Anyone up for a USA Tour in Summer 2021?

[Earache]

A couple of friends of mine, (hard to believe I have more than one, I know), and I are planning a Western USA trip for this summer. As of now, we're not sure if we'll do a one week or two week trip - that'll be decided later. Anyway, here are the basics we're thinking of....

 

6 Day Option

Day                  Destination                                                       Mileage

 

1                       Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray                             300

2                      Ouray, Durango, Monticello, Bedrock

                        Grand  Junction                                                370

3                      Grand Jct, Moab, Blanding, Torrey, UT            350

4                      Torrey , Bryce Canyon, Zion, St. George          275

5                      St. George, Grand Canyon, Durango                479

6                      Durango, Creede, Gunnison, Bailey                   360

 

                        Total                                                                2,134

12 Day Option

 

 

Day                  Destination                                                       Mileage           

 

1                      Bailey to Ogden, Utah                                      551

2                      Ogden to Reno, NV                                         595

3                      Reno, Tahoe, Shelter Cove, CA                       491

4                      Local, Redwood, Avenue of the Giants 100

5                      Shelter Cove to Klamath                                   391

6                      Klamath to Bend, OR                                       413

7                      Bend, OR to Missoula, MT                              591

8                      Missoula to Red Lodge, MT                             371

9                      Red Lodge to Cody (add Yellowstone?)           114

10                    Cody to Saratoga, WY                         371

11                    Saratoga to RMNP, Black Hawk                     275

12                    Black Hawk, Mt Evans, Bailey             125

 

                        Total                                                                4,388

 

We could add in a day or two for a day off the bikes in Shelter Cove or Red Lodge - always a good idea on long-ish trips to have a schedule day off for laundry, beer drinking or whatever. The routes aren't carved in stone at all and we can change to visit places that anyone wants to visit. Once we get the four riders sorted out, we'll can then firm up the destinations. 

We currently have three riders and need a fourth as it makes splitting hotel rooms a lot easier and cheaper.  We're not against 6 riders either should more want to come. But it's like herding cats when add many more than 4.

 

Costs:

Hotel rooms would run around $50 per person per night. Bike rental would be around $175 per day or less - depending on the bike you hire. Fuel is about $2.25 USD per gallon - so roughly $250 for the long route or half that for the short.  Food is cheap in the USA and I usually spend more on beers than I do food, but figure $20 a day ort slightly more if ya like steaks and like to drink.

 

So just putting this out there to see if anyone would want to come along. Fire away with any questions / comments ya might have. These tours cost around $5,000 plus bike hire with a tour company - so this is well below that cost.

 

[Pedro]

I am going to look at this on google maps, tomorrow when I'm sober. I'd like to, but so far there are too many unknowns regarding current work situation and next year's projects. Apart from all of that there is the covid situation, what month are you considering to do this? What would be the best airport to fly to?

[XTreme]

Big mileages most days @Earache?

You guys must be fit!

[Buckster]

3 day or 8 day by the looks of it.

[Earache]

15 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Big mileages most days @Earache?

You guys must be fit!

Only big to Europeans. Those miles are very easily done in a 8 hour day here. Crossing the desert areas you can do 600 miles in 7 hours easily. It looks like a lot but it isn't.

[Earache]

32 minutes ago, Pedro said:

I am going to look at this on google maps, tomorrow when I'm sober. I'd like to, but so far there are too many unknowns regarding current work situation and next year's projects. Apart from all of that there is the covid situation, what month are you considering to do this? What would be the best airport to fly to?

Most likely July or August as some mountain passes aren't open earlier or later. They can be, but not 100% for sure.

We are assuming Covid will be over by then - but who knows? We'll just plan now and see what happens.

Best airport in and out would be Denver (DEN). I can pick people up and get them to the bike hire place and they may spend a day or two on each end at my house or at a hotel in Denver (free). They'd need a day or so to get used to elevation and time change.

[Earache]

5 minutes ago, Buckster said:

3 day or 8 day by the looks of it.

I'm thick - not sure what ya mean here

[Pedro]

Just now, Earache said:

I'm thick - not sure what ya mean here

He's saying you are all wusses, in his own way, because he'd ride twice as quick ...

[Earache]

6 minutes ago, Pedro said:

He's saying you are all wusses, in his own way, because he'd ride twice as quick ...

Ahhh. Goes without saying , really.

[XTreme]

14 minutes ago, Pedro said:

He's saying you are all wusses, in his own way, because he'd ride twice as quick ...

Yeh.....but he's not weighed down by carrying a camera!

[Earache]

3 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Yeh.....but he's not weighed down by carrying a camera!

..and doesn't slow down to use it even if he is carrying one.

[XTreme]

8 minutes ago, Earache said:

..and doesn't slow down to use it even if he is carrying one.

He wouldn't be carrying one Eric!

A camera to @Buckster is like Kryptonite to Superman!

Tell him @Tym

[Earache]

Bike hire in Denver:

 

Cheaper place with a bit older bikes: https://www.twistedroad.com/search?latitude=39.7392&location=The Best Motorcycle Rentals in Denver, CO | Twistedroad.com&longitude=-104.9902

Super Tenere for cheap: http://wdsma.com/bmw800.php

Lots of ADV bikes:  https://www.coloradomotorcycleadventures.com/#rent-a-motorcycle

Cheaper GS:  https://tourbikes.com/

Bit outside of Denver, has Africa Twin though: https://motodiscoveryrentals.com/

Triumph Tiger for cheap; https://www.rentalmotorbike.com/motorbike-rental-colorado

[Pedro]

I will think about it in two or three months, @Earache, but don´t let me hold you back for one second as I´ll probably not go for it. I´m tempted but think it´s both too much milleage per day for me to enjoy the views like I´d like to being my first time in the USA, plus also regardless of how tempted I am I just can´t bring myself to go for anything right now, just not in the right spirits.

[Tym]

2 hours ago, XTreme said:

He wouldn't be carrying one Eric!

A camera to @Buckster is like Kryptonite to Superman!

Tell him @Tym

What i want to know is how the hell do you keep a motorcycle clean and abuse it by using it to go on a road trip,

 

it would take me 6 months and 16 bounty jumbo rolls of double ply paper towels to clean to ride those miles.

 

Whats the topic?

 

[alfalfa]

hmmmm.  this is where Bruce finally rides Flames??

[Pedro]

1 hour ago, BusBoy said:

You consolidate my point though. I can understand it is neccesary but it still is what it is. Personally I think deserts are one of the most majestic environments you can tour on a bike. I would think it a great shame to bypass them via an interstate. Sometimes less is more on a bike trip. I was never one for whistlestop tourism though. However not knowing the areas proposed and the route covered I cant really make a judgement call on the entire trip other than to say that one particular day is a slog it out and crash out in the bar later day for sure.

I agree, I would very much prefer to stick to slower roads even if the distance doesn't get covered. I can do a day of motorway speeds to get to wherever I'm going, two days is pushing it, but my idea of enjoying the place does not include that time of riding. Nothing against this trip, but to me an 8 hour riding day is only fun if the roads are interesting or slow enough to take in the place.

I am currently panicking about my work situation for next year, though, so I will be frugal with money and not go anywhere I can't access on my bike.

[Earache]

On 20/11/2020 at 18:20, Tym said:

What i want to know is how the hell do you keep a motorcycle clean and abuse it by using it to go on a road trip,

Clean a bike?   wassat?

[Earache]

8 hours ago, Lone Amigo said:

The desert can become mighty monotonous, and average 18 wheeler speeds are well over 70 mph.

If one is the type of rider who likes to control the closing speed and distance with other vehicles you will find yourself riding around 85 mph, and you won't be sticking out like a sore thumb.
Almost everybody has a throttle lock of some sort to counter the effect of holding the throttle way open for hours and hours at a time. And all that time, one hasn't seen a town or motel, nothing but scrub brush and jackalopes. If one rides asphalt in the Great Southwestern Desert at all, you are going to be riding at high speeds but you'll only be just another blip on the road trying not to be squashed by an 85 mph 18 wheeler. But the worst roads are not Intertates. in New Mexico we have 4 lane, UNDIVIDED highways with a speed limit of 70 mph. While we have our fair share of RichardRacers, most of us are riding fast just so traffic won't surround us and box us in.
When one is off-road around these parts, what you need is lots of fuel and very very very  good tires that can cope with deep sand, gravel, and slick rock.

So, to sum up:  fast yes, racing no.

Here's a real life example. According to google maps it is 521.8 miles between Grants NM where I used to live and Aurora CO where my sister lived just outside of Denver, and the drive time is listed at 7 hours and 45 minutes.
In real life, on my 2004 Hinckley Bonneville I would cover that distance in 6 and a half hours; on the K100 it was closer to 6 hours than 6 and a half.

I hope this helps in understanding what riding conditions are like here.  Oh, and Colorado gets rain, but New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah don't except sometimes in monsoon season which typically is July.
I hope this helps

All good points.  We ride only on 2 lane roads - no interstates except in middle of big cities to get to the hotels. Less than 100 miles out of 4,000 will be on interstates.

Across the deserts there's really not all that much to see. We'd only pass through 2-3 towns crossing Nevada and they're small, one stop light places. The rest of the state is pretty featureless. The rest of the days aren't high mileage - just crossing barren sections. Plenty of time to see the sights, eat the food, drink the drinks, etc.

[Earache]

7 hours ago, BusBoy said:

 Personally I think deserts are one of the most majestic environments you can tour on a bike. I would think it a great shame to bypass them via an interstate. ,,....

Again, no interstates on these rides. We'll go through the deserts rather than around them.

Pic below is from  Idaho, but the Nevada desert looks similar with fewer plants growing. It's 400+ miles of flat and straight but is still kinda cool to ride across.

[Earache]

5 hours ago, Pedro said:

I agree, I would very much prefer to stick to slower roads even if the distance doesn't get covered. I can do a day of motorway speeds to get to wherever I'm going, two days is pushing it, but my idea of enjoying the place does not include that time of riding. Nothing against this trip, but to me an 8 hour riding day is only fun if the roads are interesting or slow enough to take in the place.

I am currently panicking about my work situation for next year, though, so I will be frugal with money and not go anywhere I can't access on my bike.

You're only looking at the longer trip - DesmoDog and I are doing another ride that probably won't leave Colorado and will be much less mileage. We plan on staying at my house most nights and then at my wife's hotels across Colorado for free or largely discounted as we're both cheap fuckers. That would be the ride for you - still good riding but loads of time just checking stuff / towns out as well.

Cool part about that ride is that you could decide to go a week before and it wouldn't really affect our plans at all. Plenty of room at our house for more; have 3 extra bedrooms that are all en suite, so you'd be good there.

Keep it in mind.

[Earache]

3 hours ago, Lone Amigo said:

THERE ARE NO I REPEAT NO NO NO OTHER ROADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

except dirt roads on reservations which are not through roads to anywhere. On the Monster bikes y'all seem to prefer, you will be lucky to average 16 mph, let alone 24 mph.

Some places in Colorado will have more pavement than New Mexico --- BUTT, they will only take you to a dirt road that will slow you down to 12-14 mph.

 

Truer words have never been written! I ride a lot of dirt roads as connectors to paved ones. The county I live in has like 3 paved roads in it. People that haven't been here have no idea how rural it is; nearest shops are 30 miles away, no cell service anywhere - not even at my house. Despite that, it is a cool area.

[Earache]

1 hour ago, Lone Amigo said:

Lest anyone think I am discouraging people from joining Earache, I emphaticallly say that I am actually encouraging you to join him.  There is no better way than to ride with a local rider who knows the territory.

Not to toot my own horn, but I promise not to take anyone on crap, boring roads, etc. We'll avoid all of that on  longer trips or on short weekend rides. There's too many good ones to mess around with shit roads.

[XTreme]

10 minutes ago, Earache said:

You're only looking at the longer trip - DesmoDog and I are doing another ride that probably won't leave Colorado and will be much less mileage. We plan on staying at my house most nights and then at my wife's hotels across Colorado for free or largely discounted as we're both cheap fuckers. That would be the ride for you - still good riding but loads of time just checking stuff / towns out as well.

Cool part about that ride is that you could decide to go a week before and it wouldn't really affect our plans at all. Plenty of room at our house for more; have 3 extra bedrooms that are all en suite, so you'd be good there.

Keep it in mind.

If @Pedro turns up you'd better get plenty of buckets of pig swill in to keep him fed Eric! 

[Earache]

1 minute ago, XTreme said:

If @Pedro turns up you'd better get plenty of buckets of pig swill in to keep him fed Eric! 

I kinda like the looks of a lot of his food. I'd take him to some Mexican joints that truly serve a platter of slop. It looks like crap, but taste's really good. I'm sure his pig swill is the same.

One thing you guys have that we don't; seafood. No oceans within 1,200 miles of here so no fresh seafood at all. Lots of beef, bison and elk meat but not much else. I love it when we travel to the coasts so I can eat fresh seafood the entire time.

This makes Pedro's food look good! (below)