2002 Honda Hoot

Knoxville, TN

Home of the

Body Surfers

Somehow six of us managed to get to the Hoot this year.  The event is well run and I will not make comparisons to Amercade except to say that only a few of the "Loud Pipes Save Lives" guys were in Knoxville.  The weather was hot and dry, all week.  The roads offer many more rides and challanges than other places we have visited. We all rode the Dragon, several times, not because we wanted to but because it is a main artery to go many places.   Several times a day the local Fire-Rescue boys were scraping the body surfers off of the fresh paving.  Sometimes the Dragon bites back!  This is a good area to actually use the sides of those tires.

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But first you have to get there.  It's about 650 miles to Knoxville from South Jersey.  The bike riders split it up over two days so we would be fresh for the great roads of the region.  The Trailer guys made it in one shot.  The fly boy made it a couple of hours ( first class of course ) but more on him later.    The hotel location was 2 blocks from the interstate, 10 minutes from the Hoot Park and 6 restaurant you can walk to in a few minutes.  Twisty roads are everywhere.  Even the downtown city streets have more curves than you can find in Jersey. 

The Hoot has plenty of parking in one spot, all paved and free.  The vendor area for shopping is split between outdoors and Indoor, fully air conditioned.  The demo ride area is ajacent to the vendor area with an additional parking area closer to the demo ride area with a 2 hr. parking limit.  The city police gave the bikes priority over the cars and never hasseled anyone.  Every area was wide open no crowding.

Tijuana is not in Tennesee.  I think a left back there will get us to Cleveland!

Ok Bob, you take us 150 mile to Black Mountain, NC for some Cajun food but it's closed on Monday.  Dooh!

Bob, Shirley and Nick on top of Fontana Dam

Parking at the Appalachian Museum with a few thousand friends for some barbecue, Included with the Hoot signup.

Ok many members have asked me to compare it to Americade:

UPS

1. Roads - Cherohalla Skyway, The Dragon, Foothills Parkway, Blue Ridge Parkway, etc. etc.

2. Plenty of flat, paved parking at the Hoot registration, vendor and demo area.(all in one place)

3. Air conditioned indoor shopping at the vendor area.

4. Lots of food stands at the vendor and demo area. Indoor plumbing!

5. A ton of self guided rides with lunch stops included. See #1

6. Plenty of hotel rooms at reasonable prices.

7. Barbeque dinner for 6000 - included.

8. Closing ceremony in air conditioned comfort with plenty of parking ,a ton of prizes and buses to

   take you to and from the Block Party that was 3 blocks away.  Leave your bikes in the covered

   parking garages.

9. No loud pipes!

10. Plenty of restaurants - no waiting.

11. No traffic hassels.

12. Get interviewed on Bike Week

13. Ride with world champion Kevin Schwantz.

14. Several downtown Block Parties to socialize at.

15. The police are friendly... bikers can do no wrong.

Downs

1. No Canada Street to stroll

2. No loud pipes!

3. No traffic hassels.

4. Can't ride from registration to Vendor area to demo area 1 and demo area 2 because they're all in one place.

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