2013 - Midwest Motorcyclist
2013 - Midwest Motorcyclist
2013 - Midwest Motorcyclist
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y Pedro Gregorio<br />
Spring in the Smokies<br />
– The Beginning<br />
After nearly 25 years as a Michigan<br />
motorcyclist, I have finally accepted the fact that<br />
March in Michigan is full-on winter. I used to feel<br />
depressed when March came around and we were<br />
still below freezing. Now I understand that spring<br />
only shows up in April, if we’re lucky. So this year,<br />
to celebrate the first day of spring and start the<br />
riding season off right, I decided to head south. It’s<br />
been 20 years since I first rode in the Smoky<br />
Mountains of Tennessee and I’ve often called the<br />
A Superior T-Shirt for<br />
Concealed Weapons<br />
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with Holster<br />
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Size 2 XL<br />
& 4 XL<br />
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Extra<br />
Holster<br />
$7.00<br />
Magazine<br />
Pouch<br />
$7.00<br />
Call (269) 651-2464 now or visit<br />
our on-line store at www.ridewild.com<br />
Pre-Owned Motorcycles<br />
2008 Ducati<br />
1098S,<br />
Black, 1605 miles,<br />
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Termignoni exhaust,<br />
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Phone: (269) 651-2464 Fax: (269) 651-8767<br />
1640 S. Centerville Road (M-66 South) , Sturgis, MI<br />
We accept all major credit cards<br />
We take motorcycles of all brands and models as trade-ins.<br />
Bring us your bike when you’re ready to buy!<br />
2012 BMW G650GS White / White $6,900<br />
2012 BMW K1600GTL Metallic Blue $21,495<br />
2008 Ducati 1098S BLACK $13,995<br />
2007 BMW K1200R Sport Silver $7,995<br />
2007 BMW R1200RT SILVER / SILVER $11,495<br />
2007 BMW R1200RT SILVER / SILVER $11,495<br />
2007 BMW R1200GS Black $9,995<br />
2006 BMW R1200GSA White/Red $9,495<br />
2006 BMW R1200RT GRAPHITE $11,495<br />
2005 BMW K1200LT Metallic Blue $10,495<br />
2004 BMW R1150GSA Grey $7,500<br />
BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan<br />
39933 Ford Road, Canton, MI<br />
734.981.1479 www.bmwmcsem.com<br />
area motorcycle heaven. Within a day’s drive of<br />
Detroit, the Smokies have the highest density of<br />
mind-blowing motorcycle roads that you will ever<br />
see east of the Mississippi.<br />
Saturday morning at home dawned below<br />
freezing with a few inches of the white stuff covering<br />
everything. I had to laugh since there was no more<br />
appropriate weather to leave Michigan with. Putting<br />
my Speed Triple on the trailer was easy after<br />
sweeping off the snow. The Harbor Freight Tools<br />
trailer that I had bought over Christmas was still in<br />
pieces in the garage so I was grateful that my friend<br />
Jim had lent me his landscaping trailer. The metal<br />
ramp sure made it easy to load the bike. As I headed<br />
south the car’s thermometer slowly rose until, nine<br />
hours later, I arrived in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 40<br />
degrees higher than when I had left home. It felt<br />
incredible just to drive with the windows down to<br />
enjoy the soft mountain air. A self-service car wash<br />
ensured the Triple was salt free for the week to come.<br />
The next day was forecast be the warmest day of the<br />
week so I looked forward to a long day of riding as I<br />
went to sleep.<br />
It’s difficult to describe the feelings I had as I<br />
rode Wear Valley Road towards the small town of<br />
Townsend. Part of me couldn’t believe that just<br />
yesterday I was freezing my ass off and dealing with<br />
snow. The other part was taking in the beauty of the<br />
mountains to my left. The Cherokee Indians have<br />
many legends about these mountains and, looking at<br />
the soft contours of the foothills, I could understand<br />
why this place held a mystical power over its early<br />
inhabitants. Townsend was where some of us<br />
Michigan MSTA (Motorcycle Sport Touring<br />
Association) members started coming every spring<br />
back in the 90’s so it holds some very good memories<br />
for me. It also meant that I didn’t really need a map<br />
to know where I was going. The Foothills Parkway<br />
just outside of town was the perfect warm-up on my<br />
way to the famous Deal’s Gap. The Parkway is a 17mile<br />
stretch of perfect pavement and constant radius<br />
turns. The views on both sides of the road are<br />
beautiful but my attention was more focused on the<br />
road than on the scenery. As my speed increased, I<br />
started to feel the Triple come to life. Seeing it<br />
strapped down on the trailer yesterday had made me<br />
think of a caged animal and now I was setting it free.<br />
It was a glorious feeling. Deal’s Gap on a Sunday can<br />
be crowded with bikes and cops but, maybe because it<br />
was St. Patrick’s Day or too early in the season, that<br />
day it was delightfully<br />
uncrowded. The<br />
overlook at the<br />
northern end was a<br />
perfect place to talk to a<br />
few of the local riders<br />
and enjoy a beautiful<br />
view of Calderwood<br />
Dam. Then it was time<br />
to tackle the famous<br />
8 www.midwestmotorcyclist.com<br />
318 curves in 11 miles that has been printed on<br />
thousands of motorcycle T-shirts. 20 years ago when<br />
I first rode The Gap there wasn’t much here — a gas<br />
station where you could also get a sandwich and buy<br />
a couple of different shirts and a motel that looked<br />
too rough for even Norman Bates to own. Now it<br />
has become a bonafide motorcycle attraction. I<br />
almost expect Disney to buy it and start charging<br />
admission. The motel looks modern and there is a<br />
large restaurant and gift shop with a large selection<br />
of Deal’s Gap memorabilia. It’s not just T-shirts<br />
anymore. But no matter how commercialized it has<br />
become, there is one thing that hasn’t changed — the<br />
road itself. This is motorcycling’s equivalent of<br />
Mecca. If you ride, you must come here at least once<br />
in your life to see it. Don’t try to go fast, just enjoy<br />
the rollercoaster twists and turns. This was my first<br />
time here with the Triumph and it felt great. Stick it<br />
in second gear and let the torque pull me out of the<br />
corners. Some riders come here and ride The Gap<br />
over and over again. For me, it’s too slow and tight<br />
to be a lot of fun but I do enjoy the challenge of<br />
riding it well. To give you an idea of how popular<br />
The Gap has become, I counted five different places<br />
where photographers take photos of every bike<br />
going by so they can sell them on the internet.<br />
A must-see attraction near the motel at the<br />
bottom of the hill is the tree of shame. Riders started<br />
hanging parts from their crashed bikes years ago and<br />
the tree has become a monument to lapses of<br />
• Saturday, May 18, <strong>2013</strong> •<br />
Annual Spring Open House<br />
Demo rides, Refreshments, and much more. The<br />
best way to kick off the <strong>2013</strong> riding season. Mark<br />
your calendar and be there!<br />
• Monday, May 20, <strong>2013</strong> •<br />
Spring Track Day<br />
Continued on page 11<br />
$170 includes instruction by Sportbike Track Time and lunch.<br />
All brands and models welcome. For more information or to<br />
sign up, call Audrey at SEM: (734) 981-1479<br />
BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan<br />
39933 Ford Road, Canton, MI<br />
734.981.1479 www.bmwmcsem.com<br />
May <strong>2013</strong>
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