Since my BMW /5 is down for a bottom end rebbuild, I decided to ride the Triumph TIger to this rally.  I started out very bright and early.  Route 250 would take me to Harrisonburg, and then it was a simple matter of heading a bit south from there to get to Sherando Lake.  My trip did not get off to a great start:
 

Wipeout!

Here is where I left the road ...

... sliding to the other side

This couple from Virginia was nice enough to stop and help me pick up my bike.

Don't ask me how it exactly happened.  I was approaching a hairpin turn going uphill, just beyond Monterrey.  The turn caught me off guard, as I was going too fast, and felt the bike starting to scrape the ground.  Next thing I knew the bike low sided and skidded across the pavement.  You can see where my rubber left the road.  Fortunately I was okay, just a minor bruise on my hip as I hit the ground.  The bike wasn't too badly messed up, the right luggage bag bore the brunt of the fall.  Fortunately this was one accident I could both walk and ride away from.  However, I don't like chalking wipeouts to experience, and this marks my 2nd significant fall.

Arriving at Lake Sherando in the early afternoon, the first bike I spotted was none other than other Tiger, exactly like mine.  Wow!  I was awestruck.  I've never seen another one on the road, in fact I seldom see a Triumph, period.  The guy was from Richmond, and actually was on his way out.  I wish I photographed that Tiger, since who knows when I'll see another.
 

Where they came from:

		That's me, the only one from WV.

 

Plates with a message:

"Big Beemer"	The name of the Chapter - BMW - Richmond Association.	Seen on an older GS model	The year of this RT is pretty obvious
"Her K75" as opposed to "Herk 75"	The Germans nickname the BMW  engine a cow because the opposed twin heads look like udders.	Gotta Go! (On Ducdude's R11S)

 

Non BMW Bikes

Getting the feel of a Ninja 9R

Valkyries - I wonder where VA MC2 is?

The good side of my Tiger.

 

BMW Bikes

Older-style GS. (Looks a bit like my Tiger, doesn't it?)

Bruce's Beautiful /5 - Best of Show

Typical Campsite

The next day we decided to do the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Man that was a lot of fun.  For some reason I lost my group, then "GTAGO" (DucDude) passes me all of a sudden.  Harry and Ducdude in front, it was tough to keep up with them on the windy parkway.  Sometimes I didn't even try.  The scenery was awesome, and so was the weather.  We went as far as Roanoke, where we stopped at an Outback Steakhouse.  There, we met a German student from University of Delaware, on a Honda.  They rode back to Sherando; I went on my separate way back home to WV via US 219.  A great road, but man, was there a lot of gravel in the turns.
 

Blue Ridge Parkway                     

The raffle - I actually won a $50 gift certificate.  It won't get my Tiger fixed, but it's a start!

---

Copyright 2001, Tigerdude.com
Page created Sep 24, 2001