Que tal, amigos:
Thought I'd offer a summary of my journey from Barnett's Suzuki in Raleigh, NC, to the home base in Heath, TX. While on a business trip I happened upon a pristine '09 Multistrada and thought "Why not?". 4 days, 1400.7 miles on the trip meter, with minimal pain & suffering.
Day 1:
Hit the streets on the '09 Multistrada at 0958 eastern, with a 4 mile hop on I40 to Hwy 64W. This would represent the only interstate mileage of the entire trip, as the remaining route incorporated state highways, two-lane blacktop, and scenic byways.
The ride along 64W to Asheboro provided an opportunity to get comfortable with the Multi. Around the 12 mile point my lower back started to radiate a bit, which created a degree of apprehension. By mile 20 it had disappeared, and never made a repeat visit.
Leaving Asheboro on 49 I intersected my first two-lane twisty (Brantley Gordon Rd). The road flowed from one turn to the next, and the MTS performed wonderfully. As speeds increased, so did the Multi's responsiveness, with peak torque hovering around 4500 RPM. Back roads carried me through Salisbury to Mooresville, where the indomitable Lake Norman forced me into city traffic. There the Duc's heavy clutch worked my left forearm, but oil temp remained well within range as the local population did their best to impede my progress.
Hwy 150 took me to Lincolnton, where Hwy 182 and marked corners awaited. Through experimentation I learned the MTS could navigate corners at approximately 190% the posted limit with relative ease. 35 MPH signs morphed into 65 MPH, and a "slow in/fast out" policy delivered greatest stability, especially when coupled with the engine at a temperate 3500 RPM.
Various back roads (some without the benefit of a centerline) eventually spit me back onto 64 into and through Hendersonville, dead-ending into Hwy 276 and the Pisgah National Forest. Corners now fall into the 20 MPH marked range, and a more aggressive approach to bike handling was initiated. Peg pressure became more deliberate, and I assumed a forward posture over the tank, elbows-up, and alternating between hanging off the bike and throwing it into corners. Slower traffic was quickly dispatched, as the MTS responds vigorously to snapping the throttle anywhere above 3K RPM.
At the end of 276 sites the Blue Ridge Parkway, where I am greeted by amazing vistas and dropping temperatures. It seemed impossible that the short ride from Hendersonville planted me in such a different landscape, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the road nicely challenging at 60 MPH. After a couple of miles I caught up with a BMW R1100GS, and we rode in tandem to the 6035' summit, which was nearly 20 degrees cooler and much more damp than the lower elevations. I briefly considered swapping gloves, but did not want to lose contact with my bike's Aryan cousin, so we began our decent together.
As we sank into the valley, both temps and speeds increased. Caution exceeded valor on that day, as damp roads and decreasing radius turns highlighted my lack of familiarity with the course. The corners marked 10 MPH demand serious attention, as overshoot areas provide very little acreage. I laughed under my helmet several times during the decent, and waved goodbye to my Beemer friend as he continued on the Parkway while I made my way west on Hwy 74.
Entering Bryson City, NC, around 6:30 PM I had no lodging reservations and began to search for something inexpensive and biker-friendly. The Relax Inn offered both, as it's $55 rate and parking lot littered with touring Harleys and Hondas fit the bill. After grabbing the last room I swapped stories with folks from Detroit, Florida, and Novi Scotia. I hit the rack early, as 280 miles and the Tail of the Dragon were awaiting tomorrow's sunrise.
More to follow...
Weave
Thought I'd offer a summary of my journey from Barnett's Suzuki in Raleigh, NC, to the home base in Heath, TX. While on a business trip I happened upon a pristine '09 Multistrada and thought "Why not?". 4 days, 1400.7 miles on the trip meter, with minimal pain & suffering.
Day 1:
Hit the streets on the '09 Multistrada at 0958 eastern, with a 4 mile hop on I40 to Hwy 64W. This would represent the only interstate mileage of the entire trip, as the remaining route incorporated state highways, two-lane blacktop, and scenic byways.
The ride along 64W to Asheboro provided an opportunity to get comfortable with the Multi. Around the 12 mile point my lower back started to radiate a bit, which created a degree of apprehension. By mile 20 it had disappeared, and never made a repeat visit.
Leaving Asheboro on 49 I intersected my first two-lane twisty (Brantley Gordon Rd). The road flowed from one turn to the next, and the MTS performed wonderfully. As speeds increased, so did the Multi's responsiveness, with peak torque hovering around 4500 RPM. Back roads carried me through Salisbury to Mooresville, where the indomitable Lake Norman forced me into city traffic. There the Duc's heavy clutch worked my left forearm, but oil temp remained well within range as the local population did their best to impede my progress.
Hwy 150 took me to Lincolnton, where Hwy 182 and marked corners awaited. Through experimentation I learned the MTS could navigate corners at approximately 190% the posted limit with relative ease. 35 MPH signs morphed into 65 MPH, and a "slow in/fast out" policy delivered greatest stability, especially when coupled with the engine at a temperate 3500 RPM.
Various back roads (some without the benefit of a centerline) eventually spit me back onto 64 into and through Hendersonville, dead-ending into Hwy 276 and the Pisgah National Forest. Corners now fall into the 20 MPH marked range, and a more aggressive approach to bike handling was initiated. Peg pressure became more deliberate, and I assumed a forward posture over the tank, elbows-up, and alternating between hanging off the bike and throwing it into corners. Slower traffic was quickly dispatched, as the MTS responds vigorously to snapping the throttle anywhere above 3K RPM.
At the end of 276 sites the Blue Ridge Parkway, where I am greeted by amazing vistas and dropping temperatures. It seemed impossible that the short ride from Hendersonville planted me in such a different landscape, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the road nicely challenging at 60 MPH. After a couple of miles I caught up with a BMW R1100GS, and we rode in tandem to the 6035' summit, which was nearly 20 degrees cooler and much more damp than the lower elevations. I briefly considered swapping gloves, but did not want to lose contact with my bike's Aryan cousin, so we began our decent together.
As we sank into the valley, both temps and speeds increased. Caution exceeded valor on that day, as damp roads and decreasing radius turns highlighted my lack of familiarity with the course. The corners marked 10 MPH demand serious attention, as overshoot areas provide very little acreage. I laughed under my helmet several times during the decent, and waved goodbye to my Beemer friend as he continued on the Parkway while I made my way west on Hwy 74.
Entering Bryson City, NC, around 6:30 PM I had no lodging reservations and began to search for something inexpensive and biker-friendly. The Relax Inn offered both, as it's $55 rate and parking lot littered with touring Harleys and Hondas fit the bill. After grabbing the last room I swapped stories with folks from Detroit, Florida, and Novi Scotia. I hit the rack early, as 280 miles and the Tail of the Dragon were awaiting tomorrow's sunrise.
More to follow...
Weave