Greetings from NC... and a busy Blue Strada office

 

We have been very busy with integrating some new items at Blue Strada Tours...primarily the "Concierge" component of our Self Guided Tours.  What does that mean I am sure yo are asking...  It means this..  We will make available all of our Tour maps (and also make new ones if we don't have what our guests are looking for) along with hotel and restaurant suggestions along the way so our visitors can make their own Tour using our resources that we worked very hard to organize ... and do it on their own time... and at their own pace and budget!  There is so much to see and enjoy here in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains when it comes to riding motorcycles.. we just felt we needed to make all that available for our rental customers.  Additionally, we will pick folks up at the Charlotte airport when it is convenient for us to do so.

 

So if you are reading this.. and thinking about coming to the NC Mountains... and can't seem to work one of our Tours on the calendar into your schedule or budget.. Do Not Let That Stop You!!  Give us a call for details... we are happy to share them with you..

Bill Kniegge

Spring is on the way... how do we know that?  Daytona Bike Week is next Week!!

Greetings from Charlotte / Waxhaw

 

The weather around Charlotte has not been to conducive to exploring new routes or even jsut riding for enjoyment... More rain than recent years, but we need it for sure. 

Still plenty to do in terms of getting ready for Spring Tours and our very own two-up rides that we did not get to do much of in 08. 

 

Our Tour planning continues and we are working hard on a proposed tour to Switzerland to team up with our journalist friend Daniel Riesen.  He has convinced us that we need to bring some friends or tour guests to Switzerland for a Tour of 60 Passes!  Sounded like a great idea, so we are trying to organize a schedule that works with our other Tour dates and takes advantage of the best weather in August.  Details shoudl be available soon, so stay in touch if it interests you.

 

This year we are lucky enough to get the Cycle World Motorcycle Shows to appear in Greenville, SC opposed to Atlanta, GA.  We hope it turns out great and will be there to check out all the new bikes and gear.  February 20-22 is the date.

 

Concierge Rentals: Details are getting finalized on our Motorcycle Rentals with Concierge Service as well.  We are opening up our "work-books" to our Rental Guests so they can come to the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoy a Tour in their own time and pace without having to work around our Scheduled Tour Dates on the Calendar.  Information is up on the website about it.. and we are excited about it.

 

Suzuki Motorcycles, V Stroms especially, seem to be in short supply... Many of our friends looking for a back-up bike to their BMWs have decided that V Stroms are the way to go... Now there are not too many available at dealerships in CA and also in NC.  So ifyou find one out there while yo are looking you should grab it!

www.suzukicycles.com is also a place to look for additional dealers and product information.

 

Well to everyone that is a fan of motorcycles.. ride safe in January... keeping the rubber side down.

 

See you all in Greenville at the CW Show.

 

Bill K

 

 

 

Gosh... it's been some time since we were able to catch up with my Blog...  Spent November in CA at our little home in Borrego Springs, just north of San Diego.

 

Beautiful weather for riding anything with two wheels... and for the motor side of things, I had a love ly Victory Vision to enjoy while I was there.  A full story will be coming forthwith about the bike and the riding experience.  For those interested in a fascinating part of the CA desert scenery... you should consider visiting Borrego Springs and enjoy the sights recently installed by Dennis Avery and his 30+ metal sculptures of the pre-historic animals and birds that inhabited the Borrego Valley millions of years ago.  See www.galletameadows.com for more info on the Gomphos and Elephants... and Camels too.

 

As we prepare for our exciting Tour programs in 2009 we will also enjoy the Holidays that are now upon us... I'll be sure to return with the story and photos of our trip to Borrego Springs with the Victory Vision.

 

Bill K

Some of my riding buddies acuseme of being anal about driving with a clean windshield and riding  with a clean face shield. 

I probably am to be sure.  But, I know there are others out there like me so here is some good info to file away.

 

I started using the S100 Special Surfaces cleaner a couple of years ago for keeping a slippery shine on the front of my Cagiva Gran Canyon

fairing and it really works well.  I also found out the another "special surface" is the helmet and more importantly the face shield. 

It keeps it very clean and reduces the magnetic that always draws dust on both inside and outside of the shield.  Better yet, it wipes clean

 and leaves no film.  Looks a little milky when you put it on..but wipes right off.  In fact when using it on the dreaded glasses I must wear

it actually gets squeaky clean so to speak with same benefits.  Give it a try.. and let me know your thoughts as well.  Most dealers or from

S100.com I believe.

 

Ride Safe and enjoy all the color if you happen to be in the states that have it.  No better way than on a bike.

 

Bill Kniegge

It seems that you can't go up to the mountains around here without finding some new roads to ride that continue to make the Carolinas such a fantastic place to ride!!

 

I really must do this little report on the mountains around Asheville in a couple of sections... lots to talk about!  For starters, we decided to explore the south side of the BRP from around Mt Pisgah area.  Starting down (south) US 276 from the BRP we decided to have a look at FR 475... a really cool little fire-road that was just the right degree of difficulty for the 650 V Stroms.. no worries at all... lots of elevation changes and twisties making it fun.  Eventually finding our way over to SR 215 and continued south on some really gorgeous curves made all the more fun by the bright sun  and great color of the leaves falling.  Hard to pay attention to say the least.  Continuing south on 215 to Macedonia Rd then west on more outrageous smooth twisty roads..  Connecting to SR 281 headed to Lake Toxaway and US 64.  Aha... we were saved by the owners of the Lake Toxaway Cafe... who just happened to be a collector of Austin Healey Sprites.. yes one in the front yard as a planter... and he encouraged us to head back up 281 to Tuckasagee... no short ride for sure.. but great fun.  The south on SR 107 all the way to Cashiers for lunch.... well sort of late lunch as it is now 3:15 in the afternoon.  Heading further south towards the Chattooga River and Walhalla SC, we missed the shortcut over to SR130 that would have saved us 25 miles in getting to US 11 heading back to Charlotte.  From Asheville to Charlotte was 335 miles... but what a fun ride it was.  So.. let me know if anyone else has explored that south side of the BRP and some of the se really fun dirt roads.

  

Next time we'll tell you about the great roads north of Little Suisse that wind their way back to Asheville without ever getting on the 4 lane.

 

And..if any of you know some more of the hidden roads around the Asheville area... or any other NC area that you love... please let me know about them.  I really do appreciate it.

 

 

Ride Safe... and enjoy the Fall Color

Bill Kniegge

 

 

I had the chance to snag a new Scorpion EXO 1000 helmet just before our trip to Indy 2 weeks ago... and I was really glad I did.

 

For me ...trying new helmets is always fun... many years ago... "back in the day" when I was the product guru at Bell Helmets... I enjoyed doing all the real road testing for our new ideas... I rode a lot then as I do now.. so learned quickly what separates a good helmet from a not so good helmet.

 

The new Scorpion EXO 1000 is definitely high on the list of not only good... but GREAT helmets.  Why would that be??  Here's my impression of it..

 

Terrific fit.. Especially with the new pump system for tightening up the cheek pads.  Everyone's face is different when it comes to the cheek area... and this feature now gives you a custom fit... just like the racing guys get when they get the personal treatment from the big helmet race shops.  Inflates and deflates quickly for getting on and off...

It Breathes!.. Yes... this new hat has so many controllable vents that you can manage just how much air you want to have coming into the helmet... nice feature for hot and or damp weather.. and it seems to close up good for riding in the cold as well.

 

Face Shield.. There face shield may be the best on the market... but I haven't tried them all for sure.  but I can tell you that it does not fog.. and is optically very clear.  I am told that the shields are made by the same folks that make the Oakley shields used in the NFL.  God knows they don't fog up... Check it out some time.  How those big guys breathing right into the shield with no 45 mph wind going by... can see at all is a miracle !

 

Tinted Drop-Down.. Very Cool feature... You now never need to worry about getting caught out with you tinted shield on ... You don't need one!!  Even if you wear regular prescription glasses like I do... when the sun gets in the way... just reach up with your right hand and rotate the new tinted shield down in front of your eyes...  It's clear... and works great... sun goes away... or you turn away fro the sun... just reach up and put it away.  Introduced in the Schuberth helmets back in year 2K or so... it is now in this great hat... You'll love it and wonder how you got along with out it... or at least I did.

 

D Rings.. are still used for the chin strap... they are safe and have the famous little pull-tab to loosen them for removal... (brought to you back in 1980 by yours truly) but with today's saftey belt type of quick release being so improved ... there is no reason for any helmet builder not to use them.. just my opinion.  But after having them on my Schuberth.. I would never go back to D Rings.  Years ago DOT would not allow them to be used in USA.  No longer the case.

 

Comfort.. yes... They did a great job on comfort in all areas... material choices for the liners... the pump system for the cheek pads.. and great venting...it's top notch for sure... No question that the combination of Kevlar and glass make the shell really light... and you notice it when on your head..  Yes... Snell certified for sure.

 

Cost... Well good helmets are not cheap for sure.. and you won't see anybody putting drug store DOT stickers on the back before they ride into Myrtle Beach so they don't get a ticket.  We coined the phrase... If you have a $10 head...Wear a $10 helmet!  This won't qualify.. but at just a bit over $300 you would be hard pressed to find an equal amount of helmet for that or even another $100 in my opinion.  Keep up the good work Scorpion... You nailed it on this one.. except for the D Rings of course.  check 'em out a www.scorpionusa.com   

 

 

Continued from the 21st of September..

 

The final day of our Tour from Indy back to Charlotte started off with a great breakfast at the Old Mill Inn at Cumberland Gap, TN.  Very cool place for sure and we will definitely go back there next year for this same Tour.  check it out at www.oldmillbbinn.com.  After a short hike on the Daniel Boone trail, we mounted up and headed heast to Jonesville, VA on US 58... gorgeous ride along the Cumberland mountains.  At Jonesville, we turned south on SR 70 that would ultimately take us into Marshall, NC where we had lunch at the  Zuma Coffee Company, right at the Courthouse Square.  Not only great Espresso there, but terrific house-made soups and sandwiches.  Way better than anticipated.  After more rewinding the great ride from Joesville on SR 70 that in itself was terrific... we headed out toward Asheville and the last leg into Charlotte.  Weather looked pretty concerning.. but we were lucky enought to avoid the rain all the way to I 485 Beltline around Charlotte, NC.  Still... when you are wet you are not comfortable.. but this time it was only for a short 15 minutes before pulling into the Rennaissance Hotel at the Airport where Debbie was there to meet us and relax a bit before getting bikes loaded up and heading back to Waxhaw. 

All in all we did 675 miles on the return trip which was pretty energetic but lots of fun for sure!!

Next year Tour to Red Bull GP at Indy we will add a  another day to the trip up which would get us into Indy early on Friday for more of the fun at the track  and a little easier pace during the ride up.  More new roads to discover for next year's trip.

Stay with us from time to time... for more ideas and tips on Touring for your moto enjoyment !  The 2009 schedule will be up on www.bluestradatours.com by October 1, 2008.

Speaking of tips... I was just going to write a review of the new Scorpion EXO 1000.  See www.scorpionusa.com for more info.  But..... read on...

This may be one fo the best helmets ever at any price!  Top Rated Snell certificatyion... increidible venting options... very cool drop-down tinted visor and stil the best face shield in the business ... clear an absolutely no-fog that works like none other.  Check it out!!

 

CIAO for now... and remember "the ride there is more fun than being there"   well.. most of the time it is.

Bill Kniegge

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings again from Charlotte, NC

Our Tour to Indy was  a lot of fun.... and some terrific riding.. We rode over 1,350 miles total from Charlotte, to Indy and back again.  Two days up and two days on the return trip. 

Day 1: Leaving Charlotte on the 11th of September, we wound our way through the back roads to the tiny little historic town of  Marshall just abouve Asheville for lunch where we lucky enough to have Jamie James of AMA Superbike fame join us for some fun and storeis about his incredible racing career.  Yes.. we had our share of rain, but by the time we got to Asheville it had stopped so Marshall was bright and sunny.  Leaving there.... we started to wind again up through TN on SR 70 to the Cumberland mountains and then west through the Cumberland valley to Somerset, KY where we stayed our first nite at the Doolin House Inn... right in the center of town and equipped with two fantastic chefs that made our evening dinner that much better....after riding 340 miles ove back raods... and only 50 miles of interstate hwys.

 

Day 2: More great food at Doolin House breakfast as we packed up and got ready for our cruise into Indy.  Another 310 mile day for sure, but we were looking forward to it.  Meandering along SR 80 in KY, we eventually started north on SR 61 through pretty little towns and lots of fields with crops of tobacco, corn and soy beans.  Nothing really challenging but very pretty and enjoyable to ride.  Reaching the north side of the Ohio River and into Corydon, IN we stopped for lunch there at Magdalenas where I remembered the white bean chili as being nothing short of incredible.  It was just as good the 2nd time around...    Looking forward to arriving in Indy, we pressed on with more energy as we worked our way north and stopped only briefly to take pics and look closely at the longest covered bridge in the USA in the tiny town of Medora.  Amazing structure... and looking forward to state suported restoration in the near future.  On to Brown County and and the amazing discovery of some terrific roads on SR 135 as we headed to the little village of Story, IN with it's hotel that dates back to 1856!  Very cool place with a landmark restaurant and bar with some cool rooms at the Inn.  We enjoyed the stop there as we waited for the rain to stop in Indy... which it finally did.  Onward to the big city... and we were lucky enough to get there without ever getting adrop of rain on our shields!  Amazing and lucky for sure.

 

2009 Indy Moto GP Tour will likley include a stop over in STory, IN before heading into Indy on Friday morning... it was just too good to pass up. 

 

More to follow..... including a little group of photos so stay tuned. 

Well here it is the end of August... and BMW USA finally has decided to deliver it's 2008 R 800GS Twin to the USA dealers.  no one really knows why it is so late.. but whatever the reason... it sure does look like it will be a winner.  I think I told Mark at BMW Charlotte on Saturday after giving it serious look on Saturday that it may be the best GS BMW ever made for it's fans around the world of Adventure Touring.  We'll see for sure... and we can hope that they have made ..or are planning build in support of their anxiously awaiting dealers... If they were going to gamble this would be the one to gamble on for sure... even though the price has finally arrived at est. $2,000 more than anticipated at the BMW Intro in Milan last October..  None the less.... it just makes the R12GS look and feel a little like a Rhino by comparison.. and it has REAL front forks.. that actually may work on both tarmac and a dirt road or two...  Congrats to them...

 

So today... after still being thrilled with my V Strom 650... I had to pick up the DL 1000 for a little pre Red Bull GP at Indy service...  That was a nice surprise too.. I forgot how much power that motor makes around 4,000 rpm.  It has some stirring torque that comes on like a tractor ... funny after so many thousand miles on the 650 how accustom I got to the 6,000 revs at 80 MPH..  So when 80 MPH showed up I was stunned to see the rev counter sitting at only 4,000 RPM.

 

What is fun is there are so many really fun bikes available today that anyone can find something to really please their zest for speed and handling on any kind of road surface including race track groomed smooth ideal roads.  But I can tell you that the fun for me is on the bad roads that make Adventure bikes really shine through..

 

So that's all for now.. if you get a chance sto by your BMW dealer to see the 800 GS if you can before they get them delivered.  Great Job BMW.

 

Ride Safe... it's a Holiday Weekend...

Bill Kniegge

 

 

 

 

August 20, 2008

 

Greetings to all...

 

Lots of things to talk about here lately... and most of themj great fun..

 

The NC draught has created havoc with our water supply for sure... but it’s been great for motorcyclists to enjoy the sunny weather.

 

Last weekend I was in Boone for the 31^st Carolinas BMW Club Rally.  We had such a good time and the turn-out was incredible.  Lots of great food on hand all weekend... terrific raffle prizes and twisty roads to ride that were as always... big time fun.  And all comers seemed to have a great time... KOA in Boone is a great facility for such an event and the owners there were so accommodating it made it all worth while.   

 

Then on Monday... Debbie and I headed out towards Eastern TN and WNC to try and finalize our routes to Indy for the September event.  These exploring trips are always interesting even if they aren’t necessarily productive.  This time we met some great folks in Rugby, TN at the Grey Gables B&B... Linda the proprietor....without a doubt makes the best Biscuits and Gravy I have ever tasted...  It’s worth the trip there to have the food.

We also discovered great roads around there called the Devils Triangle and US 52 towards Livingston, TN  We weren’t able to enjoy them but they are worth checking out for sure..

Leaving Rugby, we headed over to the Cumberland Gap.. a new adventure that was really breathtaking.  TN hwy 63 from I 75 over to Cumberland Gap, TN was beautiful.. and you rally got the sense of how the settlers felt when they came through there in the beginning.  For a CA veteran, it was pretty amazing to see the mountains go on-and-on-and-on... and on... Steep and beautiful.

Leaving Cumberland we trekked east across US 58 to VA 70 at Jonesville and headed south to Asheville, NC.  Wow... Wow.. that is a road to discover... we went for at least 30 minutes and never saw another vehicle... car... truck of course.. or anything.  Check it out it was really one of those roads you want to turn around and ride again..  We stopped in Marshall, NC for lunch and some looking around.  Several great places there... The coffee and lunch place at the stop light in front o the Court House.. and the new Bistro across the street.  This town is a real time warp and lots of fun to cruise through and imagine the history... and history it has... all the way back to the war times... with some really gruesome stories of things that took place right there in the town square of Marshall.

 

Roads from Marshall to Asheville are both interesting and boring... the French Broad follow the road... and you can also just expedite the whole process and head over to US NC 25/70 that connects with I 26. Don’t miss Marshall if you are anywhere close... as the roads to and from there are also worth the ride out...

 

Take care... and don’t leave you rglasses on our bike after putting your helmet on... they break when they fall off!!  Trick of the day... Always put them on top of your glove... as you never ride off with out your gloves.. After 5 years wearing a Schuberth... I never took mine off.. Now wearing a Scorpion 700 which I really love... still have to put my glasses on so that is the “trick of the day”

August is a very lovely time to be riding around in Kentucky and Indiana...  Especially this year with all the rain they have had... you can see it in the form of really healthy crops!!  Being an Iowegian myself... going back to my days of riding a Whizzer, i remember the old saying ... "knee-high by the 4th of July" was a sign of a good crop year.  Today... I think that the crops were shoulder high by the 4th!  A pleasant sight to see at any rate.

 

The "Road to Indy" is going to be quite a lot of fun... winding through the hills of NC and up into Kentucky you really get a chance to see th changing landscape .  Equally so as you leave Kentucky and cross the Ohio River into Indiana the scenery starts to change again... and about the time you get as far North as Indy... you know you are back in the Mid-west!  Crops and more crops!  Rolling hills that meander along are still fun to ride.. but not like the mountains for sure.  The other interesting thing about Indiana is the amazing number of covered bridges still standing ... some of them still in use and many are set aside just for viewing a time gone past.  The town of Columbus, IN which is an architectural wonderland also has a re-constructed bridge in a park just off the City Centre which is worth the trip around if you ever get there.

 

Riding along in Indiana... having lived for the past 35 years in CA and now NC.... it still strikes me oddly to see so many people riding without helmets. not to speak of some very unusual riding apparel.  To each his own..  Leaving Indiana heading back to NC, we meandered along route 52 to the east through the village of Metamora that once was the home of canal boat traffic... some of which you can still see today.. The old mill building was not only still there, but still grinding away at corn and flour with the help of power from the canal fed water wheel.  Great coffee place there if you ever get there.  Roast his own beans for Espresso Fantistico!  

 

Once across the river into Kentucky right where Kentucky Speedway was getting ready to drop the green flag on their Indy Car race was another amazing visual oddity!  The World's largest Flea Market... Garage Sale.. or whatever you may call it.  Believe me.. 25 miles of more junk along the side of the road and traffic crawling along like they all knew there were gold coins in there somewhere.. Maddening.. but what a spectacle. 

 

On through Kentucky.... and through the eastern part of the state where you start to see the making of more "coal country" before dropping into VA and the lovely little town of Abingdon... welcome nite's rest there for sure.  Next time we must go see or do the Creeper Trail that starts in Abingdon and finishes up the mountain in Damascus... quite an attraction and people were there from all over the eastern US.  Always something for next time...  Dinner at The Tavern is also something not to miss.

 

I'd say one more trip and we should have this route pretty much nailed down for the www.bluestradatours.com trip to The Red Bull GP at Indianapolis.

 

All for now..

Enjoy the ride.... keep the rubber-side down

Bill Kniegge

 

 

Greetings from lovely North Carolina....

 

We have had a fantastic summer so far with lots of riding in the mountains and cool weather up there to make it pleasant for sure.  Paft of the fun in the summer is seeing all the other motorcyclists that come to the Smoky Mountains to join in on the fun... Of course one of the most popular places is www.dealsgap.com as it sits at the entrance to the Dragon's Tail and other great roads to ride... www.cherohalaskyway.com is another awesome ride.

 

One of the great finds for me this summer was visiting dale at the fantastic www.wheelsthroughtime.com museum  in maggie Valley.  It was over the top for sure to anyone that had an interest in all things motorheads love to study.  Don't miss it if you have never been.... Nowehre in the whole world are there as many "one off" and "one of 4" or "one of 8" motorcycles from brands you have never heard of and they are all genuine American Iron!  What a story Dale has been able to tell in the life of the American motorcycle.  He only gets a fraction of the credit he deserves.

 

That's all for now... be sure to check us out at www.bluestradatours.com as well .... so you can plan a trip here without your bike and still enjoy all the fun.

 

Bill Kniegge

 

"Riding a bike there is more fun than being there"