First Motorcycle trip - Toronto -> BRP-> Cherohala -> Deal Gap

inferno

inferno

Well-known member
Hi all,
Long-time lurker..well ish..but I finally got the guts to plan my first trip....EVER. Well solo sofar cause nobody i know owns a bike or will do something like this with me.

What I am looking for is some input from anyone who is familiar with the area or have been there or heck, anything that will help me. Considering this is my first solo trip, assume I know nothing.
Also taking route recommendation/ sightseeing recommendation.
The bike : 1989 Suzuki Katana 600
The plan :
Toronto -> Skyline Drive -> Blue Ridge Parkway -> Cherohala Skyway -> Deals Gap -> Logan, Ohio -> Toronto
in 6 days and 5 nights.
The route :
This is the approximate route, so it gives me an idea. Day 1,5 and 6 is kindda set in stone but anything goes for day 2-4.

Day 1 : Toronto to Front Royal - 730 km
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=toronto...iTF4Tul0g-os2g

Day 2-4

Skyline Drive - 171 KM
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...,0.911865&z=10

BRP - 752 km
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...,0.455933&z=11

BRP -> Cherohala Skyway -> Deals Gap - 270 Km
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...,0.244789&z=12

Return
Day 5 : Deals Gap/ where ever to Logan, Ohio - 640 km
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...6,2.705383&z=9
Day 6 : Logan to Toronto - 784 km
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...,10.821533&z=7
I don’t mind being on the bike for the most part. Not really hoping to take super long breaks, just washroom breaks/gas/food.
Bike maintenance I’m planning before trip
- Chain Adjustment
- Oil change and filter change. Hopefully wont have do an oil change during the trip.
I still gotta get myself some tank/saddle bags.
Any input? Im taking my DSLR and GoPro with me for sure!.

If anybody wants to join me for the trip..feel free. I dont mind company.
Im planning to leave June 26th. Return July 2nd
 
I'll let others familiar with current conditions comment but 900 km on Skyline and the full BRP is going to be a push as it can be very slow going tho much fun. Posted speed is 45 mph of course there are fun stretches - enjoy but I'd say plan a cut out route if it proves too long.
Depends on when you go and weather.
We found about 5-600 km a day in the twisties in PA was max but that was fall.

Be nice if you could find a riding buddy - but have fun - been decades since I've done it but it's on the list.

James Bay this weekend......speaking of long hikes......but it's not the great twisties you are heading to.
 
blue ridge parkway is cool, but slow. there ARE some sections you can go quick, but it is patrolled. it also gets a little repetitive after awhile (but it's all beautiful)

expect to only do about 500km on a FULL day on the blue ridge.

be sure you're not hitting the cherohala parkway or deals gap in the evening hours or when tired. there's no lighting and deals gap is UNFORGIVING if your concentration strays, even at the speed limit.

i believe the cherohala can be done in about 30 minutes. keep in mind there is NO cell phone reception on it, or gas stations, etc.

enjoy the trip. ride safe (but have fun)
 
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BusaBob said:
blue ridge parkway is cool, but slow. there ARE some sections you can go quick, but it is patrolled. it also gets a little repetitive after awhile (but it's all beautiful)

expect to only do about 500km on a FULL day on the blue ridge. if you're going to do that route, you may need at least 2 weeks.

be sure you're not hitting the cherohala parkway or deals gap in the evening hours or when tired. there's no lighting and deals gap is UNFORGIVING if your concentration strays, even at the speed limit.

i believe the cherohala can be done in about 30 minutes. keep in mind there is NO cell phone reception on it, or gas stations, etc.

enjoy the trip. ride safe (but have fun)
Click to expand...

I've done this same trip with same itinerary (except in five days instead of six) before and will again the second I'm able to group a few days off with a weekend. You're definitely in for some long days but it's far from impossible.

I can confirm there's no cell reception on the Cherohala but you'll find many very nice people willing to help, Champion Cycle in Madisonville TN fixed me up.
 
MacDoc said:
I'll let others familiar with current conditions comment but 900 km on Skyline and the full BRP is going to be a push as it can be very slow going tho much fun. Posted speed is 45 mph of course there are fun stretches - enjoy but I'd say plan a cut out route if it proves too long.
Depends on when you go and weather.
We found about 5-600 km a day in the twisties in PA was max but that was fall.

Be nice if you could find a riding buddy - but have fun - been decades since I've done it but it's on the list.

James Bay this weekend......speaking of long hikes......but it's not the great twisties you are heading to.
Click to expand...
1200 km in 3 days is not bad. skyline drive speed limit is 35 mph (56 km/h) and 45 mph (72 km/h) the rest of the way. even at limit its 20 hours over 3 days so just about 7 hours of pure riding per day @ limit.. add another 5 hours for sight seeing/lunch/ stop and it sounds doable. ( or maybe i am being too ambitious). Im not planning on pushing it so it should be fine...hopefully.
Also im hitting the roads on a weekday so hoping there is less traffic on the ridge.

I was thinking of doing james bay. But after testing out the katana's range, i wasnt too keen on it. Let me know how it goes and maybe ill head up there during September.

Busabob : Thanks for the heads up. Im reserving day 4 for cherohala, dealsgap and surrounding areas. Definitely don't want to be out there when somewhat fatigued. Any side road recommendations around the area?
 
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Last year I rode up the BRP with a Friend on his Connie. We left www.thetreetops.com at around 10 or so, road up to the BRP entrance and it took us until 6pm to get to the Willville motorcycle camping http://www.willvillebikecamp.com/. And that was moving along at a decent pace not dawdling.

The Cherohala is a 55 mile run, no access roads or gas stations just overlooks. BTW if it's your first time down there if you see writing on the roads (usually SLO)heed it!!!. There's a few decreasing radius corners on the Cherohala that will suck you in fast if your not careful. Same with the dragon there's a few spots where the locals have painted warnings.

You should be fine on your Kat, I road my 03 Kat down there more than a few times lol.
 
Pete5000 said:
I wish you wouldn't say that
Click to expand...

We'll he's only person I know that has one and calls it that, he's on his 6 or 7th set of tires since last March of last year so I assume it is truly a term of endearment lol. What do you other owners refer to her as?
 
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regder said:
You're definitely in for some long days but it's far from impossible.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. My guestimate was off. I remember our group leaving Front Royal and spending a whole morning at speed on the Skyline, and only making less than a couple hundred kilometres by lunch. Our group wanted to get down to Deals Gap as soon as possible so we got off and slabbed it the rest of the day to Roanoke.

While on the Skyline, we covered so few centimetres on the map during that morning despite our speed (because of all the twisties) it seemed like it would take days to get down to Deals Gap
 
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Sweet! Any input as to what the weather/ temperature is like around there ? As of right now, front royal is showing Tstorms for the next 7 days so I am not really sure what to expect :S
 
weather/ temperature is like around there ?
Click to expand...

Just got back from the Dragon last night. Was cool here but half way down was very hot . It can vary . Spent 2 days down . Got rain for a couple of hours down . 2 days back was no rain with sun and cloud. Only rained once during the week . Got caught on the lower 28 with rain . Took us a couple of hours to get back to the gap. Tree's down all over the place . Roads
were a mess . They had it all cleaned up by noon the next day . If rain your way then maybe look at a different way down .
 
it tends to be quite warm down there in the summer.

we went in june a couple years ago and it was blistering hot. i had a full leather suit on (with a separate back protector) then, and i had to go top down to keep from over-heating. swilling gatorade and water at every stop.

they can get some pretty rough thundershowers. i got caught in one out in the open last year and it came down hard. lasted only an hour though.

last year (july), my busa nearly overheated in Cincinnati (on the way back) while stuck in rush hour traffic

the air up in the mountains is cooler (comfortably) as you can imagine.
 
I did the same route (in reverse) about a month ago. I posted it in curses 2. The BRP will take you forever. Speed limits are posted but during the week there is very little enforcement (except the beginning and end). As some of the other posters have mentioned. It will take forever! I did long chunks at 70mph and I'd check the map after a few hours and we had barely made a dent! It's a blast though and you'll be more than ready for the turns on the Cherohala! Remember the temps are WAY cooler on the parkway and Cherohala. Once you get into Tellico Plains you'll feel the temp difference fast and want to make a run back up the mountain! Thunder Mountain gas station is at one end of the Cherohala and Tellico Plains is at the other. Plenty of fuel but nothing in between. Make sure you fuel up because you don't want to stop when you're on it. Its a great road.
When you're there, check out HWY 28, it has some great twists and turns, and just off the BRP at Little Switzerland is the Diamondback. Great run too. Some really cool switchbacks.

Make sure you know your fuel mileage and where to pull off for fuel! In the mountains my buddies bike drank fuel like crazy. We ended up almost running out of gas. 20 miles off the BRP was the nearest gas station when he ran low. It can be a looong way so do your planning. There are a couple places you can find online that show which mile markers to exit at to get fuel.

Monkey Butt... You're gonna get it. Get some cream, powder, whatever you can find. Its no fun!

I'm jealous..Have a great run!
 
Whoa nice. what is your plan looking like?

Im thinking something along the lines of . Sofar nothing more than 500 km each day (except day 1 and 2) but on paper it looks more than doable. + so many side roads :O :O

Been testing my gas milage recently and it looks a lot better once i realized what a tire pressure gauge was. XD

Sofar I am thinking.
Day 1 - Toronto -> Winchester
Day 2 - Winchester -> Roanoke
Day 3 - Roanoke -> Ashville
Day 4 - Ashville -> Knoxville/Maryville
Day 5 - Knoxville/Maryville -> Logan, Ohio
Day 6 - Logan -> Toronto

What are you planning for the nightime? Im pinging back and forth between camping or getting motels. Ive never camped before... XD

Im getting excited!
 
I'm also now set to do this trip with a friend on his Strom, me on the Ninja Transcontinental (is that name too long?) - but backwards as well.
Will be blasting down to Barber Museum first, then back up the BRP et al

Maybe we'll meet someone here at a local watering hole. My stops are in Cherokee and Floyd off the pkwy (Hotelling). Heading down this Saturday whooooo!
 
Yeah, I'm also pinging between camping and motel. So far my plan are

Day 1 GTA to Front Royal
2 Front Royal to Linville Fall (camp)
3 Linville to Deals Gap (will likely camp at Fontana village. Atss2006 camp there earlier and it look nice)
4 Explore surrounding area
5,6 (maybe 7) head home via back road, staying close to the BRP then 219

This will also be my first time to Deals Gap and camping.

Why don't you try to make it down to Front Royal instead of Winchester, it's just a little further down. That way you're ready to hit the Skyline first thing in the morning.
 
Camping all the way! Motel for the trip down if you want to make good time. When I went down we camped at the Fontana dam. Made for an awesome base camp to zip around. About 5 hrs to Barber museum and the dragon is just down the road on hwy 28. Makes for a great warmup before you do the dragon! Going again next year and will camp it again for sure. Its great after a long ride, to chill by the fire, brag about what an awesome rider you are, and relax.
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?139977-Curses-part-2
I put in a ton of pictures and shows the campsite at fontana too.
 
shanekingsley : Haha I was reading your ride report just before deciding to do this trip. I wish i could make it down to barber museum but I dont have enough time to make it there and back..

SV : Picked winchester as an arbitrary point. Figured more motels there. Are you taking the blue ridge all the way from front royal?
 
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