Honda Hoot

[luckylindy]

I recently went to the Honda Hoot in Knoxville, TN.  I rode my NH with a guy on a VTX 1300 and another on a Goldwing trike.  People who knew we were making the trip assumed that I being on the smallest bike would have the hardest time but the NH ran great and was quite comfortable whether flying down the interstate or hugging curves in the Smoky Mts.(the GW trike hated the curves).  The only other NH I saw the entire time in TN was a lonely looking NH250 at the demo ride area that no one was riding.   I demo'ed an ST 1300 and for the entire 28 mile ride I was thinking how great my NH was compared to the $15,000 machine I was riding.  The ST definitely is a great bike but not as comfortable as my NH.  I will make a ride report ASAP.

[Deadly]

  I will make a ride report ASAP.

Im Looking forward to checking it out.   

[DesignFlaw06]

Honda Hoot is on my Bucket List.

I demo'ed an ST 1300 and for the entire 28 mile ride I was thinking how great my NH was compared to the $15,000 machine I was riding.  The ST definitely is a great bike but not as comfortable as my NH.

I drove the ST1300 and found it uncomfortable as well. But mainly due to the way my knees bend naturally and what the fairing forced me to do. I think the Yamaha FJR was a little more forgiving in that area. 

[luckylindy]

This will be my first ride report as this old dog doesn't like new tricks.  It will be spread over several posts(dialup sucks for photo hosting) and days(squeezing in some more summer fun with the family b4 I go back to work as a football coach). 
We left Texas @6:30am to beat the heat.  I'm 49 and my riding buddies are 58 and 64 so we decided to stop every 100-120 miles to stretch and rehydrate.  Riding 700 miles on I-30 and I-40 was the worst part of the experience, but with only 6 days we had to make time on the trip to TN and back home.  Here are the bikes at an early gas stop. 

[luckylindy]

 The first day was uneventful.  500+ miles of dodging crazies at 75mph.  We made it through Nashville rush hour traffic when our butts had enough. 

[luckylindy]

  The 2nd day was much better.  The terrain E of Nashville was nice and it actually became a little chilly at 10am in the Cumberland Mts.  Some 18 wheelers on I40 were climbing @ about 20-30mph as we zipped by.

[luckylindy]

We arrived in Knoxville around lunchtime so we decided to have some home cookin' at Cracker Barrell.  We had a great waitress who gave Jim a hard time about "driving" a trike, she said he should have come in a car because that is no motorcycle.
Hoot headquarters are in a downtown hotel and this is the 4 level garage that was full of bikes.

[luckylindy]

Day 3 was the best of the trip.  We left Knoxville on a cool and clear morning to head for North Carolina and the Cherohala Skyway ride.  This lake was just before we hit some good mountain twisties.

[luckylindy]

A BBQ lunch was provided along the way.  Lots of bikes and friendly folks.

[luckylindy]

After lunch, the road took us to higher elevation quickly.  Even though there were alot of bikes out, you could still have some space between groups so you could wind it out around some curves.  Lots of scenic vistas.  Here is one where you can see the road we came up. 

[luckylindy]

Here are some more from the Cherohala Skyway. 

[luckylindy]

We topped out at 5220 feet.  At 2pm it was 70 here and around 90 in the valley.  Great riding weather and roads.

[luckylindy]

Here is a better pic showing us keeping the jackets on at this stop at 5,000 feet.  We met 2 guys from  St. Louis who wanted to ride with us.  Scott was the uncle riding a VTX 1300 and his 17 year old nephew riding a Buell 1200. 

[luckylindy]

When I continue this report on Thursday I'll get into Deals Gap and the Dragon.  This was the best riding day of my life. Great weather, people, scenery, and roads.

[luckylindy]

  Just before the Dragon gets twisty people were pulling over to see this dam.  It was used in The Fugitive movie.
This pic really doesn't do it justice.  Quite a drop from the top.

[luckylindy]

  Since the Honda Hoot was going on, we expected lots of bikes but there were tons + packs of high$ sports cars out for a fun day at the "track".  Being my first time on the dragon, I played it safe.  Lots of guys on sports bikes in full race leathers who were blasting away.  The MC resort parking lot was a madhouse.   

[luckylindy]

 Ray(who took most of these pics) and his VTX in front of the famous sign.

[luckylindy]

 Jim and me in front of the Dragon.

[luckylindy]

  Last pic and impressions of the Dragon.  The Tree of Shame had some helmets and parts from guys that died on the Dragon.  We saw 2 bikes that had run off the road.  I ran with a Yamaha R1 that I had waved around on one of the few passable straights and the kid riding with us on the Buell 1200 for a short time then better judgement kicked in and I rode my own ride.  The kid also let the R1 go.  We only rode about 200 miles because we stopped for so many pics.  I'm glad I got to ride the Dragon and would like to ride it some other time with less traffic.

[luckylindy]

  Day 4 we rode up to Cumberland Gap on the TN-KY border.  Nice relaxed riding on state highways at 50-55 mph.  The NH did about 170 miles @55mpg.  Good scenery, but not as good as the Smoky Mts.

[luckylindy]

  Honda put on a country home cooked spread here.  We ate on a large(10,000 sq feet) covered deck.  They provided some old style country music, not my thing but it fit in Cumberland Gap.
The hightlight of this ride for me was the straightest road in TN.  It was about a mile long tunnel through a MT. that straddles TN-KY.  Vehicles are to not change lanes and sta @40mph.  We entered in the left lane and it took eyes a short time to adjust but once inside the sound of exhaust and the lighting got to us and we ended up speeding through at 75.

[luckylindy]

  Back in Knoxville that night, we went to Bike Night @ the site of the 82 World's Fair.  Some of the best looking bikes were not in the bike show.  This scooter didn't fit in any category but it sure got alot of attention.

[luckylindy]

  This GW won best of show.  Not surprising consdering there were far more GW riders than any other bike.  The night ended with a fireworks show coordinated with rock music.

[luckylindy]

  There were some mad riders when the show was over and their bikes were covered in fireworks debris.

[luckylindy]

  Friday was Day 5 and our last full day in Knoxville.  We had yet to visit the vendor tents in Chilhowee Park so we decided to spend our day there.  We also wanted to do demo rides and knew that would take awhile.  They usually have several brands there but Honda decided to only offer Hondas on the 15th anniversary of the Hoot.  Here's a shot of the bikes in this huge parking lot.