Post by: Iguana Joe on February 03, 2015, 07:22:42 PM
Post by: stevegrab on February 04, 2015, 01:36:03 PM
Post by: Brick on February 12, 2015, 11:48:03 AM
Post by: JeffroNC on February 12, 2015, 10:00:51 PM
Post by: dpippin on February 13, 2015, 07:50:40 AM
http://msta-se.com/tristar/ (http://msta-se.com/tristar/)
The pre-registration form can be downloaded from the web site.
Doug
Post by: HawkGTRider on February 14, 2015, 08:08:25 AM
If you're on the fence about going, get off and GO.
Post by: LSO on February 14, 2015, 11:53:48 AM
Post by: donmoe on February 14, 2015, 04:11:23 PM
Don
Post by: PYG RYDR on February 14, 2015, 06:07:35 PM
I have one that I am tweaking. I have some "previous" Fools Run routes as well, which can be customized as well.
Galen
PYG RYDR
Post by: dpippin on February 14, 2015, 07:01:41 PM
I think you'll want Adventure Bike routes not dual sport routes.
Take a look at Fools Run http://msta-se.com/fun/ (http://msta-se.com/fun/)
It's mainly a dual sport event and the dual sport routes would be very hard on a GS.
However some people have asked about bigger bikes (Adventure Bikes) so I've added Adventure routes to the event.
There will be 3 or 4 Adventure routes at Fools Run that will be appropriate for bigger bikes.
There will be GPS routes available for the event. They are still being worked on but will be available before the event.
Doug
Post by: donmoe on February 15, 2015, 06:35:13 AM
I think you'll want Adventure Bike routes not dual sport routes.Thanks for that suggestion, Doug! I'll consider attending the Fools Run. As a newcomer to riding an adventure bike, I certainly don't want to get into a route beyond my skill level.
Don
Post by: Brick on February 15, 2015, 06:59:00 AM
I could be up for an Adventure route ride at Tri-STAR too. I might be out riding my Super Tenere'
Post by: PYG RYDR on February 15, 2015, 08:21:54 AM
The dual sport route for TRISTAR I am tweaking is also big/adventure bike friendly. Doug McPeek rode it last year on his BMW.
Also, I will revise a 2013 Fools Run route for another option, so we will have 2 routes for TRISTAR.
Galen
Post by: donmoe on February 15, 2015, 05:22:37 PM
Don
Post by: donmoe on February 15, 2015, 05:40:51 PM
Don, Congratulations on the new ride! The new GSA is a Fantastic ride!Thanks, Brick! I'd very much enjoy going on an adventure ride with you there. My GSA came with Michelin Anakee-3 (http://motorcycle.michelinman.com/tires/michelin-anakee-iii) tires, which will hopefully be adequate for most rides that I would attempt.
I might be out riding my Super Tenere'
Don
Post by: dpippin on February 16, 2015, 02:06:36 PM
Recently I happened to visit the website (http://bmwmcoga.org/content.aspx?page_id=0&club_id=243122) of BMW Motorcycle Club of Georgia and found several "dual-sport" routes (http://bmwmcoga.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=243122&module_id=168531) for BMW GS riders during their Georgia Mountain Rally (http://bmwmcoga.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=243122&module_id=168530) on the first weekend in May. Perhaps someone with better local knowledge than I could look them over. After slight modification, these routes may be suitable for our NGC in April.
Don
Don
I took a cursory look at the Georgia Mountain Rally routes. I was able to open 5 of them and the .gpx links to the other two doesn't work. You can view the route for these two but no gpx file.
The GMR_DS_Cherohala_Tellico_HiawasseeDam_BlueRidge_Nottely_Loop goes up Tatham Gap out of Andrews. That road has been closed for more than a year due to heavy rains washing parts of the road away. It's part of the Trail of Tears Route.
Before taking this route you should contact Bill Champion at the Tusquitee Ranger Station at 828-837-5152 to verify if Tatham Gap has been opened.
The other four routes are all doable on a GS depending on rider skills. There's nothing particularly hard on these routes.
Many parts of these routes are in the ADV routes we'll have for Spring Fling.
One thing I'll mention is that these five routes have many waypoints, often very close together. These will announce in your GPS very often and is distracting.
Most of these waypoints should be changed to shaping points so they won't announce. This can be done with Basecamp.
Also the routes have the same starting and ending points with the route coming and going on the same road. This often confuses the GPS. There needs to be separate start and end points for the route. Or have a separate return route so you're not covering a road in both directions.
Since the North Georgia Classic event is a just for fun event, MSTA rules say we can't have official routes. I have offered up a collection of my personal routes in the Helen Georgia area for anyone attending NGC. There are no dual sport or ADV routes in that collection.
You can find my Georgia routes in a link on the NGC web site. http://msta-se.com/helen/ (http://msta-se.com/helen/)
If you'd like to work some ADV routes for the area that could be used for those attending NGC that would be great.
I could add a link to them on the web site.
If you'd like more information on what I've mentioned above please contact me at d_pippin_89@bellsouth.net
Doug
Post by: donmoe on February 16, 2015, 06:03:42 PM
Thanks for your comments on those routes and the warning about Tatham Gap.
I too noticed the problem with some of the links not working correctly. It seems that the author swapped some of the links to the maps and GPX files. In the case where the GPX link just shows the map, click on the map to access the GPX file.
Don
Post by: HawkGTRider on February 16, 2015, 06:54:42 PM
Post by: dpippin on February 17, 2015, 08:25:14 AM
For what it's worth, I've been advised by a local rider that the washed out section of Tatham Gap can be traversed on two wheels but nothing bigger. I don't know this personally as I haven't been there. The U.S.D.A. Forest Service says this section of road is closed to ALL types of traffic...motorized, horse, and even foot traffic. From this F.S. site, http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/news-events/?cid=STELPRDB5413480 (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/news-events/?cid=STELPRDB5413480) , it sounds like it's blocked off with the intent to keep everyone out until it's been determined that the roadbed is stable enough to handle it.
Geoffrey
You may be able to get a motorcycle through but there is a big fine if you are caught in an area that has been officially closed.
So doing so is at your own risk.
This road (Tatham Gap) is on one of the dual sport routes for Fools Run and I have found an alternative route to up the mountain from Andrews to Robbinsville without going on the highway.
So until Tatham Gap is officially open we won't be using that route.
And the new way up the mountain should be even more fun than Tatham Gap that's basically just a rough gravel road that cars and trucks can traverse.
Doug