Warning other riders

[SteveRivet]

Motorcyclists tend to be iconoclasts and rebels, loners who travel in packs and stick to their own kind.

Loners who travel in packs?

Isn't that an oxymoron?

Hah - reminds me of the old Laverne and Shirley show where Lenny and Squiggy went everywhere with their matching "Lone Wolf" jackets.

Steve

[twowheeladdict]

You're right about that.   I rode it yesterday, and am going to ride it tomorrow to get to the Virginia Guzzi Rally, and then ride it again Saturday and Sunday, and then ... well, who knows?

The only slightly sad thing about it (and I remember how it was when I were a lad 50 years ago), is that the overlooks and the roadsides have been allowed to get overgrown.   Not with magnificent oaks and mighty chestnuts native to the mountains, but with fast-growing trash trees that USED to be kept under control so you could ride along and see mighty vistas and stirring mountain scenes, and see miles from an overlook.

Now, much of it (at least in Virginia) is like riding a nice twisty quiet road through the woods, and the woods are full of deer leaping about on both sides of the road.   Very nice in its way, but you can't even tell that you're riding thousands of feet above the valleys below, you're just in the woods ....

But there are still some clear stretches, so we'll enjoy those while we can.

Lannis

I decided to enjoy the BRP while pulling a 27 foot travel trailer one year when the kids were young.  Started in Cherokee and hauled most of the way camping in the campgrounds on the parkway and it was fantastic to pull into the overlooks and enjoy the views.  But man did I feel sorry of the motorcyclists.  Especially around Asheville where the bicyclists blocked my way and we had to crawl up some hills which further frustrated the motorcyclists.  I would always pull in at every overlook on the right side of the road to let people go but I know they were frustrated. 

What frustrates me when I am on my bike is the tourists going 30 in the curves and 50 in the passing zones.  One time I had to pass as we were coming out of the curve into a passing zone and then keep the car at around 35 while a line of motorcyclists passed us by.  The guy was either oblivious to our presence or just didn't care even though he had many overlooks to pull into. 

[LongRanger]

Full disclosure: I'm a self-righteous twat. I'll alert oncoming traffic to deer and elk, but to cops? Nope, sorry, they're on their own. Obey traffic laws or suffer the consequences. The cops are looking out for my best interests.

[LBC Tenni]

I saw my first corpse on the Crest when I was young and somewhat reckless. It made me considerably less reckless. I saw a few more over the years and got tired of it. I don’t go up there on weekends anymore. I’m now 47, but ride like I’m older. It used to be about the adrenaline rush. Now it’s more of a relaxing meditation. Slowing down helped me discover the real joy of riding. It’s a pity so many die before they find it.

[earemike]

I warn everyone, most people get done slightly over the limit & our govt has lowered limits from 110kph to 80kph arbitrarily & removed many passing zones.

As a young lad there were plenty of opportunities to pass a farmers tractor in “the hills” now short sighted muppets have double lined them all - oh but you can now pass a bicycle on double lines...

Can’t say I see the high speed mob these days but I don’t ride at peak times (or am I the idiot rider?) nahh I doubt the old girls see more than 100mph...

[Johncolleary]

This is the type of guy who drives right at the speed limit in the left lane on the freeway to save as all from ourselves.

[wirespokes]

I don't get that he's that kind of guy at all.

His dilemma is whether to slow down very high speed riders who should be taking it easy on a crowded public roadway where they're being extremely unsafe, both to themselves and everyone else.

[twowheeladdict]

I still think of it as pay to play.  If you can't afford to pay then don't play.  I would rather traffic cops funding come from violators than from taxes. 

[Lannis]

I decided to enjoy the BRP while pulling a 27 foot travel trailer one year when the kids were young.  Started in Cherokee and hauled most of the way camping in the campgrounds on the parkway and it was fantastic to pull into the overlooks and enjoy the views.  But man did I feel sorry of the motorcyclists.  Especially around Asheville where the bicyclists blocked my way and we had to crawl up some hills which further frustrated the motorcyclists.  I would always pull in at every overlook on the right side of the road to let people go but I know they were frustrated. 

What frustrates me when I am on my bike is the tourists going 30 in the curves and 50 in the passing zones.  One time I had to pass as we were coming out of the curve into a passing zone and then keep the car at around 35 while a line of motorcyclists passed us by.  The guy was either oblivious to our presence or just didn't care even though he had many overlooks to pull into.

Now I don't see most of those problems.  Bicyclists aren't a problem because they are very slow and there's ALWAYS room to pass them.   We must have passed 15 on a 50 mile stretch of Parkway yesterday and we didn't even slow down.

And cars going 50 on the straight and 30 in the turns?   Not a problem on a motorcycle of reasonable size.    Twist the throttle and squirt around them .....

Lannis