that's before we start talking about Vespas. :)

Dangit, I was going to say MSF course!

I never said anything about equally skilled riders. I simply said that a Vespa could outcorner (turn tighter faster) a Hayabusa. I've never ridden either machine, but I'd still put money on a Vespa on the Cades Cove loop. Wouldn't you, CB? Your average Busa rider would drop his bike within minutes trying to ride fast on that road.

Alex, ypu come visit us on a liter bike or bigger and we'll find you a hotel, feed you and what not. We'll take a ride up to the Dragon and Cades Cove. Make sure you pick a hotel with a hot tub, because you will need it at the end of the day.

I firmly believe that each bike has it's place. Cades Cove demands a smaller bike. So does Knoxville in general. You'd be hard pressed to find as many liter sport bikes here as you would in most other simularly sized cities. There are simply too many hills, starts and stops to have a large bike. The only places I can think of to really use the speed of a Busa are Pellissippi Parkway and I-40. I also recommend a good radar detector because those areas are crawling with cops.

At this point I'm curious to see how a well qualified rider would do on each of these machines on a curvy road. Anyone up for the challenge?

Jimi and CB thanks for a great "arm chair" ride. I worked in the Knoxville area about 10 years ago and can form a pretty good mental image of the kind of roads you were talking about.

Corey Beth - you can borrow my Daddy :) He'd do just as well on a big bike as he does on a smaller bike - he's truly one of the best riders I have ever met, and that's not just me bragging on my daddy :) He's down at high country several times a year, but doesn't do the dragon much anymore as it's too commercial - 10-15 years ago, it was a different story.
Here's and
Advrider post in response to one of his rides: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8157854&postcount=510