September 27 & 28, 2008 was the date for "Wingstock 2008".

After reading about it for two years, I finally got to attend the Third Annual "Wingstock" in Woodstock, Georgia!

This "gathering" is put together by a group of Goldwing riders from the [GL1800Riders] Internet forum jokingly referred to as the "Georgia Mafia" (A/K/A "Wingstock Mafia"). Who the members are is a closely guarded secret lest the "Feds" attempt to put an end to their antics in the hills of Georgia & Tennessee.

My buddy Wheels (not his real name) was going too, so we decided to ride down together.

But it wasn't as easy as jumpin' on the bike and heading down to Georgia... Oh no... There had to be an "adventure" on the way...

We left from my office Thursday evening after work (around 5:00p.m.) - taking I-70 west from the Baltimore Beltway (I-695). It took us nearly an hour and a half to get free of Baltimore, then - to add insult to injury - it started raining. And didn't stop... The Google Maps link below will show you our intended route to Wingstock.

Shortly before Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (US-340), Wheels noticed a strange smell coming from his trike, so we pulled over onto a gravel parking lot to see if we could figure out the source. His front tire replacement had been botched by a local bike shop who'd manage to screw up the bearings, so we thought that might have been the source of the offending smell. The front axle was cool to the touch and no strange odors seemed to be coming from that area so we got back on the road.

We pulled over again somewhere north of Roanoke, Virginia (I-81) because his bike had started making funny noises...

By Salem, Virginia his bike was making so much noise I could hear it over the CB. Something was seriously wrong. We pulled off I-81 and stopped at a Liberty gas station. I stood in the parking lot of the gas station while Wheels rode circles around me so I could try to figure out the source of the noise. Well... it certainly wasn't coming from the front wheel. But, just as certainly, we weren't going any further that night. Just as well, it was just before midnight - and still raining.

Look! How fortuitous... A La Quinta Inn! Right behind the Liberty gas station. We grabbed a room & started callin' people - "IR Harry" & George "KJ5IX" Patrick. After discussing the symptoms, Wheels & I had the sinking suspicious it might be the universal joint. After describing the symptoms to IR Harry & George, they came to the same conclusion: "universal joint".

With that subject "put to bed", Wheels & I adjourned to the parking lot to drown our sorrows...

The next day dawned... overcast and... rainy. We really had to break this pattern...

Here you can see Wheels saying "good-bye" to his trike before it's taken into the shop for a u-joint-ectomy followed by a u-joint-plasty...

To make a long story... interminable, we were less than 5 miles from Star City Powersports a motorcycle shop that services motorcycles from a number of manufacturers, including Honda! - and while they didn't have the part, their sister shop in Harrisonburg - did. Luckily, we had called them early enough that they were able to intercept their parts driver on the road and he was able to pick up the GL1500 u-joint and bring it back down to Salem. We stepped in the front door around 2:00p.m., and the u-joint stepped in the front door around 3:00p.m. By 3:20 the mangled u-joint was out of the trike. By 3:40 they were startin' to put the new u-joint in. By somewhere between 4:00p.m. and 5:00p.m. we squared with the shop and were back on the road.

Oh... Did I tell you that one of the guys at the shop noticed that my right low beam headlight was "out"? Yep... Burned out as hell... I asked 'em what it would take to get it replaced. They told me they had one in stock, but that Mother Honda said the job would take an hour and a half at sixty bucks an hour - Mother Honda claims you have to remove the front of the fairing! The cash register in my mind started "cha-ching'ing" when Wheels leaned over and informed me that it was about a 10 minute job and that all y'had to do was reach your hand in behind the fairing. I told the shop "No, thanks" on the repair work, but "Yes, please" to the bulb. Makin' me only twenty bucks lighter in the wallet. Now, I've never replaced the headlight bulb on my Goldwing, but Wheels & I figured, heck, we were headed to Wingstock and would be surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable and capable motorcycle enthusiasts on the planet! We were sure that someone there would have done it before and - with a little sweet talkin' - would be willing to do it again... For me!

Long story short...

Thanks, TNCharlie!
I love ya', man...

But in that manly, virile, scratch-ur-ass-and-fart kinda way...

Another thing I love about Charlie. Check out his license plate... [hover your mouse over the picture]

Well, anyway... We decided that Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (home of Dollywood!) was a good goal for the night so off we headed. Into the dark... and the rain...

Again...

We pulled into Pigeon Forge around ten'ish, checked into the Quality Inn Parkway and headed over to the Cracker Barrel across the street for some chow.

When we got up the next morning and went out for the morning ritual of "The Wiping Down Of The Bikes", what should greet our rain-blind eyes, but...

Well... After we finished wiping down the bikes, Wheels made me waffles for breakfast (you're gonna have to ask him about that yourself!), we squared with the hotel, and saddled up - to head over to the Shrine Convention that was in town.

Wheels wanted to buy a Shriner buddy of his a fez-shaped "angel bell".

While we were at the Shrine Convention, Wheels decided to check out some new... well... wheels!

He was eyein' a radical lookin' hard tail with a bitchin' metallic red flame job.

Purchases completed we headed off to ride the Tail of the Dragon... We took the Foothills Parkway to Route 129

Which took us to this T-intersection.

I hear dragons...

11 miles & 318 curves later, we stopped at Deal's Gap for the obligatory "photo by the Deals Gap sign" and t-shirt.

Oh! And don't forget the Tree of Shame... There's actually a story behind my picture, but I ain't tellin', and Wheels promised not to either...

The day that we were there, two people lost out to "The Dragon". One trike rider had to be Medevac'd from the bridge below the dam near Deals Gap.

It was pretty cloudy and overcast the day we were there. Made me wonder... Smokey Mountains, or Foggy Mountains?

And are those banjos I'm hearin'?

From Deals Gap, we cruised the Cherohala Skyway - then beat feet (sorry, Wheels!) for Woodstock, Georgia and the barbecue at Traxxion Dynamics.

We'd missed the scheduled rides for "Wingstock", but managed to ride some good roads and made it to the barbecue on time!

After partakin' of some fantastic pork & chicken barbecue, baked beans, brownies and sweet tea there was a "Presentation Ceremony", MC'd by our own Joe "Slow Joe" Jackson... With contributions by Wheels...

And a cast of thousands...

For an idea of what most people thought of the Masters of Ceremonies, hover your mouse over their picture...

I'm not sure how I got singled out for special attention, and I certainly don't know what the significance of my "gift" is... (Honest... I mean it!)

I'm not sure what John "Bald Eagle" Garner is doin' here, but since I'm in charge of the captions, I labeled it as I saw fit...

261 Rope Mill Parkway, Suite 3
Woodstock, GA 30188
(770) 592-3823
info@traxxion.com

Traxxion Dynamics in Woodstock, Georgia has been extremely generous in providing a free barbecue for the "Wingstock" attendees. Pork & chicken barbecue, baked beans, brownies and sweet tea! (Sweet tea can be a little hard for us "northerners" to find...)

I don't know who provided the entertainment the first two years, but the Shufflejunkies played for us this year - and boy - where they hot!

The Shufflejunkies are an Atlanta-based blues & classic rock "power trio" - an' lemme tell ya' folks, those boys can play! I like to support independent musicians, so I picked up a copy of their three track "teaser" CD. The tracks are - 8 Up with Da' Blues, Bettin' Man's Blues & Shuffleicious. Because of all the shenanigans goin' on at Wingstock I didn't give 'em the ear I shoulda. To my regret. When I got home, I threw the CD in the CD player - and I gotta tell ya'... I want more! When I was talking to Roger Shepheard (lead guitar) after the gig, he told me that they're workin' on a full CD of original tunes. I advise any blues lover to [sign up to their mailing list] so you can be notified when that CD comes out. Believe me, you'll want it in your collection!

A bunch of us hung out at Traxxion until well after dark kickin' the tires 'n' tellin' tales. When we could no longer see each other, everyone headed to their respective hotels. Wheels & I headed to the Best Western Mountain Ville Inn & Suites, checked in and headed back down to the parking lot to continue "Happy Hour" - a tradition that's become de rigueur for these gatherings.

Another person I have to thank is Jim Mick of Mick-O-Pegs fame. A while back I'd managed to pull off the extremely difficult gas station maneuver known simply as "forget-to-make-sure-the-side-stand-is-extended-all-the-way-before-getting-off-the-bike". This maneuver is usually followed by a slow, graceful tipping of the Goldwing onto the crash bars - followed almost immediately by the "frantic-look-around-the-parking-lot-and-quickly-pick-up-the-bike" maneuver.

These carefully choreographed moves resulted in my "Angel Bell" being used to rotate my Mick-O-Pegs mounting block around my horizontal engine guard.

My left Mick-O-Peg was now at a less than ideal angle for use on the highway. A situation that Jim rectified in the darkened cul-de-sac in front of Traxxion. Many, many thanks, Jim!

If I'd gotten a better picture of you, it would have appeared right here ->

Instead, I'll just have to include a link to your web site...

The next morning came way too soon. We checked out & headed over to Ryan's at 8:30a.m. to say our good-byes.

When we got there, you can see the greeting that was arranged for us - care of the "Georgia Mafia"!

Those dirty rats!

We didn't have time to eat as we had around 700 miles to put behind us to reach Baltimore. So we said our good-byes and headed for the door...

As always, whenever I get around this group of reprobates, I had a blast. I consider myself blessed to know these folks and can't wait to - do it again!

Ride safe, and...
Ride OFTEN!