My 2016 Memorial Day Weekend Motorcycle Ride – Enjoy!
After going several years without taking any long motorcycle rides, I decided this year would be different. Besides, my 2006 Honda Goldwing only has about 22K miles on it and is raring to go. For those of you who may not be familiar with motorcycles, the Honda Goldwing is the ultimate long distance touring motorcycle. I’ve included a picture of my bike and its current setup here…
It has every option that was available in 2006 with the exception of the airbag (Yes, seriously, 2006 was the year Honda introduced the airbag on Goldwings.). It has GPS navigation, heated seats and heated grips, a foot-warming system, ABS brakes, six-speaker premium audio system, reverse, cruise control, liters and liters of storage space, and many more features. The aftermarket accessories I’ve added are a Kuryakyn luggage rack (shown with Kuryakyn bag and waterproof cover), highway pegs, Honda fog lights, Honda 12V accessory outlet, an auxiliary port (for other audio inputs such as an iPod or an iPhone), two Gerbing heated clothing outlets (one for the driver and one for the passenger), small blind spot mirrors, and a coffee cup holder (shown with Starbucks thermos). The Goldwing also comes stock with a wired communications system that enables passengers to connect their helmets via wired connectors to the bike itself. This allows passengers the option of listening to all of the Goldwing’s audio sources (GPS navigation, AM/FM radio, weather band, intercom system, auxiliary audio inputs, iPhone, etc.) either through their helmets or via the six external speakers. That said, I’ve recently added a Sena SM10 Dual Stream Bluetooth Stereo Transmitter that enables passengers to connect their helmets wirelessly to all of the Goldwing’s audio sources using a Sena SMH10 Motorcycle Bluetooth Headset or any other bluetooth headset. This wireless bluetooth system also enables me to record and overlay my voice using the Sena Bluetooth Audio Pack directly onto the videos I record with my GoPro Hero4 Silver camera. Using this setup, I’ve started a YouTube vlog where I’ve posted several videos including this one (one of seven) from my 2016 Memorial Day Weekend Ride…
My Memorial Day Weekend route covered about 1400 miles. I started in Maryland, rode to Asheville, North Carolina where I spent one night, then rode north to Ohio where I spent two nights, and then rode back to Maryland. A large portion of my ride was through the Appalachian Mountains which I enjoyed immensely. Here’s a map of my route…
Aside from the fact that I simply enjoy riding, one of my main goals for this trip was to treat it like a test ride for the longer rides I’m planning this summer. It’s been several years since I’ve taken any long rides (i.e. one week or longer) and I’ve put very few miles on my motorcycle in the past couple of years. That said, I decided to take a three or four day ride to see how my motorcycle responded and to make sure there weren’t any major mechanical issues that needed to be addressed. Another goal for this ride was to hone my riding skills and re-acclimate to longer riding distances as well as riding in different weather conditions. Anytime I ride locally, I always check the weather channel first and never ride in questionable weather conditions. It’s probably been four or five years since I’ve ridden in rain so I figured a three or four day ride would be good for honing my riding skills in different weather conditions. As it turns out, it was…
The First Leg (Maryland to Asheville, North Carolina)
The ride from my house in Maryland to Asheville, North Carolina was the longest leg of the trip and relatively uneventful with the exception of a few rain showers and one thunderstorm that included a lightning strike that I actually caught on camera in my second vlog for this trip (9:15 of the clip shown here).
The first day was also the hottest day of the ride. It was around 90º when I left the MD/DC area and stayed in the upper 80s for most of the day. The most enjoyable part of the ride for me was the last hour or so in the mountains right before I got to Asheville, when I joined a sport bike in what I’ll call some more-lively riding 🙂
As always, when in Asheville, I spent the night at the Grand Bohemian (right across from the entrance to the Biltmore Estate) and enjoyed an amazing dinner at the Red Stag Grill before returning to my room for a rejuvenating and much needed long, hot soak in the oversized tub in my room. The staff at the Grand Bohemian always spoil me and are very accommodating. The hotel even sends me a Christmas card every year. The hotel has its own art gallery and a spa which I’ve used in the past. This visit was no exception. As soon as I pulled up on my motorcycle, they moved a car from the very first parking spot so I could park my motorcycle there. Talk about prime parking, under cover, and right next to the entrance. After a quick check-in, I was taken to my room and immediately noticed it didn’t have an oversized tub (a requirement for me when I’m riding my motorcycle). I told the valet who brought my bags to the room that it must have been a mistake. He apologized and reassured me that he would straighten it out. After three or four minutes, he returned with a new room key and escorted me to a room two doors down that matched my reservation, to include an oversized tub 🙂
As I said earlier, they always spoil me at the Grand Bohemian and I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling to or through Asheville. Since my first visit to Asheville several years ago, I always find myself being pulled back there at least once or twice a year. There are so many things to see and do (many of which are outdoors) as well as tons of excellent restaurants in the area. Not to mention the people are very friendly and welcoming. This being the case, I always find it hard to leave.
The Second Leg (Asheville, North Carolina to Ohio)
As much as I hated to leave Asheville, the second day of my ride was the most enjoyable of the entire trip. Upon leaving the Grand Bohemian and having received the staff’s well wishes for a safe journey, I crossed the street to Starbucks, filled my Goldwing’s coffee mug with a white chocolate mocha, then headed north.
After the first hour and a half or so on 26 North, I embarked on a breathtaking stretch of country that I had never before experienced. It stretched from Kingsport, Tennessee to Ashland, Kentucky. As a motorcycle rider, the most enjoyable rides for me are ones that take me to and through places I’ve never been before. The entire day was filled with just that. Aside from a couple of small showers, the weather was warm and sunny for most of the ride. The one regret I have for this leg of the trip is that my GoPro camera was giving me fits and I couldn’t get it to record. I didn’t let that minor annoyance hinder the sheer enjoyment I experienced that day on my ride. It truly is an amazing stretch of country through the Appalachian Mountains. Having ridden all over the U.S. on a motorcycle, this stretch is easily one of my top five favorites now and I’m already itching to do it again.
The Third Leg (Ohio to Maryland)
First, I have to say that the two nights I spent in Ohio with family were much welcomed and needed. As always, it was good to simply hang out, catch up, eat way too much, and spend quality time with family.
The last day of my trip turned out to be the longest even though it covered the shortest distance. That said, about half way through my ride up from Asheville, North Carolina to Ohio, a man made a comment about my front tire at one of my gas stops. He said, “It’s about time for a new front tire isn’t it?” To which I replied, “Yeah, it’s about that time.” I really hadn’t checked the front tire since leaving my house in Maryland and at which point it still had some tread left. After hearing this comment from a stranger, I looked at it again and noticed that the tread had all but disappeared. I was certain that the “more-lively” riding with that damn sport bike the day before had contributed to my front tire’s rapid demise and instantly regretted it. From that point on in the trip (about half way), I never exceeded 70 mph (on straight highway) and stayed under 60 mph in curves or during rain.
While my ride that last day was a familiar route and covered some beautiful country, I spent most of the day a bit nervous about my front tire and the potential for hitting some bad weather. Luckily, after keeping my speeds below the speed limit for the last half of the trip, I made it home safely and in one piece. Here’s a picture of my front tire as soon as I got home (Dunlop Elite 3 after 8.5K miles)…
As far as the goals I initially set for this trip, I felt like it was perfect timing (a couple of months before my longer planned rides) and covered enough distance to achieve them both. Not only did it allow me to identify things that needed to be addressed on my motorcycle, it also allowed me to hone my riding skills and provided a reminder of all the types of things I needed to keep in mind and be aware of when planning, preparing for, and taking longer motorcycle rides. The week following my trip, I had my tires replaced with Dunlop Elite 4 Tires, a complete service to include replacing the plugs, the Honda Goldwing brake recall completed, and am currently waiting for the arrival of new front speakers (my left front one had stopped working). Additionally, my ABS brake light had flashed on and off a couple of times during the trip. That should also be fixed now that the brake recall has been completed. The most noticeable of all these changes is the way the bike feels like it’s on a swivel because of the new tires. They’re also supposed to get twice the mileage as the previous model and are quieter. It rides like a completely different bike now and I can’t wait to put thousands of miles on it this summer!
Thanks again for joining me on this ride. It was my first long ride of this year and I’m planning to take at least two more. Until then, ride safe and sober!
James