Deal's Gap 2017Subscribe to this blog RSS Feed
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    1 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    buffalo, bruce, I've made reservations at Fontana Village Resort for a Sunday May 21st checking and leaving Tuesday May 23rd. The plan is a multi-day rolling trip back.
    2 of 15
    Sitwon
    6 years ago
    I would be interested in joining for at least part of this trip, if I wouldn't be intruding.
    3 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    Sitwon, We leave on the 20th in the morning from College Park. We usually eat at the IHop on Cherry Hill road before hitting Superslab down to Wytheville. It'll be a 315 mile superslab run that first day. The second day is easier as we head down 81 to I26, which is a beautiful interstate with dramatic vistas. Route 28 into Fontana is wonderfully twisty and one of my favorite roads down there. We'll likely arrive in the late afternoon on Sunday. We'll ride the Gap Monday with the intent of heading out Tuesday sometime to take a slow rolling trip back on all the twisty roads we can find. We have a number of people to visit down there, roads to ride, and places to see. Let me check with bruce and buffalo.

    How long would you like to join us for? 

    Map #21332
    Yermo
    6 years ago

    2017 College Park To Fontana Village Resort/Deal's Gap Run

    This is the rough route we will be following for our run down to Deal's Gap this year. We leave Saturday Morning the 20th of May from the IHop in College Park, Md. We'll superslab 315 miles down Wytheville, Va where we will stay either in the Days Inn or the Budget Inn. We'll probably have dinner at the Applebees and breakfast at the Wafflehouse, like we do. From there we'll head South. We usually go to Knoxville but this time we'll likely take I26 down which is a wonderful section of superslab. 28 into Fontana is incredibly fun. We'll stay in Fontana for a couple of days and then meander back from an as yet to be decided route.

    4 of 15
    Sitwon
    6 years ago
    I don't know if I can take the whole week off work, but I could at least join you for the ride down, and then work remotely as I make my way back up.
    5 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    The ride down by itself would not be much fun. It's just superslab. From my experience working from the road is problematic because there are always connectivity problems especially in the mountains.

    So if you rode down with us and were willing to spend Monday down there you'd probably be able to be back around DC Wednesday assuming weather cooperated so that would be three days off of work for what would amount to about a day of decent riding down there. My thought would be to sit this one out and let's schedule a time when we can go down there for at least several days given that it'll be your first time in the area. 

    If things go the way I hope they will for me, I'll have to travel down there multiple times per year anyway. 
    6 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    The other thing to consider is that weather is always unpredictable. It would suck if we rode down there and it rained that entire first day down there. We've had times where it rained most of the week (which sucks).
    7 of 15
    Sitwon
    6 years ago
    Ok, I'll sit this one out.
    8 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    It really is worth it to take some more time down there when you go. I hope I get to ride with you when you go.
    9 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    I pulled the trigger on fresh tires for both the K100RS and R1100S.

    For the K bike, Revzilla still has the Pilot Road 3's in the correct sizes in stock:
    Link #9740
    Yermo
    9 years ago

    Michelin Pilot Road 3 Front Tires - RevZilla

    Purchase the Michelin Pilot Road 3 Front Tires at RevZilla Motorsports. Get the best free shipping & exchange deal anywhere, no restock fees and the lowest prices -- guaranteed.

    http://www.revzilla.com/product/mic...
    Link #9741
    Yermo
    9 years ago

    Michelin Pilot Road 3 Rear Tires - RevZilla

    Purchase the Michelin Pilot Road 3 Rear Tires at RevZilla Motorsports. Get the best free shipping & exchange deal anywhere, no restock fees and the lowest prices -- guaranteed.

    http://www.revzilla.com/product/mic...
    For the R1100S they don't list a Pilot Road 3 or 4 in the stock size but do carry a Pilot Road 4 GT:
    Link #21547
    Yermo
    6 years ago

    Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT Tires - RevZilla

    Purchase the Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT Tires at RevZilla Motorsports. Get the best free shipping & exchange deal anywhere, no restock fees and the lowest prices -- guaranteed.

    https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...
    Once they come in I'll mount them.

    The beloved blue oil burner is still a Bob's waiting to be looked at. Given how much I still have to do, I decided to fall back and punt and let Bob's go over it instead of spending the hours myself. It looks like the crank case breather tube is cracked which has been spewing oil all of the place. #oops 

    Otherwise, I just have to change all the fluids in the R1100S and generally go over things. At the present moment, it looks like everything will be ready to go by the 20th when we leave.
    10 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    You know it's getting serious when I threaten to wash the bikes:

    Link #21557
    Yermo
    6 years ago

    Amazon.com: S100 12001B Total Cycle Cleaner Bottle - 33.8 oz.: Automotive

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    11 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    So the Blue Oil Burner was hesitating. I figured it was probably a vacuum leak or a faulty ignition control module. Unfortunately, it turns out that I probably have worn or stuck rings so it's not going anywhere for some time.

    So falling back I'm prepping to take the DR650. I picked up a set of Mefo Explorers to put on it. I simply love these tires on the mighty DR:

    Link #11561
    Yermo
    7 years ago

    Mefo Explorer Dual Sport Tires - RevZilla

    Purchase the Mefo Explorer Dual Sport Tires at RevZilla Motorsports. Get the best free shipping & exchange deal anywhere, no restock fees and the lowest prices -- guaranteed.

    http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...

    I also picked up a sprocket and chain set from procycle.us.

    buffalo picked up some gear oil for the R1100S for me. 

    So what remains:

    - oil/filter, transmission, final drive, brake fluid changes for the R1100S in addition to putting new tires on it.

    - oil/filter, chain, sprockets in addition to tires for the DR650. 

    I did manage to wash both bikes today so at least that's done.
    12 of 15
    buffalo
    6 years ago
    So, despite less than perfect weather, we had a great trip.

    Day  one:

    Our standard breakfast at IHOP was followed by an unscheduled trip back to the MbyMC garage to replace a split inner tube on the back of the mighty DR. We finished that by about 2 PM and headed for parts west on I-66. After a stop for coffee and an early dinner in Front Royal, VA, we headed south on I-81.

    Fortunately, we needed to get gas about the time that the rain started, so we were conveniently located at a gas station when it started in earnest. After putting on rain gear, we headed back onto I-81.

    Given the late start, it looked unlikely that we'd reach our usual day one layover spot, Wytheville, VA. After a number of stops at towns along the way, we found a hotel just off 81 in Salem, VA. This was coincidentally located across the street from a hotel we stayed in on the way home from the gap some years back.

    It was also conveniently located next to a Mexican restaurant that was still open so we could grab a good dinner and drinks. Not a bad ending for a day that started out with a mechanical hiccup and rain.
    13 of 15
    Sitwon
    6 years ago
    It looks like Deal's Gap falls right in the path of the August 21st total solar eclipse. Maybe a good time to be down there?

    https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/tn.jpg
    14 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    Sitwon, now that sounds like an excellent idea to me.
    15 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    I was telling the story of what happened as we tried to leave for Deal's Gap.
    I think I see the problem.