I'm a former Staten Islander myself... And while I sympathize with the insanity of bad drivers, you need to stay aware and vigilant on the road all the time. If you're used to the Lon Gisland Expressway, Northern State or Southern State with over-confident, under-thoughtful drivers, wait until you get into the country where you have people who are inexperienced with people who drive in heavy traffic all the time.

As far as teaming up with friends on bikes for long haul rides... don't give up on that. I have friends everywhere... friends I work with, friends I don't work with, friends I play poker with, friends I don't play poker with, etc. You will learn which friends you can ride with and which friends you can't ride with. Just don't let a friend you THOUGHT you could ride with end up in a "that's no friend of mine" situation.

 

I'm doing a solo trip down there starting next Saturday, and I can't wait. Sometimes going solo is the way to go.

 

Always ride with people you know...Much safer for everyone

rode up last weekend...rain all day Saturday... FL to VA down skyline, BRP, Dragon, Smokies, cherohala - Man, I love to ride but work gets in the way....

 

Last summer we did a ride from Arkansas to Front Royal, then down Skyline and BLP. There were six bikes in our group and we had a blast, it really was one of those once in a lifetime rides. Weather cooperated, traffic was light, and 5 of the 6 had very similar riding habits. The 6th like to push harder than the rest of us wanted too but he finally figured it out and settled in with the rest of us.

 

Sorry you had to learn the hard way about riding partners. I have ppl I can do 1 or 2 nights max with but thats it. Wife and I found its better to just be on our own for long trips. I'm blessed to have a wife that likes to ride just as much as I do, maybe even more.

 

Sounds like a good trip - once you made it past dealing with the knucklehead.

 

That's why we always just meet people there. No worries about how the other rides, when to leave or where to stop. If you happen to meet them on the road that's fine, but your still on your own schedule and they are on their's. Works for us.

 

Got a good group of about 5 guys I ride with every year for a 5 or 6 day trip, We also do day trips from time to time, we have been doing it for years with a few guys joining, a few leaving. We just kind of respect what everyone wants to do, and have a good time, after all, it's all about the journey, not the destination, right? It's funny cause the skyline and BRP is our planned trip for this year, can't wait. I think maybe in a strange way it might be harder for 2 guys to get along on a trip than it would be for a group, at least in a group it's just kind of a majority rules thing, unless you know the 1 other guy really well and know you get along well.

 

hahahaha!! just like the trip I took to Sturgis a few years ago. got invited not knowing anyone, 12 bikes left and I came back with 2 of them. if it could happen, it did. down to a fist fight. I still run in to a couple of these guys every now and then at a poker run or the dealership, they don't speak to each other anymore!!
man did I learn a lot.

 

I made a similar "rookie mistake" like that once. I was going to ride from Phoenix to Mesquite, NV to meet up with some guys from a metric forum back in 2008. I rode a Kawasaki Nomad at the time. Anyway, another guy in my area was going too, so we decided to ride together. We met one day for lunch to shake hands and work out the logistics, and then we met up the morning of our trip. It was in June and going to be really hot, had I been by myself I would have been to Mesquite by noon. This other guy had to stop about every 50 miles or so. He killed nearly an hour at a gas station chatting with a couple who stopped to walk their dog. Long story short, by the time we got to Hoover Dam it was already 111 degrees and the guy damn near collapsed from heatstroke. I guess I assumed that because he lives in the Phoenix area he actually rode his bike in the summer. So we spent 2.5 hours sitting in a McDonald's in Boulder City while he cooled down and drank about 15 32 oz Cokes. Even though I suggested he drink water, he insisted on soda. We didn't make it to Mesquite until around 6:00 PM and he checked into his room and nobody saw him for 2 days. He left to return home at 3:00 AM to try to beat the heat and took 2 days getting back to Phoenix. I avoid the guy to this day.