brad27 Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 Hi everyone, i'm planning a trip with a newly retired buddy of mine(i'm 41) from Montreal, Canada to Deal's Gap. A few years back i did the Skyway Drive, BRP, and went do ride the Dragon's Tail via Cherokee, Great Smokies, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville all alone on my Versys 650. Why i need help: This time i'm trailering the bikes to ease my body because i did not listened to guys who advised me not to ride from Canada at that time and my rear end suffered for 2 weeks after i came back. At that time i rode over 2800 miles in 5 days! So i'd like some advise to how or where to park my pick-up truck and enclosed trailer. I don't want to do exactly the same trip as the first time. Maybe we'll start riding somewhere in state of Pensylvania or Virginia(Front Royal). I'll surely be trailering on I-81 S. I need a safe place maybe like storage businesses i see along the road when i go to Florida. Do they offer that kind of service? I know i'm far from Deal's Gap and my buddy wants to take a little time and not ride like i did the first time. But i'm not retired!! So i guess we'll ride the BRP a few sections only to give him a glimpse and get to Cherokee faster using I-81 S and then enjoy that area. We leave sept. 1st and i have to get back to work on the 11th. I have not ridden the FJ since last april. It's a 2015 with around 3700 miles if i remember right. The rear tire begins to show a flat area on the center so is my buddy's Beamer. So trailering will also ease our rear tires too. Would you bring a spare clutch cable? Hope i've been clear. In fact i can resume all this by what's the best way in your country to safely leave my truck/trailer to. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcal616 Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 September 4th is Labor Day here in USA... pretty big holiday like 4th of July... its gonna be a bit busy... 2012 wr250f - C-class 30+ age group 2015 fz-07- Hordpower Edition-80whp 2015 fj-09- Graves Exhaust w/Woolich tune by 2WDW @120whp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member martyl Posted August 24, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted August 24, 2017 If your staying at a hotel or motel it's possible they'll have parking for folk with trailers/RV's. Usually it's at your own risk as far as liability. If your going to the same area as you described go to Maggie Valley and check out,"Wheels through Time". A great motorcycle museum. About twenty bucks U.S. To enter and worth it. A Motorcyclist's Church is the open road.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member britelitebob Posted August 24, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted August 24, 2017 I have left vehicles at campgrounds and motels and most of the time if you pay to stay there on your way in and out they don't bother to charge you for parking as long as they have the extra space. BLB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad27 Posted August 24, 2017 Author Share Posted August 24, 2017 Campground.....that should be safe. I know some leave their vehicules at car/motorcycles dealers too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad27 Posted August 24, 2017 Author Share Posted August 24, 2017 "September 4th is Labor Day here in USA... pretty big holiday like 4th of July... its gonna be a bit busy..." Yes i know. Each year we drive down Florida at the end of June. So we spend the 4th of July with you guys. Pretty busy for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo1000 Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 I would just trailer it down to Fontana village and make that home base. From there you can hit all the roads even do day trips into GA. The northern part of the BRP, is going to be crowed during those dates, from Fontana you could still ride the BRP only the southern part , which IMO is the best part. Forget the clutch cable change the rear tire instead, always best to have good tires down there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fddriver2 Posted August 24, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted August 24, 2017 Like others have said. Any Hotel, motel or campground that is in that area will let you leave your car and trailer while you ride if you are staying with them. I hope you have a reservation somewhere. That is prime riding season and a holiday weekend to boot.... Good luck..... "It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad27 Posted August 24, 2017 Author Share Posted August 24, 2017 Yeah i think i'm going to trailer to Cherokee or Pigeon Forge for a home base. I want to bring my partner to the highest point of the BRP which is located at the southern part if i remember right.... I've been told to go to Marion also. Thanks for the tip about reservations. I don't know why i did not thought of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member britelitebob Posted August 25, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted August 25, 2017 Yeah i think i'm going to trailer to Cherokee or Pigeon Forge for a home base. I want to bring my partner to the highest point of the BRP which is located at the southern part if i remember right.... I've been told to go to Marion also. Thanks for the tip about reservations. I don't know why i did not thought of that. I would steer clear of Pigeon Forge because it's nothing but a crowded tourist trap town and you'll lose a good hour each way getting in and out of there with the traffic, and I wouldn't recommend a stay in Cherokee to my worst enemy, even most of the Indians have left that place long ago. If you're going to drive that far consider Waynesville or even Maggie Valley, there's plenty of decent restaurants and you're already in the mountains so you can ride out in all directions and be on good roads within a few minutes, and you'll be just a stone's throw from the BRP. BLB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad27 Posted August 25, 2017 Author Share Posted August 25, 2017 Thanks i'll check that. I wanted to go to Maggie Valley anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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