Tazewell VA, to Marion VA, Hiway 16, “Back of the Dragon” and Big Walker

fieldgrade

fieldgrade

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@Red Marley and anybody else

Normally I ride south out of Tazewell on 16, and halfway down 16 to Marion I hang a left on 42 and head back east-northeast to Big Walker Motel.

Is there any real value, and what are the tradeoffs, to riding down the rest of 16 to Marion. I see two options at Marion. Turn around and ride back up to 42 to get to Big Walker, or head east on 11 out of Marion running parallel to interstate 81, to Wytheville. Then 52 north back to Big Walker.

My assessment is this would make for a longer day, and I’m not sure if the additional ride down 16 is worth having to ride through Marion, back up 11, through Wytheville, and up 52.
 
fieldgrade said:
@Red Marley and anybody else

Normally I ride south out of Tazewell on 16, and halfway down 16 to Marion I hang a left on 42 and head back east-northeast to Big Walker Motel.

Is there any real value, and what are the tradeoffs, to riding down the rest of 16 to Marion. I see two options at Marion. Turn around and ride back up to 42 to get to Big Walker, or head east on 11 out of Marion running parallel to interstate 81, to Wytheville. Then 52 north back to Big Walker.

My assessment is this would make for a longer day, and I’m not sure if the additional ride down 16 is worth having to ride through Marion, back up 11, through Wytheville, and up 52.
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Thank you Ash, for reminding me I need to get my ass back up there pronto, and for an excuse to get the maps out and look at them. I can say without fear of exaggeration that there is enough good riding on both sides of NatGeo trail map #787 to keep me happily entertained until I'm done riding.

I have ridden the route you describe (south on 16 to Marion, east on 11 to Wytheville, north on 52). 16 is quite nice all the way to Marion (and beyond). 11 is nothing more than a way to get from one place to another. And as you know, 52 from Wytheville to Bland is nice. If you do go up 52, hang a left at the old observation tower for a nice ride down to 42. If I were going that way soon though, I would consider taking 11 east out of Marion then take a left on Bear Creek Road (622) to Nebo and thence to 42 and 42 back to Bland. This will be longer and slower than 16/11/52/42 so plan accordingly. I haven't ridden it, so I can't advise, but it looks like my kinda road on the map – where it appears (it doesn't even show up on the Freeman Motorcycle Touring Map). Looks like very little civilization on that route; gas up in Marion and don't break down. Ahem. It's on my to-do list now. If you do it before me, report back!

I've also taken 16 south from Marion to Sugar Grove, Troutdale, etc. and found some good (dirt) forest roads in the Grayson Highlands area. Many of them were gated, but not all. I wouldn't be surprised if all of them are gated now. The Forest Service wants to protect the forest from, you know, people. Who they are protecting it for is not clear.

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Lots of good little roads to explore in that area. Some of them (not pictured) would accommodate a big bagger if you're into exploring. I'd say we should meet up there for a ride, but you'd have to wait for me on pavement and probably bust a blood vessel on dirt. No bueno.

I found a good Mexican restaurant in downtown Marion – Mexican food always satisfies after a day on the road – where I was served a margarita in a glass the size of a bowling ball 🥴. Disclaimer: the experiences described in this post took place in 2007. Things may be different now.
 
Red Marley said:
Thank you Ash, for reminding me I need to get my ass back up there pronto, and for an excuse to get the maps out and look at them. I can say without fear of exaggeration that there is enough good riding on both sides of NatGeo trail map #787 to keep me happily entertained until I'm done riding.

I have ridden the route you describe (south on 16 to Marion, east on 11 to Wytheville, north on 52). 16 is quite nice all the way to Marion (and beyond). 11 is nothing more than a way to get from one place to another. And as you know, 52 from Wytheville to Bland is nice. If you do go up 52, hang a left at the old observation tower for a nice ride down to 42. If I were going that way soon though, I would consider taking 11 east out of Marion then take a left on Bear Creek Road (622) to Nebo and thence to 42 and 42 back to Bland. This will be longer and slower than 16/11/52/42 so plan accordingly. I haven't ridden it, so I can't advise, but it looks like my kinda road on the map – where it appears (it doesn't even show up on the Freeman Motorcycle Touring Map). Looks like very little civilization on that route; gas up in Marion and don't break down. Ahem. It's on my to-do list now. If you do it before me, report back!

I've also taken 16 south from Marion to Sugar Grove, Troutdale, etc. and found some good (dirt) forest roads in the Grayson Highlands area. Many of them were gated, but not all. I wouldn't be surprised if all of them are gated now. The Forest Service wants to protect the forest from, you know, people. Who they are protecting it for is not clear.

View attachment 777180
View attachment 777181
Lots of good little roads to explore in that area. Some of them (not pictured) would accommodate a big bagger if you're into exploring. I'd say we should meet up there for a ride, but you'd have to wait for me on pavement and probably bust a blood vessel on dirt. No bueno.

I found a good Mexican restaurant in downtown Marion – Mexican food always satisfies after a day on the road – where I was served a margarita in a glass the size of a bowling ball 🥴. Disclaimer: the experiences described in this post took place in 2007. Things may be different now.
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I’ll pull out that map you sent me that has now guided two trips for me, and two other riders since you sent it, and one for @Sp00ks. I’ll study that suggestion.
 
@Red Marley

Google maps has visited that route from 11, to Nebo, and to 42.

But it scared them so bad they haven’t been back since 2009.

It looks Ed Zachary like your kind of road.

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We were going to head that way this week. Looks like the weather breaks Friday-Sunday but the lows are in the low 40's. I just don't wanna.....I have, I will again but I just don't want to this week.

We also discussed Charleston but bike week starts in Myrtle Friday and I don't want to deal with the traffic.

I took the week off work to take a trip and the weather is sucking all week. Yes I know it's only Monday.

I suppose we will figure something out, maybe the beach...
 
So threads like this get me thinking about bikes with off road capability. Was just peeking at the KLR 650, and DR 650, with a leaning towards the DRZ 400. Nice and light. Light enough to hopefully load it on a hitch receiver mounted rack, solo.

Then I start looking at the seats.

6.5” wide, stock width on the DRZ 400 S. The Seat Concepts aftermarket seat is a whopping 9” wide.

The police seat on my road hog is 19” wide. I don’t need all of that. But I do use about 15” of that, which is the stock width of an Electra Glide seat.

Just don’t know if I can give up all that upholstery
 
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fieldgrade said:
@Red Marley

Google maps has visited that route from 11, to Nebo, and to 42.

But it scared them so bad they haven’t been back since 2009.

It looks Ed Zachary like your kind of road.

View attachment 777231
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Nailed it! This is giving me flashbacks of the one lane goat track that Apple Maps took me over on my way to Monterey 😬. I WILL ride that road!
 
fieldgrade said:
So threads like this get me thinking about bikes with off road capability. Was just peeking at the KLR 650, and DR 650, with a leaning towards the DRZ 400. Nice and light. Light enough to hopefully load it on a hitch receiver mounted rack, solo.

Then I start looking at the seats.

6.5” wide, stock width on the DRZ 400 S. The Seat Concepts aftermarket seat is a whopping 9” wide.

The police seat on my road hog is 19” wide. I don’t need all of that. But I do use about 15” of that, which is the stock width of an Electra Glide seat.

Just don’t know if I can give up all that upholstery
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The bikes you mentioned are all great, well-developed bikes, but the DRZ400 is too small for you. The others are marginal for you, and the KLR650 is the only one that has a real seat. I'd have another one in a heartbeat if I was riding from here to the mountains, but since I transport my bike, I like the 250 because it's like a mountain bike you don't have to pedal. Here's my KLR650 from 2004 on the BRP, I have a lot of happy memories with this bike. Real dirtbike guys dis them because they're heavy for a dirt bike, but they are comfortable and reliable, and well suited to any "road" I might want to ride:
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The 83 year old retired pilot for UNC who is my height just sold an XR1200 and bought a KLR 650. He rides it every week. He’s a skinny fella though.
 
Red Marley said:
The bikes you mentioned are all great, well-developed bikes, but the DRZ400 is too small for you. The others are marginal for you, and the KLR650 is the only one that has a real seat. I'd have another one in a heartbeat if I was riding from here to the mountains, but since I transport my bike, I like the 250 because it's like a mountain bike you don't have to pedal. Here's my KLR650 from 2004 on the BRP, I have a lot of happy memories with this bike. Real dirtbike guys dis them because they're heavy for a dirt bike, but they are comfortable and reliable, and well suited to any "road" I might want to ride:
View attachment 777273
View attachment 777274
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I just wonder how hard it would be to load that KLR on a rack like yours. It weighs 450 I think.
 
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I've driven (never ridden) 16 between Marion and Tazewell a few times back when I was working. It's called "B. F. Buchanan Highway". Don't know who Mr. Buchanan was, but he must have been crooked. Very crooked.
 
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fieldgrade said:
I just wonder how hard it would be to load that KLR on a rack like yours. It weights 450 I think.
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Well, @NiceOldDouble just bought a 600 lb capacity rack for his new Enfield Himalayan that weighs about the same as a KLR. See his thread elsewhere
 
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Start out at Skeeter's with 2-3 hot dogs, head up I-77 N through Big Walker and East River tunnels, take 52 to Bluefield and 460 to Abingdon, 58 to Galax. While in Galax stop in at the Blue Ridge Grill.

There are miles and miles of good riding along the VA/NC border. If you like steep and crooked roads, look up Lambsburg mountain and Orchard Gap just to name a couple.
 
fieldgrade said:
From 2021-
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I used to run an old FLT back in the early 90's.. Great bike for putzin around the countryside in comfort with "enough" of yer mess in tow.
Got Polaroids of it somewhere with surf rods stuck down in the bag racks headin for Md to do a lil fishin' n crabbin'.. :cool: 👍
 
HawgBonz said:
I used to run an old FLT back in the early 90's.. Great bike for putzin around the countryside in comfort with "enough" of yer mess in tow.
Got Polaroids of it somewhere with surf rods stuck down in the bag racks headin for Md to do a lil fishin' n crabbin'.. :cool: 👍
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Pics man!
 
HawgBonz said:
That looked like great fun! I'd want somethin whisper quiet for that kindof riding..
At least while I'm waitin on muh speeder build.. 🤖😎
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250 trail bikes with stock exhausts. When I am riding in places like Burke’s Garden, I am aware that I am in someone else’s back yard, and I respect that. I want to come back! I was sitting on the stone wall at the old church, and an old local wandered up. I asked him, “have you lived here all your life?” He said, “not yet!” 😃
 
HawgBonz said:
That looked like great fun! I'd want somethin whisper quiet for that kindof riding..
At least while I'm waitin on muh speeder build.. 🤖😎
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I’m the only person I know who runs stock exhausts on a Harley, pretty much for this reason.
 
Bull Durham said:
Same here.View attachment 780744
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I love the look of those stock mufflers, and the new ones too with just a little slash cut, which is another reason I don’t change them. There are no aftermarket pipes anywhere that look as good as either of them, as far as I’m concerned.
 
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49erRider said:
@fieldgrade how many miles you have on the bike already?
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Just 2000. Dealer had it for a couple weeks after it was delivered, it was apart while making changes in my garage for a couple more weeks, and I just had to cancel a four day trip for next week, so I’m behind.
 
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