MaxMetal Custom Motorcycles

Our first shortcut was to go around Chattanooga on GA109 by cutting the corner of Alabama and joining I24 on the other side.  Riding along, I noticed a sign announcing “450 Mile Yard Sale”.  I didn’t think much about that until we got into a traffic jam of yard sales on both sides of the road and bargain hunters putting on their brakes suddenly to turn into choice shopping spots.   That short-cut added about 1 hour to the trip.

Bikers, beware, the phenomena of extended yard sales is sweeping the country.  I saw signs announcing similar events on other great cycling roads - across Kansas on US36 www.ushwy36.com/treasure.htm (Sept 14,15,&16) and across Nebraska on Highway 2 during the last weekend of September.  Saddlebags aren’t sufficient for bringing the bargains home.  I believe this is one reason GT especially enjoys traveling by motorcycle - no room to carry much in the way of bargains, antiques, or souvenirs. 

We got past the yard sales and on toward Tennesse.  One thing we have learned along the way is to not get too irritated if things aren’t as smooth as we planned - like the time we got caught behind a bicycle race on the Blue Ridge Parkway or getting in the middle of a 450 mile yard sale.  Our motto is “Wherever we are - that’s where we’re at.”  Just enjoy the ride!

Loaded up and ready to go, GT checks the map before we start out. 

One question we have been asked since getting home was “How did the big gas tank work out?”  The answer is “It was great!”  We stopped for gas about every 150 miles, but never worried about getting out of range of a fuel stop. At 150 miles, we still had another 100 miles or so of fuel left.  The time saved by fewer gas stops allowed us to cover more miles each day. 

Here, in the Southeast, the distance between gas stations is never more than a few miles and the need for such a tank is not immediately recognized.  The further West we traveled, general appreciation for the tank was expressed in terms of “Awesome!  I love that gas tank.  How much does it hold?”. 

Mathias Schmid, an adventurer who, literally, has ridden his motorcycle around the world,  http://www.globalbiking.com  or http://www.mathiasschmid.ch/
passed us on I-90 somewhere outside of Missoula, MT.  He rode past,  slowed down and rode even with us for a while,  patted the side of his gas tank, pointed at our tank, gave us a big “thumbs up”, then sped on.

Another rider we met, Ken Morton, was on his way from his home in Washington state to St. Louis for the start of the Iron Butt Rally.  11,000 miles in 11 days.  He was impressed with the tank, also.   He was carrying an extra fuel cell in the passenger seat of his Gold Wing.   http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2007.cfm

G.T. has been asked if he would custom build tanks such as this.  Yes, - just contact him if you are interested.

An excellent adventure!  We rode from Toccoa, GA to Sand Point, ID.  That was  5,457 miles round trip.  G.T. believes that I deserve the “Iron Butt” award for riding that distance on a 9″ wide passenger seat.  Actually, the numbness is finally beginning to subside 2 weeks after the ride.

I’ll be showing some of the highlights of our trip over the next few days.  For now - this is a picture taken at the mid-point of our trip. 

GT and Diane at Sturgis-2007

Come ride the Cherohala Skyway with us. 

40+ miles of winding road and scenic mountain vistas along the crest of the Unicoi Mountains in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

March 24 and 25 - two wheels, two lanes, two days. We took a trip around upper and middle Georgia - staying far away from Atlanta.

Roads taken:

GA365 -Toccoa to Gainesville on 365.

GA53-Gainesville to Rome. Not recommended. The scenery can be pretty at times but a there is too much traffic on the winding road to allow for much relaxation.

GA 100-Rome to Greenville. Follows down the Alabama border.  This was enjoyable riding - heading South on an open road. Hoganville looke like an interesting town to visit another time.  It was built along and around the railroad. 

GA18-Greenville to Barnesville where we had reservations for the night.  (G.T.’s mom lives there and she always has room for a couple of vagabonds. )

• The photo is of the old Barnesville Buggy showroom.  For many years, the building housed Barnesville Hardware - a real hardware store where you could get anything from bolts to beeswax, harnesses and horse linament, cast iron cookware, hunting supplies.  If you couldn’t find what you wanted, you just had to ask and they would bring it out from some stack in the back.  Now it is the site of Susanna’s Day Spa.  http://www.wandisu.com/wst_page7.php - for several activities in the Barnesville and surrounding area.

GA16-Griffin to Thomson.  The weather was beautiful for riding but pollen filled the air, looking like yellow fog. It stuck to our skin, face shields, and clothing -turning the front of our pant legs yellow.

GA17-Thomson to Toccoa. This runs not far from the South Carolina line and takes us straight back to Toccoa.

These roads were pleasant, easy riding, wide open, country roads - very relaxing riding. Approximately 500 miles.