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2003 GSX1100G
Rally (USA) This
page was created on 08 Mar 2003 and last updated on 04 Aug 2003
Go back to GSX1100G
Rallies ,
2002 Rally
NOTE: Also
see GSX1100G.com website under the Rally
category
2nd ANNUAL
GSX1100G RALLY
"TAMING THE DRAGON"
 DEALS GAP MOTORCYCLE
RESORT
30 MAY - 1 JUNE 2003
 What a great time we had! If you've
missed the G rally for a second time running, then you
really did miss something special. We were here at Deals
Gap for a day trip last year, and despite the
unfavourable conditions, it was interesting enough for us
to return and stay here this time.
Camped at Deals Gap
Motorcycle Resort on one end of this famous motorcycle
route, we could have our fill of riding the
"Dragon", as well as the Cherohala Skyway.
 Compared
to the previous year, in the hope that we could avoid the
cold and rain that plagued us last year, the date had
been pushed back about 2 weeks later to the weekend
following the Memorial Day. At least part of our wish was
granted: it was still a bit chilly, but it didn't rain
(much). This dryness helped to take the 318 twists and
turns of the Dragon with surefootness, safety and
confidence... and made the rides very enjoyable!
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My dragon slaying
pictures... 
At the Calderwood Dam overlook... a long way from Singapore  .
This bike belongs to Dave ("DGMann") Hembroff.
It's a really mean machine, and I particularly like his Vance & Hines exhaust which sounds sweet without being
too loud!
Slaying the Dragon. These pictures of me taking a corner
along the Dragon were taken by "KillBoy".
But
the Dragon bit me too!
John B's GSX1100G... before I obliterated the windshield.
(sorry!)
 
Unfortunately, I made a contribution to the Tree of Shame, in a form of a broken
windshield... but it wasn't a moving accident. At a
parking lot next to a picnic bench, the bike I was riding
tipped over and the windshield hit the bench on the way
down.
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How
did I end up coming here? Singapore is a long long way from Deals Gap,
regardless of whether I used the Pacific route or
Euro-Atlantic route. So a question I had had to face
frequently is what made me come all this way.
My job involves travel,
and this year, I had to attend a conference in Washington
D.C. It was therefore opportune to try to schedule the
Rally as close to the my work schedule as possible so
that I could attend.
My heartfelt thanks go to
super guys John Berry and Dave Hembroff for there
friendship, their hospitality, their generosity and all
that they have done to make it possible for me to be
there.
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The
G-men and Friends  
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Our Group Pictures
[Left] The G-Men (and Woman) (click for bigger image, 100KB)
[Right] All our G-Rally participants (click for bigger image,
100KB)
We missed a couple of guys from last year, but we were pleased to
see new faces this year!
See below for the 2003 Rally Roll Call
-----
Trip Report
The Scenic Route
Depending where our men came from, At least for the group from
Louisville KY, we began our trip on Thursday 29th May with some
meeting us in Louisville or in Corbin where we were resting
overnight.
Friday 30th May, the rallying day of the G-men. Heading to Deals
Gap, the route we took to was scenic...
(click on pictures with a frame to see bigger image)
Some was "not so scenic"...
Some of our boys were unlucky enough to get caught by the
Tennesee troopers.
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It's Dragon Slaying Time
Rally Call
30th May was assembly day. The epicentre of the G-Rally was the
Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort. While a good group of us were
staying at this resort, there were still a good number in the
nearby towns. Getting everybody aware of the schedule for the
next day was the priority of the day.
[L] Pausing at the overlook to take in the view [R] The Deal's
Gap "Welcome Mat", a "smiley" donut.
[L] Chatting with others around the Deals Gap store [C, R] Other
G-men showing up at the Gap.
The Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort (campsite and rooms on left, gift
shop and gas station on right)
For those staying at the Gap's resort, it leaves plenty of time
to enjoy runs up and down the Dragon, enjoying the challenge of
going round those many many adreneline-pumping bends.
Deals Gap
What is Deal's Gap? It is 318 turns in 11 miles, like the curves,
twists and turns of a dragon's tail, that has a a fiery bite if
one isn't careful! It is also one of the best places to test your
skills and courage on a motorcycle and meet a lot of people with
the same goal -- "slay the Dragon"!
Nestled in the beautiful foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Deal's
Gap tends to be a very popular spot among motorcycle riders of
all sorts. Whether you're in for a nice slow stroll or a hot fast
ride, beware! The Dragon sometimes wins!
Some of the yummy twists and turns through Deals Gap. The blind
downhill corkscrew is sometimes terrifying, risky, but thrilling
nonetheless.
Panorama from Calderwood Dam overlook
Panorama from Calderwood Dam overlook
[Left] The Dragon has a bite; the ditch I was standing in to
shoot pictures was virtually a debris field (at least the smaller
fragments). [Right] Testifying to toll over the years, bits from
the accidents have been pinned to this tree on the camp grounds,
the "Tree of Shame" (No Gain, and a lot of Pain).
[Left] Unfortunately, I made a contribution to the Tree, in a
form of a broken windshield... [Right] but it wasn't a moving
accident. The bike I was riding tipped over and fell against a
picnic bench.
[L] The "mutual G admiration society". [R] Watching the
"mutual G admiration" going-ons with some amusement.
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Big Rally Ride & Party Day
Cherohala Skyway
31st May. The big group ride on Saturday saw us riding the
"Dragon Loop", i.e. the Dragon (US 129) and the
Cherohala Skyway.
The Cherohala Skyway (so named because it crosses through the
Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests) winds up and over 6,000
foot mountains for 15 miles in North Carolina and descending
another 21 miles into the deeply forested backcountry of
Tennessee.
The Skyway is becoming well known in cycling circles for it's
long, high speed sweepers. This cyclist's dream road connects
Robbinsville, North Carolina, with Tellico Plains, Tennessee.
Taking the long curves on the Cherohala Skyway. [L] The
Hembroffs, [R] John Berry
[Left] At Santeelah at 5377 feet, the highest point on the
Skyway; clouds passing across the ridges can obsure visibility
quickly. [Right] Some of the lovely riding through the Cherohala
Skyway, view from Santeelah.
Santeetlah is the highest overlook at elevation 5390. Along this
section it was for another seven miles along the mountain top to
the Tennessee state line. It was windy, cold and cloudy riding
the mountain top (whoa, bone-chill), but the mile-high ride was
an unforgetable experience.
Before Party, more Dragon Slaying!
After the rides through the Cherohala, we still had a fair amount
of time available before the evening festivities at the Gap
resort. Being right there at one end of the Dragon, it was simply
unresistable. We just had to go slay the Dragon again and again,
for as much time as we had available!
The Dragon in each direction takes about 12 to 15 minutes to
complete, taking half an hour for a complete to-and-back loop.
On this evening, the local photographer happened to be up on Gap
taking pictures of bikers going by...
Photos by "Killboy" of our G-men, friends and other Gs
riding through the Gap (click on pictures with frames for bigger
images; if you appear in these photos and you are interested in
buying the full-resolution photos, you can buy these on-line from
http://killboy.photoreflect.com)
Instead of slaying the Dragon, one could get slayed by the
Dragon.
During one of my runs up and down the Dragon on 31st May 2003,
there had been an accident involving 3 bikes at the bends known
as the "Toll Booth". Apparently, one biker came into
the sharp curve too fast, overbraked, locking his rear wheel,
crossing the centre line, sideswiping an oncoming rider, before
dumping it and taking out another biker head-on. Even though the
two of the riders wore no protective gear, fortunately there were
no serious injuries. Still, it attracted an ambulance and the
police.
Party, party, party...
After our group dinner, it was time to celebrate the assembly of
the G-men. Being "Hawaiian Shirt night", some
remembered to bring really loud brightly coloured shirts.
[L] Group dinner... all you can eat beans, meat and salad and
bread roll. (Next time, we head out to Tootsies instead for
catfish!) [R] Party night... the theme was supposed to be
Hawaiian-Shirt-Nite, but most forgot their Hawaiian shirts.
Prizes were given out for various categories, including G-Man who
rode the longest distance to this event, the best Hawaiian shirt,
etc. Those who didn't win in the categories didn't have to
worry... everybody was a winner with at least a prize for
everyone.
We also took the opportunity to express appreciation to John
Berry who has again taken the initiative to undertake all the
work to make this Rally happen for a second year in a row. This
includes organising the site, organising the prizes (getting it
from sponsers, and purchased) and making the Rally T-shirts
(which means underwriting the tremendous costs involved at some
personal risk!).
We were also appreciative to our Kentucky boys, the Berry and
Elston families of Louisville, for being so supportive in riding
with us and providing the logistical support in the form of a
Dodge truck, which was vital in hauling the Kentucky bourbon for
the evening cocktail party for everyone's enjoyment.
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The 2003 Rally Roll Call
(see the G-men roll call photos)
G-Men in attendance
Name From
John Berry Louisville KY
John Devereaux Belleville, MI
Dave Goh Singapore
Dave "G-man" Hembroff Snyder OK
Jackie Hembroff Snyder OK
Tim Henthorne Elizabethton TN
Tom Herbert Ft Wayne IN
Johnny Hise Asheville NC
Buster Johnson Gainesville FL
Kris Kaiser Tampa FL
Pete Kepler Reedville VA
Steve Miller Columbus OH
Kent Ratliff Indy IN
Tom Reid Middletown MD
Greg Saugy Westerly RI
Rich Torres Harrisville RI
Other participants
Name From
Jeff Berry Louisville KY
John Berry Jr Louisville KY
Mike Elston Louisville KY
Andrew Elston Louisville KY
Mike Elston Jr Louisville KY
Kenny France Louisville KY
Brian Johnson Louisville KY
Derrick Cantrell Spartanburg SC
Barbara Fowler Spartanburg SC
Karen Kaiser Palmevton PA
Ken Kaiser Palmevton PA
Melissa Saugy Westerly RI
Mark Unger Cincinnati OH
David Collins Rich VA
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More on GSX1100G.com
2003 G Rally at Deals Gap
2002 G Rally in Blue Ridge Mountains
G-Rally Roll Call
2003 "G-Treffen" in Germany
David Goh's GSX1100G Web Page
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Useful links
Tail of the Dragon
http://www.tailofthedragon.com
The ultimate reference site for everything around about Deals
Gap. Carries plenty of information about the Gap and environs,
including accomodations and facilities, and latest
news/road/weather at Deals Gap.
Also features our group pix on 18 May 2002 from last year's ride.
Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort
http://www.dealsgap.com
Cherohala Skyway
http://www.cherohala.com
