GPZ Trip Report

Art Johnson arthjohnson270 at gmail.com
Thu May 6 16:28:36 PDT 2021


Our Gpz is resting in Marghera Italy since 09/2019. The Airbnb host keeps the battery trickle charged and occasionally wheels it outside to fire it up.
Restrictions keep us away, so hopeful 2022 allows return to EU adventures.
Maybe see a retired Valentino Rossi on the roads then?
Thanks for the road trip report Charles.


> On May 6, 2021, at 3:56 PM, Paul Heim <pmheimjr at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Yeah, when I saw you were in Wilmington and had come through Tellico Plains, I was wishing I had the opportunity to do a trip. My job has been a major impediment to logging miles. The GPz is probably as ready to ride as when I laid it up. Maybe I’ll do a short ride this weekend if the home projects aren’t overwhelming! Too bad you didn’t have a chance to swing by the Barber Museum. Maybe after you relocate!
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On May 6, 2021, at 3:43 PM, Alexander Finger <af at genevainformation.ch> wrote:
>> 
>> That's a nice writeup, thanks for sharing! Covid cut the bike tours pretty
>> much in 2020 and 2021 does not look so much better. Never did so few miles
>> on all the bikes like in the last year :(
>> The GPZ's battery has to be replaced again, but on ascension weekend I plan
>> to put in a new one..need to find a solution to keep it charged
>> permanently, too.
>> rgds
>> Alex
>> 
>>> On Thu, May 6, 2021 at 9:30 PM Charles Scappaticci <scapco at ecentral.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi All,
>>> 
>>> The list is pretty dead these days, but it doesn't mean there isn't any GPZ
>>> riding going on.
>>> 
>>> I got back Monday from a ride to the east coast from Denver on the GPZ,
>>> though we cheated and towed to Wichita Kansas to avoid 540 miles of the
>>> windy, flat, I-70 drive.  It also helped keep our fresh rubber new for
>>> riding the Smoky Mountains.  I went with my friend, Bruce who some of you
>>> have met, he has ridden with me for many years, including my last trip to
>>> Alaska and stayed with his sister, Lisa.
>>> 
>>> Saturday morning, we loaded up the bikes in a light fog and drizzle and
>>> headed east on 421 then north in Missouri.  We had planned a route to keep
>>> us off of the freeways and stayed true to that.  We went farther north than
>>> we probably needed, but crossed the Mississippi at Cairo, IL then
>>> immediately crossed the Ohio river and stopped for the evening in Paducah,
>>> KY after having ridden 540 miles, mostly in cool temps with occasional
>>> drizzle and frequently wet roads.  Glad I had my heated jacket liner and
>>> grips!!
>>> 
>>> Sunday morning, we left Paducah in a heavy, wet fog but drove out of it in
>>> about 1/2 hour and headed south through Kentucky.  The weather was cool and
>>> cloudy, but dry and a little warmer so it was a much better ride than
>>> Saturday.  We cut south through Nashville as we were both tired and worked
>>> our way down to Tellico Plains where we met Bruce's son, Danny, who also
>>> rode to Alaska with us.  We got a cabin at Hunts motorcycle campground,
>>> unloaded and headed east around the Cherohala Skyway for a nice evening
>>> ride.  I was feeling pretty rusty as I hadn't really ridden the GPZ since
>>> August 2018 when I took it to Sturgis, not exactly a technical ride from
>>> Denver.  I was doing out of state consulting work for a while and then last
>>> summer was a bust with Covid and having to move after my ex screwed me out
>>> of my house.  Anyway, it was a nice ride to help me get my timing back.
>>> Rode 400 miles.
>>> 
>>> Monday morning, we had a light breakfast then headed down the Cherohala
>>> Skyway once again then over to run the Tail of the Dragon.  I had run it
>>> over Thanksgiving in 2018 on a rented Ducati Multistrada and had a great
>>> time riding the roads there.  We went through and back with no accidents or
>>> performance awards, took a few pictures then headed towards Maggie Valley
>>> to see the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum.  I highly recommend this
>>> museum to anyone visiting the area, as it's first class all the way.
>>> Afterwards, we worked our way back and headed back up the Skyway once again
>>> but at a fast pace. Heading into a hard left corner by an overlook, I hit
>>> the brakes only to find I had no back brake and almost piled it up before
>>> getting it turned.  The rest of the ride back I avoided using the rear
>>> brake, guessing correctly I had cooked the back brake fluid, a later
>>> examination of my maintenance log indicated I hadn't changed the fluid in
>>> 13 years.  Oops...  Turns out Danny had done much the same to his FZ09's
>>> front brakes.
>>> 
>>> Next morning, we said our goodbyes as they were headed to Auburn Alabama
>>> where Danny lives and I headed out by myself towards Greensboro, NC where
>>> my girlfriend, Mary, lives.  I got to ride the Skywaya once more then
>>> mostly slabbed it to Greensboro as my back was (and is) killing me.  I had
>>> accidentally hurt my back the night before we left trying to find my
>>> cigarette adapter, which I didn't find, and it has had me in pain ever
>>> since, though I think it's finally on the mend.  I got into Greensboro
>>> around 5:00 and unpacked for the night.  Wednesday was a relaxing day to
>>> try to get some rest.  After the trip there, it was obvious my old riding
>>> gear needed to go to the dump.  I wore all my old gear and kept my newer
>>> gear at home, but I've lost over 50lbs since I used to wear them, so they
>>> were huge and wouldn't stay up.  Thursday, we went to Cycle Gear in
>>> Greensboro and I bought a nice pair of armored cordura jeans with knee pads
>>> which are very comfortable, then went back to the house and removed the
>>> luggage racks on the GPZ plus I flushed the rear brake fluid which brought
>>> that back to life.
>>> 
>>> Friday morning, I hopped on the bike and headed 200+ miles to Wilmington,
>>> NC to see the Atlantic ocean.  I wanted a picture of the bike looking over
>>> the Atlantic ocean as I have pics of it in Alaska looking over the Arctic
>>> ocean, the Pacific Ocean and now the Atlantic.  I decided I'm going to do a
>>> write up of all the major trips I have taken on the mighty GPZ over 24
>>> years and 72K miles.  Did 460 miles round trip.  The bike never missed a
>>> beat over the whole trip and I can't say enough good about the Michelin
>>> Pilot Road 4 GT's I put on before the trip, really great tires.
>>> 
>>> Saturday, I washed the bike then borrowed a few tools to change the oil,
>>> cleaned and oiled the chain, filled the tank with Sta-Bil treated
>>> non-ethanol gas, drained the carburetors and hooked up a battery maintainer
>>> before covering it up until I visit Greensboro once again.  I've got a 2014
>>> Ducati Multistrada GT and a 2003 Vulcan 1600 Classic so I have bikes to
>>> ride here in Denver.  One reason to leave it is that I'm looking to
>>> relocate to Greensboro and this would be one less bike to have to move.  I
>>> think the old girl still has a few more adventures left in her, maybe
>>> Daytona next spring?
>>> 
>>> Sorry for the long post, but I hope to hear of some others and their rides
>>> this summer.  I'm looking forward to the warm weather!
>>> 
>>> Charles S.
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>> 
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>> --
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