Bilco's TAT tour 2011

Sgt Bilco

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We are going to run a trip report for this epic adventure on an as it happens basis with a few of the guys chipping in as we go along. Seems a better bet than everone loading the same pics.

As a brief overview, we will be spending a few days in Tennessee before heading across the Trans America Trail to Albuquerque NM. This will take us 3 weeks to do with a couple of rest days. I've shipped 12 bikes across and Paul took off on day one to join some of his US buddies and 3 other guys set off on their own to run some of the trail and see other places.They will meet us back in ABQ for shipping home. That leaves 8 of us to do the trip in one group of gentlemen tossers:augie.

Anyhow, on to the good bit. The bikes arrived last week at GSM Motorent in Townsend TN and I for one breathed a huge sigh of relief as the doors opened and all the bikes were exactly were they were loaded. I use some great wheel chocks from Bumpstop along with 4 straps per bike and they did there job superbly.

The weather was brutally hot at way over 100 and around 80% humidity. You can see I was slightly sweating during the unloading. The driver was a real character and had driven down the Dragon to get to us and he had no idea he had driven down one of the most famous biking roads in the US with a load of bikes in the container :D
 

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1st things 1st, we of course have to repair Skygods HP2 which had cracked the subframe before being loaded. Found a brilliant welder locally who MIG'd and TIG'd the beast back together.One brilliant thing about the USA is people still know how to mend things:thumb The guys welding shop was like an operating theatre.
 

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Time for a quick shakedown ride around the Smokie Mountains with Lt Dan. Man, can he ride his 1200 and he took us up Cove Mountain which was very steep at the top. Probably up around 4500ft or so.

We also did a cracking little dirt road called Parsons Creek which Bakerman enjoyed and we have a rare picture of Skygod actually upright on his bike.
 

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You post it Sgt, and I'm going to read it..... green with envy!

:popcorn

Enjoy!:thumb2

Timpo.
 
Oh my I nearly chopped in the KTM at the start for a HARLEY in THE SMOKEY MOUNTAIN HARLY SHOP.

We expereanced the USA`s weather today, on entering the Smoky Moutains on all I can say was a wonderfull road turning in seconds into a river.

The weather just throw it down, and hot with it, I have never ever had my glasses steam up in the rain with my jacket soaked, me wet to the bone but still warm.

The road very twisty lightning to the left of us, with the clap of thunder seconds after with me thinking Im on a lump of metal thousands of miles from home.

Knobble tyres with rallye mouses with water pouring down the road I wave Gary SKYGOD past as Im looking at doing 15-20mph tops.

Massive COAL TRUCKS, comming down the mountain, a UPS delivery driver had told Chris to watch out for theses things.

Branches now littering the road, with leaves falling like confette a small drenched looking dog appears from nowhere and crosses my path.

I`m going so slow I just ride around the little fellow, two Harley riders in tea shirts and chaps sat away in the hedge shauling wishing they hadn`t left home.

We all regroup some 10 miles on under trees a total waste of time no tree in the world could shelter us from this 30 minute down pour.

We ride on reaching our first parts of this adventure, gravel roads, small Tennasseesseeee villages not even villages hamlets each with the most well kept churches.

Now in a DAYS MOTEL late at night most asleep, we have wet GPS`s and my IMO speedo thingy has packed up,
6am start and the real thing tommorow, after 3 days of tests of bikes and a bit of terrain.

A quick trip to a local store and at lock down time I managed to buy a bag of rice to pop these GPS `s in over night, and spoil the whole team with a joint presant from me.

Sure we will post a group picture tommorow about this time,

See ya all
 
Just looking at pics of last years US trip, then read this, then looked outside at the rain, Paddy very depressed:( ..

Have a great ride lads, it's a fantastic country, stay safe:aidan
 
1st day on the trail proper today. Woke up to a cool morning after the ravages of the thunderstorms of yesterday. I don't think we have any pics because it was hell out there. We went from warm and dry to cold and wet through in about 1 minute. Still, sitting in the hotel spa in a thunderstorm was pretty good:D

We rolled out at around 7-30 and rode a great mix of gravel and back roads. A lot of the dirt roads are being tarmaced but there were enough there for day 1. Gotta watch for the logging trucks though. The Catoosa wildlife management park was closed so we had to do a road detour but managed to find a 3/4 mile old railroad tunnel with about a foot of water in it:eek: Skygod has some great footage but I've only got one pic of Murdoch on his Husky before he vanishes into the blackness. Rolled into Sparta TN and after a quick swim in the pool to cool down, it was off to the local BBQ for some pulled pork and coleslaw. Man, this life is tough sometimes.......:augie
 

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A few random pixs including Bakerman sporting the latest fashion is dust prevention.....duct tape and last mights Pizza. Definately Tosser sized and a just a snack for the local salad dodgers. I've never seen so many fat people in one county in all my life:eek: More of that as this trip unfolds I'm sure.
 

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The weather just throw it down, and hot with it, I have never ever had my glasses steam up in the rain with my jacket soaked, me wet to the bone but still warm.


We all regroup some 10 miles on under trees a total waste of time no tree in the world could shelter us from this 30 minute down pour.


See ya all

Thats nowt , same thing happened to me and Earthmover on Saturday and we were in our own county! I ended hiding under a bus shelter along with a cyclist just 8 miles from home. I didnt have to dig out my passport and get loads of currency just to get piss wet thru :p

I'm not jealous
I'm not jealous
I'm not jealous

Have a good one:thumb
 
Thats nowt , same thing happened to me and Earthmover on Saturday and we were in our own county! I ended hiding under a bus shelter along with a cyclist just 8 miles from home. I didnt have to dig out my passport and get loads of currency just to get piss wet thru :p

I'm not jealous
I'm not jealous
I'm not jealous

Have a good one:thumb

Wot he said! :thumb
Mark
 
Roll call today at 6-30am sharp and it was very foggy! I never saw a thing for the first 10 miles because as it's so warm in the fog, everything gets soaked including my specs!!

Lovely days ridng to Columbia TN on some cracking back roads. Stopped in a small town fro lunch to be served by a fine local lass who can hold 5 lemonade glasses in one! We were all impressed but Blue01 looks a little non plussed in the pic!!

Bloody hot again today with temops in the 90's and high humidity. Managed to find a good steak bar this eveing so all is well.
 

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A few more pix for your delectation and please add your own captions:D.
 

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Why are the guys looking so miserable? That's one big adventure you are on? :nenau

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