Kreis, Uncle Phil and ... The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Tuesday, 31-July -to- Monday, 06 August

My next destination after Deal’s Gap is Knoxville, Tennessee, just 60 miles to the north. But rather than get there by riding north through the Gap for a fifth time, I instead decide to take the more scenic roundabout route into Tennessee along the Cherohala Skyway. So by mid-morning I say my farewells to the Dragon Resort, and its friendly and helpful staff, and head south towards Robbinsville.

The picture above is one of many outlooks from the Skyway as I climb up its sweeping bends towards the summit. This is a GREAT road.

The highest point - Huckleberry Knob ... the Hound's old hangout .. "Oh m'darlin' oh m'darlin' oh m'darlin' Clementine." - Dja dig it?!

(If you were born after 1960, then you probably wouldn't understand all this .. ;o)

But again, at these cooler heights, sometimes the cloud base can frustrate the views.

Into Tennessee. Although I have been in this state before, as the majority of the Dragon's Tail, through the Gap, lies within this particular state.

And so by late afternoon I arrive in Knoxville, TN, and ask my trusty GPS unit to guide me straight to another fellow STer's home .. Kreis Weigel, who I have 'virtually' come to know from the ST-Owners.com discussion forum.

As y’all can see, Kreis just loves pulling motorcycles apart .. and then putting ‘em back together again!

The following day, Wednesday the 1st of August, Kreis leads me around a comparatively short but sweeping 140-mile ride, which takes us to some of his childhood haunts

Thursday, August-02
It's time to move on again; this time to meet-up with my relatively long-standing Merrycan friend, Uncle Phil Derryberry, who lives with his wife, Sharyn, at the 'Holler', located just to the southwest of Nashville.

Firstly, though, Kreis makes me an offer that I just cannot - and must not - refuse. He invites me to ride my motorcycle into his basement workshop where he will carry out a few routine service inspections. As the Pan is a couple of thousand miles overdue for its 16,000-mile [26,000 km) check over; then as I say, I simply must accept his kind offer.

Quickly we, or should I say Kreis, swiftly removes the tupperware fairings & cowls; replaces the sparkplugs; drains the old engine oil from the crankcase; changes the oil filter; and checks over the rest of the STeed's essential mechanisms and fluids.

The coolant leak, which I thought I had permanently fixed back in June, has returned to haunt me again .. Bugger! But this old chestnut-problem will, however, have to wait another day for its final remedy. We conclude that the leakage is almost certainly emanating from the engine's water pump; but it isn't that bad in any case, as it appears that I've probably lost no-more than a pint of coolant during the last 6,000 miles [9,700 km] or so.

We also reckon that my Scotland-fitted (Oban) rear tyre is now only good for another 1,000 - 1,500 miles. We conclude, therefore, that I should really do something about this before I get into the relatively m/c dealership-barren regions of America’s mid-west heartland. I can’t really complain though, as I’ve ridden across a good 9,000+ miles [14,500 km] on this Scottish rear tyre.

By mid-morning we - that is, both Kreis and I - set off for Nashville and head towards our pre-arranged rendezvous with Unc Phil and Sharyn [Derryberry]. Along the way the cloud cover thickens to a very threatening dark grey colour, so we hastily scramble into our foul weather gear.

Well I can tell y’all that within 15 minutes the heavens opened, to the extent that the beating-down rain was bouncing a good six inches off the road; exploding fork lightening cracked down onto the tarmac surface ahead. I was worried .. :o(

But a half hour later we had passed through the worst of the storm - and we were back riding on a dry surface again. That’s the nature of the local weather patterns here in the southeast of the USA; so I better start getting used to it.

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Along the way we pass into yet another time zone. Firstly, on my arrival up there in Nova Scotia, Canada, there was Atlantic Time; then I moved westwards into Eastern Time; and now I’m obliged to adjust my clocks (bike, GPS & cell phone) for yet a third occasion, to Central Time. And I’m not even halfway across the continent!

The time has arrived too to say Good-bye Kreis, thanks for your time buddy, and your friendship ... and for four whole quarts of your fresh Honda engine oil!

My arrival at the Holler is especially touching, as UP (Uncle Phil) has taken the time and trouble to fly the Cornish flag - the Saint Pirans Cross - from his porch .. and even arranged for 'Zuzu', his specially colour-coded puss-cat, to stand guard over my county’s ensign.

Friday, August-03
'Honda of Cool Springs', Franklin (near Nashville), is the first of today's stops on our agenda. The Pan is handed over and into the care of the workshop's service manager for its new rear tyre to be fitted.

Thereafter UP and I 'kick tyres' up in the showroom. I take a look over a familiar silver-coloured profile.

I also buy a new 'Joe Rocket' mesh riding jacket, which, from now on, will hopefully provide me with some relief from this region’s oppressive ambient heat and humidity

A Tennessean thorn [not] between two copper-coloured roses (with more than a hint of white!) STs!

Shortly after lunch - and 400 of my US dollars later! - we take the longer 100-mile (161 km) scenic route back home to the Holler. I see the dreaded weed (tobacco) being cultivated neatly in rows alongside our path for the very first time. Y'all just don't get to see this kinda 'cash crop' growing back in Europe ...

.. and a rafter of wild turkeys .. somewhere along the gentle undulating paved road of ...

.. the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Now hand-on-hip, ducky! and be honest here - Dja'all like my new lightweight colour-matching riding apparel .. huh?

Waiting for the .. .. .. .. .. BANG!!

Back at the Holler, with some time and a stack of tin cans to kill, I nervously try my arm with a handgun from UP’s arsenal of weapons. As you no doubt already know, it is their (Americans') constitutional right to bear arms .. but I remain unconvinced that this in-bred cultural philosophy is a good idea.

Later that evening I get a personal tour of one of Nashville’s main attractions; an exact replica of Greece's Parthenon ...

.. which is a very impressive edifice indeed.

Saturday, August-04
With more relaxation ‘down time’ to deal with, today UP takes me around the City to visit a few more sights. Amongst other attractions, we drop in on the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center which features stunning indoor landscaping across several sprawling atriums that make this venue America's largest non-casino resort ...





It reminds me, to a certain extent, of the Eden Project back in Oggieland ...

.. UP characteristically comes to the aid of a poor ol' gent who has sadly lost his sense of direction within this vast network of buildings. This is why we call him 'Uncle' Phil; he's always ready and continuously seems to have the time to help out anyone who's in trouble, or in need of assistance.

We move onto the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

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During the evening the three of us feast on a home-prepared Sirloin Tip roast - with fresh corn-on-the-cob that's drowned in melted butter, mashed potaters (some say tamaters .. ;o), and real southern corn bread cooked in a good ol' black iron skillet. This is real southern grub, served-up for a Cornishman who right at this moment is precisely 4,028 miles from home, by real southern folk. I wish I had the time - and the ingredients - to return the favour and make the three of us each a gert-big Cornish pasty! Maybe some other time .. eh chaps?!

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The journey’s course hitherto has more or less sorted itself out. But from here on out I only have a broad idea of my general way forward. With this in mind, therefore, Unc Phil devises a route with me, which takes in most of what I had in mind, plus a whole lot more. He has put some ‘flesh on the bones’ of my future itinerary, for which I am, of course, extremely grateful.

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Post Script: I've had no access to a high-speed broadband Internet connection for the last few days, as Unc Phil lives a long way from his local telephone exchange. UP has to make do - much to his annoyance and frustration - with just an ol'-fashioned standard dial-up arrangement. Lately, therefore, I've been 'unplugged' ... :o(