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Pretty intense ride today, I guess the most intense street bike ride I have ever had. Wife and I headed out for a day trip and so I picked a destination, then let the Zumo do its thing, set for shortest route as usual. You phone users try that!!!
Don't know exactly but at a guess we were on roads like the screenshot for 15 - 20 miles. Can't say for sure but the curves were so tight that I was seriously wishing I had a lower gear when going uphill. There were so many times I wanted to pull over to take a shot at my GPS but was not possible. Just happened upon a side road of sorts, the only one we came across.
Oh yeah, while on this route there were zero houses and only one car that was parked or abandoned. I kept thinking a bunch of hillbillies were going to stop us armed with shotguns. Yeah, that kind of area in SW Virginia mountains. It reminded me of back in my dirt bike days but this was with a 900 pound Road Glide.
Sure was wishing we were on the Road King instead but she wanted to ride the glide today as usual. Says I go too fast on the King. Shoot, I don't go faster with it, just that the power allows me to pass better.
Came upon this well out of Pulaski Va. Headed out of town on 11th st NW and this is what it turned in to. Seriously, this was a crazy ride and my arms were sore as well as my clutch hand. Rarely went over 25 MPH and around some of the turns so slow is where I was really hoping I had a lower gear for fear of stalling. The RG just doesn't have the low end torque that the Road King has. The wife did not enjoy the ride at all until we hit suitable roads but deep inside I was grinning from ear to ear. Flashback 40 years and change.
Originally Posted by BMyers
Why go on a motorcycle ride that is the shortest route? Seems to defeat the purpose.
The old saying, if I have to explain you wouldn't understand comes to mind. Not being an *** but don't know how else to say it. But just to humor those without a GPS... Fastest route will take exactly that, fastest route. BORING!!!! Whereas shortest route has taken me on some of the best and most interesting rides a person could ever imagine.
Used to ride with a guy that also had a Zumo and he kept his on fastest route. Needless to say we always went my way and had the best (but sometimes the most precarious) rides. Many gravel and dirt roads to be certain. Not always where you want to have a Harley touring bike, especially a custom Road King but I ride my bikes, not enter them in shows.
Last edited by ChickinOnaChain; Jul 17, 2017 at 12:09 AM.
I use my phone, but I tell it to avoid highways and toll roads. Almost bit me in the *** a few times. Couple years ago I wound up climbing over a mountain pass in NC. Chip-n-seal turned into freshly graded mud. Seriously, a loose mix of some kind of mud. It was very sketch on an Electra. I followed the tracks left by a Ford Ranger for about a mile downhill. Till we met up with the grader. I stopped in front of a house where people were outside. I asked how much further. Guy said "not even a mile.". The grader lifted it's blade at the beginning of a short bridge. I had to ride over the hump the blade left. Then the next 1/4 mile to the "main" road was clear. I was headed to Maggie Valley from Mooresville. It was any adventure.
That night at the hotel...
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Where was granny gear???
