The All-Combined West Coast FZ6-Forum Ride

[Red Wazp]

Kid, why ride Hwy 80? Full of trucks, and as boring as Nascar. May I suggest Hwy 50 across Nevada to Hwy 40 or I-70 in Colorado. Good time can be made this way and much better motorcycle roads.

 

[Motogiro]

Wolfpacks don't need underwear.

Patrolling they tryin to catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty
My music so loud
I'm swangin
They hopin that they gon catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty
Tryin to catch me ridin dirty

 

[krid80]

Kid, why ride Hwy 80? Full of trucks, and as boring as Nascar. May I suggest Hwy 50 across Nevada to Hwy 40 or I-70 in Colorado. Good time can be made this way and much better motorcycle roads.

why no 70? one word. "Kansas"

I have heard from a couple of people that I-80 is pretty cool with mountains and stuff. No?

 

[VEGASRIDER]

why no 70? one word. "Kansas"

I have heard from a couple of people that I-80 is pretty cool with mountains and stuff. No?

Much more scenic to drop down and go across I-70 through Eastern Utah and Western Colorado.

Plus you might pick up another escort from the Denver members.

I have travelled both higways in vehicles, I-80 in Wyoming are rolling hills and can get very windy. But you can really make up time, speed limit is 75 pretty much once you get into Utah and all the way until you leave Nebraska.

 

[Red Wazp]

why no 70? one word. "Kansas"

I have heard from a couple of people that I-80 is pretty cool with mountains and stuff. No?

No. Not much. Slabs are the most boring part of any ride. Once you get east of the rockies you can head north up to 80 for Nebraska

 

[krid80]

No. Not much. Slabs are the most boring part of any ride. Once you get east of the rockies you can head north up to 80 for Nebraska

That sounds like a good idea..... Let's see what I can map up...

 

[krid80]

This looks good!

 

[Brandad]

HWY 1 looks a bit less windy than the stuff inland too.

This branches off from HWY1 and I just had to share this, WOW:

WOWOWOWOW

Above is the Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd which cuts through Fort Hunter Ligget Army Base. I haven't personally been on it for almost 20yrs, but I do know that people from my local group ride it every so often. It can be really tough spotting the turn for this off Hwy 1. Be prepared to show license, registration & insurance to get through the Base.

Updated my route to move from the 101 to hwy 1. Looking at streetview, the road along the ocean is BEAUTIFUL. That, and I love the salty air smell in my helmet.

This is the route I would recommend. As MarinaFazer said, you're going to be so close once in Santa Barbara, you really should take the Big Sur Hwy 1 route. If you're passing through on a weekend (won't it also be close to July 4th?), expect slow motorhomes and very few passing opportunities. Likely will be cool or even cold, damp wind. Still very well worth it for the scenery though.

And stay away from the I5 (or Hwy 99) route through Bakersfield/Visalia area - straight, ugly, hot, and plenty of traffic

 

[krid80]

(won't it also be close to July 4th?),

No.... closer to the 5th of August.

 

[Red Wazp]

Getting better. Need to dump 80 from at Fernly, Nevada and ride 50 across Nevada including a sweet gem of a road-Nevada Hwy 722 from Eastgate to Austin and on to Ely. Some real nice passes on this route.
Then on to Spanish Fork Utah. Jump on hwy 6 to 191 and hook up with hwy 40.

If you have time-Even better is to dump 80 in Truckee and ride North Lake Tahoe over to 50.

When are you going on I-80 in Ca? I live 12 minutes from Colfax on I-80. Perhaps we can hook up for part of this ride. I love the ride over to Ely!

 

[DefyInertia]

This is another type of route that looks good to me.

And I like narrow passes that scare the poodles out of me. ....but nothing beats taking a breather in the middle of nowhere sitting down with your feet outstretched over one of those cliffs with no guard-rail.

I like riding solo now and again anyways. That's part of the reason I'm heading out as well, to get away from every person and every thing.

P.S. Best thing about the murderous roads? There usually isn't much traffic on them

P.P.S. It is worth mentioning I am probably going to try to find some nasty gravel roads along the way. Not sure when or where, but somewhere, and some of the time. Love being lost! Something very liberating about it.

It sounds like you and I are into the same type of touring. With that in mind plus the fact that you're going to be riding through my back yard, allow me to suggest a few things.

Central Cali

HWY 33 is a fast hard riding 55 mph two lane that goes over the mountains...great sportbike road...limited traffic and there are ample pull outs and passing spots.

HWY 229 is called Rossi's driveway...hit it if you can as it is very cool and a ton of fun.

HWY 25 is an absolutely great way to make good time, with great curves, and basically NO cars at all. It's also bueatiful.

Some of the other roads I tied things together with will seriously have NO cars...maybe the occasional farmer in a truck. They go through open country side and mountains. The pavement is 1 to 1.5 lanes at times and there will be the occasional short section of gravel road. Great stuff just make sure you keep your tank full!

Northern Cali

HWY 36 = not to miss....this is the highway with the famous "curvey road, next 140 miles" sign (SBR stands for SouthBayRiders...lol).

HWY 3 = this contains my absolute favorite piece of road so far. There are sections of this road that do not have straights....you are constantly leaned over....55 mph turn, flick it to the other side, 55 mph turn, flick it....etc. You also go through some the middle of no where with the occasional 500 person town.

HWY 299 = 90 mph sweepers if you want.....lots of fun at 65/70 too. More people on this road but you are way up north so not that many. Plus, tons of passing places. Great road.

HWY 96 = tighter than 299 but still fast. More like 36 and 3. In the middle of no where with not much gas around. Great road, great views, no traffic.

Beyond that it just gets better (if possible) and you eventually take this epic goat path across into Oregon.

*******************

I can also offer many great alternatives to the above. I can make it faster but still good, or slower, more goaty, and more deserted. Lots of options.

Not sure how you want to tie it all together.

I know you don't want to get stuck in traffic, but San Francisco is surrounded by good roads and is really easy to get in and out of. You are welcome to crash in a spare bedroom at my place if you want to pass through here. We could then head out early in the morning.

 

[CMH]

This looks good!

Just want to Warn you, I've made the trip from Salt lake to Oregon over a dozen times and that stretch between winnemucca and salt lake is (other than a couple mountain passes) long and straight and full of Jackrabbits of unusual size, I've hit 5 or 6 and one coyote in my car, Jackrabbits weren't much of a problem (one broken foglight) but the coyote... that was a different story. Just a heads up about the animals mostly if you take this route, especially if you're driving in the dark at all. Also, I don't know if it depends on the time of year but it has a tendency to get VERY windy through the Bonneville salt flats, some of the strongest winds I've encountered while driving.

 

[lonesoldier84]

It sounds like you and I are into the same type of touring. With that in mind plus the fact that you're going to be riding through my back yard, allow me to suggest a few things.

Central Cali

HWY 33 is a fast hard riding 55 mph two lane that goes over the mountains...great sportbike road...limited traffic and there are ample pull outs and passing spots.

HWY 229 is called Rossi's driveway...hit it if you can as it is very cool and a ton of fun.

HWY 25 is an absolutely great way to make good time, with great curves, and basically NO cars at all. It's also bueatiful.

Some of the other roads I tied things together with will seriously have NO cars...maybe the occasional farmer in a truck. They go through open country side and mountains. The pavement is 1 to 1.5 lanes at times and there will be the occasional short section of gravel road. Great stuff just make sure you keep your tank full!

Northern Cali

HWY 36 = not to miss....this is the highway with the famous "curvey road, next 140 miles" sign (SBR stands for SouthBayRiders...lol).

HWY 3 = this contains my absolute favorite piece of road so far. There are sections of this road that do not have straights....you are constantly leaned over....55 mph turn, flick it to the other side, 55 mph turn, flick it....etc. You also go through some the middle of no where with the occasional 500 person town.

HWY 299 = 90 mph sweepers if you want.....lots of fun at 65/70 too. More people on this road but you are way up north so not that many. Plus, tons of passing places. Great road.

HWY 96 = tighter than 299 but still fast. More like 36 and 3. In the middle of no where with not much gas around. Great road, great views, no traffic.

Beyond that it just gets better (if possible) and you eventually take this epic goat path across into Oregon.

*******************

I can also offer many great alternatives to the above. I can make it faster but still good, or slower, more goaty, and more deserted. Lots of options.

Not sure how you want to tie it all together.

I know you don't want to get stuck in traffic, but San Francisco is surrounded by good roads and is really easy to get in and out of. You are welcome to crash in a spare bedroom at my place if you want to pass through here. We could then head out early in the morning.

So much great info in this post and all the others as well. The planning is really coming along very nicely.

I now need to focus on rehabbing my knee. I got my bike back this weekend and wow....i cant lean left anymore. knee just screams pain when i do. this results in me having to stand the bike up mid corner and try to coast through.

knee is top priority. i will not let it screw this trip up.

regarding the rest of what you wrote, it gave me a chubby.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

All right. I just submitted my vacation request, time off from the 4th of August, returning back on the 16th. I have twelve days to go as far as I can, but have to leave a couple of days to slab it back wherever I end up. It would be nice if I make it up to B.C.

What I need from you is where do you think we will be every night? I need to start making hotel reservations. Just a general area so that I have a city or town.

Anyone who wish to double up and split the cost of a hotel room is welcome. You can make that decision on the day of. I don't stay in roach motels. I'm not looking to be staying at a full service hotel like a Marriott or Hilton, but a Hampton Inn, HI Express, Fairfield Inn or something similar is what I'm looking at. Anyone who wishes to camp is welcomed to stop by and take a shower.

 

[lonesoldier84]

Showering is for sissies. Real men bathe in wild rapids, hanging on to boulders. P)

As for where we will be every night, honestly, that for me is 100% unknown. To come up with a plan like that would defeat the purpose of this trip for me. I have a general outline of things I want to see and do, and roads I want to take and general geographic region where I want to be riding around in and when (some of it's outlined already in this very thread). But as for a night by night assessment and plan? I can't commit to that. I might see a cool looking rock formation wayyyyyyy in the distance and spend the day trying to get to it, just so I can pee on it then take a break for a bit and soak it in (the rock formation......not the pee) LOL.

I think the best way to go about this is for you to use my route as a general guide in a very general sense. You and Krid can hammer out details of where to make hotel reservations and all that. I've personally never had problems finding a place to stay. It always just ends up working out somehow. Worst case scenario is you ride on to the next town, or hit on the ugly girl at the local pub P). If it is getting late and you think the upcoming towns will be small and wont have more than one hotel, you can call it a day early and stop in a town that youve ridden through and have seen vacancy signs lit up in.

We will manage to link up most days I think, but I like just being a stupid boy lost in the world. It's such a great feeling and reminds me of when I was a kid and would ride my bike to the most random places. Those were ALWAYS great days spent finding frogs and things.

But, to make a long story short, I want to get in a bunch of miles with everyone that I can, but I think the best way to do that will be for you guys to have a solid plan and route based on what was discussed here but made of your own mind and planning. That way, you take the routes YOU want to take and you enjoy your vacation to the max, but we still manage to link up for big stretches of great tarmac.

Krid seems to have a fairly good idea of what he's doing in the route planning department. I just want to follow my nose and meander through the west coast then set up camp when I get tired at the end of each day. There are certain roads I most definitely want to hit though, and there are a handful of set dates when I need to be in certain places by that will dictate course-corrections.

Hope that helps?

P.S. I will draft up the specifics as best I can. I will categorize things by how hard and fast I will hold to them. For example, arriving in Vancouver on the 11th is a hard and fast one, for now.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Well travelling 300 days out of the years back in my glory days, I have learned that reservations is a must, especially during the summer, especially if you're going to be along the coast, especially if it's during the weekend.

I will be carrying zero camping gear, so I have to guarantee myself a bed.

For starters, I can make reservations for the 4th around LA? But exactly where? Burbank, Hollywood, Malibu, up the 101 to Oxnard?

 

[lonesoldier84]

I'll sit down this weekend and go over it and figure out what I can commit to as "checkpoints".

They will probably help keep me on schedule too so I don't get too out-of-the-way.

 

[krid80]

This is a script I like to follow when getting hotel accomodations. I never (rather: rarely) book ahead so I can bargain for my room.

"*Sigh* Hi, how are you? I've been on my motorcycle all day and I'm exhausted." (this line garners sympathy) "It's __________ (use a reason why they should have dozens of their rooms empty for example: "late" "Tuesday" "economy down" etc) and I really don't want to have to get on my bike or even look at it again until tomorrow. What is the best deal you can give me on a room?"

Now, here's the kicker, no matter what price they give you, sigh again and either tell them you only have about half of what they quoted in the budget for a room. This line works like a charm: "I really only had about $40 free for a room tonight. Is that the very best you can do?"

Even if their first price was 1/2 normal price, that line almost always knocks off some more cash.

Works like a charm.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

This is a script I like to follow when getting hotel accomodations. I never (rather: rarely) book ahead so I can bargain for my room.

"*Sigh* Hi, how are you? I've been on my motorcycle all day and I'm exhausted." (this line garners sympathy) "It's __________ (use a reason why they should have dozens of their rooms empty for example: "late" "Tuesday" "economy down" etc) and I really don't want to have to get on my bike or even look at it again until tomorrow. What is the best deal you can give me on a room?"

Now, here's the kicker, no matter what price they give you, sigh again and either tell them you only have about half of what they quoted in the budget for a room. This line works like a charm: "I really only had about $40 free for a room tonight. Is that the very best you can do?"

Even if their first price was 1/2 normal price, that line almost always knocks off some more cash.

Works like a charm.

Yes, works like a charm when they have plenty of rooms, as I have often done the same. Especially when it's like 3 am, when they are doing the audit. That's who's usually on duty at that time. Sometimes, I even ask for a "Day Rate" if I'm going to be in the room for five or six hours. Since the nightly audit has been run for the previous night, they would check me in for that day, and check me out at checkout time. Meaning that they would be able to get two separate parties paying for the same room for the same day.

What irritates me is when I have guaranteed my room with a credit card and show up late, and they have sold my room thinking that I was going to be a no show. In other words, they have overbooked. And since I'm the last one to arrive, I get left out. They offer to pay for my stay in the hotel that they have relocated me to, but there have been times when there is not a single room available in the entire city. And at 3 am, you are really not in the best of mood when they do something like this.

But the answer to your question, works like a charm when there is availablity. Not when there is no vacancy.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

This is a script I like to follow when getting hotel accomodations. I never (rather: rarely) book ahead so I can bargain for my room.

"*Sigh* Hi, how are you? I've been on my motorcycle all day and I'm exhausted." (this line garners sympathy) "It's __________ (use a reason why they should have dozens of their rooms empty for example: "late" "Tuesday" "economy down" etc) and I really don't want to have to get on my bike or even look at it again until tomorrow. What is the best deal you can give me on a room?"

Now, here's the kicker, no matter what price they give you, sigh again and either tell them you only have about half of what they quoted in the budget for a room. This line works like a charm: "I really only had about $40 free for a room tonight. Is that the very best you can do?"

Even if their first price was 1/2 normal price, that line almost always knocks off some more cash.

Works like a charm.

Yes, works like a charm when they have plenty of rooms, as I have often done the same. Especially when it's like 3 am, when they are doing the audit. That's who's usually on duty at that time. Sometimes, I even ask for a "Day Rate" if I'm going to be in the room for five or six hours. Since the nightly audit has been run for the previous night, they would check me in for that day, and check me out at checkout time. Meaning that they would be able to get two separate parties paying for the same room for the same day.

What irritates me is when I have guaranteed my room with a credit card and show up late, and they have sold my room thinking that I was going to be a no show. In other words, they have overbooked. And since I'm the last one to arrive, I get left out. They offer to pay for my stay in the hotel that they have relocated me to, but there have been times when there is not a single room available in the entire city. And at 3 am, you are really not in the best of mood when they do something like this.

But the answer to your question, works like a charm when there is availablity. Not when there is no vacancy.