XS Southeast 2016 Discussion

[MPittma100]

These guys never give up in their effort to raise gas prices. Maybe "they" think that we will believe anything we are told? Funny how any little obstacle they encounter makes the price go up right away. "Oh no"! "We're going to run out of gas". "There isn't going to be anymore". "What are we going to do"?

Wonder what answer we would get if we asked our boss for a raise when gas prices went up.

Pipe line problem, huh? How original. How about this one - "there is a terrible storm in the Gulf and we have to raise gas prices"? Aren't there terrible storms in the Gulf all the time? I currently am NOT shaking in my boots.

[Huron52]

I think I will be putting on my fuel cell this trip!

[Huron52]

Found this on another site



A leak has caused the closure of a crucial pipeline that carries gasoline to the eastern United States, a disruption that threatens to drive up prices and leave service stations without fuel to sell.



Related




A section of the Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Houston to New York, has been closed since Sept. 9 after a spill of roughly 6,000 barrels of gasoline was discovered in rural Shelby County, Ala.

The major pipeline, one pipe of which has been severed, provides gasoline for an estimated 50 million people on the East Coast each day, according to company estimates.



The pipeline's operator has said full service will not be restored until at least next week. The closure has set off an industry-wide scramble as suppliers seek alternative ways to transport gasoline to the East Coast.

Already, ships have been dispatched to carry fuel from Texas to New York as part of the effort.



The pipeline operator said that based on its current projections, parts of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina will be the first markets to suffer potential disruptions in supply.

The governors of Alabama and Georgia have already declared states of emergency. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has sought to ease supply shortages by relaxing limits on the blend of gasoline that can be used across 18 counties in Georgia and Tennessee.



Patrick DeHaan, an analyst at GasBuddy.com, said that over the next week, gas prices could spike by as much as 15 cents per gallon in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, and by as much as 20 cents per gallon in South Carolina.



Some service stations could run out entirely, he added.



Mansfield Oil, a fuel distributor, has warned its customers to take fuel savings measures and to place their orders early. The company said the supply of gasoline is currently very thin along the closed pipeline, and that it was trucking in supplies from the coast to meet demand

[MaximPhil]

HI all

All packed up Gary picking me up at 4am leaving for North GA Staying with Robin at his time share in Ski Valley. Then off to the IH.
lOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ALL

XSivley
Bruce

Hi Bruce Have a good trip and I will wee you and Gary at the IH
Phil

[gerkenbruce]

packed

HI all

All packed up Gary picking me up at 4am leaving for North GA Staying with Robin at his time share in Ski Valley. Then off to the IH.
lOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ALL

XSivley
Bruce

[MPittma100]

More police presence may help - may not. Would have to be a joint effort between NC and TN to make that happen. Have a feeling that an effort to more strongly police the area is coming sooner than later

More, no that is highly doubtful. Its a BTDT with police. In 2009-2011 i think it was, Tennessee had engaged in a massive patrol effort on the Dragon. It backfired. Remember the huge billboards about the biker rider that was killed and tremendous backlash and horribly bad publicity directed back a law enforcement. Really bad backlash. I forget the details but biker was killed when stopping or something. So patrols have backed off.

Officers now will not chase a speeder. Obviously it's too dangerous and no real safe places to pull over a speeder anyways.

All but about .2 miles of the Dragon is in Tenn anyways. No place for an NC officer to turn around (at least for 11 miles & 318 curves) so they don't patrol that .2 miles. In fact, all the times I've been at Deals Gap (in NC) I have never seen a NC officer in a patrol car or patrol bike or patrol sport bike.

But as we know, it does make a real nice weekday or evening ride though when there are few if any bikes or any car traffic.

Jeff

That same scenario is how the "Road to Nowhere" came about. NC and TN got into a battle over that many years ago. No one could agree - road remains unfinished to this day. It appears that NC and TN just can't get along?

https://www.greatsmokies.com/gsmnp/road-nowhere.html

[JeffH]

More police presence may help - may not. Would have to be a joint effort between NC and TN to make that happen. Have a feeling that an effort to more strongly police the area is coming sooner than later

More, no that is highly doubtful. Its a BTDT with police. In 2009-2011 i think it was, Tennessee had engaged in a massive patrol effort on the Dragon. It backfired. Remember the huge billboards about the biker rider that was killed and tremendous backlash and horribly bad publicity directed back a law enforcement. Really bad backlash. I forget the details but biker was killed when stopping or something. So patrols have backed off.

Officers now will not chase a speeder. Obviously it's too dangerous and no real safe places to pull over a speeder anyways.

All but about .2 miles of the Dragon is in Tenn anyways. No place for an NC officer to turn around (at least for 11 miles & 318 curves) so they don't patrol that .2 miles. In fact, all the times I've been at Deals Gap (in NC) I have never seen a NC officer in a patrol car or patrol bike or patrol sport bike.

But as we know, it does make a real nice weekday or evening ride though when there are few if any bikes or any car traffic.

Jeff

[MPittma100]

We all agree. I just don't get it, the guys that ride back & forth on the Dragon all day long. Or all weekend long. Or those that show up and ride it all week. As you stated, much better and more fun, interesting & technical roads in North Georgia with no traffic at all. Same for some parts of western North Carolina and eastern Tenn. These are public roads, not a race track but some guys don't seem to understand that. Maybe its like some in the NASCAR crowd, the lure of seeing the Big One.

BBC: And The Dragon sees its share of crashes, often 10 or 15 a day, according to Allison and Talbott. Mostly it’s a motorcyclist who loses control and walks away with a bit of road rash. But some are far worse. Between 2002 and 2015, the Tennessee Highway Patrol documented 1,695 crashes on The Dragon, 37 of them fatalities. So far this year, there have been 103 wrecks, with three deaths.

No thanks. We all just want to get together, have a nice ride, enjoy our friendships, then get home safely.

Jeff

Interesting that all of these crashes happen on a road where the speed limit is 35 MPH? More police presence may help - may not. Would have to be a joint effort between NC and TN to make that happen. Have a feeling that an effort to more strongly police the area is coming sooner than later. When the insurance companies decide that enough is enough, their attorneys will start the ball rolling on restrictions.

[JeffH]

I have always said. The dragon is a great tourist draw. But there are tons of other roads worth riding as well. Do the dragon once and then ride every other road in the area.

We all agree. I just don't get it, the guys that ride back & forth on the Dragon all day long. Or all weekend long. Or those that show up and ride it all week. As you stated, much better and more fun, interesting & technical roads in North Georgia with no traffic at all. Same for some parts of western North Carolina and eastern Tenn. These are public roads, not a race track but some guys don't seem to understand that. Maybe its like some in the NASCAR crowd, the lure of seeing the Big One.

BBC: And The Dragon sees its share of crashes, often 10 or 15 a day, according to Allison and Talbott. Mostly it’s a motorcyclist who loses control and walks away with a bit of road rash. But some are far worse. Between 2002 and 2015, the Tennessee Highway Patrol documented 1,695 crashes on The Dragon, 37 of them fatalities. So far this year, there have been 103 wrecks, with three deaths.

No thanks. We all just want to get together, have a nice ride, enjoy our friendships, then get home safely.

Jeff

[Huron52]

I have always said. The dragon is a great tourist draw. But there are tons of other roads worth riding as well. Do the dragon once and then ride every other road in the area.

[JeffH]

Article in the BBC about "the Dragon" US129 (14 Sept 16)

Titled: the treacherous road with 318 curves
With hairpins, blind cutbacks and a cloverleaf here and there, this challenging 11-mile stretch is said to be among the best driving roads in the world

We have some riders coming in that way from the west and NW. Plus the Sunday Rally Ride stops at Deals Gap and does the Dragon. As has been commented in the past, a blast to ride but gotta watch out for the crazies. Well marketed too since bikes make up a good chunk of the summer economy up there in western NC and that SW corner of TN.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160912-the-treacherous-road-with-318-turns

btw: was surprised to see a Dragon article like that in the BBC, but BBC has good coverage on all kinds of things, always a good read (bbc.co.uk)

Jeff

[JeffH]

I'm thinking most of that arm waving stuff happened when a bee got in my shirt ..............
trying to shake that bugger loose before i got any more stings. Likely went through ALL those moves and a bunch more, including the Jersey Salute.

got my bike on the road last evening. Had it offline for maintenance a month. Not a blistering work pace for sure. I'd starve to death as a mechanic. Just too slow. Didn't have the time to do the other tasks I wanted (new cam chain & check valve adjustment) but did get the new brake master and rotor job buttoned up. Just light braking for 500+ miles. But I got front brakes. Now smooth as silk, and 9 fewer pounds spinning up front does make a difference in handling.

Heading up to NC on Saturday to check a couple of the roads before the Rally.

Jeff

[kboehringer]

Rider Hand Signals

XSSE Friends,
Last year, JeffH & Don helped me find my way to the Iron Horse in heavy rain. While leading the way, Jeff was TRYING to look out for me by pointing out road hazards. At first, I couldn't understand why my leader was constantly stretching his right leg and left arm? . It took a bit to figure out he was trying to point out the deep water spots and other road hazards. Darn nice of the guy to try to help me avoid the hazards he was seeing!

I've acquired several riders books for the XSSE awards event. In one is this chart of COMMON RIDERS HAND SIGNALS! Jeff with all his LD driving experience is probably the guy that invented them! Anyway, for those joining the "CONGA LINES" at IH these signals might come in handy!



KURT

[Bartman]

Pressure washed the bike Saturday and tonight put on the center stand and checked all oil levels. Then I pulled spark plugs to eye ball them and found that my recent valve cover gasket change is leaking. Started checking the Allen heads and found them loose, one has backed out 1 millimeter.
So I pulled the gas tank and tighten every thing up.
Thinking about the earlier talks about what to bring for the trip. You take everything for granted when all you do is ride it!

[madmax-im]

Haha! Yep, that's pretty much how I had it planned out in my head. Looks like we may overnight at a buddies house Friday night and roll in early Saturday morning to IH.

Kickstands up for Sat. ride is usually 9a.m. if you're wanting to leave the IH with us...or perhaps meet up along the way if you know the routes...