Bilco's Coast to Coast trip 2015
- Thread starter Sgt Bilco
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Sorry guys, been a hectic but brilliant trip and everyone is safely in Santa Rosa or on their way home. Got a bit of spare time now so will start putting up pics etc.
OK, we left the coast and headed inland in some real stinking heat. Seems we have hit an unseasonable heatwave and high 30's C and 100% humidity are not good bedfellows on a bike and plenty of stops for water and just to cool down.
Standing in a beer fridge really was the best option for many reasons.....................
OK, we left the coast and headed inland in some real stinking heat. Seems we have hit an unseasonable heatwave and high 30's C and 100% humidity are not good bedfellows on a bike and plenty of stops for water and just to cool down.
Standing in a beer fridge really was the best option for many reasons.....................
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Onto the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a stunning ride. I think it's one of the prettiest places on any of my trips and we rode about 250 miles across the top of the Smoky Mountains accompanied by the odd slow Harley but a cracking day.
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Stopped at a brilliant motorcycle museum called Wheels Through Time www.wheelsthroughtime.com near Ashville and it had some brilliant stuff in there. It's a private collection but open to the public an the owner Dale is a real character. Everything in there starts and rides and he uses a lot of the stuff in there for his daily rides. It's all American stuff and some rare bikes and cars and you could easily lose yourself for a day and well worth a visit if you are close.
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A few more...... The last picture is a 1917 (I think) Henderson which Dale set the USA cross country record on a couple of years ago. He reckons it cruises at about 85mph and develops 55 bhp. Starts first spin on the back wheel and he uses it as his daily hack!!
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Up bright and early next morning and off to Deals Gap. Hard to explain what 318 curves in 11 miles looks or feels like but it's a shit load of corners in 2nd and 3rd gears tiring in the heat but well worth the ride. One or two had video cameras but I just aim and fire. The tree of shame tells it's own story at the the cafe.........!!!
Had a nice milk shake with the Smoky Mountain Bear in Townsend to cool down after the ride. Got the get the priorities in order........
Had a nice milk shake with the Smoky Mountain Bear in Townsend to cool down after the ride. Got the get the priorities in order........
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This is what some of the idiot Harley riders do out here on some great roads. They sit in formation as they try to manhandle their barges around corners and rarely let you past without a bit of a struggle. I don't think they take too kindly to GS's or any other bikes riding on Harley Davidson sovereign territory!!
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great pictures Chris. Glad the trip went fine.
As anyone who has been on one of my trips knows, I do love a BBQ and my old buddy Lt Dan from www.gsmmotorent.com in Townsend TN knocked up the best pulled pork, chicken and beans I've had for a long time. He has some pretty cool accommodation there as well and we made use of the cabins and Airstream. Next door at the motel, a guy showed up with his guitar and sung some great old country songs and did requests which was a great end to the day.
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A little division finds us at the Jack Daniels distillery. I bloody well hate the stuff but it's a nice tour around the place and gets us out of the heat for a couple of hours. You aren't allowed to take pictures in the mash room because of the risk of a spark setting the whole place off. Sounds like a good excuse not to have pictures sent to their competitors I guess but hey ho.
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Next stop is a quick visit into Tupelo Mississippi and the birth place of the great Elvis. Nice little museum but none of us wanted the $25 tour of all the building particularly so we cooled down there before heading west. It's a bit bleak across this part and stinking hot again. Saved by a bloody Mc Donalds by all things as all the small cafe's in the area seem to have dissappeared. Done the TAT across here and god knows how we ever survived with 100% humidity!!
Nice looking Peterbilt truck for me to drool over
Nice looking Peterbilt truck for me to drool over
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Mississippi is a very poor state and you really see lots of broker down houses and poor towns. You really feel you can't just stop and take a picture of these places because people are still living in them and it really makes you realise how lucky you are!! We are in bible belt territory and all the churches are immaculate. They somehow seem to get the money from somewhere........
Lots of stuff in the yards and parked just off the road.
Lots of stuff in the yards and parked just off the road.
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Great stuff Chris 
The spark in the mash room thing. Had the same thing at the Glenlivet Distillery in Scotland the other week; i thought the same about them not wanting pictures until i noticed the tour guide was carrying a small device. This device turned out to be a sensor which sampled the level of alcohol in the air and gave an alarm at a pre. determined level; i then had to believe what she said about the spark thing.
The spark in the mash room thing. Had the same thing at the Glenlivet Distillery in Scotland the other week; i thought the same about them not wanting pictures until i noticed the tour guide was carrying a small device. This device turned out to be a sensor which sampled the level of alcohol in the air and gave an alarm at a pre. determined level; i then had to believe what she said about the spark thing.
As we crossed the bridge into Arkansas, I spotted a huge barge pushing at least 15 other barges along the Mississippi. Not sure what was in them but it was big and looked heavy.
We carry on in the heat and just before we hit Pine Bluff, a huge thunderstorm came over. These things are monsters and travel at quite a speed. Found a nice little cafe to sit in before pressing on in small groups. Some of us are a little more experienced at reading maps, taking the back roads and dodging storms than others
. I think my boots got a little damp where others got drenched but the heat soon dries everything up.
We carry on in the heat and just before we hit Pine Bluff, a huge thunderstorm came over. These things are monsters and travel at quite a speed. Found a nice little cafe to sit in before pressing on in small groups. Some of us are a little more experienced at reading maps, taking the back roads and dodging storms than others
. I think my boots got a little damp where others got drenched but the heat soon dries everything up.Attachments
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