Tuesday November 25

Good morning to you all. The day has come. The season is over, and after today, we will be closed til Feb 27th, which is the weekend of Bike Week in Daytona.

Weather can and will be hit and miss over the off-season. I strongly recommend looking at www.wunderground.com and either use 37801 or 28771 as your zip code. If it gets cold enough, the fine folks at T-DOT will have salt, or at least brine down. Remember too, that T-DOT will be working on improving the Dragon over the winter, so be careful if you see signs up when entering the Dragon. There will not be any speed bumps, reflectors, or traffic calming indents on the road next year, all they plan to do is make a few specific turns safer for all and possibly pave a few of the pull offs so its easier to get off the road and back on again. In fact, they have already started clearing some of the northern turns by taking some dead wood and low brush out. Its looking better for all already.

While this is a very sad time of us, we are also very happy and thankful for the time off, which is dearly needed. Most of us are off the winter, but a few are on the road(as I was saying in other dailies) to get around o the shows, and such. As well, the online store will be available for those of you that cant wait, but as always, NO STICKERS are sold online. Sorry, but they are meant to be a badge of completion, and if they were available online then anyone could say they have been here.

Finally, I really want to thank each and every one of you that read our ramblings daily, as as often as you can bare. This daily update thing has really blown up, and I cant begin to tell you how many emails I get thanking me for the info. Truth be told, I have to thank all of you for reading..... not the other way around. I promise Brad and I will iron out the video stuff, and I am also looking into getting the parking lot cam back up for the next season.

TO all of you, our dear friends, we wish you all a fantastic Thanksgiving and an even better holiday season. All the best in the new year and into the next riding season. Til then, be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Saturday November 22

Morning folks. Its a cold one up here, but its still a beautiful day on top of the mountain. As of 8 am its still only 20 degrees out, but it should hit the high 40's by lunch. Im not sure how warm it really will get, but I doubt we will see 50. I will likely keep the store open til we get bored, or not see anyone for a couple of hours.

Nothing to report here. All is well in Motorcycle Mecca bu there is no one around, other than us. Be safe.... stay warm..... and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Thursday November 20

Hello to all our faithful readers. Hope this finds you well and ready for yet another cold day where you are.... well, at least here anyhow. Weather is very Canadian with highs only in the 40's in and around our area here. Should stay that way for the next few days, but the good news is that T-DOT did NOT put any salt down lately, so you can ride if you wish. I will update immediately if they do.

T-DOT has some plans for the Dragon this winter, that should make all of us pretty happy. They are already in clearing up some of the lower trees that dont give us the best lines of sight. As well, I understand that they will be paving some of the pull offs, and have plans to carve some of the tight mountainside turns down a bit so larger vehicles dont need to take the entire road. Dont read too much into any of this folks, as it will be fairly minimal on the clean up, but it will be helpful for the coming season.  I will keep you all updated as often as I come over the mountain.

This last weekend was the IMS Motorcycle Show from Dallas, TX. Without going into detail, the show was 50/50 for us. It seemed like the numbers were down for a TX show, and it was kind of quiet in the booth most of the weekend. Bad news included a crappy hotel in downtown Dallas that wouldnt refund us for the night that we didnt want to stay. Be weary of the West End Hotel. www.westendhoteldallas.com  When I had booked the place, it was still a Hampton Inn, but by the time we got there, it wasnt any longer. the Reception area was moved to the 9th floor, and the place had a stench to it. When we showed up the parking garage was closed, there were street people littering the front of the place, and our stuff was definitely not safe in the truck for the evening. Lastly, the McDonalds that was a block away had more murders than all of Dallas proper last year. DO NOT STAY THERE.

We moved over towards Arlington, TX to stay and had a great view of the HUGE football stadium that they are building for the Cowboys. Damn, is that place HUGE. It was a clean and very nice Holiday Inn, and they took great care of us. It was also close to our hangout www.h3ranch.com and a very special thanks to all that work there, for being as nice to us as you all are. We love the downtime there. Also a big shout and thanks goes out to the more "real" Cowboy I have ever met, Dan Taylor, and his beautiful wife Tammy. These two were nothing short of fantastic to hang out with, and we really enjoyed their friendship while in town. The whole Ft. Worth thing is much nicer than Dallas, in my opinion, and its cause fo people like these fine folks that we hang out with. Cant thank you all enough.. Astrid, Branda, Mike, Sandy.... and anyone else I am missing from H3. Thanks all.

Lastly, Brad has uploaded some video from Dallas to www.dealsgaptv.com when you get the chance. Nothing special, and it shows us the stuff we need to work on  for future episodes, but have no fear, we are on it. Better equipment will be coming.

Thats it for me. The store is still open, but we never know for how long, on a daily basis. Yesterday, we closed at 2 pm, after not seeing anyone for a couple of hours.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet.   ---- Ben

 

Monday November 10

Welcome to Monday, and all it has to offer. Its yet another cold morning here on the mountain, but all is well in paradise. Weather should change here in the next 24 hours, with threats of rain for the next 3 days or so. With the low evening temps and the threat of rain, I would not be surprised to find salt or brine on the road, if T-DOT feels the need. This is a 50/50 though so dont quote me.... it might be a possibility though.

The weekend was a good one, though it was a bit cold. Riders came out anyhow, and most had a good time. There were some accidents this last weekend, but as I understand it everyone is ok overall. This is the time of year that you really do have to watch your tire pressure. A lower pressure will give you better heat in your tires, and in turn they will work better for you. I was polling folks this last weekend and many were running the "recommended" pressures, instead of dropping them a bit. While I am no tire expert, I can comment on what I know, and that is my tires slide around in this temp, and its not a nice feeling. My factory spec is supposed to be 40-something, but I run 30. This is just my position, and I know of some riders that go lower, but I havent gone there.

Another message on your back brake. DONT USE IT UNLESS ITS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FRONT BRAKES. End message.

This is my last update for a week. Brad, MG and I are all headed out to Dallas for the upcoming bike show there. Check www.motorcycleshows.com for more details on the show circuit, but if your in or around Dallas next weekend, come out and say hello.

Catch you all in a week or so. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Sunday November 9

Morning everyone. Sunday is once again upon us, and its a quiet am. Weather for this time of year is about standard. Cold nights(last night was about 30) and daily highs of only about 60, at best. Thats about it for the weather, as its not going to get any better for a few months.

Well, this is it for the Grill and the motel. We rented our last rooms on Saturday night and today is your last chance on a cheeseburger. I know that the homepage says the Grill will close as of yesterday, but I screwed that all up. Sorry folks. TODAY is the last day in the Grill. Come get some !!!

Yesterday was a mix of good and bad. At one point there were 3 wrecks going on all at the same time. One on the Skyway, one on #28 and one on the Gap. 2 of the wrecks required helicopters.  Heres where I get on my soap box folks. THE BACK BRAKE SHOULD NOT BE USED IN OR AROUND TIGHT AND TWISTY ROADS. The back brake is not the "be all, end all" of braking folks.... just ask the guy that went through the SUV's window yesterday. I cant repeat myself enough on this. STOP USING THE BACK BRAKE. There is not a day that goes by that I dont see a new rear brake skid mark that leads up to the side of the mountain or at least into the gravel of a pull off. Take a few minutes to learn to stop properly with either both front and rear, or a large majority of braking using the front brakes. 

Keep the emails coming folks. Ive gotten a ton of them commenting on www.dealsgaptv.com and all of it was good. Thanks to all for the remarks. I will do my best to get it out to you each and every day, come spring time.

Come get your Cheeseburgers !!!!!  Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet.  --- Ben

Saturday November 8

Morning folks. Welcome to a wet and foggy Saturday am on the mountain. This am was the nastiest I had ever seen the road covered with leaves and pine needles. Nasty for riders, but I think with enough car traffic, it should be cleaner by late in the day.

Though its not really a bike riding day on the Dragon, the THP seem to be out anyhow, so be wary of them when in the Gap. As well, we should have our local Sheriffs Deputies out so dont be surprised if you see some LEO's hanging around through the day.

This is the last weekend for your cheeseburger fix. Get up here and eat up, because the time is quickly approaching for a no cheeseburger option until March 1st. Last call !!! The store will remain open for fuel, snacks and the pottie til the 25th and then we are off til the end of February.

Special mention: Todays mention goes out to a good friend Curly Rice from Tellico area, in TN. Curly has been hanging around here for some time, and in that time, he has introduced us to some fantastic sweet potato pancakes(look for them on the menu next year), some killer custom fishing rods, and sport shooting. Curly, thanks for all the laughs, good chats and for being a good friend.

Thats it for the day. Be safe have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Friday November 7

Morning folks. First off, Im very sorry for neglecting you all on the dailies of late. Things have been kind of busy getting everything on track for the offseason and our travels with the IMS road show. Ive got some great new things in store for our visitors on the road, so come check us out on the show tour.

Weather isnt supposed to be that great today, but looking at radar, I think we should be ok. They are calling for showers in the afternoon, but again, Im not thinking thats going to happen. Ive been known to be wrong before, so please dont shoot the messenger.

This is the last weekend to get your food fix from Deals Gap. The Grill will close after this weekend til the end of February. If you need one last cheeseburger before its all put up, make sure to get over here this weekend.

www.dealsgaptv.com is up and running. I am feverishly coming up with ideas to keep you all happy. I will more than likely get to switching over to video dailies by the spring, so you all can see my smiling face every morning. I wanted to do something like the Naked News but Brad didnt see that as such a good idea, so we will put that one on the back burner for a while. Keep it tuned....

Finally got to get a good ride in yesterday lat in the afternoon. There were some fellow riders out as well, and we made the best of it. Good times indeed.

Thats it for me today. Please be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Saturday November 1

Welcome to the weekend that the clocks go back. Last night was another cool one, but the sun should warm it all up by lunch. This is the style of days this time of year, so there is little need to come out early. Typically by 10 am it starts to warm, but if you are out early or late, make sure you have an extra layer.

Im thinking this weekend will be pretty slow, but it should be busy through the daylight hours. It wont be like a busy summer weekend, but there will be plenty of bikes and cars out. Be ready and careful for all the leaf-lookers that will be out there too. If you come up on a slow moving auto, please be patient and polite, the leaves wont last much longer.

I was supposed to start today off with the first of the video podcasts, and I might yet, but I just didnt have it in me this am to get started. www.dealsgaptv.com is up and running with some videos from the EOSB last weekend. Be patient with us..... its coming along just fine.

Thats it for the day. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Friday October 31

Happy Halloween everyone. Weve already geared up for a great day around here. Just about everyone here has come in wearing costumes, and we are all ready for another great day at Deals Gap. Weather will be fine once the sun shows its face. Highs are expected to be in the high 60's today and even warmer tomorrow. Sun will continue all through next week too, which is great.

Had another trike wreck yesterday. It was earlier than later in the day and though the driver was sent to hospital via helicopter, he will be ok. Unfortunately, a half helmet and a vehicle with no defense for an upside down rider made for a nasty bit of road rash across the face. Im still of the opinion that trikes are not safe for the mountains(sorry Chris) and can quite possibly put you in a very compromising position if the opportunity arises. While I can agree that its all up to the driver, there are also some instances that a 3 wheeled platform can get you in much more trouble than a regular bike. Our thoughts go out to the rider, and we all hope for a speedy recovery.

Big thanks to T-DOT, who are diligently out there on #129 north of the Dragon, to pave the road after all the new damage from the falling water level. I had a very interesting conversation yesterday regarding the police vs. motorcycle crowd, and how many think that Law Enforcement wants the Dragon shut down. This is just my theory, but how bad could they want to shut the road down, if they went out of their way to clear up a few ripples on the road. Honestly, the road was not bad, even with the issues caused by the lowering of Chilhowee. If they have come out to fix that, then it is my humble opinion that they have no interest in closing the road to motorcycle traffic. Again, BIG thanks to all at T-DOT.

This weekend should see quite a few people out through the daylight hours. If you are one of them, make sure you have a spare layer to go over what ever you are wearing because it gets cold quickly up here. As well, with colder riding weather, its time to revisit the tire pressure rules of the road. Lower temps allow for the tire to warm up faster and better, but the downside is that you might go through those tires a bit faster than spec. Keep in mind that a motorcycles first and most important defense against crashing is a good set of tires. My rule for this type of weather is typically about 12-15 lbs lighter than what the tire says, but I ride sportbikes. Talk to your friends and see whats what, but I would be running a tire with less pressure in it this time of year.

Thats it for the day. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Thursday October 30

Thursday is here and we are just 1 day away from Halloween. Weather this am is extremely cool. At 8 am it was only 30 out, but our highs are expected to reach the 50's. It will get warmer through to the weekend, but I wouldnt think that an Indian Summer is upon us at this time. There was snow on and around the mountain Monday night and Tuesday am. There was also snow north of us, and after talking to many "old timers" about it, the final consensus is that this will be a tough winter around here.

Its getting tougher to report anything lately with nothing going on. Brad, MG and I are gearing up for a few motorcycle shows, we are getting things together to start closing this place down ,and the weather isnt giving us much room to play these days. Dont forget too, that this weekend we turn the clocks back, so night time comes even faster and sooner than before. Theres not much to really report other than mundane day to day stuff, and thats already boring.

With the slow down in traffic, we do get to sit around and talk a fair bit, and lately the conversation has been "How was the summer business wise?". This is a question that we get frequently, because of the increased police presence. Honestly, this year was a big change from previous years regarding the faces and types of riders, but all in all this year was much like the last. There were busy times and there were some much appreciated quiet times. If asked, I feel that there were many more accidents this year, but many more were at lower speeds that allowed for the large majority of cruiser type bikes to pick up and carry on with little to no damage. While it seems that we had to call ambulances less, there were in fact more wrecks and, IMO, many more "less than able" riders up here. Hope that will change back to a more reasonable percentage next year.

Well, thats enough blabbering for the day. I hope you all are well and this finds you having a great day. Keep the emails coming folks, they are appreciated. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Monday October 27

wow, its cool out this am. As of 8 am it was only 41 but the sun is trying to help us out up here on the mountain. Morning folks, and welcome to Monday. Although its supposed to be sunny all week, the highs arent very appealing, so Florida riders, stay home. :)

Despite the weather everyone that was out this weekend seemed to have a great time. Though it was not freezing cold out, it certainly was chilly, but folks came out for the big party anyhow, and we appreciate that. Good times indeed, and the costumes were fantastic too. We even raffled a car off

Well, its official. We have decided on the dates for closing this year. Please check the top of the homepage for the dates. If you are a  cheeseburger addict, you will want to make sure you are here before the Grill closes. I cant begin to tell you how many people drive for miles just to eat a Dragon Burger.

This might be a little early, but I wanted to get the regular readers pumped for something Brad and I are putting together for all of you. www.dealsgaptv.com should be up and running in the coming days, and this will be the place to find our new direction in providing info for everyone. This will be the site you can download our video podcasts, ride videos and anything else we deem worthy of putting on the net. Looking forward to that !!!!

Started to watch the documentary Long Way Round last night, and man am I jealous of those guys. Getting to do that has always been a dream of mine, and I would love to see it realized now more than ever after watching them go through it all. If any of you reading this has been a world traveler, then you will more than likely agree with me on this next statement. While Charlie and Ewan are great travelers, seems they could have done that trip much smarter, especially with the border crossings. More importantly, I want to know who funded all that coming together. While I have no doubt that Ewan has the money, it still begs the question..... who paid for all that ?? It was much more than just simple sponsorship, in my opinion.

Seeing as how its Monday, I will be heading out for a couple of days off. With days off comes more exploration with my wife on our dual sports. While its pretty cold, Im sure we will be out and about looking around in the woods.

While I am sure I have forgotten something, I will leave it at that. I hope you all have a great week, and I will catch up with you in just a few short days.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Sunday October 26

Its Sunday and many of us are moving slowly today. Last nights party proved to be both fantastic and a bit too much fun for some. I, for one, can say that Advil is my friend and I had a great time. Weather today and the next few days is looking real good, but cold so wear some layers. Leaves are falling too, so be ready for that.

Last nights party was more fun than any other yet. Special thanks and congrats goes out to Wheeler and Cayce for kicking butt in the mini bike races - you guys were awesome. Thanks as well to local legend Killboy and Killgurl for making it out with their peeps. Thanks to everyone here at the store as well for that matter, for doing a great job with the food, the people and the clean up. We had a blast and the biggest thanks goes out to all that came out to make it such a great event. It looked like we had almost 200 here. Til the spring...

GP Sunday is here, one last time. Todays race is the closer for GP, with the throw down happening in Valencia. Stoner on pole, and Hayden close by, I think this race will prove to be a good one. I think its on at 6pm on SpeedTV, so if you cant make it here, then make sure you are in front of the tube to watch it where ever you might be.

Special Mention: Todays mention goes out to an avid reader, and good friend Marty up in PA. Marty was fortunate to win $8000 or so from a 1 armed bandit somewhere, and no one has seen or heard from him since. Good thing its wasnt more money or we may have never heard from him again. Congrats Marty, we missed you last night.

Thats it for today. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Saturday October 25

Hello and welcome to Saturday. Hope this finds you well and gearing up for the day. Weather is clearing up around here. While the road is wet, its sunny and slightly breezy, so I suspect that the road will be dry sooner than later. Thankfully there is a small group of Mini Coopers out, so most likely the road would be dry much sooner.

Ive got nothing to report, other than leaves changing and a big party tonite. I hope you all have a great day doing whatever you choose.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Friday October 24

Its Friday, and its raining up here, but its still a beautiful day. The road is absolutely covered with anything and everything possible from off the mountains. While it was a nerve racking trip over the mountain, it was also quite beautiful. Leaves, pine needles and tons of wind made it quite the interesting drive. If you plan on riding, you best be careful.

I dont have anything on the schedule this weekend, other than our little party here. There are a couple of smaller groups running around this weekend, so dont be surprised to find a couple of car clubs around.

Heard some great news from T-DOT this week. Seems that since the water has dropped on the lake, some of the road has sunken, and caused some cracks through the road. T-DOT has filled the cracks in with tar snakes, but it still needs more work. Next week, they will start to pave #129 north from the Dragon to the #72 interchange. Though it might not be a complete pave, they will fix the pits through the road, which is great. As well, T-DOT will be adding a couple of burms on the Dragon, and might possibly pave the pull offs as well, to make it just a bit safer up here on the mountain. Great to hear, and we thank all involved for helping make this place a bit safer.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Less than a week til we turn the clocks back too.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Thursday October 23

Welcome to it folks. Hope this finds you well, and gearing up for a great weekend upcoming. Seems Friday will see some wet weather, but it will clear for Saturday, and all will go back to normal, or somewhat for this time of year.

Well, with a few days off, I had a large list of items to catch up on around the house. After dedicating a day to that, my wife and I spent another day exploring all the fire roads in the area, and man we had a good time. Seems there are a bunch of great dual sport roads in the Cherokee Forest, and we found just about all of them. Fun stuff indeed.

This weekend is a private party here at the store. Saturday will have the Grill closing early, and preparing for the 200+ we are having for dinner. Some raffles, a charity auction and some 50 racing will top off the evening that we call the End Of Season Bash, here at Deals Gap. Although we will be open for another few weeks, this is the best time for all of us to get together. Should be a great time.

Not much else to report, but all is well. Leaves are falling and extra care should be used when traveling.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Monday October 20

Welcome to Monday everyone. Hope this finds you well, although most of you are back at the grind. Its another cool one this am, but the sun is out and it should warm up into the 60's by noon, so make sure you have an extra layer, and get out to do something if you get the chance. Weather should be much of the same through the week.

The weekend had its ups and downs. Yesterday was another day of small wrecks and multiple THP on the mountain. While I wont get into the details, its disappointing to know that some riders get away with murder (taped up lights and slicks) while others get tickets for 10 over the speed limit. Not sure how that works, but hey, the fine folks at THP have it all under control up here.  ** note the sarcasm.

This coming weekend is the fabled End of Season Bash, that takes place every year in conjunction with the East TN Riders. Always a good time, this party is the one used to signify the end of the riding season around here. Im looking forward to a good night with great friends.

Thats all I have for this weekend. Im out for a few well deserved days off. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben