Well not as bad as it sounds but frustrating albeit with a happy ending. Spent my March break in Bryson City, North Carolina. On the way down from Canada, just north of Lexington, Kentucky I went to fill the gas tank on the Gix1 which was sitting in the back of my Avalanche when it hit me that in all the excitement and rush to get down to Deals Gap I left the key in my cupboard back in Canada. So back on I75 south, hit the OnStar button and track down half a dozen Suzuki dealerships in Lexington and Knoxville. It's Friday night most are closed , Saturday morning start punching up numbers on my cellphone. No one has a blank key let alone the ability to cut one. But I do have the key code and one dealer sends me to a Honda dealer East of Knoxville that I am told can cut keys. Arrive at Honda dealer he cant cut Suzuki keys. But he knows a mobile locksmith, still I need a blank key. Then we get a call from the Suzuki dealer across the road, asking about a Canadian guy lookin for a blank Suzuki key. Turns out one of the employees had oredered one up for himself a few months prior and didnt need it, do I want to buy it for $20. Like yeah man, its a beautiful sunny day and I want to hit the Gap. So over I go get the key. The Honda guy calls the locksmith, who's in Sevierville, TN , 45 minutes away, cutting 4 sets of keys for a contingent of Harley owners who did the same stupid thing I did leaving their set of keys back in the Northeast on someone's countertop. So he arrives, cuts a blank test key on what looked like a Ford key and tries it out, my heart almost stops when he tries it out and it aint workin BUT low and behold he was jamming it down in the ignition , and with the right twist we got it working. He cut the Suzuki key and I was off to Deals Gap. (by the way you dont need an original Suzuki blank, these keycutters have alternative key blanks that will do the job).
Anyway head down 129 pull the Gix1 out of the Avalanche south of Maryville. God bless America the smoothest roads I have EVER ridden on, just beautiful. I am almost in tears the riding is so great, turn after turn after turn and I havent even hit the Gap. Most roads in the Smoky Mtns follow rivers or lakes, a lot of dams around. Anyway I was punchin er up pretty good but decided to back off on one stretch of 'straight' higway, had the better half following me in the Avalanche. And dont you know in the other Smoky as in Bear is there with radar but I just rode on by under the limit.
All of a sudden I arrive at the Gap. This is sport bike heaven. Despite the fact that the Gix1 is total overkill for this roadway and my skillset really is stale, it was like finding true religion in riding the Gap. Some of those off camber switch back turns actually had me doing a Valentino dabbing my foot down, you just dont ride that stuff in Canada. Some guy on a black Honda 600RR spots me and I guess he figures the race is on, he did catch me but I turned off to look at some dam on the first roadside lookout heading east.
Anyway I get back on the Gap it total awe of this roadway and the US of A. Some guys headin the otherway are just flying on tricked out monocross bikes and I start thinkin that I may be able to ride this thing faster on a dual sport but a 600 is definitely the way to go on the Gap, light seems to be right on this one. Anyway this movie review gives two huge thumbs up to the Gap. I ordered some pics from killboy.com will postem up when I get em.
Other roads like 28 and 441 and 19/74 just superb, Fontana Dam is cool !
Brought my whitewater boat down and did some kayakin on the Nantahala River, and brought the clubs down and played the Smoky Mtn Golf Club at Whittier $15 with a cart for nine holes or $20 for 18 !
We left yesterday on 441 up to Gatlinsburg, fortunately I had the Gix1 in the Avalanche as we got snow at 5000' near Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky's. 14 hours and 850 miles back to Toronto.
Do it again, you bet !
Trunorth
Anyway head down 129 pull the Gix1 out of the Avalanche south of Maryville. God bless America the smoothest roads I have EVER ridden on, just beautiful. I am almost in tears the riding is so great, turn after turn after turn and I havent even hit the Gap. Most roads in the Smoky Mtns follow rivers or lakes, a lot of dams around. Anyway I was punchin er up pretty good but decided to back off on one stretch of 'straight' higway, had the better half following me in the Avalanche. And dont you know in the other Smoky as in Bear is there with radar but I just rode on by under the limit.
All of a sudden I arrive at the Gap. This is sport bike heaven. Despite the fact that the Gix1 is total overkill for this roadway and my skillset really is stale, it was like finding true religion in riding the Gap. Some of those off camber switch back turns actually had me doing a Valentino dabbing my foot down, you just dont ride that stuff in Canada. Some guy on a black Honda 600RR spots me and I guess he figures the race is on, he did catch me but I turned off to look at some dam on the first roadside lookout heading east.
Anyway I get back on the Gap it total awe of this roadway and the US of A. Some guys headin the otherway are just flying on tricked out monocross bikes and I start thinkin that I may be able to ride this thing faster on a dual sport but a 600 is definitely the way to go on the Gap, light seems to be right on this one. Anyway this movie review gives two huge thumbs up to the Gap. I ordered some pics from killboy.com will postem up when I get em.
Other roads like 28 and 441 and 19/74 just superb, Fontana Dam is cool !
Brought my whitewater boat down and did some kayakin on the Nantahala River, and brought the clubs down and played the Smoky Mtn Golf Club at Whittier $15 with a cart for nine holes or $20 for 18 !
We left yesterday on 441 up to Gatlinsburg, fortunately I had the Gix1 in the Avalanche as we got snow at 5000' near Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky's. 14 hours and 850 miles back to Toronto.
Do it again, you bet !
Trunorth
