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2026 National - Mountains, Rivers & Twisties

Hey y'all! Rallymeister Tom Sills here. The Lodge is booked but several are offering opportunities to share a room. Check the rest of the Forum on this Rally to see the thread. Secondary accommodations are arranged at the Fairfield Inn & Suites located in the town of Helen. Information on the secondary lodging option is on the Rally website under Lodging.
 
Two days left to save a couple of bucks on your registration. Looks like a good turnout in the making and it's gonna be FUN!!
 
Room available...
We have a single-king bed room at the lodge that we will not be using; we will be staying in the campground instead.
Please let me know if you're interested and we can figure out how to make arrangements.
 
Lots of room available at the second lodging option as of today: Fairfield by Marriott Inn and Suites Helen. See Lodging page on Rally website for contact information!
 
Howdy! Rally Team met on-site this week to finalize plans for the 2026 National. Things are looking great. Those of you already registered are in for some great riding and a beautiful venue. Those of you on the fence about coming will regret the opportunity to experience some of the best motorcycling in the country if you don't and you will hear about for many years to come, I assure you! Your fellow COGgers have long memories!!
So y'all, come on down! Registration is open!!
 
Who needs a room? Unfortunately, we have to cancel. We have not cancelled the room yet. It's a single king room in the lodge. If you want to coordinate a call with the lodge, I'm sure we could transfer it over. I'd rather see it go to one of you guys than just back up for grabs.
 
Just registered, anyone leaving from North Central or Southern Missouri going, I'd be looking for company on the road, wifey is following with support passenger vehicle (not trailer-ed) if interested let me know. Planning on leaving around south Kansas city area on Sunday / Saturday morning stopping overnight before arriving Monday midday??
 
A couple of us are riding the Chicken Strip Eraser National rally route today. OMG. I’d forgotten how good this whole route is. Vogel state park to Suches — LOOK where you want to go, NOT at the scenery. 😜. You’ll have to see this route.
 
Just saw a news report that the Union County sheriff will be cracking down on speeders on Blood Mountain and 180 (Wolf Pen Gap) in response to the death of a motorcyclist this past week. Have not found a non-Facebook link yet but figured I'd post this since those are on the national routes.
 
Just saw a news report that the Union County sheriff will be cracking down on speeders on Blood Mountain and 180 (Wolf Pen Gap) in response to the death of a motorcyclist this past week. Have not found a non-Facebook link yet but figured I'd post this since those are on the national routes.


Blood Mountain and Wolf Pen Gap are bit tooo twisty for my taste. Ron Simmons and Ken Skinner took me down some roads in the area that were absolutely perfect 👍
 
No shortage of variety in the area though a little short on flat straight stuff.

If you want semi-straight, go south and east. Longer straights and gentle curves down that way. Still good stuff to see, too!

If you’re into hard(er) twisties, go north.

There’s something here for everyone’s taste. If you don’t see it, just ask the rally team. We’ll fix you up!
 
Just saw a news report that the Union County sheriff will be cracking down on speeders on Blood Mountain and 180 (Wolf Pen Gap) in response to the death of a motorcyclist this past week. Have not found a non-Facebook link yet but figured I'd post this since those are on the national routes.

I often see the GSP on that road (129) too. The Union county line is at the top of the gap where the A-T crosses the highway. Back down 129 toward Cleveland is in White county.

Union county sheriff department runs radar around the Vogel state park area, so pay attention on that side of the gap (especially.) Pay attention also on 180 near the bridge going towards Suches. It’s a 35 mph construction zone at the moment (as of last week).

When the Atlanta weekend crowd calms down, the police will relax, but it’s really not that bad during the week when we’ll be there. A couple of us rode last Friday and it wasn’t too bad.
 
Union county sheriff department runs radar around the Vogel state park area, so pay attention on that side of the gap (especially.) Pay attention also on 180 near the bridge going towards Suches. It’s a 35 mph construction zone at the moment (as of last week).
Mmmyeah. That bit closer to Suches and TWoS had a pretty concentrated effort to generate funds one certain Saturday... photo credits to Cliff!
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Of course, some yahoo was leading and well, in a shall we say, spirited fashion. 🤭 Soooo, slooooow down through here.
 
Mmmyeah. That bit closer to Suches and TWoS had a pretty concentrated effort to generate funds one certain Saturday... photo credits to Cliff!
View attachment 43417

Of course, some yahoo was leading and well, in a shall we say, spirited fashion. 🤭 Soooo, slooooow down through here.
You know.. u could get your own tee shirt! Picture it, your face on the front with a caption that reads 'I got a ticket with mike' . Lol. I know cliff can see the humor in it....
 
Mmmyeah. That bit closer to Suches and TWoS had a pretty concentrated effort to generate funds one certain Saturday... photo credits to Cliff!
View attachment 43417

Of course, some yahoo was leading and well, in a shall we say, spirited fashion. 🤭 Soooo, slooooow down through here.

Yep, that's what happens when you ride with hooligans like Mike.

Officer Ricky was a state trooper & made it clear he was called out of his district to write tickets because of the continuous complaints.
He is a rider & I thought for sure he'd just give us a warning, nope didn't happen.

I still can't figure out where he was hiding. When we headed back out that direction 10 minutes later, he had 2 more pulled over.

We just waved & smiled!
 
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Saw 4 LEOs working 129 today between Blairsville (Union county sheriff ) and Turner’s Corner (Lumpkin county sheriff) . One GSP had TWO HDs pulled over just south of Blairsville and man, did they look unhappy.
 
Saw 4 LEOs working 129 today between Blairsville (Union county sheriff ) and Turner’s Corner (Lumpkin county sheriff) . One GSP had TWO HDs pulled over just south of Blairsville and man, did they look unhappy.
...cuz they were riding Harleys on what is a sport touring road....a realized how much fun they were missing....lmao
 
I know more of us have pics of spots and roads in and around the area. Get'em up here. Entice those on the fence about coming. Let's show off our amazing location!

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Ft Mtn overlook and a cool tree near Hiawassee
 

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UPDATE:
Late registration fees get charged May 4. That's an additional $20 fee for those late in paying registration!
May 4 is also the last date to get a full refund if one needs to cancel!
 
Can anyone fill us in on the material for.the rally shirts? Moisture wicking? Cotton blend? Polyester? So one can plan for washing and size fluctuations...thanks
 
Can anyone fill us in on the material for.the rally shirts? Moisture wicking? Cotton blend? Polyester? So one can plan for washing and size fluctuations...thanks
YES!

Hey Pat,
So the description of all the Sport-Tek lines is:

Lightweight, roomy and highly breathable, these moisture-wicking, value-priced tees feature PosiCharge technology to lock in color and prevent logos from fading.
  • 3.8-ounce, 100% polyester interlock with PosiCharge technology
  • Removable tag for comfort and relabeling
  • Set-in sleeves
So very much along the lines our past moister-wicking types. I went up a size personally cause I don't want people to look at my pudge. :ROFLMAO: And I definitely went for the tall version! Should not see shrinking with 100 poly.

Hope this helps,
Mike
 
Thought about Strawboss today. I stopped by Jaemor Farms for some boiled peanuts. Yum!!
 
Just registered the wife and me... we can't get there before Monday afternoon...
kids / grandkids coming to town that weekend, looking forward to it
 
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I got my wife signed up as an associate member and registered. So she'll be riding her bike to Nationals with me. This will be her first long road trip. We're looking forward to seeing what Georgia has to offer.

I just got through installing this top case and mounting bracket for her today.
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I got my wife signed up as an associate member and registered. So she'll be riding her bike to Nationals with me. This will be her first long road trip. We're looking forward to seeing what Georgia has to offer.

Awesome! Stay hydrated and we’ll see you there.
 
Hello,
I wanted to make my AirBnB in Dahlonega available for COGers, it’s approximately 20-25 minutes of glorious twisty roads to Unicoi. It’s a 2/2 with both bedrooms being Master Suite’s with private bathrooms.
You also get to park your bikes in my 3c garage. I have a lift table/tools, NoMar tire changer, so you can service your C10/14 if needed.

Hope to hear from you,
—Steve
Where are the pictures of the garages?
 
Tacking this into the main thread hete too . . reminder to get your shirt orders in before Friday night 15 May!



See y'all soon!
Mike
 
Folks,
The block of rooms at our overflow location, Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites in Helen, expires this Saturday, May 16. Book now or lose the preferential room rate offered for this Rally. To book a room, use this link or contact the hotel directly at 706-892-1225 and mention that you are with the "Concours Group Rally."
 
Is anyone going to be programming Autel tire pressure sensors
at the rally??
 
I got my wife signed up as an associate member and registered. So she'll be riding her bike to Nationals with me. This will be her first long road trip. We're looking forward to seeing what Georgia has to offer.

I just got through installing this top case and mounting bracket for her today.
View attachment 43597
I look forward to meeting your wife. She will have fun. I'll have my bike also.
 
Looks like a room at the lodge and a couple of seats for the wine tour are going to open up. A couple of folks have had a last minute situation come up, so watch this thread for an update.
 
The Wine Tour is sold out at 13, but anyone interested, post on the Wine Tour thread. If we get three more, we’ll get the 16 passenger bus. But it’s all or nothing, 13 or 16. We’re pricing at breakeven and we need to cover the cost of the bus. Bring a couple of friends and we’ll upsize!

 
Rooms at Rally Central have become available on a first come, first served basis. The room block will be held until May 22, 2026.


Telephone Reservations
The Reservations Department phone number is 1-706-878-2201.

Identify yourself as a Concours Owners Group attendee and/or provide the Group Code 11821.
 
Besides the rooms that are avaliable for those wanting to be close to.the action, the movie poll is up for votes. Jump in and pick your fav! 🎥🎞️

 
So, do we have to pay every day to park at the lodge or was this included in our reservations total? What about the shuttle bus to town?
 
So, do we have to pay every day to park at the lodge or was this included in our reservations total? What about the shuttle bus to town?
ParkPasses are $10 and this price is not included in reservations fees. ParkPasses may be purchased at the Visitor Center at check-in. Overnight guests pay only one night parking fee for the duration of their stay. ParkPasses are not transferrable so be prepared to pay once for the motorcycle and again for any tow vehicles.
 
Shuttle bus is free. Drop off and pickup are at Betty’s Country Store on the north end of Helen. Short walk downtown from there. We’re told Uber serves Helen for the late night owls or if you don’t want to catch the bus.
 
For those registered, check your email. A What to Know message with important information about the Rally event is coming your way ASAP.
 
Remember to pronounce it like a local, say it like this: “(Chair A Haylah) Skyway”


It is a name that comes from two other names, “Cherokee” (you know that one and this one: “Nantahala,” (said like “Nan ta Hay La”)

You too, can sound like a hillbilly like me!

BTW, it’s “Appa Latchun” mountains., NOT “Appolayshun.”

Now you can sound authentic!!😉

See you soon.
 
I see that the COG Band has been practicin' for the Banquet...
2andblue even got the words right for COG Members.
And his dancin' is purty good too.

I can see that One of the singer/dancers is Ron.
Not sure who the other is (??).
Mebbe Bugnut?
{Other guesses?}

 
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Traffic alert!!
Traffic in and through Atlanta is no picnic on a normal day. But add the World Cup soccer matches being played in the City on Monday, June 15, and it could get really interesting.
Plan accordingly! And ride safe, my friends!
 
It’s always interesting in/around Atlanta. The “scenic” route is highly recommended.
Having worked several jobs IN the City back in the day, surprised those trips in and out were relatively uneventful. For this event I'll be coming in from the north and peeling off to the west hopefully well north of the chaos. We shall see.
 
Been on that road a number of times in the past, and look forward to a re-visit here shortly.
Madison IN, Albany KY, Jamestown TN, Crossville TN. Wats Barr, Tellico Plaiins, CHerhola, Robbinsville, Hiawassee,Helen......becoming a regular trek.
 
Question for any of you local guys: Is there a shop not too far from Helen you would recommend for a tire mount up?
The rear I'm riding on might be done by end of the rally, so looking for a place that might sell the tire I want, or would accept shipment of my tire from another source, to be mounted by them.

Thanks
 
Check this thread Crashcup. There are a few places "close" by.


See ya there!
Mike
 
The Kawasaki dealer in Braselton GA is well familiar with C-14s. Give em a call and tell them you’re with the COG rally. Good folks.
 
The Kawasaki dealer in Braselton GA is well familiar with C-14s. Give em a call and tell them you’re with the COG rally. Good folks.
Thanks Mike and Ron. I hadn't seen that thread. I'll give Gainesville Motorsports a call tomorrow.
(I'm on the way on a Tiger 900, so C14 experience doesn't help me.)
 
Thanks Mike and Ron. I hadn't seen that thread. I'll give Gainesville Motorsports a call tomorrow.
(I'm on the way on a Tiger 900, so C14 experience doesn't help me.)

They are closed on Mondays and did say they would appreciate a call ahead to schedule.
 
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