Blog- Labor Day Ride on the RT
I had to play catchup on Monday/Labor Day but I was itching for a ride on the RT and to be honest I wanted to show it off a bit to some of my motorcycle buddies on the way to Deals Gap.
I got a real late start but that's okay it was better than no start at all. First I had to clean the RT before my ride and I was surprised that for being a black bike it really wasn't that bad to clean. The black on this is more like a charcoal with a real nice metalic finish. In the sun it really pops.
I filled up at the BP and had a real hard time leving there for all the questions I had to answer. By this time it was after 12pm and I needed to roll if I was going to make Deals Gap. I wanted to stop a few places and get some pics too.
I took the Asheville Highway 70 toward Hot Springs. I just got over the bridge when a couple of bikes went by and waved, I waved back and I happened to look in my mirror and saw a pickup truck waving too. I figured he knew the bikers or he was a biker and couldn't help himself. I can't tell you how many bikers I went to wave at when I was in my truck, just habit I guess.
I drive another couple of miles down the road listening to my iphone hooked into Pandora when I hear the phone ring through the speakers. Now ever since I've picked up the RT my phone has been ringing off the hook with questions. I don't mind that but I was late and I needed to ride. I keep riding and checked my mirrors and I see that pickup behind me with two guys waving at me. So now I'm thinking something fell off the bike or I ran over their dog and didn't know it or something. So I pull off on 107 and the truck pulls in behind me. Turns out it was my buddy Roger and his brother Pat and I guess when I drove by their house they saw the Spyder and jumped in the truck to hunt me down.
We did the once over and they really seemed to like it. They both ride full dresser Harleys And Rogers wife has a red Spyder and are really great folks to ride with.
So now I'm really late and I need to roll to make it to the Drango in time and take some pics. I was on 107 and it's a great road and a little shorter to get to Hot Springs than 70 so I took it out.
Once I got to 25 a car going the other way was flashing their lights. This means there was a cop up ahead or an accident most likely. Sure enough their were about four cars pulled over and they were all looking down this pretty steep canyon. I felt my heart start beating faster because this was a motorcycle road and the only thing I could think of is a bike had went over the edge and they were looking for it. I stopped and asked what happen and they said "deer". As much as I hate to see a deer get hit I was glad it wasn't a bike. Then I started thinking if I hadn't stopped to talk to Roger I might have hit that deer, who knows but it did make me think a bit.
I rolled into Hot Springs NC and took a picture of one of my favorite roads. This is a long road that is not well traveled and has some great twisties to play with. It's highway 209 and I take it all the way to Maggie Valley.
I've been on this road many times and I know each turn by heart and I know how my Spyder acts and when the vss kicks in and tells me to slow down. The first thing I noticed was I was able to get through the turns much smoother and faster than my RS. The more I rode the more I pushed it, hey I am a test pilot right? So now I'm wondering just when the vss is going to shut me down so I let it do my braking for me. That takes a little bit of trust to purposely go into a corner too fast and not hit your brakes. I don't recommend this at all, this was done to satisfy my own curiosity.
What I found was the vss was was backing off the fuel so smooth that I really didn' notice it and you really had to be pushing it to get to the next level and have the brakes kick in. It worked just fine and I even got to chirp a tire a time or two.
So I'm just having a good ol time and then I roll up on a couple of Harley's and a Wing. There's not to many places to pass so I was a good boy and waited for a legal place to pass them. We rolled out of a turn and as soon as we did and it was a single line legal to pass I throttled up to pass. Problem is they now decide to roll on it too and that meant I really had to roll on it. I won't say how fast I was going but I did have enough to get by but I think I would have had more top speed if I was on my RS. The RT seems a little faster in the turns but run's out of steam in the top end where most folks don't run anyway.
As I rolled into Maggie Valley the skies opened up and dumped on me. Once again the wind and rain protection on this thing is great, all that got wet was my back, my legs and feet were dry as can be.
By the time I got to Wheels Through Time the rain had quit and I took these pics.
While I was there I pulled in to see if Dale was around to show him the RT. He was and he loved it but was kind of bummed that I couldn't let him ride it.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFnYqSyQwQ0"]YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.[/ame]
I left Dale and headed to highway 28 or better known as the Hell Bender. That will take you right into 129 and Deals Gap.
This is a shot just before the bridge on 28.
Got to the store and drove right by because I was hoping to run into Darrel from Killboy to give him a first look at the RT. He had the very first photos of the RS years ago. He was there and I arranged to go to the lookout and turn around and come back so he could get some still shots.
After that I stopped by the store and Ben the owner of DealsGap.com came out just to see the Spyder. He really liked what he saw and if you know Ben that's saying a lot.
Then the rest of the gang showed up and I didn't get out of there till 6 pm. I got a lot of good feed back from the folks I talked with and all in all it was a big hit and it was kink of cool to say that there are only five of these running around the country right now.
Ran the Dragon one more time and that was my fasted time to date on a Spyder. They really improved the vss on this one and mostly because it's fly by wire now. I wish they could do the same on mine but I know that' not happening right now. Maybe next year.
I didn't get home till 10:30 and I think the wife thought I had a girl on the side. After much drilling from her I admitted I did have a new gal I was seeing and her name was RT and she would love for her to join us.
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Originally Posted by bjt
He hasn't even come by to see it yet.
