20160329 - March Moto Madness (Telico Plains Tn)

The plan for this weekend was to try my hand at Dual Sport motorcycle riding.  Over the last 2 years, I have been getting little tastes of it and it was time for me to get on a bike and find some dirt.

As luck would have it, Jeff Kurtz, the go to guy for all things rally let me know about March Moto Madness in Telico Plains, TN.  Here's the promotional video for this event:

There is no possible way that I'd be able to ride my K1600 GT.  In fact, I would have had troubles at the campground there is so much mud.  I rented a Yamaha XT250 from Dan Dickey, coordinator of the event.  It was the last one he had available.

I planned to ride to the event and take it easy going up, splitting a 1 day trip over 2 days.  I was taking my time packing out when I saw this:

 

That made me start rushing to get on the road.  If I got far enough North,  I would miss this storm.  I managed to do that; but, forgot my shin guards in the process.  Fortunately, Fred has plenty of extra riding gear.

 

Let's let some pictures and video speak to the riding part of the weekend.

 First order of business - drop my phone and break it.

(L-R) Jeff Kurtz, Secret Squirrel, Fred Zucker, Cliff Lose, (Hold my beer) Andre, Randy

 

(Not me.  I'd love to; but, I don't have skills like this yet!!)

  

2 barrels in a muddy field - endless entertainment for rider and observer.

Alvin and the Chipmunks survey the MMM campground

This was after lunch on day 1.  Fred led a really nice pavement ride back to camp.  This is the Cherohala Skyway.

Cliff and Jeff planning my demise.

This is the map of two days of off road riding in the Cherokee National Forest

 

Trip back.  This was really bad.  I bailed out and decided to get over to US 19 for the ride back.

I came across these guys with homemade pit BBQ.  Of course I grabbed a pulled pork sandwich.

 This is the ride up and back.  The first day, I took the more eastward leg (US 41) and west around Atlanta.  On the return trip, I went all the way without stopping.  I traveled around the East side of Atlanta and took the more westward leg (US 19) 

I hit 0 mls to empty 4 miles from my planned fueling stop.  When I filled up, I put 7.27 gallons in.  I have a 7.50 gallon tank, so 1qt left and I had an MSR can with 1qt of fuel in it as well - that's enough for another 20 miles of riding!  

My post isn't complete without the complete map!