Trip to Maggie Valley

[madsocial]

My husband and I are planning a trip to Maggie Valley are for our 1 year wedding anniversary. We are heading out next week, he will be on the RX3 and I will be on Harley. Wish we bought two RX3's lol

Nonetheless, I wanted to reach out to you all to see if anyone has been down there. Any tips, places you recommend we don't miss out on.

We are planning on doing the Blueridge, the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. Also the Wheels through Time museum. We are planning to camp at Lake Santeelah for maybe a day or two, just to do some hiking and relaxing along the lake. We'll be on the road for about 12 days, so that should leave us time to head back up through West Virginia to go through the New River Gorge area and the back end of the Dragon (hwy 16).

Would anyone recommend taking an extra spark plug? Chain? I mean, are these things important with the RX3? These are not things I think about when doing long distance on my Harley. Especially since Harley dealerships are about as common on the road as a LOVE gas stations are, or even Walmart at this point. :lol:

Anyways, it would be great to hear from you folks out there that have spent some days and miles on the road for this sort of length of time.

:thanks:

[jbfla]

.......

Nonetheless, I wanted to reach out to you all to see if anyone has been down there. Any tips, places you recommend we don't miss out on.

We are planning on doing the Blueridge, the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. Also the Wheels through Time museum. We are planning to camp at Lake Santeelah for maybe a day or two, just to do some hiking and relaxing along the lake...."

Would anyone recommend taking an extra spark plug? Chain? I mean, are these things important with the RX3? These are not things I think about when doing long distance on my Harley. Especially since Harley dealerships are about as common on the road as a LOVE gas stations are, or even Walmart at this point. :lol:

Anyways, it would be great to hear from you folks out there that have spent some days and miles on the road for this sort of length of time.

:thanks:


Sounds like a great trip!

You have the major North Carolina motorcycle attractions covered.

Since you will be nearby, you might add the Joyce Kilmer National Park if you would enjoy a couple mile hiking loop.

The only advice I have on the RX3 is to check the valve clearances before you start the trip.

Others may have additional suggestions about maintenance items.

What are the dates of your trip? I may be in the area at the time.

jb

[pyoungbl]

I don't know where you will be getting on the Parkway but having done it from end to end I'll tell anyone that it gets pretty dull after a few hours of 45 mph...and worse if you get caught behind a string of RVs. There are darn few passing opportunities. There is a motorcycle only campground (Willville) at Meadows of Dan and a decent restaurant about 100 yards off the Parkway at Tuggles Gap. The Dragon is over rated and crawling with police who will write a ticket for even small infractions. I'd stay away, particularly on a weekend. The Skyway is delightful, still speed limited. Allow lots of time for Wheels Through Time, at least three hours. Motels in Maggie Valley might be almost as cheap as camping, just do not expect 4 stars. As for spare parts, you really should not need any with your low mileage bike. Tell Luke to bring his credit card!

Peter Y.

[Lee R]

All I had to do to mine on the 4000 mile trip was adjust my chain and clutch a few times. The valves in my experience won't make it 5000 miles so set them before you go. Mine were tight after 4000 and I set them just prior to leaving.

[BlackBike]

:hmm: resist the urge to bring the kitchen sink. Maybe an extra master link. And some wax/petroleum chain lube for day 6. It's just that it's really dry and dusty where I go so mabey not so much for your trip.

Also I picked up this so I really have all I need to work on the bike now from front to back.
Cheap insurance...bought $15 with shipping. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R5O004A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also small mostly used roll of electric tape (to save space). . Ask azhule about its importance. Extra fuses? Spark plug ehhh, your choice, mabey some emery cloth to dress it if you faul it with some bad gas. I have extra one (plug) on mine. Smalls are easy so might as well throw on board.

You will be bringing useful things anyway if your in a pinch just because your camping. Can you link your tent if it's new. I'm sure you know about this, there are all sorts of good articles here. http://www.advpulse.com/category/adv-prepping/

Can I go with you guys on your honeymoon? Won't cause any problems, promise...:lmao:

[FastDoc]

Enjoy the ride. You sound like a well matched couple.

When I ride with friends on Harley's I like to ride small single cylinder low powered machines like my Royal Enfield.

Have a great anniversary

[AZRider]

I was a part of the Western States Ride (5,000 miles at 8,000 rpm) in 2015 and although I didn't complete the ride, I did put on about 3,000 miles in 8 days. My only maintenance was changing the oil in a hotel parking lot, adjusting and lubing the chain and making sure that all fasteners were torqued. I did loose a bolt from the muffler heat shroud and CSC had a spare for me.

If you haven't already done so, or will be close to 4,000 miles during the trip, replace your chain before you leave. You'll save a lot of time making wasted adjustments.

Have fun and be safe.

[CSCDude]

I was a part of the Western States Ride (5,000 miles at 8,000 rpm) in 2015 and although I didn't complete the ride, I did put on about 3,000 miles in 8 days. My only maintenance was changing the oil in a hotel parking lot, adjusting and lubing the chain and making sure that all fasteners were torqued. I did loose a bolt from the muffler heat shroud and CSC had a spare for me.

If you haven't already done so, or will be close to 4,000 miles during the trip, replace your chain before you leave. You'll save a lot of time making wasted adjustments.

Have fun and be safe.

Good advice.

I was glad you were able to ride with us last year, George. I enjoyed your company and I hope we have a chance to ride together again.

[madsocial]

Since you will be nearby, you might add the Joyce Kilmer National Park if you would enjoy a couple mile hiking loop. What are the dates of your trip? I may be in the area at the time.
jb

JB, we are on the road from Aug 12-21st. thanks for the heads up about the park.

[madsocial]

:hmm: resist the urge to bring the kitchen sink. Maybe an extra master link. And some wax/petroleum chain lube for day 6. It's just that it's really dry and dusty where I go so mabey not so much for your trip.

Also I picked up this so I really have all I need to work on the bike now from front to back.
Cheap insurance...bought $15 with shipping. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R5O004A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also small mostly used roll of electric tape (to save space). . Ask azhule about its importance. Extra fuses? Spark plug ehhh, your choice, mabey some emery cloth to dress it if you faul it with some bad gas. I have extra one (plug) on mine. Smalls are easy so might as well throw on board.

You will be bringing useful things anyway if your in a pinch just because your camping. Can you link your tent if it's new. I'm sure you know about this, there are all sorts of good articles here. http://www.advpulse.com/category/adv-prepping/

Can I go with you guys on your honeymoon? Won't cause any problems, promise...:lmao:

yeah, i always carry an emergency kit. my tool roll has fuses/tape and zip ties. These are things I usually carry on my harley, because I have had fuses fail on me.

as for the honeymoon....:ohno:

[madsocial]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

Peter, we won't be there during the weekend. We'll just be in the area, so why not get the dragon out of the way. It's really the skyway below it that I think we will enjoy more. Since we'll be camping by the lake for a day or two. I think West Virginia will be the highlight of the trip and less traveled on by RVs.

Also, just to put it out there, this is Luke's first motorcycle trip on the street ever! Me, I've been all over the country, Mexico and Canada. He's been on dirt only really. So, I'm not sure how much time he'll be able to endure on the road. We may only do 300 miles a day and he's exhausted. I don't know. Me, I can do 1000 miles in under 24 hours. So, the parkway, while it's slow, will suck for me, but be good experience for him. So, I'll just have to sing to myself to keep my sanity. LOL

[pyoungbl]

Oh, West Virginia....take a look at Pocahontas County (southern part of the state). There is a B&B in Marlinton that caters to motorcyclists....Old Clark Inn. Tell Nelson or Andrea that I sent you! The roads are fantastic.

Peter Y.

[BlackBike]

Singing in the helmet, part of the euphoria of riding...:hi:

Riding in the Appalachians an experience many Americans won't experience, especially on 2 wheels.

[Sport Rider]

Oh, West Virginia....take a look at Pocahontas County (southern part of the state). There is a B&B in Marlinton that caters to motorcyclists....Old Clark Inn. Tell Nelson or Andrea that I sent you! The roads are fantastic.

Peter Y.

you too, huh? I stay there any time I go to WV. great people!

[Sport Rider]

don't let Deals Gap police scare you. it's a must-do to check off the bucket list. on the RX3 and Harley, it's not like you are going to be pressing limits. On the Cherohala Skyway side, there are a lot of dirt/gravel roads that the RX3 would love.

Follow 16 all the way up to Beckley WV and then find 39 over to Marlinton. going through the coal mining area of the state is a very interesting experience. all the area of eastern WV is great riding.

in western NC there are a lot of waterfalls. do some searching on the net and see if you can find some to sightsee a little bit. there's one close to the Cherohala Skyway on the TN end.

Have fun!

[madsocial]

We did the Dragon on a Monday, saw no police at all! Not a single car in site. There were barely any people there even on the dragon. Everyone was right, the roads around it were so much better. The roads to get to it were amazing. The Dragon is over rated for sure. Nonetheless, it has been slayed. I do not understand the hype of going back to it time after time. That I would not waste doing.

I'll do a new thread with pics and a better write up. I'm just still exhausted. Also, weird thing happened with the RX3. The trip meter reset itself at just over 600 miles, twice on the trip. So weird. The bike also did do it's shut off every now and then. Not a big deal, mostly at the red light.

Anyone else have their trip meter reset on them like this? Other than that, the bike ran great. We ended with over 1700 miles. :yay:

[2LZ]

We did the Dragon on a Monday, saw no police at all! Not a single car in site. There were barely any people there even on the dragon. Everyone was right, the roads around it were so much better. The roads to get to it were amazing. The Dragon is over rated for sure. Nonetheless, it has been slayed. I do not understand the hype of going back to it time after time. That I would not waste doing.

I'll do a new thread with pics and a better write up. I'm just still exhausted. Also, weird thing happened with the RX3. The trip meter reset itself at just over 600 miles, twice on the trip. So weird. The bike also did do it's shut off every now and then. Not a big deal, mostly at the red light.

Anyone else have their trip meter reset on them like this? Other than that, the bike ran great. We ended with over 1700 miles. :yay:

That sure sounds like a ground problem. I'd clean and recheck the battery connections and whatever you can find behind the headlight. Check all the e-stuff under the seat, that hidden under the plastic cover, as well. If you're dealing with humidity, use dielectric grease or something like that.

Glad to hear you had a good trip!...and no, I've never been there but after reading about it in HD mags for years, I was stunned to find out just last week that the Dragon has a 30 or 35 mph speed limit???? I was under the impression from all the write-ups over all the years that this was some sort of famous, "challenge you to the core" twisties....not a closed area with a slow speed limit.

[jbfla]

I'm looking forward to the pictures of your trip.

I'm with LZ on the trip reset...intermittent ground connection.

Although, I did have the trip counter reset when I was setting the time on the clock.

And yes, there's a 30 mph speed limit on Deal's Gap.

jb

[Weldangrind]

That sure sounds like a ground problem. I'd clean and recheck the battery connections and whatever you can find behind the headlight. Check all the e-stuff under the seat, that hidden under the plastic cover, as well. If you're dealing with humidity, use dielectric grease or something like that.

Glad to hear you had a good trip!...and no, I've never been there but after reading about it in HD mags for years, I was stunned to find out just last week that the Dragon has a 30 or 35 mph speed limit???? I was under the impression from all the write-ups over all the years that this was some sort of famous, "challenge you to the core" twisties....not a closed area with a slow speed limit.

2LZ, if you ever find yourself with your bike in NW WA, I'll take you to Chuckanut Drive; it's one of the finest rides I've ever been on.

[RedHawk47]

Regarding the trip meter reset.
621 miles is 1000 km. There is a fair chance that the odometer is graduated in km and the ECU converts it to miles. Because it can show only three digits it starts over at 1000.
On my F800GS the thermometer was graduated in 1/2 deg C and converted to deg F. It would show temps like 68.9, 69.8, 70.7, etc.

[BlackBike]

Glad y'all are back with us safe and sound. That was a long one camping etc. Now you need a vacation from your vacation.