My week at Deal's Gap, June 2015

[Trambo]

I've been going to Deal's Gap for several years, attending the National SV Rally each year to meet up with old friends and ride motorcycles in some of the greatest roads in the eastern US. Such famous roads as the Tail of the Dragon, the Cherahola Skyway, Blue Ridge Parkway, and countless others in the area. Most of us rent cabins in Fontana Village Resort nearby and ride from there each day, taking rides and daytrips into TN and NC seeking adventure and thrills.
 
Many of us no longer own SV's. I myself traded mine off 2 years ago for a K.L.R. and just a couple weeks ago, on the FJ. This certainly doesn't keep us from attending the rally! So many of us "SV-Hadders" still keep in touch thanks to the many friendships forged over the years. Anyway, it's a week filled with rides, beer, great food, tall tales & fun that I wouldn't trade for anything.
 
Just thought I'd share a few pics I snapped while I was there last week.
The FJ is loaded & ready for the trip down. I don't ride as I take an enormous amount of supplies (ie., beer) on the trip.

 
The first shot from the overlook on the Tail of the Dragon.



 
My buddy Derek, the founder of the SV Rally, about to demo my FJ:

He's a convert. Another friend, Mike, also demo'd it and is selling his FZ now for one.
 
The scenery is breathtaking in the Smoky Mountains. This is below Fontana Dam:

 
 
Just across the street is the boat ramp. The fog is from ice-cold water on a 96+ degree day!


 
Later we rode up on top of Fontana Dam. At 480 feet (150 m) high, Fontana is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States.



 
Next day, back on the Dragon for a few pics. Here I am parked at a corner called "Gravity Cavity", aka "The Hump". This is a particularly dangerous corner with a wicked double"S" curve that runs ~2 stories of elevation change! It's FUN!!



 
Next day. Cherahola Skyway to TN. Elevations of nearly 6,000 feet and great views, with long, weeping high-speed corners for nearly 50 miles. In Robbinsville it was 92F temp, but at the top it was 65F and CHILLY!! Yes, the FJ leads the pack...




 
We stopped off at Bald River Falls for a few pics just off the Skyway. I had to ham it up. Bald. Get it??


 
Back to Fontana Dam, this time at the bottom for a shot of me & the FJ:

 
Overall it was a fantastic week of riding. I put just over 1,000 miles on the FJ last week. Even had to do the 1st oil & filter change there on Tuesday! (I planned ahead, LOL) I got to explore B-Mode after a torrential downpour and really appreciated that a LOT. Had a lot of good, safe fun and found the FJ-09 to be superb in every way out there. Yamaha really hit a home run with this bike, I look forward to many years of riding on it, and many more rallies to come. Thanks for reading!
 
 
 

[hotboot]

The FZ and SV guys share that week, although I missed this year bombing around those great roads on the FJ with my FZ friends would have been stellar.
 
Great pictures.

[keithu]

Great report! That area is on my bucket list, it's just a really long ways off from Oregon.

[jo1000]

Awsome pics, thanks!! I stayed at Fontana Village a few times with the FZ1 Rally. Riding in that area is great , I was like a kid in a candy store down there.. Fontana Village Resort was actually a work village for the men who built Fontana Dam

[diveslob]

Fantastic photos. Would love to ride out there at some point.
Thanks for posting.

[johnnyd]

Great post. Related to your trip, I wonder about the Dragon.
 
I bought my first bike after learning how to ride last August. I have less than 3k miles on my bike. My question is:
Does the dragon require any particular skill beyond counter stearing and looking through the turn if riding the speed limit? I took the motorcycle safety course and know the basics. I have ridden a few rides on Tennessee country roads, the Natchez Trace: 40-50mph curves.
 
Thanks for any suggestions!

[Trambo]

Great post. Related to your trip, I wonder about the Dragon.  
I bought my first bike after learning how to ride last August. I have less than 3k miles on my bike. My question is:
Does the dragon require any particular skill beyond counter stearing and looking through the turn if riding the speed limit? I took the motorcycle safety course and know the basics. I have ridden a few rides on Tennessee country roads, the Natchez Trace: 40-50mph curves.
 
Thanks for any suggestions!

Hi Johnny,
I wouldn't say it requires any special skills. Mostly it just takes a healthy dose of respect for the road, and riding at a pace YOU are comfortable with. The people that get in trouble up there are the ones that either push too hard, or don't pay attention to things.

[grogsym]

I think I almost saw part of an SV in one of those pics
 
I am meeting up with the UK SV forum (SV1000 portal) at the end of the month in Ireland. It's been at least 7 years since I had an SV, great bunch though.
 
I thought I would take the long way round from Scotland (via France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and back through France). I hope the roads are as good as these!

[martyl]

The Dragon is fun! Just what out for the Troopers, especially on the weekends. The Surrounding area roads are awesome. I've stayed with my family at the Fontana resort at the main hotel and not in a cabin. Have to rent a cabin next time. In the area there is also some of the best kayaking around. I rented Kayaks with my family and we enjoyed it. We also rented a pontoon boat and cruised around lake Fontana. Bring two main things for that, a good pair of binoculars and a compass as the lake has many twists n turns. Lots of nice homes literally built on the lake to look at. l rode around the area on my Ural Gear-Up. Took some very spirited rides on gravel roads with some buddies who live in the area that have Urals as well. I'm so looking forward to riding the FJ09 in the area in the Spring next year.