[Ookie Wonderslug]

I was coming back from WV yesterday morning and crossing the peak of Big Walker Mtn. It was a beautiful day and the leaves are such a pretty bunch of colors this time of year. The ride had been uneventful so far and I was enjoying carving the curves and leaning my bike. I had already crossed East River Mtn earlier and got some really good lean time in.



After stopping at the tourist trap on the peak of the mountain and having a smoke I set out down the other side. About two miles down the road I hit a patch of what felt like ice. It was most likely a diesel spill. My front tire is bald and it slid and I nearly went down. Instinctively I put my foot down to brace the bike up and today it's very sore. It bounced back and over my saddlebags just as I regained control of the bike and pulled over for another cigarette. Had I not regained control, I would have been laying over the side of the mountain until someone found me.



The scene keeps flashing through my mind. The whole incident does. Glad I was wearing my chaps and boots and heavy coat. I usually ride in a t-shirt, but it's too cool up there for that this time of the year.



So I made it back, bike ran fine, but I slowed down the rest of the way home and didn't blindly lean into any curves like that any more. Learned my lesson. And got great gas mileage. About 60mpg at one point.

 

[DakotaMK]

Glad you're OK! I can't imagine taking my bike down a mountain! Getting new tires in the near future?

 

[Blindstitch]

Well good to here you're still around and not at the bottom of a huge mountain.

 

[Stones]

WOW

Great to hear all worked out well for you

I think I would have to gone into the woods cleaned my ass then smoked a pack of smokes.

 

[lucky]

good to hear that you fought the bike to keep it up right damn good job i am pretty sure alot of guys couldnt do it as well as you did with the fancy foot work lol



but any way glad you made it through



so you going to get a new set of tires?

 

[Gene McCall]

OW, glad you were able to keep the rubber side down! I echo Lucky, new tires soon? This time of year I have hit patches of leaves in curves that will act just like an oil spill. If they are the least bit wet they are worse than an oil spill and will put you down in a New York minute! Glad you are OK & thanks for sharing your experience, maybe someone who reads this will benifit.

Gene

 

[Ookie Wonderslug]

I am going to get new a new tire as soon as I get the money for it. Right now things are tight and it's not easy to have any cash and that store I bought my last time at is out of $25 tires.

 

[Phil in Vermont]

I am going to get new a new tire as soon as I get the money for it. Right now things are tight and it's not easy to have any cash and that store I bought my last time at is out of $25 tires.

You made it through it without injury. That's what counts. Thank God.

 

[Phil in Vermont]

Glad you're OK! I can't imagine taking my bike down a mountain! Getting new tires in the near future?

Hi Dakota, Is that to mean you will never climb a mountain with your bike? You will be missing out on some beautiful rides. Big Walker Mountain is one of my favorite rides, both up and down.

 

[DakotaMK]

Hi Dakota, Is that to mean you will never climb a mountain with your bike? You will be missing out on some beautiful rides. Big Walker Mountain is one of my favorite rides, both up and down.

Phil, It might take years before I'd consider myself ready to go on a bike on a mountain. I'm still a rookie when it comes to riding, and I'm getting really short on patience waiting on the GL as it looks more and more like I'll get no more riding time this year.......

 

[Gene McCall]

Phil, It might take years before I'd consider myself ready to go on a bike on a mountain. I'm still a rookie when it comes to riding, and I'm getting really short on patience waiting on the GL as it looks more and more like I'll get no more riding time this year.......

DMK, you are wise to plan on taking it easy. However, having said that you really should not close out any type of riding at this point in your riding career. Mountain roads can be fun or they can be a nightmare. It all depends on the rider. If you will give yourself time and allow your skills to grow without scaring yourself too badly the mountain roads will become fun. As I said in another post, I love motorcycling because it demands your complete attention. Sure, there are times when you can play tourist and let your attention wander. But too much sight seeing and you will wind up a part of the scenery! Riding relives stress for me, I know what my limits are and I am too damned old to let anyone influence me to ride in a way that exceeds those limits. Gain experience, develop your skills, respect your limits and you will have a long and enjoyable hobby! BTW perhaps the development of your skills could allow you to plan to attend the "Mountain Momma" rally in West Virginia next June. Drag Troy along by the ear, you will have a great time!

Gene

 

[doral]

I agree with Gene. Mountain roads have been both a delight and a nightmare for me. I actually don't like heights, unless I'm in something with wings on it. So when I first moved to mountain country in B.C. going anyplace out of town gave me the willies. I'm sure I left my fingerprints embedded on the steering wheel of my truck at first. Riding my bike over those roads was totally out of the question. But after a couple of months the mountain roads didn't seem so bad and by five or six months I was actually enjoying them in my pickup. It took a while longer to get comfortable on my bike when I would be on the outside of a mountain road with a few hundred feet of nothing but fresh air under my right peg. I'm just about the oldest guy around but I'm not the boldest. Never have been, so DMK if I could do it I know that you can too. But like Gene says take your time, don't scare yourself and "...live long and prosper...".

 

[DakotaMK]

DMK, you are wise to plan on taking it easy. However, having said that you really should not close out any type of riding at this point in your riding career. Mountain roads can be fun or they can be a nightmare. It all depends on the rider. If you will give yourself time and allow your skills to grow without scaring yourself too badly the mountain roads will become fun. As I said in another post, I love motorcycling because it demands your complete attention. Sure, there are times when you can play tourist and let your attention wander. But too much sight seeing and you will wind up a part of the scenery! Riding relives stress for me, I know what my limits are and I am too damned old to let anyone influence me to ride in a way that exceeds those limits. Gain experience, develop your skills, respect your limits and you will have a long and enjoyable hobby! BTW perhaps the development of your skills could allow you to plan to attend the "Mountain Momma" rally in West Virginia next June. Drag Troy along by the ear, you will have a great time!

Gene

I agree with Gene. Mountain roads have been both a delight and a nightmare for me. I actually don't like heights, unless I'm in something with wings on it. So when I first moved to mountain country in B.C. going anyplace out of town gave me the willies. I'm sure I left my fingerprints embedded on the steering wheel of my truck at first. Riding my bike over those roads was totally out of the question. But after a couple of months the mountain roads didn't seem so bad and by five or six months I was actually enjoying them in my pickup. It took a while longer to get comfortable on my bike when I would be on the outside of a mountain road with a few hundred feet of nothing but fresh air under my right peg. I'm just about the oldest guy around but I'm not the boldest. Never have been, so DMK if I could do it I know that you can too. But like Gene says take your time, don't scare yourself and "...live long and prosper...".

I can handle a lot of situations in a car. But both of my parents hold CDLs and my mom trained/ tested people for their CDLs too... so I made sure I could drive! There was a lot of expectation to live up to! My dad had a GoldWing when I was young.... mom made him give it up because she wanted us to grow up with a dad.. lol.. so the bike influence wasn't there the whole time growing up... I am completely aware I am lacking the experience and confidence with my bike- but the more riding done, the more confidence gained. However, right now, at this level- in this moment.... there is no way I would ever consider riding up or down a mountain.

 

[jayhanig]

Phil, It might take years before I'd consider myself ready to go on a bike on a mountain. I'm still a rookie when it comes to riding, and I'm getting really short on patience waiting on the GL as it looks more and more like I'll get no more riding time this year.......

The Blue Ridge Parkway has slower speed limits than the regular roads in the NC mountains. As a relative newbie myself, I'm not one for carving new frontiers on my bike but the Parkway is very doable. The only caveat I would offer is that it's noticeably cooler than the highway. I swear it drops about 10 degrees when you start getting in the shadows.

 

[SiriusBlackOp]

Glad you came out of that rubber down. It always weighs heavy on my mind when it starts to cool... those tires are not as soft and sticky as they were in July... bald or not. be careful and ride like it's April.

 

[Gene McCall]

The Blue Ridge Parkway has slower speed limits than the regular roads in the NC mountains. As a relative newbie myself, I'm not one for carving new frontiers on my bike but the Parkway is very doable. The only caveat I would offer is that it's noticeably cooler than the highway. I swear it drops about 10 degrees when you start getting in the shadows.

Jay, I think you are right in the high portion of the BRP. We need to remember just how high some portions of it can be. Here is a picture of the highest point on the BRP, taken during a rainy ride up to the Amish in 2005.

The next pic is the southern terminus of the BRP, weather was good when I got on. Later it started raining and turned cold (in August) and soon I was the only one on the damned parkway, or so it seemed!

DMK, by far the roads I ride, even thought they may be called mountain roads, do not have steep drop offs right at the edge. Only those in place like the Rockies have the really steep drops and even then, most of the time you have a shoulder to pull off on. Thats one of the nice things about riding a bike, they will fit on narrow shoulders! Keep an eye on my thread in the SE riders room, I will be posting updates on the Mountain Momma rally there.

Gene

 

[DakotaMK]

Just remember Gene, even a huge shoulder can be an itttttty bitty shoulder to a rookie

 

[lucky]

are you saying your scared to be on the shoulder there dakota or are you saying your a rookie??

 

[DakotaMK]

Definately a rookie

 

[lucky]

ahhh well i guess we all have to start somewhere huh and now that we all know your scared of shoulders