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East Coast XR meetup and ride, May 17th-21st 2023

6K views 101 replies 24 participants last post by  Jarhead 
#1 ·
It's that time of year again, time to mark you calendars for maybe the most fun ride of the year, the annual XROG ride in and around the Great Smoky Mountains. Many pixels have been shared on this forum about this ride over the years but it could all be summed up as great rides with great folks on great roads. For those who haven't been, the roads in Eastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and Northern Georgia are among the best in the US and we'll have some folks who know them like the back of their hands.
We've ridden in snow, rain, sun, and everything in between although the last couple of years have been really great, weather wise.
This is a really welcoming group and we would love for you to join us!

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This is all cribbed from last year's ride thread but here is what you need to know:

Where is it?
We stay in Waynesville NC at the Oak Park Inn and ride out from there. We hit legendary roads like the Tail of the Dragon, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Cherohala Skyway and many other lesser known but often better(!) roads in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee with occasional stops at places like the Wheels Through Time Museum in nearby Maggie Valley. It is an absolutely beautiful part of the country with great riding.

When is it?
The weekend before Memorial Day. Some folks come early, some stay late but the most of us will be there from Thursday to Sunday, May 18th-21st. There is no set time you need to be there, come for the whole time or ride with us for a day, you'll still have fun!

Who should attend?
Everybody that reads this post! If you're into this forum, you're welcome, no exceptions. We've had all levels of riders and folks that have ridden with us long after they've sold their XRs

This group has been meeting for a while, here are some of the previous rides:
2012: 2012 XROG East Coast Meet up
2013: Jeffery's Redemption Tour or Find Waldo (Bob) in...
2014: Magoo: Return to the Dragon
2015: Smoky Mountain Retreat May 2015
2016: Lucky 7 Smoky Mountain Gathering
2017: 2017 Smoky Mountain Great 8 Weekend...
2018: Smoky Mountains Magoo's 10th Anniversary (ok, he...
2019: Carolina's, Tennessee and Georgia Riding May 16-20
2020: Cancelled due to Covid but there is still a thread! East Coast XR1200 Ride .... Sometime After May 10, 2020...
2021: East Coast XROG ride, May 20-23 2021
2022: East Coast XR meetup and ride, May 18th-22nd 2022

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#6 · (Edited)
I will know next week. Money and time not an issue. It all depends where i have to go the following weekend. If it's close i will probably make it. Had to cancel last year as i had to leave the following Wednesday on a 1200 mile trip. I promise i won't come to the XR1200 meetup this year on a BMW.:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
#17 ·
One of the better experiences on the ride is the Oak Park Inn and the restaurants in Waynesville within walking distance. It's a great place for hanging out and socializing(and eating). The motel is reasonably priced for the dates and the location near a tourist area. Probably one of the last motels in the country not ran by the Patel family.
 
#18 ·
Old dog speaks the truth, the Oak Park Inn may not be the plushest accommodations but it's definitely 'home'. Good times with good folks.
Looks like we'll have a decent crowd this year

Going:
Purplehaze
Chipmaker
Nosupes4u
**acy300
Jarhead
Poolpawpaw
Horosho
Backindasaddle
Seamus
Phaedrus
Purplehaze's buddy Jay (he rode with us in 2021 - see East Coast XROG ride, May 20-23 2021)

Maybe:
Old Dog
Sadwingsragn
Fast XR
Fast XR's unidentified riding buddy #1
Fast XR's unidentified riding buddy #2
JoeP

Out:
CobraT
 
#21 ·
I'm coming if nothing happens, either on the XR or the Beemer, worse case scenario on a Road Glide. I plan on booking a room there for TH-FRI-SAT with the plan of showing up Thursday evening. I had not rode the XR since late last summer so i've been out cleaning and fixing for the last two days. It's good to go and probably in better shape than i am.
 
#23 ·
This year might be a big one from the looks of it so far. You don't have to have an XR1200 to show up. We're all good fellows. I came on a big BMW last year due to some neck problems. It's going to be way more fun than the BMW MOA national rally i attended last summer in Springfield MO. I had suspected that might not be a good idea but i always wanted to go to one to see what it was like. I would like to report it was about 4450 guys dressed in the gray and black BMW adventure rider "uniform" and about 50 old lumpy women.
 
#28 ·
21 Days away. If I'm counting right, we've got:

Going:
Purplehaze
Chipmaker
Nosupes4u
**acy300
Jarhead
Poolpawpaw
Horosho
Backindasaddle
Seamus
Phaedrus
Viper2662
Purplehaze's buddy Jay
Chipmaker's buddy Mike

Maybe:
Old Dog
Fast XR
Fast XR's unidentified riding buddy #1
Fast XR's unidentified riding buddy #2
JoeP

Kind of a wild card:
Magoo

Out:
CobraT
Sadwingsragn

Sound about right? Should be a good time. If you're on the fence I encourage you to join us!
 
#29 ·
I'm not saying to count me out yet but it is definitely going to be a big fat maybe as i'm dealing with some ongoing cervical vertabrae problems. Had an MRI done yesterday so maybe they can diagnose the problem and do something like an injection before then. No way i could deal with the XR on those roads, probably not the Dyna or Road Glide either. If i do come it will be on the BMW as there's nothing like an old crippled guy on a 160 MPH motorcycle. Going to get the Beemer out and ride a couple hundred miles one day to see what happens.
 
#34 ·
man I cant believe I'm going to miss it again I've been looking forward to this all year and am having surgery on my right hand may 9th and wont be recovered soon enough ,well always next year , you all have a great ride in my back yard .
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Hate to hear about the surgery, but your welcome to join us for dinner in Waynesville.
 
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