Cherohala Skyway

Brief description of what to expect from posts here.

GREAT ROADS: Cherohala Skyway

Posted by Rob Brooks | Apr 23, 2025 | Rides & Roads | 0 |

2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP: Taming the Dragon

Posted by Ryan Nolan | Sep 3, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Rides & Roads | 0 |

Appalachian Playground

Posted by Ted Edwards | Oct 29, 2020 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads | 10 |

Road Dirt Rides Nikens

Posted by Rob Brooks | Oct 26, 2020 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge & Resort

Posted by Rob Brooks | Oct 19, 2020 | Rides & Roads | 2 |

GREAT ROADS: Cherohala Skyway

by Rob Brooks | Apr 23, 2025 | Rides & Roads | 0 |

I first came to ride the Cherohala Skyway a few years after it opened, in 1998 or ’99. I rode up with a group of CMA friends from the Atlanta area, and we spent a day riding the parkway from Robbinsville NC to Tellico Plains TN. After a hearty late lunch at the popular Tellicafé on the western end of the skyway, the group turned around and rode back across that afternoon. It was early October as I remember, and the mountains were awash in the colors of autumn- gold, orange, red, purple, with pine evergreen interspersed.
It was magical. I was hooked.

2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP: Taming the Dragon

by Ryan Nolan | Sep 3, 2024 | Bikes & Gear, Rides & Roads | 0 |

I was recently in beautiful east Tennessee for the 2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP press launch. As many of you may have seen, my man Rob was out for the press launch of the base model MT-09 back in the spring, and I came to put this SP version through it’s paces. I was super excited because not only would I get to ride this amazing motorcycle, but I’d get to check an item off of my motorcycle bucket list- to ride the legendary Hwy. 129, the Tail of the Dragon.

Appalachian Playground

by Ted Edwards | Oct 29, 2020 | Ride Life, Rides & Roads | 10 |

If you want a land to get into your soul, ask it to dance. Roam through its curves, flirt with its scenery, stop and stare at its unfolding landscape and it will talk to you, revealing itself like an intimate dance partner. Ask the landscape questions and it will whisper the answers in your ear, embedding it into your memory forever. As a northwest native, I never thought I could feel that way about Fall in the Appalachians.

Road Dirt Rides Nikens

by Rob Brooks | Oct 26, 2020 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

We rolled into the parking lot of Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, anticipating an enjoyable walk back through the annals of American motorcycle history. As with everywhere we rode the Yamaha Nikens, a gathering of gawkers closed in, slack jawed and cameras snapping. An old curmudgeon in a “brand specific” shirt shuffled up to Ted, who was still removing his helmet, and loudly asked in a deep Southern drawl, “Whut da hail is ‘at??” Ted smiled and replied, “It’s a Yamaha Niken.” Before he could offer any details, the old codger declared, “Ha, more like a Yamaha nuthin!” There was a brief moment of stunned silence on our part, as he ambled around the bike, chuckling. Did this clown really just insult the motorcycle of a total stranger??

Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge & Resort

by Rob Brooks | Oct 19, 2020 | Rides & Roads | 2 |

Nestled among the ancient, sublime Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, down a winding, narrow road through a verdant valley, lies a secluded, 40+ acre motorcycle resort that attracts riders from across the continent and even the world. Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge & Resort, first established in 2003 “by riders for riders”, resides along a meandering, burbling creek fed by chilly mountain waters, and serves as the perfect base camp for some of the best motorcycle riding in North America.