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You have reached the fun pages of the web site.  There is no scientific content here, but if you would like more information about hobbies that interest us, such as Honda V-4 motorcycles or bicycle touring in the Southeastern USA, then read on!

Honda V-4 Motorcycles

Click here for information on the Honda family of V-4's and local riding roads

Southeastern Bicycling

Click here for information on local bicycling opportunities

Motorcycling in and Around Athens

"A skittish motor-bike with a touch of blood in it is better than all the riding animals on earth, because of its logical extension of our faculties, and the hint, the provocation, to excess conferred by its honeyed untiring smoothness." - T. E. Lawrence

"The man hunched over his motorcycle can focus only on the present instant of his flight; he is caught in a fragment of time cut off from both the past and the future; he is wrenched from the continuity of time; he is outside time; in other words, he is in a state of ecstasy; in that state he is unaware of his age, his wife, his children, his worries, and so he has no fear, because the source of fear is in the future, and a person freed of the future has nothing to fear." – Milan Kundera

So you want to go fast on a motorcycle?  And in style?  Then you've come to the right place.  For more than 20 years Honda has been making V-4 motorcycles that can go really, really fast (the brute force thing - see above).  And Georgia, by some incredible harmonic convergence, has some of the best twisty riding mountain roads in the country on which you can go really, really fast.  (And crash really, really hard if you're not careful - but that's another story.)  Here are some pages of information and links about the mighty Honda V-4 and the local roads on which you can enjoy it.

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The Early Years

Brute Force Possesses

An Elegance All It's Own!

(slogan of SabMag.org)

There is only one source for information on the early ('82 - '88) Honda Magna and Sabre V-4's - the mother load web pages of SabMag.org  There you will find all the information you need on the maintenance and upkeep of these machines.  Also, trip reports, bike project pages, broken links, etc.

SabMag.org is also the place to get information about joining the SabMag List Server, the daily font of all knowledge about the early V-4's, and lots of other things, too.  Delivered daily to your e-mail in-box.

Also, anyone working on these bikes, or the later model Magna's, needs to know Dave Dodge, the guru of Honda V-4's.  Contact info for Dave can be obtained at www.drp123.com.

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Late Model Magna's

Honda resumed production of 750 cc V-4 Magna's in 1994, and they are still being produced today.  These bikes contain the same great V-4 engine, but Honda made some significant changes to the frame and chassis on this bike compared to the early models (which didn't necessarily make the bike better - but that's another story).  Nevertheless, they are fun bikes and combine raw power with good handling in a mid-size cruiser frame.

This was the 1998 Magna of Yours Truly (sold in 2002).  As we all know, black is the fastest color.

The best source of information on the later Magna V-4's is the Magna Riders Association.  Their web site contains links to maintenance, customizations, riding tips, information board, etc.  They also sponsor a yearly rally. 

Another good source of late-model Magna information is the Magna Riders Forum, an internet discussion group.  It can be accessed here.

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The Honda ST1100

This is my current ride, and will likely remain so for a long, long time.  Why?  Because this bike has everything you could want: big (1100 cc) V-4 engine with gobs of torque, long-distance touring comfort (bike of choice for Iron Butt Riders), and incredible sporty handling on the twisty mountain roads.  Plus, it's just an really pretty motorcycle.  See for yourself.  (Candy Apple Red is my favorite.  It's also the color of my 2001 ST1100 - see below.)

Current ST1100

Here are some pictures of my current ST1100.  It is a 2001 model I bought in November 2002 from a fellow in Austin, Texas.  It had 1400 miles on the odometer when I bought it and was bone stock.  I'll be updating the bike with various accessories and customizations as soon as the bank account allows.

And here is the best reason to ride to work at UGA (notice the sign).

ST1100 Information

Where's the best place to get  information about the ST1100?  The ST Owner's Club (STOC), of course.  STOC can be found at www.st-riders.com, or click on the image of the STOC coin.  (Yours Truly is STOC member #3730.)  STOC also supports an internet mailing list.  Instructions for subscribing are posted on the STOC web site.

The other major source for All-Things ST1100 are the web pages of Steiner Fremme.  This is a huge archive of ST information, discussion forum, links, etc., all revolving around the ST1100 (or Pan European, for those of you on the east side of the big pond).  Many of the ride descriptions are European-centered, since Steiner is Norwegian.  The address for Steiner's web page is http://www.st1100.org/.

Sport Touring

In the US, an organization dedicated to long distance sport touring is the Honda Sport Touring Association.  Originally dedicated to riders of Honda V-4 motorcycles, and chartered by the AMA, this group now welcomes all makes and models of sport touring bikes.  Many members ride ST1100's.  It is a dues-paying organization that publishes newsletters, holds rallies, etc.  They also maintain a (free) internet list server.  You can find the HSTA at http://www.ridehsta.com/.

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ST Farkles

So who rides a stock motorcycle?  You can always make a good motorcycle better (limited only by money and imagination, not necessarily in that order).  Here is a description of the some of the accessories I've added, and some of the customizations I've done, to the ST.

Click here for a description of the ST farkles

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Local GA and Southeast Riding Roads

People from all over the country come to ride in the mountains of North Georgia, Western North Carolina, and Eastern Tennessee.  That's because a lot of the roads look like this:

US Rt. 129 going over Blood Mountain, north of Dahlonega, GA

And, lucky us, we live about 90 minutes from these roads.  In fact, US Rt. 129 goes through Athens.  Just point the bike north and you're there.

Georgia Roads

Where to start?  Get a map and head north!  A good reference is the Info-Map of the Georgia Mountains.  It provides detailed information about great roads, motorcycle shops, etc.  Written by motorcyclists living in the area.

There are two motorcycle-specific locations of note in the North Georgia mountains.  The first is Toosy's at the end of GA Rt. 400 in Dahlonega.  Toosy's is a motorcycle meeting place/store/cafe, etc.  There are also a lot of bike-specific shops in the same building.  Good place to stretch legs, meet-and-greet, etc.

The second is TWO (Two Wheels Only) Motorcycle Resort on GA Rt. 60 in Suches.  TWO was the first motorcycle-only camping resort in the US when it opened in 1982.   Camping, cabins, or a lodge are available for overnight stays, but the catch is they will only rent to you if arrive on two wheels (notice the name?).  Unique and highly recommended.  Food is great, too. 

Other recommended Georgia roads include the Richard Russell Scenic Highway, Brasstown Bald, Neels Gap, GA Rt. 180 (Wolfpen Gap Road), Rt. 60 (Dahlonega to Blue Ridge), War Woman Road (Clayton), and Fort Mountain Highway.

Tennessee/North Carolina Roads

We've hit the mother load here,  Deal's Gap, Foothills Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, Blue Ridge Parkway, Wayah Bald, Smokey Mountains, Ocoee Gorge, Highlands, etc., etc.  You get the idea. 

Although most everyplace in this entire area is a good riding location, there are a couple that stand out as superb.  One is the area just southwest of Smokey Mountain National Park that is roughly the triangle anchored by Maryville and Tellico Plains, TN, and Robbinsville, NC.  This is home to the world-famous (no kidding!) Deals Gap.  It's nickname is the Tail of the Dragon, since it contains 318 curves in an 11 mile stretch of US Rt. 129 at the NC/TN border.  The Dragon is now something of a motorcycling mecca.  It even has two web sites devoted to it.  One is for the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort, a motel/store/meeting place located  right at the start of the Dragon.  The other is Tail of the Dragon.com, a more general web site that has descriptions and maps of area rides and links to lots of area information.  Be careful!  Deal's Gap has become extremely popular, especially on summer weekends.  That means lots of stupid, untrained riders, and lots of law enforcement activity.  Be forewarned.

Another great area road is the Cherohala Skyway, which connects Robbinsville, NC with Tellico Plains, TN.  Only recently completed (1996), it consists of wide sweepers with some tight corners thrown in to fool you.  This road climbs to over 5300 ft elevation, and the views are fantastic.

There are a couple of books that try to document the many great riding roads in this area.  One is called Extreme Twisties, Southeastern USA.  This is a bare-bones but comprehensive listing of all the best roads.  The other book is Motorcycle Journeys Through the Appalachians, which covers a wider geographic range and is more descriptive.

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Trip Reports, Pictures, etc.

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Bicycling In and Around Athens

Athens and Northeast Georgia has some excellent bicycling roads and organizations.  With a mild climate, there are year-round riding possibilities.  And with the rolling terrain of north Georgia, there are great opportunities for local biking, both on-road and off-road.

Here is a sampling of links to information about bicycling opportunities in and around Athens.

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Local Athens Cycling Organizations

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Other Southeast Bike Clubs of Note

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Local Athens Bike Shops

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Other Georgia Bike Shops of Note

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Bicycle Touring in Georgia and the Southeast

Due to weather and topography, there are great opportunities for bicycle touring in this part of the country.  The granddaddy of the Georgia tours is the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG), which began in 1980.

BRAG Links and Ride Pictures

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Other Southeast Cycle Touring Links

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