Tag Archives: motorcycle adventure

Looking For Motorcycle Adventure? See The Wild Smoky Mountains With GSM Moto Rent

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcAgqmGpiZk

Remember all that fun you had as a kid learning to ride on that dirt bike? Maybe you’ve dreamed of challenging the wilds like Charlie and Ewan, taking the Long Way Round ? Already riding a dual sport bike and looking for motorcycle adventure? Whether you prefer just tooling along on the pavement, groomed fire roads, or gnarly single track trails, you can find them near Townsend, Tennessee.

GSMmotoRent offers dual sport motorcycle rentals, guided & self guided tours and cabin rental on the Little River: All within a half mile of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

We invite you to ride some of the greatest paved and gravel roads around! Everyone knows about our great roads in East TN and Western NC, such as the Tail of the Dragon, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Cherohala Skyway, all within an hour or less from our base in Townsend, TN.

But if you want to really avoid the crowds and get in some great motorcycle riding off the beaten path– let GSMmotoRent help. Our fleet includes Kawasaki KLR 650’s, Suzuki DR 650 and 200’s. We can provide the equipment, and with our knowledge of the area provide you with the best routes that fit your needs. On-site river front cabin rental is available as well as transportation to and from the Knoxville, TN regional airport. We also offer secure storage for your bike: short or long term.

The bikes were in great shape and well maintained. We had an unbelievable day riding 180 miles of excellent paved and unpaved roads in and around Smoky Mountain National Park. We arrived back at GSM in the late afternoon very happily tired. We all agreed it was one of the most enjoyable motorcycling days we’ve ever had. This was our first experience with GSM MotoRent and it could not have been better. Dan and Debbie are wonderful people and run a top-notch outfit. Thanks,
Joe Nardy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tb1CIolSOw

Visit http://gsmmotorent.com
CALL US AT 865-448-6090

Broke My Motorcycle – Again

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The Triumph Tiger 1050 is often referred to as an “adventure bike” – a motorcycle that does most things very well and will go almost anywhere though in it’s most recent iteration it is far more biased towards the road than previous incarnations. I have taken that “adventure” heritage to extremes – I’ve laid it down at highway speeds on the Interstate, ridden it through deserts, floods, and snow, and once completely submerged it in a river. All these things it has shaken off like a wet dog after a cold swim, though it has accumulated a collection of scrapes, scratches, and minor blemishes that tell the story of it’s travels. Only a close inspection reveals them and amazingly few parts have ever broken. They are proudly worn like badges of honor boasting the invincibility built into this machine.

Well, I’ve broken it again, and it looks like I may have to pay the dues for exploring the boundaries of good sense. This time, it was mapping Virginia that led to the minor calamity. My stubborn intensity to actually ride and explore every potential road in an area to often leads me to places no reasonable person would consider, and this was another one of those foolhardy ventures.
I’d already lost more than an hour due to blinding rain and fog so thick you couldn’t see across a two lane road. First sipping coffe in an empty greasy spoon, then near the parking lot sitting on a wet rock waiting for the ability to make out where I was going. When I could finally see the repair shop across the street, I set out.
The detour and road closed signs should have put me off. Still, I pressed onward, determined to discover if this was a temporary situation that required monitoring or something more permanent. While this road did not show much promise from the research, it did have a section that looked interesting and I leave no stone unturned. Nor did I want to retrace my route. The road was leading into the area I’d be working that day and in the interest of saving time I was determined to ride through whatever to get there and maximize my efficiency.
I should have turned back when I reached the bridge. Blocked with huge concrete barriers and orange warning signs, it spanned a deep gulch over a railroad track. I stopped to ponder the situation closer to discover a narrow pathway weaving between the barriers. I walked out on the bridge, the pavement and concrete irregular and broken, and jumped up and down vigorously to test it’s soundness. The road on the far side led out into the farmlands. I could do this.

I returned to the bike, mounted, and quietly motored towards the slot skirting the very edge of the drop into the gulch. Approaching with cautious hesitation through the tall wet weeds, the bike suddenly lurched to a stop as the front wheel found an unseen mound of pavement hidden in the greenery and began to topple. With all my strength I wrestled it away from the drop and eased back. A timid approach was not going to get the job done.

I took a moment to summon my resolve, studied the line I would follow, focused on the point I would emerge, and released the clutch with a measured amount of throttle open. The front wheel rushed forward, bounded over the obstacle, and passed through the gap dead center just as planned. Unfortunately, the rear wheel was not quite on the same path and as it encountered the hump it slipped and skirted violently towards the slope. As momentum carried me trough, a loud SNAP occurred and while I slowed to a stop half way across the bridge my left luggage case spun along on the pavement beside me. When the bike leaned, it had caught on the edge of a barrier and broken off.

I parked the bike and retrieved the case as well as the bits of broken mounting brackets. Designed to quickly attach and detach with a simple key lock, most of these clamps were now broken. Still, one was intact and I remounted it on the bike and locked it in place. Somehow, there was enough left to hold it there, though it was anything but secure.
I carefully threaded through the barriers on the far side of the bridge and kept one hand reaching back to insure the case was still there as I proceeded down the road. As expected, this next section of road was uninteresting but the promising part lay ahead. The case stayed in place as I crossed the countryside. I watched the GPS as the curvy parts drew ever closer. My heart sank as I reached it passing a sign that indicated unpaved road ahead.

The next 12 miles or so was a bumpy gravel forest road, steep and twisty as it threaded through the trees and rocks of some obscure Virginia hilltop. My hand kept flashing back to confirm the case was still attached with every rough climb or big rock crossed. Were it to come off here, it would tumble down some steep slope and both the case and contents would likely be lost. It was still there as I emerged on the back side of a bleak and impoverished factory town, the umber brick relics of long abandoned mills and plants overgrown with weeds and rust, windows broken, once bustling factories now silent and abandoned to time.

Things did improve, and I covered a lot of miles through the rest of the day. Periodically, I put my hand behind me to feel the case still loose, but in place, and it remained there until I got home. I’d hoped to somehow drill, screw, and glue things back together, but it’s hopeless. I’m going to need to buy a new side case. For the first time, I returned to my maps and completely removed any trace of that road. I don’t want any chance you’ll follow in my tire tracks. There are far better roads to ride.

Wayne Busch - AMERICA RIDES MAPS

Wayne Busch – AMERICA RIDES MAPS

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com