No-no-no. Not now. Not here. Not with nearby thunderstorms. Just over that mountain, on the other side of the interstate. Weather radar glowing orange and red. Damn. Damn-damn-damn. Switch on. Bike in neutral. Clutch in. Press the starter switch …. Clunk, cuh-Clank. Press the starter again. Clunk… cah-ah-ah-Clank. Switch off. Switch back on. “Ready to … [Read more...] about What about THAT one? Stranded rider impulse buys a new Beemer
The Globe: An over-nighter deep in Pisgah
Sometimes you can just hear the forest calling. My friend Chris Wilcox decided that we should take a little overnight motorcycle camping trip into the Pisgah National Forest. Three riders met in the afternoon at the Blowing Rock Market. We were all riding dual sport motorcycles. I was on my KTM 500, Rick Riddle rode his KTM 690, and Chris pulled in last. He had two armloads of … [Read more...] about The Globe: An over-nighter deep in Pisgah
Every job holds a special story
The first time a friend invited Bryan Dwight to come over and see his Honda z50 when he was a little boy, Dwight knew he had found a new favorite toy. His trusty bicycle was destined for the junk pile. “At age 7 or 8, I decided I would never pedal again as long as I lived,” Dwight said with a chuckle. “I was always into motorcycles.” His love for motorcycles never faded … [Read more...] about Every job holds a special story
Sleeping in a treehouse, taming the Dragon
I slayed a dragon and slept in a treehouse,” at least that’s what my T-shirt says. From my perspective, “slayed” seems too strong a word, it felt more like I was chased by a dragon and managed to escape. Not far from the curves of the famous Moonshiner 28 and the Tail of the Dragon lies Robbinsville, North Carolina. To celebrate our anniversary, my wife and I packed both … [Read more...] about Sleeping in a treehouse, taming the Dragon
The back of the Dragon: A (multi-) peak experience
Perfection is a conceptual thing. It doesn’t exist in nature, but for those of us who enjoy motorcycling, the Back of the Dragon, cutting north-south across the “waist” of Virginia, comes damn close. Bring your “A” game when you come to ride the Dragon. The challenges are constant and intense. You’ll cross three mountains — Clinch, Brushy and Walker — on your trip over … [Read more...] about The back of the Dragon: A (multi-) peak experience
