Photography by Beau Allen Pacheco
You gotta love it. Gold Wings are everywhere and it’s very cool to see a congregation of kindred spirits gather whether it’s Tall Ships, Duesenburgs or the big Hondas.
I’m here at the Honda Hoot; Honda’s flagship event where all their flagships gather. The main parking lot is a sea of windshields and skinny masts. Of course, all Hondas—in fact all motorcycles from around the world—have been invited here and their owners may tag along. However, Gold Wings are the bikes that hear the siren the strongest and show up in the largest numbers.
The best part of having so many big rigs here is that most of the attendees on the Wings rode them here. One does not see motorcycles tethered to trailers or sitting like grinning mutts in pickup beds—this is not Sturgis or Daytona. Not by the longest shot. Indeed, there are no burnout pits here nor wrestling of any flavor, Jell-o, cole slaw or mud. There were over 300 vendors here, but no tattoo artists—lots of cops but no arrests. Can you say mellow?
Like most rallies, the Hoot has a central base at Chilhowee Park in central Knoxville. Here, vendors set up and the demo rides depart and return. The grounds are pleasant with verdant greenery and a lake complete with frothing fountain. Entertainment this year at the park was the Ball of Steel stunt riders and the Team Extreme trials riders. (Be sure to check out the video!) I was surprised to see the demonstration teams of competitors Triumph, BMW and Victory here, but the Honda guys emphasize to me they wish the Hoot to be a gathering of all motorcycles, not just Hondas. They said it often and eventually I believed them.
As comfortable as Chilhowee Park is, the countryside around Knoxville is the attraction to this rally. There are no formal group rides where you see a hundred bikes in a line shepherded by a captain man-of-steel or a wide-eyed, white knuckle maniac sweep rider trying to keep up with the parade. Everyone departs and returns when they choose, and with whom they choose. Destinations included Roan Mountain, Douglas Lake or a ride to the Cumberland Gap, and on Friday Cycle World sponsored a ride to the Wheels Through Time Museum. But no one mentions the Dragon in the room; Deals Gap, a.k.a. the Dragon’s Tail. No OEM will endorse this road or even mention it, but it’s the road that most people come to ride, along with its tamer but more scenic cousin, the Cherohala Skyway.
It’s entirely understandable why no corporation would endorse these roads; they’re too… exciting. The Tree of Shame at Dragon’s Tail resort—with its plumage of shredded plastic parts—shows just how exciting Deals Gap is. Someone’s counted 318 curves in 11 miles and I don’t doubt it. Everyone wants to ride it, and there’s a cottage industry built around these two roads. Most of that industry depicts it as roadracer heaven, and the shriek of sportbikes can be heard through the hollers from sunup to sundown.
Of all the big rallies in America, this is one of my most favorite to ride because of the American history that lives here and the ambiance of the genteel South.
