Before leaving Charlotte, the bike needed some scheduled maintenance, a bit of a mechanical massage to break in the engine properly.
Pulling into Charlotte Honda I spot a gaggle of chain smoking mechanics gathered around the back door waiting for the boss to open shop. Drex, the service manager and alpha mechanic was a broad, masculine figure with bold tribal tattoos. He boasted of his bench pressing prowess and complained of a a kidney stone he recently acquired, punctuating every sentence with, "Sum Bitch" as in: "that there stone is a painful sum bitch". I volleyed with my manly posturing skills by spitting on the ground if front of me during periods of awkward silence.
On the 85-S passing into South Carolina three lanes turned into two and the roads became a little choppier and uneven. The landscape was dotted with Waffle Houses and warehouse sized fireworks outlets. Down the interstate daunting billboards displayed messages like "REPENT FOR YOUR SINS" and "JESUS DIED FOR YOU"! There were roads, bridges and library's named after the town savior, Jerry Fallwell, I twisted the throttle of my demon machine and disappeared down the highway.
Crossing the state line into Alabama, neatly tucked in my "aero" position I noticed traffic piling up behind me, I glanced at my speedometer, 85 mph and I'm being tailgated? it then dawned on me, I'm in Nascar coutry!
Riding through Taladega national park I grew weary of the prospect of staying in another congested, commercial big city. I spotted a turnoff for Cheleha state park and turned my bike in it's direction. A long, serpentine road canopied with lush green overhanging trees did not disappoint! finally a chance to see what this wicked machine can do. Like a Falcon that discovered his wings for the first time I dove into the turns, the tires sticking to the pavement like gum rubber.
At the top, the blacktop ended at the Cheleha resort and restaurant, a sign stating "the highest point in Alabama, 4000 feet" welcomed me to the cabin style lodging with a panoramic view of the Taladega state park. The tree frogs and cicadas conducted their nighttime symphony while I watched a pink, orange crescent moon gently resting on the treetops.
Later that night I watched the Alabama Crimson Tide football team win a close fourth quarter comeback , I could hear triumphant cheering from the adjacent rooms. They take their football very seriously in the south!
Pulling into Charlotte Honda I spot a gaggle of chain smoking mechanics gathered around the back door waiting for the boss to open shop. Drex, the service manager and alpha mechanic was a broad, masculine figure with bold tribal tattoos. He boasted of his bench pressing prowess and complained of a a kidney stone he recently acquired, punctuating every sentence with, "Sum Bitch" as in: "that there stone is a painful sum bitch". I volleyed with my manly posturing skills by spitting on the ground if front of me during periods of awkward silence.
On the 85-S passing into South Carolina three lanes turned into two and the roads became a little choppier and uneven. The landscape was dotted with Waffle Houses and warehouse sized fireworks outlets. Down the interstate daunting billboards displayed messages like "REPENT FOR YOUR SINS" and "JESUS DIED FOR YOU"! There were roads, bridges and library's named after the town savior, Jerry Fallwell, I twisted the throttle of my demon machine and disappeared down the highway.
Crossing the state line into Alabama, neatly tucked in my "aero" position I noticed traffic piling up behind me, I glanced at my speedometer, 85 mph and I'm being tailgated? it then dawned on me, I'm in Nascar coutry!
Riding through Taladega national park I grew weary of the prospect of staying in another congested, commercial big city. I spotted a turnoff for Cheleha state park and turned my bike in it's direction. A long, serpentine road canopied with lush green overhanging trees did not disappoint! finally a chance to see what this wicked machine can do. Like a Falcon that discovered his wings for the first time I dove into the turns, the tires sticking to the pavement like gum rubber.
At the top, the blacktop ended at the Cheleha resort and restaurant, a sign stating "the highest point in Alabama, 4000 feet" welcomed me to the cabin style lodging with a panoramic view of the Taladega state park. The tree frogs and cicadas conducted their nighttime symphony while I watched a pink, orange crescent moon gently resting on the treetops.
Later that night I watched the Alabama Crimson Tide football team win a close fourth quarter comeback , I could hear triumphant cheering from the adjacent rooms. They take their football very seriously in the south!
1 comment:
Morning! Where are you today???? Great picture!
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