Smoky Mountain Touring

12/12/2021

This is going to be a great event and I highly recommend going! I won’t make it because of a previously scheduled trip to Norway but I’ll be there in spirit!

Search FB groups for “The Gathering” to join and see more details.

24/05/2020

The BRP was just starting to open back up the rest of the way from the Covid-19 shutdown too! 😢

National Park Service officials announced today that heavy rain over the past week has created multiple road hazards in the Roanoke, Virginia, area of the Blue Ridge Parkway that requires a road closure from Milepost 112.4 to Milepost 135.9, from U.S. Route 24 to Adney Gap. Within the larger closure area, a full road closure to all uses (including motor traffic, bicycles and pedestrians) is in place from Milepost 121.4 at U.S. Route 220 to Milepost 135.9 at Adney Gap.

The largest hazard is a full road failure roughly one hundred and fifty feet (150') in length at Milepost 128. In addition, Parkway staff also discovered to two smaller slope failures that resulted in debris on the motor road at both Milepost 119 and 124. Concern remains for the stability of the hill and trees above the road in that area.

The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration will assess the issues and determine what repairs are needed. Geotechnical and roadway design experts will assess the roadway failures and make recommendations for repairs and restoration of access. The schedule for these repairs is currently unknown.

Specific information regarding daily closures, related to this project or for any other reason, is available on the Parkway’s Real Time Road Map, found at www.nps.gov/maps/blri/road-closures/ .

Image Description: An approximately 150 foot section of the motor road sloughs down hill. A car is parked beyond.

23/04/2020

Had a great 570 mile ride today through Paris, TN, then across to Missouri and down US 61 (The Great River Road) to Memphis. Met up with my buddy on his JD Indian Springfield, popped down to Southaven, MS, back up to Graceland, and then up to Beale Street. Then raced a rainstorm back to Nashville and lost. A bit wet but checked a lot of boxes on the contest!

01/01/2020

Had a great 8th Annual Polar Bear Ride!

Where can I take YOU in 2020?

03/11/2019

Up in northern Quebec and looking forward to warm weather and getting back on 2 wheels!

Dreaming about warm weather too? Send me a message to get booked for a summer time trip into the Smokies!

10/10/2019

Leading Indian demo rides at the Tennessee Motorcycles and Music Revival today! Come out to Loretta Lynn’s and ride with us!

21/07/2019

I’m planning another Smoky Mountain Touring recon tour starting Saturday July 27 and ending Aug 3. Even if you can’t do the whole week, it would be great if you wanted to join, even if it was for just a day or two. Send me a message to let me know when you want to join in and how many days you want to ride!

This is a “reconnaissance” tour where I’m experimenting with some new routes and stops. So instead of the normal pricing, you would provide your own ride and just pay for your own expenses. I’ll make the lodging arrangements and you would just pay your portion.

Below is the scheduled stops:
Start in Nashville on Jul 27
Jul 27 - Tullahoma
Jul 28 - Helen
Jul 29 - Helen
Jul 30 - Townsend
Jul 31 - Asheville
Aug 1 - Marion VA
Aug 2 - Williamsburg KY
Aug 3 - Nashville

09/07/2019

Had a nice ride up the Back of the Dragon...and it’s been a gorgeous day out!

08/07/2019

Getting higher and higher!

07/07/2019

Took the looong walk up to the highest point in the Smoky Mountain National Park at 6643ft (2025m)! Clouds were rolling in below us bringing a little rain.

06/07/2019

Out on a test ride! Today I traveled up from northern Alabama into Tennessee, and hit the chair a holler skyway, and tail of the Dragon, before ending up at the hotel in Townsend. Tomorrow I will make my way up to Little Switzerland NC and then up to into Virginia and Kentucky the next day

30/06/2019

The group at lunch on Friday. Soda Pop Junction had a pretty good ribs buffet but their milkshakes are killer!

28/06/2019

2nd stop of the day is Tenn South distillery!

28/06/2019

Leading the Tennessee Victory Rally around southern Tennessee to different distilleries. Prichard’s was our first stop!

15/06/2019

Dry falls isn’t so dry after all the rain they’ve had recently!

13/06/2019

Had a great ride with the Indian riders to Helen GA

24/03/2019

Yesterday I took a small group of friends up part of the Bourbon Trail Tour route. We stopped in Bardstown, KY for lunch and then stopped in to the Barton Distillery for a tasting. Great scenery, good food, and good times!

22/03/2019

It’s been a gorgeous March day here in Tennessee! Were you able to get out on 2 wheels today?

Music City Indian Motorcycle Frankenstein custom paint and body

10/03/2019

Enter for you chance to purchase a Jack Daniel’s Indian motorcycle! Last time one was offered they sold out in 10minutes

22/01/2019

I'm helping to host this rally in TN this June. It's more for Victory, but everyone is welcome!

2019 TN Rally – June 27th - 30th Update

Registration Fee – 20$ per person – Includes free raffle ticket. Pay via Paypal friends and family @ [email protected] (it may show [email protected], that's me) - Please include name and phone number for each person registering. Donation will be made to a charity! If you don't have PayPal, email [email protected] for address to send money to.

No dinners covered with Registration Fee, we are working on Saturday Night dinner location.

Hotel – Best Western in Wi******er TN – Register with link below
https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.43144.html?groupId=2K3UJ4X9

Shirt Info – Email Billy Pittenger @ [email protected] or Text @ 256-975-6330 with size and quantity.
- Shirt ordering will be available until June 1st
- Dickies mechanic style shirt – 2 pocket fronts
- Final Pricing will depend on size and quantity ordered
- S/M/L/XL – 30-41$
o 2XL - + 2.50
o 3XL - + 3.50
o 4XL - + 4.50
o 5XL - + 5.50

We are also looking for donations for Raffle Items. If you willing to donate or help locate items for donations please email Dan Alberti @ [email protected]

04/01/2019

New Year, new content! The smokymtntouring.com website is now updated for 2019!

Let us take you on a motorcycle tour of some of the famous roads & little-travelled byways in the Smoky Mountains and beyond.

18/10/2018

It's finally official! Congratulations on the hard work from the crew at Music City Indian Motorcycle for working to make this come true! I look forward to partnering with you on future tours!

IT’S OFFICIAL!
Music City Indian is the VERY FIRST Indian Motorcycle AUTHORIZED rental outlet in the US!

Call us to book your bike!!

06/08/2018

It's a good time to be in the motorcycle museum!

06/08/2018

In 15 hours of riding and stops, we rode the Blue Ridge Parkway from the South Entrance to the North Entrance! Thank you to my friends Collin and Marc who came out this weekend and rode with me for this Recon trip!!

04/08/2018

After yesterday's rain storms, it has turned into a beautiful day!

04/08/2018

It was a helluva ride today from Nashville to the Tail of the Dragon, then over to Cherokee to take the Blue Ridge Parkway north to Burnsville. It rained so hard from Cherokee to Asheville that I actually put on my raincoat. It didn't help that the temperature dropped from 87F to 62F. We stopped for the night at Albert's Motel.

20/07/2018

We made it home on Tuesday evening, then Thursday I rode 11hrs to Michigan for the rally!

Rode up to the motorcycle rally yesterday. Another fun day of riding planned for today!

16/07/2018

The collection of vignettes/parking passes on the rental car windshield from mid-June until we turned the car in today.

(2) red - Austria
Blue - Slovenia
Orange - Switzerland
Light blue - Czechia

16/07/2018

Last dealer stop of this amazing 49-day promotional trip. I met Pascal and Sebastian, who have a spectacular, 2-floor shop packed full of bikes! They were even having a 50% sale on clothing. They also have another location south of Paris, and are working to open a 3rd in Paris. Good luck and see you soon! Tomorrow we fly back home!

13/07/2018

On the way out of Geneva on Thursday, I was able to meet up with Laurent. He had just gotten back from riding around England! He has a large, well-stocked shop with very friendly employees. Watching him greet them in the morning looked more like greeting family. If nothing else, at least stop by to say hi to the shop dog, a pretty 9 month old black lab.

Laurent has ridden extensively in the USA and knows how much fun the Smokies are. I hope to see him and a Swiss group sometime soon!

13/07/2018

We are set up at American Tours Festival! Looking forward to a great weekend!

10/07/2018

I stopped in AMERICAN BIKES GENEVA today and talked with Elodie for a long while! She, her father, and her husband(I think she said her husband) own and run the business. They were awesome and love everything Indian, Victory, and H-D and "go fast".

I hope my friends at Music City Indian Motorcycle can help hook you up with the 116" kit your father is looking for.

05/07/2018

The guys at Indian Praha are set up as a pit stop for those coming in to the rally. They've got music on, pork to eat, and cold tasty beverages to drink! Carlos is a great guy and very welcoming, and is also the local IMRG President. And Jaromir is the importer for Indian Motorcycle in Czechia. Having a great time shooting the s**t with these two.

03/07/2018

On the drive from Vienna to Prague, I stopped in at Harley-Davidson Brno and met Martin. We got to talk for a bit as I admired their selection of bikes. The entire staff was friendly and he even gave me a parting gift. Thanks again Martin and ride hard!

02/07/2018

This morning saw me back at Indian Motorcycles Vienna with Harald. I met Harald at the Club of Newchurch Rally 2 weeks ago where he was repping Indian Motorcycle and I was repping...well...me. I stopped in to see him at the end of last week but forgot to grab flyers and business cards when I left the hotel. So we made a quick detour on our way out of town to say goodbye and drop off materials.

He's got an impressive shop with a good selection of Indians. And insider tip... motorcycle parking is out front, but if you're caging it like I was this week, then pull onto the side street just down from the shop and parallel park.