V7 Deliverance Ride 2015 (southeastern KY content and pics)

[bpreynolds]

I joke.  On my trip I did not encounter any blue people nor a distraught Ned Beatty.  Thankfully.  Hey, if anyone can make jokes about my people, it's me.  I grew up in Whitesburg KY, that's southeastern KY and a part of Appalachia only about 6 miles from the Virginia border in the mountains.  It was a fantastic place to grow up.  Mostly.  I spent the majority of my youth outside exploring the mountains, rivers, and so forth.  My folks were kind enough to buy me mini bike when I was only about 9 and I was on some form of dirt or motorcross bike until cars came along about 17 and I never thought of motorcycles again until about 11 years ago when I began riding street at the age of 33.  All that time in the mountains and all of my many, MANY bike trips to there and back from Louisville, I never really considered much about riding back there though person after person would tell me how great it was.  That's forever changed now.

This past weekend was my dear old mum's 77th birthday and I decided to ride the new Stone back there to be with her.  I decided I would take roads I've never taken in my life to get there and different roads coming back as well.  I am very happy to say that in riding well over 100k miles and in many different states, this wound up being the ride of my life.  The pictures maybe do not show it but it was truly miles and miles and miles of roads that were just stooopid fantastic.  In fact, I winced thinking how I've driven across states just to find 10 miles of roads like these I was on for well over 100 miles at a time.   

The Stone was marvelous and only further confirms my other "Favorite Bike Ever" thread.  I took an airhawk and it was sufficient.  The first day I was on the bike from 12PM to 9:30PM that night but making lots of stops.  On the way back, about the same from 11AM to 7PM at night.  On virtually every road the bike was just perfect for me.  Not too fast but fast enough and silky smooth on the few highway stints.  All in all I think I covered maybe 350 miles the trip into the hills and perhaps 300 on the way back.  I was not driving remotely easy and the bike still managed 50.6 mpg on the trip in, 51.4 on the trip back.  The mpg number is not so paramount but it is tremendously nice to never even have to think or worry about gas whereas with all my other bikes, I had to start looking around about 120 or 130 miles into the tank.  I ran a GPS and heated Gerbing's jacket liner and gloves when temps dipped below 50 and into lower 40s a couple times.  All in all, just an amazing ride and at least a zillion more roads I didn't get to explore and will certainly go back to ride in the future.  Except for freeway stints here and there, these were all mainly secondary roads.

The route into Whitesburg encompassed KY towns of Willisburg, Danville, Somerset, Monticello, and most impressively through route 92 in lower Daniel Boone National Forest.  It took me through a lot of farmland, many roads marked only by exterior white lines.  It also took me by Lake Cumberland and on wonderful sweepers as pictured through most of DBNF.  In Whitesburg it also included something I've never before seen, an entirely chrome car.
































The trip back included a large portion of Pine Mountain and the mountain chain running adjacent to the KY/VA border all the way to almost Tennessee.  It took in KY towns of Pineville, Gordon, Harlan, Barbourville, then back up through DBNF only this time riding mostly on the very top of the mountains there, Berea and then highway back to Louisville from Lexington. 

[Wayne Orwig]

A chromed car?

I love those types of roads/rides.

[not-fishing]

There's a reason that all the men I've worked with in Construction who've come from the Appalachia in look of work return there when they "retire".

I have family in Arkansas and Tennessee but I'll end up staying in California, it's where my kids are.

Thanks for the pictures.

[oldbike54]

 Deke has some competition now 

 Just a note , keeping PM at night seems to work better than allowing it to sneak into morning and crowd out AM 



                                                                                       Thanks Bipper

  Dusty

[bpreynolds]

Deke has some competition now 

 Just a note , keeping PM at night seems to work better than allowing it to sneak into morning and crowd out AM                                                                                          Thanks Bipper

  Dusty

 

A chromed car?

I love those types of roads/rides.

They are really fantastic.  Not fast paced but entertaining and with the kind of scenery that makes you naturally slow down.  And that's a good thing with all the coal trucks running on these same roads.

[krglorioso]

Brian:  Karen and I are heading to our San Diego area home for the winter and we'll have wonderful weather down there, but the roads there are bland and boring and in no sense can compare with what your photos show.  Damn, I am envious.  Well, maybe not in a few months, but you always have Spring to anticipate, where SoCal never has those sort of roads and scenery.  SoCal is a giant sandbox with lots of rocks thrown in for variety and to get to these areas requires traversing 10 lane freeways, usually at a standstill.  End of rant.

Great story and photos, Brian!

Ralph

[PJPR01]

Great pics...love the Green on that model as well. 

[bpreynolds]

Brian:  Karen and I are heading to our San Diego area home for the winter and we'll have wonderful weather down there, but the roads there are bland and boring and in no sense can compare with what your photos show.  Damn, I am envious.  Well, maybe not in a few months, but you always have Spring to anticipate, where SoCal never has those sort of roads and scenery.  SoCal is a giant sandbox with lots of rocks thrown in for variety and to get to these areas requires traversing 10 lane freeways, usually at a standstill.  End of rant.

Great story and photos, Brian!

Ralph

Thanks much, good sir, and I find you to be an exceptionally honest fellow mostly but I'm having a hard time believing this statement from a guy who is only what 20 minutes away from an oceanside lunch/dinner?      All I'm saying is that it doesn't sound too bad out that way 

[elvisboy77]

Thanks for the pics, I also love the green on your bike.

The blue skies are stunning too!

[bpreynolds]

Thanks for the pics, I also love the green on your bike.

The blue skies are stunning too!

Thanks for the compliment.  I got greatly lucky on the weather.  Got a bit chilly towards dark and in the early morning, hence me not leaving each day until 11 or 12, but overall I was pulling off gear through the gist of the day with the sunlight and sky mostly brilliant.  I thought I would be too late for foliage but in fact, I was maybe just a bit early as the overall effect of the mountains was more green than anything else but colors popping out here and there were nice. 

[Dean Rose]

There's a reason that all the men I've worked with in Construction who've come from the Appalachia in look of work return there when they "retire".

I came back!

Appalachia, yeah ain't it a bitch. Quit showing all of those pictures or we'll be overrun with strangers wanting to ride our roads.


Dean

[Xlratr]

What a beautiful place! Thanks for those pics. One day I have to do some riding in the US.
John

[groundhog105]

Brian:  Karen and I are heading to our San Diego area home for the winter and we'll have wonderful weather down there, but the roads there are bland and boring and in no sense can compare with what your photos show.  Damn, I am envious.  Well, maybe not in a few months, but you always have Spring to anticipate, where SoCal never has those sort of roads and scenery.  SoCal is a giant sandbox with lots of rocks thrown in for variety and to get to these areas requires traversing 10 lane freeways, usually at a standstill.  End of rant.

Great story and photos, Brian!

Ralph

Ralph
     You need to get out in the back country more in SD County and adjacent counties. There are hundreds of miles of canyon and mountain roads that are two lane and some very remote that you hardly see traffic on.  I agree you don't see the greenery of Kentucky but still it is not all sand and freeway.

Bob

[twowheeladdict]

Nice.  Looks like the roads around middle TN.  A lot of challenging roads in the KY mountains.   You have to keep a watch for coal dust, and coal trucks swinging wide. 

[Guzzistajohn]

Nice report! I need to get over to KY and do some running 'round. Thanks for the inspiration!

JS

[ajwood]

Nice photography. I can smell the horse manure from here.

[mgibson61611]

Thanks for sharing!

How is it you're bike appeared to stay clean throughout?

[jackson]

GREAT pictures.   
And a GREAT story.   
Thanks for posting this.

[johnr]

A most excellent ride and lovely pics. I envy you. It's the sort of ride I have a bike  for.  Is 'Moto Where'  still working? if so you should put it up.

[bpreynolds]

Appalachia, yeah ain't it a bitch. Quit showing all of those pictures or we'll be overrun with strangers wanting to ride our roads.
Dean

Dean, I don't think ya gotta worry about Appalachia getting overrun by anyone in the near future.  Most folks are beating down the door to get out, sadly. 

Nice.  Looks like the roads around middle TN.  A lot of challenging roads in the KY mountains.   You have to keep a watch for coal dust, and coal trucks swinging wide.

Man, is that ever the truth.  Tons of gravel spill too. 

Nice photography. I can smell the horse manure from here.

  Actually, it was more cow paddies than anything else. 

Thanks for sharing!

How is it you're bike appeared to stay clean throughout?

Heh.  I had those brilliant blue skies above me the entire time.  No rain did I thankfully encounter the entire tripl. 

A most excellent ride and lovely pics. I envy you. It's the sort of ride I have a bike  for.  Is 'Moto Where'  still working? if so you should put it up.

John, I haven't even seen that site.  I'll have to check it out.  I wanted to do a Google.maps screen capture of the route but my ipad won't let me trace a route like a pc. 

[alanp]

Thanks for the great report. Beautiful bike and pictures.  This is why we ride!

[Moto]

I rode the 700 or so miles from Madison, WI, to the southeast corner of Kentucky two or three years ago to ride the backroads, and couldn't have been more happy. Really, really a special experience. Thanks for posting your photos -- though I have to agree with you that they don't do Kentucky full justice.

Moto

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Really pretty country, but you should have accompanied the pictures with banjo music.
 Oh, and how many pickups did you see with shotguns in the back window?  I think down there it is a requirement.

[twowheeladdict]

Really pretty country, but you should have accompanied the pictures with banjo music.
 Oh, and how many pickups did you see with shotguns in the back window?  I think down there it is a requirement.

Don't really see that anymore.  Sadly, someone would steal it.  I only see it during hunting season (when they are actually heading out to hunt), and they are never left unattended.

[bpreynolds]

Via JohnR's fantastic suggestion of using the Motowhere site - first time I've ever used it and WOW, is it great - I updated the thread here with a map from my 2 routes.  Only issue, couldn't find img code link on MW's site so I just did a screen capture.  I didn't include those parts of my trip that used major or unscenic roads. 

[oldbike54]

Via JohnR's fantastic suggestion of using the Motowhere site - first time I've ever used it and WOW, is it great - I updated the thread here with a map from my 2 routes.  Only issue, couldn't find img code link on MW's site so I just did a screen capture.  I didn't include those parts of my trip that used major or unscenic roads.

 Dang , that road looks like some serious fun 

 Just an observation , Kentucky , like Oklahoma , is not quite as , hmm , unrefined as folks on the two coasts might think . Very few feral banjos , and we only allow old fashioned gunfights on Fri nights between 9:00 PM and 10:PM 

 Dusty

[bpreynolds]

Dang , that road looks like some serious fun 

 Just an observation , Kentucky , like Oklahoma , is not quite as , hmm , unrefined as folks on the two coasts might think . Very few feral banjos , and we only allow old fashioned gunfights on Fri nights between 9:00 PM and 10:PM 

 Dusty

   I think the Hatfields might now work in healthcare and the McCoys run a quilt shop or something. 

[novaboy]

I see you went through Berea. My grandfather went to the college there back in 1929. Took the train from Boston, after sailing in from Newfoundland. It's a place I have always wanted to visit. Maybe next year.

Thanks for the ride report.

[Penderic]

Those were great pictures you took! Thanks for posting them. Reminds me of some of my trips I took when I lived back east.

[bpreynolds]

Those were great pictures you took! Thanks for posting them. Reminds me of some of my trips I took when I lived back east.

Much thanks.  As I stated in the thread, after many miles and years of riding, it was still the ride of my life.  And it was right in my backyard so to speak!

I see you went through Berea. My grandfather went to the college there back in 1929. Took the train from Boston, after sailing in from Newfoundland. It's a place I have always wanted to visit. Maybe next year.

Thanks for the ride report.

Great story about your grandfather.  Though quite small, Bearea is an easy place to fall in love with a bit.  I just had to stop for a little while.  The college is smack dab in the middle of the town and, in truth, is mostly THE town if you're counting buildings.  It's very active and lots of cool little shops and such around.  I had every intention of just driving through as I have in the past but then once there, I just had to stop the bike, exhale a bit, get some coffee, and enjoy the surroundings.  Great place.