Deals Gap 1998
This was my first Deals Gap adventure.
The first mistake (well maybe) was riding from Michigan to the Gap. (and not knowing exactly where you were going).
I've done a lot of long distance riding out west and the ride from Michigan to North Carolina (Deals Gap) was the worse. Big heat and humidity made this the worse long distance ride I have ever done and it would be the last.
Jim Brehmer, Don Proctor and I, set off on an epic adventure that led us thru Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky via back roads in what turned out to be a two and half week ride.
The entire trip came together after meeting up with Don at the Acceleration Station owned by Fran Hall at the time (now owns Race Car Replicas).
6 of us planned on going on the trip, however when I arrived at our meeting point at the Ohio border Don and Jim Brehmer (who I had not met) were the only ones to show for the trip.
We decided to take all back roads heading east and then south so that we could explore a little for future rides.
By the time we found Deals Gap, we ran head on in to a serious rain storm (common to the area) that lasted around 2 hours. The rain was so heavy we finally had to pull off and take shelter.
By the time we made it to the Gap we only made a few runs on the Dragon and never really rode any of the other great roads in the area. It was however enlighting and we we vowed to come back to tempt fate and the Dragon!
We witnessed a major crash by a cruiser bike as we as a wild high side by a guy a his brand new R1 (paid for by his girlfriend).
We stopped to help him and waited for someone to haul his ass back to the store where he was transporded to the hospital. As he laid on the strecher mumbling something about his girlfriend was going to be highly pissed off as this was the second bike he had written off.
Sadly James Brehmer was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2006. If you peruse through the photos you will see that he was a real character and our antics on this first trip were just th beginning of some crazy days and nights over the years that made many southern folks wonder about us northern folks and caught Don by suprise many, many many times!
James and I created all kinds of havoc through out the trip and kinda of got on Don's nerves. And although Don got a little cranky, he survived the two of us for what turned out to be the first of many trips down south and the insanity James and I brought for everyone to enjoy.
Sadly James was killed in a motorcycling accident in2006. I miss James a lot and I know that he smiles on the great times and adventures we had together. I dedicate all of our Deals Gap insanity and the the site to him. Godspeed my friend, you are missed.
