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Monday after next I'm leaving for an epic road trip, I'm moving from New England back to the PNW, where I grew up, and where I haven't lived for almost a decade. I am, of course, taking the most roundabout way possible, over 6000 miles and half the States in the US. This is my general route: http://imgur.com/a/fhQMbD6 Any advice for roads to ride or attractions along this route would be appreciated, also I mentioned in another thread that I would need to stop for service around Mississippi, and someone recommended a shop if you read this, kind poster, and wouldn't mind reminding me, thus saving my lazy rear end from searching through old posts, it would be much appreciated. My schedule is pretty open, except I need to be in DC on the 19th, and SoCal on the 27th, I plan on staying in hotels/visiting with friends about 33% of the time, camping 66%, my ride for this trip is an '07 FZ6, with about 100L of luggage, containing camping gear, clothes, and a couple provisions. I'll update this thread with pictures, probably no videos, and an obituary should I die on this trip, I hope someone will find it interesting! Elviscat fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Oct 5, 2018 |
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Oct 5, 2018 01:46
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 10:42 |
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Louisiana/Texas is going to suck. I live in Dallas and have toured from Shreveport all the way to Albuquerque which is the rough route you're taking. There's a whole lot of "not much" until just before you get to New Mexico in the way of something to look at/land features. If you go through Albuquerque try not to stay at a hotel without gates(or at least only one way in and out). I know a guy that had his bike stolen twice on the same weekend. (recovered both times). The trick I pulled in Illinois near Chicago was to stay at an older hotel that had all the rooms at one level, or better yet no curbs, and just pulled the bike into the room for the night after the bike cooled off. Here's something else, while you go through Louisiana and Texas it's going to be in the mid-80's at night and into the low 90's during the day with 60 - 70 % humidity all day/night. When you get to Albuquerque, it's almost a mile above sea level (it's actually higher in altitude than Denver), It'll be in the low 70's during the day and because it's high desert, it could actually drop into the 50's/40's at night. Colorado will be more of the same where it'll warm-ish and dry during the day and the temps will plunge at night. As an example this past Wednesday in ABQ the high was 82 and the low was 56. If you need to stop in the Dallas area, I can save you a room/hotel cost. I have a spare room and a garage plus tools and whatnot if needed. Skreemer fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Oct 5, 2018 |
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Oct 5, 2018 03:18
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Glad to see my old bike is still going strong! Post pics !
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Oct 5, 2018 18:13
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Thanks for the offer of tools and a place to crash I may need to take you up on that. My gear SHOULD be good from 40-90F with long underwear etc that I'm packing, I realise it's a tough route, and part of the reason I'm taking it is for the challenge/experience. I'll be sure to post lots of pictures of the FZ, it's been flawlessly reliable, and my only mode of transportation for the last 6 months, hopefully it stays that way.
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Oct 5, 2018 22:06
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That is the worst part of Texas. Dip a little south into Austin and get a route out of town through hill country. Visit the Alamo in San Antonio. Get some Big Bib Barbecue You have the right idea on your route out of New Mexico into Colorado. That plateau area north of four corners is really something else. I think Four Corners is skippable tho. Enjoy the elevation, feels like riding in a vacuum, and also makes a 1200cc feel like a 250 when you open the throttle. Your line through Utah goes near a lot of National Parks all of which are worth seeing. Also, Mountain Meadows out by St. George, pretty creepy place. If you can afford the detour, go through the middle of Nevada, try out Hwy 375 the Extraterrestrial Highway through Rachel. The whole stretch is like riding into the background matte of an old cowboy movie, all day. And if you can go through Hawthorne, that place is a bit of a spectacle in my opinion. They have a munitions museum with some hosed up poo poo. I think that is supposed to be one of the least populated areas in the country, according to light maps. Good luck with the weather. Oh and watch out for loving buzzards in Texas. They are suicidal clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Oct 7, 2018 |
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Oct 6, 2018 05:38
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Skip Albuquerque. Get north to Taos, where lodging is cheap and things are beautiful and your bike won't get stolen twice. Take Hwy 64 west out of Taos through Farmington to the 4 Corners/Monument Valley area, where it seems like you're headed anyway. Much more scenic, and I40 can be a brutal wind tunnel in NM.
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Oct 8, 2018 19:48
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Thanks for the advice, I should point out that line is pretty inaccurate and just shows the general path of travel, my actual Furkot plan has me going south through the Carlsbad area and Gila national forest, looks like going North instead is pretty doable though, is that a better route still? My plan is to take as many small highways as possible, and slab it through flat desolate/urban areas, and avoid large cities as much as possible with the exception of Washington DC, New Orleans, LA (unfortunately) and San Francisco, for time/traffic/bike theft reasons, each of those cities I have a specific reason to visit.
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Oct 8, 2018 20:40
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Elviscat posted:Thanks for the advice, I should point out that line is pretty inaccurate and just shows the general path of travel, my actual Furkot plan has me going south through the Carlsbad area and Gila national forest, looks like going North instead is pretty doable though, is that a better route still? Wherever you go in NM, eat a bunch of green and red chile though. You usually only regret it for a little while in the morning.
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Oct 8, 2018 21:19
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I plan on eating all the things covered in hot sauce and chilis from LA to CA.
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Oct 8, 2018 22:50
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Elviscat posted:I plan on eating all the things covered in hot sauce and chilis from LA to CA. In that case, take US60 across NM and make the quick trip just south to San Antonio, NM. They've got the #1 and #3 best green chile cheeseburgers in the world, right across the street from each other. US 60 is great going west, too. You pass the VLA radio telescope array, then keep going south on 52 until you hit 163 then 159 through the Gila. Crazy awesome tight twisty roads and elk the size of houses. Once through the Gila you can make your way back north through Arizona, hitting up the Grand Canyon or whatnot, then back down through to LA. US 60 is a wonderful, wonderful road for motorcycles. I was getting 50mpg @100mph on my bandit 1200 with a half-ton of luggage.
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Oct 8, 2018 23:51
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Left today, got a late start thanks to finishing up stuff at work and sending stuff home, which I had anticipated and fits into my schedule. My only time constraint for now is I need to be in DC the 18th for a concert. Went down the Mohawk trail in Western Mass. Of course I hit it at twighlight in the pouring loving rain, leaves down everywhere, sketchy as gently caress. Waterproofs held up fine, except for a damp crotch, weather's supposed to be nice for the Green Mountains tomorrow. Here's the bike loaded up and ready to go, and because I didn't manage to get any cool pictures, an "arty" close up of some gear. 
Elviscat fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Oct 16, 2018 |
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Oct 16, 2018 01:13
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Yoooo! I'm still in DC until the start of nov when I'm moving to PNW! Swing by!
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Oct 16, 2018 01:16
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That'd be dope, should be in DC most of the day Thursday into Friday.
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Oct 16, 2018 01:26
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What's your Louisiana route looking like? Are you using I-12 to stay north of NOLA, then hopping on I-10 to get to Texas? Or are you going NW through LA to get towards Dallas, skipping I-10?
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Oct 16, 2018 04:56
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My plan for Louisiana was to take the quickest route Google maps suggested, stopping in N.O., is one way particularly nicer than the other? (I figured it was largely flat swampland) Also: Good Morning Western Mass. This seems about right for the area. 
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Oct 16, 2018 14:28
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Elviscat posted:My plan for Louisiana was to take the quickest route Google maps suggested, stopping in N.O., is one way particularly nicer than the other? (I figured it was largely flat swampland) Most of Louisiana is pretty flat, yes, but it's also pretty densely vegetated. Most of the interstate routes go through pine woods, so you have to get off on smaller highways to see any swamp. So it's not the mind-numbingly boring flat like a lot of Oklahoma, Kansas, or north Texas. Unless you're going to stop in New Orleans proper for New Orleans things, there are nicer routes for driving through. Going along the north edge of Lake Ponchartrain is a good way to see swamp and probably gators and tons of birds.
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Oct 16, 2018 16:40
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Ahah, I am planning on stopping in New Orleans, I went there when I was kid and I'm curious to see how it's changed, I'll see if I can work in some side roads though, thanks! BTW, I think I passed that tractor dude going the other way 30 miles up into the Green Mountains, I might have it on (knockoff) gopro, he looks exactly like you'd imagine a dude who commutes 30 miles by tractor to look.
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Oct 16, 2018 17:55
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Rode through the Pennsylvania Appalachians today, beautiful riding, I never knew backwoods PA was so nice. I also ended up in Gettysburg, which was weird, like someone made a theme park themed after an event that shaped our Nation's history, you can buy novelty swords at the gas station, like people go "I'll get a Coke, a Snickers, oh and I guess a reproduction Confederate Cavalry Saber!" Plus they play up the "Whose side are you on!" Thing, which is weird. Photo dump: Here's a view of 3 states from the 10ish miles of I-84 that was my only slab for the day  Camp set up  Fire (a nice old man picked the wood up from the camp store for me, I got the impression he thought I was a hipster who would freeze to death left alone) 
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Oct 18, 2018 00:27
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How’re you carrying the saber? Just in the luggage?
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Oct 18, 2018 01:20
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Luggage is too short sadly, strapped to the broken waist-adjuster on my pants, rattles something fierce when I'm giving the Ol' Girl The Beans, and Russian dudes keep trying to attack me?!??!? E: by "attack me" I obviously mean pursue a plan of development for superior offensive and defensive weaponry than I posses. Fear not, however, my capital resources outmatch theirs! Elviscat fucked around with this message at 01:32 on Oct 18, 2018 |
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Oct 18, 2018 01:29
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E: I ate too many Takis and all I wanted for dinner is a can of soup, despite the balanced meal in my top case.
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Oct 18, 2018 01:36
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lol your butthole gonna sting tomorrow
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Oct 18, 2018 01:50
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Hope they were the Chile lime takis 
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Oct 18, 2018 02:26
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kloa posted:Hope they were the Chile lime takis Not an empty quote.
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Oct 18, 2018 06:14
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They were inferior Takis, sorry, Chili Lime weren't available. My Hotel has this parking spot that was co-opted by motorcycles.  On a scale of 1-it was stolen while you typed how likely is it to get stolen?
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Oct 18, 2018 17:42
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There's a ducati and a bmw there, that'll fill up their van.
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Oct 18, 2018 19:01
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Brand-new R1 too, with a disc lock that'll surely prevent it being shoved in a van. No cool motorcycle stuff today, just commuting in traffic, except watching one dude lane split on a 'Busa with an obnoxious pipe, just first gear rrrrrRRRRRRrrrrrRrrrrRrrrRRRRRRRRR for miles. I got to look at rockets and planes and I'm about to go see Chvrches in concert (whole reason I detoured out of Appalachia) so still an awesome day. Tomorrow should be... interesting.
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Oct 18, 2018 23:12
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0, bead seats are too lame even for thieves
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Oct 19, 2018 01:13
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Keep posting. This is a cool trip.
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Oct 19, 2018 01:20
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SO MANY  VISTAS!!!  And people driving 25MPH and parking in turns, holy poo poo. Also Chvrches are absolutely amazing live, I'm glad I made the trip out to see them.
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Oct 19, 2018 18:41
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I didn't make it to my goal destination due to the delay on Skyline, which is fine, except I am now staying in a literal hooker motel. 600 miles in 12 hours riding time, 14 total hours, my everything hurts. I'm also concerned about the wear on my rear tire, I don't think it has more than 1kmi until it hits the wear bars. Front tire is disturbingly shagged as well. I can relax tomorrow, next week I'm in to 600 mile hell-days though. Anyone want to trade an FZ6 for a 1-way plane ticket?
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Oct 20, 2018 02:32
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Man, going back to a place you lived for years, but haven't been to is weird
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Oct 21, 2018 15:01
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The middle of nowhere SC/GA sure has a lot of nothing. On the upside, Waffle House!
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Oct 22, 2018 10:10
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Spent all day riding around Mississippi trying to fix the loving bike, picked up the part from an ebay seller who I could barely understand because he talked like Boomhower from King of the Hill, then rode due west to the parents of a friend of mine who were kind enough to let me use their garage to swap the oil cooler, so I didn't turn a parking lot somewhere in to a Superfund site. Unfortunately this means my schedule is now hosed, since I should be in Hill Country in central Texas right now, instead of Shreveport. Last night I drowned my sorrows in beer, preserved meats, and olive salad, tonight I stopped at Taco Casa or some poo poo in Mississippi, it was loving terrible, worst "Mexican" food I've ever had, like worse than 7-11 microwave burritos, like it makes Taco Bell look like Tacos Autenticos served up by an aubulita who only speaks Spanish, the only meat option was ground beef, and it was covered in like 9 slices of American cheese. Here are some pictures from the last couple days. A large boat, with many guns, I feel like maybe they had room for more/larger guns?  A weird Airplane, looks ungainly and slow?  BYWAY TO SPACE!  Parked my bike in a Gulf  Do not gently caress with the Manatees, for the last time.  A calm and reasonable reaction to maybe my bike's hosed.  Nothing can go wrong with this. nothing went wrong 
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Oct 24, 2018 05:17
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Did swapping out the oil cooler fix it?
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Oct 24, 2018 15:01
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As far as I can tell. Today's gonna be rough, 600 miles through Texas in the rain.
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Oct 24, 2018 15:30
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Whoa, that is a lot of riding in one day. Be safe.
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Oct 24, 2018 15:40
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Elviscat posted:As far as I can tell. Don't die.
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Oct 24, 2018 17:12
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Elviscat posted:As far as I can tell. Yeah man, echoing the other sentiments. Take care of yourself. That's a good way to get some dangerous fatigue.
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Oct 24, 2018 17:24
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 10:42 |
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If you find yourself near Dallas and need to dry out, don't hesitate to look me up. My username at gmail dot com will get me.
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Oct 24, 2018 17:44
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