Before you read this, I must tell you the pics are not great (old camera), and we do not wear full gear , so if that offends you, read no more!

First day.
490 miles in 9 hours, 2 up & loaded heavy.

Headed out from southeast Illinois Wednesday morning (8-1-12 )and hammered across Indiana on I-64. I was running, umm, well lets just say a little over the speed limit when a state trooper came up behind me and to my surprise, went around me like a streak of lightning. He had to of been running over a 100 mph. No lights or siren. The ol’ lady said to me through the headsets, “hmmm….must be break time” lol.
Turned south right before Louisville and crossed the Ohio river into Brandenburg, Ky. From there we angled down to Columbia and jumped on the Louie B Nunn Cumberland Parkway (whew) over to Somerset. There was no traffic on that parkway, and again made good time.
From there, we took some twisty 2 lanes (hwy 192 to 312) to Corbin. We were enjoying the road and scenery when all of a sudden, in a sharp left hand curve, we hit sand. The bike slid towards the side of the road, front and rear at the same time it seemed, and finally regained traction, and on around the curve we went. Got a scream through the head sets on that one…. Lol. I didn’t see it and it’s probably a good thing, cause I’d probably panicked and done something stupid. I said “what the hell”, she said “I don’t know but don’t do that again”.
We took 25E on around to I-40 from Corbin. The Cumberland Gap Tunnel is 4600’ feet long. I’ve been through it before on a bike, but it’s still cool.











From the tunnel on through Tn.



Stopped for a quick stretch and a couple of pics here. Veterans overlook I believe.





Back on the road.



She got lucky on this shot.



I see you back there.









Tunnels on I-40.







And another.



From there we road on to our hotel in Maggie Valley.

The next morning we ran across 19 and turned north on US441 up through the center of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.









From there we made a u-turn in Gatlinburg and cut up through the park to Townsend and back down on the Foothills Parkway.



On to the Dragon. Right as we started on the dragon, a bumble bee decided to take shelter inside my shirt and leave it’s stinger in my back. I pulled over and the ol’ lady finally got it off me. Damn thing wouldn’t let go!!! I am glad its stinger was pointing towards me and not her, because her chest was right up against my back and that could have been really bad!!!











Grabbed a burger and headed out on 28.



Fontana Dam. 400 and some feet tall.



From there we pretty much just headed back to Maggie Valley and relaxed.

The next morning we decided to see a little bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway.



















I believe this is Pisgah???



From here we turned around & took 276 (which is an awesome twisty downhill run from the BRP for a ways) back to 19 and raced the rain back to the hotel. And literally, as soon as we opened the door to the hotel, it started pooring.

That’s pretty much all of the good stuff. We got up the next morning and headed home at 7am. No pics this day as we were dodging thunderstorms all the way home. Got soaked in Somerset and had to pull over & wait out a bad one near the Ohio river at the Kentucky/Indiana line. Got home at 5pm.

The bike performed fantastic for a 650. Loaded heavy and 2 up, I could run 80 indicated (75 gps) up hill and roll on the throttle and it would climb right on up with no problem, although I know it was really having to work, it never complained one bit. and we got 49 mpg actual at interstate speeds. Keeping it below an actual 65 mph never revving it above 6k rpm, we got 60 mpg. That was not loaded but still 2 up. I figured the mpg at each fill up. If the odometer is relatively accurate, I think that is pretty good!

Great post, and pics !!!!

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012 DL1000 Adventure

08 XL1200

good post, good pics! i was wondering how the 650 performed 2 up and loaded. i'm coming from an 1800 cc goldwing and a long line of big sport tourers and liter bikes. the 650 is my smallest bike since my rd400 in '78.

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2012 wee ADVENTURE, 2012 GOLDWING WITH TRAILER (TRADED FOR WEE STROM), 07 BANDIT 1250 (TRADED FOR 2012 GOLDWING), BANDIT 1200, NINJA 500, Z1000, ZX9R, MARAUDER 800, 650 SAVAGE, 750 KATANA, NINJA 900, '78 YAMAHA 750 SPECIAL, YAMAHA RD400

Hey Joe-
What is that thing on the tank that doesn't look like a tank bag?

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1942 Brick Bungalow
1968 Dream Wife
2007 Retirement Certificate

LOL, I'm not exactly sure myself. I think it's a womans leather fanny pack. It was given to us and we slipped in some hard drive magnets between the layers and sewed around them to hold them in place.
We use it for the camera, phones, tire gauge, small light, ibuprofen lol. Anything we need quick access to. Then just throw it in the saddle bag when we go in somewhere.

Sweet!

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1942 Brick Bungalow
1968 Dream Wife
2007 Retirement Certificate

Very nice.... enjoyed your photos especially the tree..... the forum needs to start a thread on "shoe trees" etc. across the country, starting to see more of them

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I don't need a reason to ride . . . just a direction

As you already know, it's no wing and definitely not a liter bike, but it does have useable power. Between 5 & 6K rpm, it seems to have a tractor like power. If you whack the throttle it's gonna disappoint, but if you gradually roll the throttle, you can feel that it has the power to pull. Not quick, but it's there.

Between 5 & 6K rpm seems to be my bikes sweet spot & 80 mph indicated is right in there. You know there's a lot of wind drag at those speeds with those big ol' boxes hang'n out there, so when you remember that it's only 645 cc's, & you've got 400+ lbs. on it, it pulls well i think.

I didn't get this bike to run interstates anyway, but this trip was kinda of a rushed ride. But I know now that it is possible when I need to.

Joe

That's the "tree of shame" at Deals Gap, the end of the Tail of the Dragon.
Shoe tree thread would be cool. There use to be one about 3 or 4 miles from my house, but it finally fell over and rotted away. It didn't have near the footwear on it that things got though . Where is that at?