FZ6 around the country - a planning thread

[Wildcard]

If you come through MD I got plenty of space for you to stop by and spend a night. Also, my parents have a place up in PA if you want to head up there too. I'm game for going with you a few hundred miles.

 

[MarinaFazer]

for california, go up Highway 1 as much as you can. It's Pacific Coast Highway and hugs the coastline as much as possible. The stretch of Big Sur (San Luis Obispo north) is WORLD FAMOUS

 

[DefyInertia]

I dunno defy, i cagged it from middle WI to CT to get the girl out here. I must say, the roads say middle ohio to ct just got better and better as you went on. more curves, left flat and strait.

Not sure what you're trying to say. My point is that the back roads directly west of Madison, WI are some of the best I've ever seen in the country (run-off, sight lines, surface quality, traffic, police, flow, etc. etc.) and worth hitting if in the area already. I've heard OH is pretty epic as well.

Plus the west is less congested, or has less population density per square mile in most places so you can pretty much ride wide open.

The county north of where I grew up in the Adirondacks is the least densly populated county east of the Mississippi River and NY takes great care of their roads.....ok nevermind, I concede...you're right

 

[LERecords]

Not sure what you're trying to say. My point is that the back roads directly west of Madison, WI are some of the best I've ever seen in the country (run-off, sight lines, surface quality, traffic, police, flow, etc. etc.) and worth hitting if in the area already. I've heard OH is pretty epic as well.



The county north of where I grew up in the Adirondacks is the least densly populated county east of the Mississippi River and NY takes great care of their roads.....ok nevermind, I concede...you're right

well.. i was just saying that from my small experiance standpoint on the midwest, it kinda blows because its all strait, flat, and have the occasional 10 - 20 hill. here in ct highways are strait but we get a bunch of turns, turn and level change, and a whole lot of semi-banked turns. tones of fun in a car, way better on a bike. but the little bit of WI (rhinelander, madison, la crose) i saw kinda fell short on good roads. of course that is just my opinion and i realize WI is a huge place (compared to ct) northen WI seemed nice, but more harley country. Not starting a war, just opinionating in a freindly manner :thumbup:

oh and where in ny did you grow up in. I totally agree that mid and upstate ny is awsome for riding. tons of turns and banks and like no cops

 

[LERecords]

for california, go up Highway 1 as much as you can. It's Pacific Coast Highway and hugs the coastline as much as possible. The stretch of Big Sur (San Luis Obispo north) is WORLD FAMOUS

ok seriously man. not all of us live in the west coast where yea, you have that awsome highway. I dont wanna hear about it. it makes me sad to think that most likely, I will never get out there on the bike because its to far and F#$% it, the bike is not getting "shipped". I have ridden on the coast of maine - blows for the most part, slow tourist/nothing to see, Mass - not bad, CT - blows for the most part, and NC - outer banks - bad ass place to take any bike. but it probably pales in comparision to what your talking about. :Flash:

 

[FZ1inNH]

ok seriously man. not all of us live in the west coast where yea, you have that awsome highway. I dont wanna hear about it. it makes me sad to think that most likely, I will never get out there on the bike because its to far and F#$% it, the bike is not getting \"shipped\". I have ridden on the coast of maine - blows for the most part, slow tourist/nothing to see, Mass - not bad, CT - blows for the most part, and NC - outer banks - bad ass place to take any bike. but it probably pales in comparision to what your talking about. :Flash:

Bring it up to the White Mountains or most places in Vermont. :thumbup:

 

[D-Mac]

ok seriously man. not all of us live in the west coast where yea, you have that awsome highway. I dont wanna hear about it. it makes me sad to think that most likely, I will never get out there on the bike because its to far and F#$% it, the bike is not getting \"shipped\". I have ridden on the coast of maine - blows for the most part, slow tourist/nothing to see, Mass - not bad, CT - blows for the most part, and NC - outer banks - bad ass place to take any bike. but it probably pales in comparision to what your talking about. :Flash:

Head up to Nova Scotia and do the Cabot Trail. It's amazing. I haven't done it on a bike, but it's twisty, scenic, and rural. There used to be a ferry from Maine to Nova Scotia that would cut down on the bad roads, but it was scrapped a few years ago. However, you can ride to southern New Brunswick and take a ferry across the Bay of Fundy to Nova Scotia though.

 

[D-Mac]

for california, go up Highway 1 as much as you can. It's Pacific Coast Highway and hugs the coastline as much as possible. The stretch of Big Sur (San Luis Obispo north) is WORLD FAMOUS

Thanks for the advice.

I think I'll take 101 down and then route 1 where it splits. Looks like there are LOTS of State parks along that road too. :thumbup:

 

[D-Mac]

If you come through MD I got plenty of space for you to stop by and spend a night. Also, my parents have a place up in PA if you want to head up there too. I'm game for going with you a few hundred miles.

I might take you up on that. Some good friends just moved to Easton, so I might drop in on them if the time works out. In any case, I'll likely be spending a bit of time in MD on my way north.

I wish I had the time to really do this trip right. It would take 2-3 months so really see everything just along one route. My hope is to get a taste of what's out there and then plan subsequent trips to specific areas.

 

[D-Mac]

Thanks everyone for the advice and support. Keep those ideas coming!

Although I've done lots of ride-in events, I've never ridden with another FZ6er. It would be cool to meet some of you on the road.

I'm also not much of a photographer, but I'm vowing to take lots of photos on this trip. I own a waterproof camera and I think I'll get a RAM mount and fasten it to the handle bars. I've seen some pretty cool video/photos done this way and it's a lot easier (and perhaps safer) to shoot photos this way than holding a camera free-hand.

 

[bmccrary]

Thanks everyone for the advice and support. Keep those ideas coming!

Although I've done lots of ride-in events, I've never ridden with another FZ6er. It would be cool to meet some of you on the road.

I'm also not much of a photographer, but I'm vowing to take lots of photos on this trip. I own a waterproof camera and I think I'll get a RAM mount and fasten it to the handle bars. I've seen some pretty cool video/photos done this way and it's a lot easier (and perhaps safer) to shoot photos this way than holding a camera free-hand.

The only problem with this is that the camera will move as you turn the bars. May not cause a big deal, but just let you know.

-bryan

 

[DefyInertia]

well.. i was just saying that from my small experiance standpoint on the midwest, it kinda blows because its all strait, flat, and have the occasional 10 - 20 hill. here in ct highways are strait but we get a bunch of turns, turn and level change, and a whole lot of semi-banked turns. tones of fun in a car, way better on a bike. but the little bit of WI (rhinelander, madison, la crose) i saw kinda fell short on good roads. of course that is just my opinion and i realize WI is a huge place (compared to ct) northen WI seemed nice, but more harley country. Not starting a war, just opinionating in a freindly manner :thumbup:

oh and where in ny did you grow up in. I totally agree that mid and upstate ny is awsome for riding. tons of turns and banks and like no cops

with my 8 years in the midwest, I fully agree with you, it DOES blow for the most part...you just have to know where to go. I was blown away by WI though (only select parts). I can't wait to get out of here next week...I'm not a flat-lander at all!!!

I grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY at the south end of the Adirondack mountains

 

[VEGASRIDER]

IMO....I consider Michigan the east coast anyway, it's mostly in the Eastern Time Zone anyway. You can always hit the eastern states a lot easier than the westrn states. So maybe I would save that for later.

I think it would be neat to take the ferry from Muskegon or somewhere from Michigan to Wisconsin during the summer. That way you wouldn't have to deal with that I-80 mess around the Indiana/Illiniois border, miss Chicago and you end up somewhere between Milwaukee and Green Bay. You can always go around through Rockford / Beloit but that ride is boring. This could be your intermediate size trip.

The "Big Trip" should be out west. Maybe a two week trek. If you go all that way, you should try to hit just about every state. I think the Grand Teton's in Wyoming is a must. These are real mountains, you are so high up in the middle of nowhere that you would think that you are inside of somekind of planetarium during the night. You can see so many stars. The pacific coast, California up thru Oregon is a must too.

Don't advise visiting Vegas during the summer, you will find the heat too extreme.

 

[LERecords]

Bring it up to the White Mountains or most places in Vermont. :thumbup:

I lived in vt for 8 years (4 for college, 4 for after college) and at the time only a car and no bike. But wow. I have been taking the bike up to vt at least once a month in the summer. stay at a friends and have the whole weekend to ride. I agree in VT and NH there are some amazing places. ecpecially around dartmoth college (spelling?)

 

[LERecords]

with my 8 years in the midwest, I fully agree with you, it DOES blow for the most part...you just have to know where to go. I was blown away by WI though (only select parts). I can't wait to get out of here next week...I'm not a flat-lander at all!!!

I grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY at the south end of the Adirondack mountains

oh i know where that is. Malta. your right near malta. yea gotta love malta and the F@#$ing awsome state cops there yea I know where your talking about and oh yea. a million times better for a bike than the midwest (my opionion) I have taken my bike out that way and its great.

yea but enough of me bashing the midwest. I really dont know much about it, but im sure its not all that bad. oh how were the adirondacks. Im thinking of doing a moto-camp trip next summer and might consider the adirondacks if people think it worth while. Berksheires are great, but adirondacks seems bigger (more ups and downs, more deadly curves, great camping?)

 

[D-Mac]

I've thought about the ferry. If I can time it right that could work. It would save the hassle of riding through Chicago.

I'm now thinking about breaking the ride into 2 parts (2 big triangles). It only adds 1000 miles to the trip and I could stop home in between the two parts.

The first part would be to ride west to Washington State, down the California coast, and then back diagonally to Michigan (going through Colorado). Great scenery and it would allow me to avoid some of the hottest weather in the south west/south central parts of the country.

The second triangle would have me riding from Michigan down through TN and NC to the Florida Keys, and then up the Atlantic coast to Maine, concluding with a ride west to Michigan. This would allow me to ride the Skyway (a long-term goal of mine).

 

[Ghost Weim]

Not sure what you're trying to say. My point is that the back roads directly west of Madison, WI are some of the best I've ever seen in the country (run-off, sight lines, surface quality, traffic, police, flow, etc. etc.) and worth hitting if in the area already. I've heard OH is pretty epic as well.



The county north of where I grew up in the Adirondacks is the least densly populated county east of the Mississippi River and NY takes great care of their roads.....ok nevermind, I concede...you're right

+1 on the WI comment - and hit the roads all the way north to almost the Eau Claire area (where it starts to flaten out a bit again). Stick to back roads and you will not be disappointed! Curves, hills and beautiful scenery abound. I also want to put a plug in for the Great River Road - definitely a nice drive along the mighty Mississippi.

 

[D-Mac]

I've divided the trip into two 'loops'. First I will ride west, doing an Iron Butt ride along the way (that's why Days 1 and 2 listed below have such crazy mileage). Then I'll stop for a couple of days in Idaho. After that, I'll start the 4corners ride in Blaine, WA.

Once the first 'corner' is hit (Washington on Day 6), I have 21 days to touch all four corners. With the riding plan and maps below, I should hit the 4th corner on Day 24, and that includes a break at home between the two loops and a couple of relatively 'light' days where I plan to stop and visit family in Maryland and New Brunswick Canada (with some time in between to meet FZ6 riders too I hope!)

Here is the WESTERN LOOP (Days 1-12 below)
from:albion, mi to:I-355 N to:moscow, id to:blaine, wa to:US-101 to:US-12/E Wishkah Blvd to:OR-101 to:OR-101 to:OR-101 to:CA-1 to:CA-1 to:I-805 S to:albion, mi - Google Maps

Here is the EASTERN LOOP (Days 17-26 below)
from:albion, mi to:41.916585,-84.627686 to:US-127 to:TN-33/TN-411 to:Cherohala Skyway/NC-143 to:US-129/US-441 to:I-75 S to:Tamiami Trail E/US-41 to:key west, fl to:US-13 to:US-222 S to:RT-17 W to:Gondola Point Rd, Quispamsis, Kings County, New Brunsw

Here's a daily riding schedule. Mileage is based on GoogleMaps and time is based on a rough Googlemaps estimate PLUS +20% (this is the minimum time it actually takes me based on other rides I've done). Other than the first couple of days, I should not have to ride at night.

Day Start/end mileage (time in hours)
1 Albion, MI to Wall, SD 1042 (20)
2 Wall, SD to Bozeman, MT 566 (10)
3 Bozeman, MT to Moscow, ID 447 (10)
4 conference 0 (0)
5 conference 0 (0)
6 Moscow, ID to Blaine, WA (1st corner!) 424 (10)
(6 cont.) Blaine, WA to Olympia, WA 170 (+3.5)
7 Olympia, WA to Eureka, CA 571 (13.5)
8 Eureka, CA to Lost Hills, CA 545 (12.5)
9 Lost Hills, CA to San Ysidro, CA (2nd corner!) 279 (5.5)
(9 cont.) San Ysidro, CA to Barstow, CA 186 (+4)
10 Barstow, CA to Grand Junction, CO 666 (11.5)
11 Grand Junction, CO to Lincoln, NE 724 (12.5)
12 Lincoln, NE to Albion, MI 739 (12.5)
13 break at home 0 (0)
14 break at home 0 (0)
15 break at home 0 (0)
16 break at home 0 (0)
17 Albion, MI to Maryville, TN 547 (11)
18 Maryville, TN to Tampa, FL 628 (13.5)
19 Tampa, FL to Key West, FL (3rd corner!) 401 (8)
(19cont.) Key West, FL to Jupiter, FL 243 (+6)
20 Jupiter, FL to Fayetteville, NC 664 (12)
21 Fayetteville, NC to Easton, MD 386 (8.5)
22 Easton, MD to Portland, ME 590 (13.5)
23 Portland, ME to Gondola Pt, NB 307 (8)
24 Gondola Pt, NB to Madawaska, ME (4th corner!) 245 (6)
(24cont.) Madawaska, ME to Quebec City, QC 200 (+5)
25 Quebec City to Pickering, ON 470 (10)
26 Pickering, ON to Albion, MI 353 (7.5)

Total States visited = 35
Total Provinces visited = 3
Total miles = ~11,400
Total riding time estimate = 235 hours
Days of riding = 20

.....yes....I'm obsessed....

 

[VEGASRIDER]

As far as your trip out west, there will be portions of your trip that won't take as long time wise. For example, you will fly across parts of Minnesota and especially through South Dakota. There is absolutely nothing through South Dakota, nothing but straight four lane interstate which you should average about 100mph most of the way.

On the other hand, you will really be pressed to do the Olympia Wa to Eureka Ca run in one day. The traffic along the Oregon Coast can get ugly during the summer. You will be fall behind on your schedule on this stretch.

Oh by the way, depending on what day of the week you come barreling through Vegas, If I'm off from work that day, I'll run with you through parts of Utah on the way to Colorado.

 

[Bruce McCrary]

What if we could save touring folks a lot of time and money by offering up a guest room, couch, or back lawn to pitch the tent as we all travel from state to state?

Just a heads up...

Go to this site The Motorcycle Tourer's Forum and sign up to be a MTF Tourer's Assistant.

At that point you will have access to a state by state list of like minded riders, their contact info and what services they are able to offer.

You can print the data base so that you are able to carry a list with you while you ride and know that help or assistance is probably just a phone call away.

There are many other neat features available once you sign up including a mileage tracker, lists of must do rides and places to eat (Live to Ride, Ride to Eat ).

I think I remember Bryan telling me that someone else on the forum is also a member, if so I'm sure he'll speak up and second my thoughts on this great service and web site.

D-Mac - Looking at your planned route you will be well east of the area Bryan has mentioned and where we live, but keep us in mind if you have any problems or need assistance. We've got your back while in our 'area'. Might not be a bad idea to PM Bryan and get our cell numbers just in case. A little peace of mind is priceless.

Bruce