FZ6 around the country - a planning thread

D-Mac

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It’s been snowing/raining here for about 2 weeks now. To reduce the pain of not riding (it’s just too icy), I’ve done some maintenance, done some mods, and read a few more ‘biker/riding’ books. Still no sign of a thaw…..so now it’s time to plan a TRIP! I’m gonna use this thread to think out loud about my plans for next year, which may or may not ever happen (it’s still fun to dream though!)

As some of you know, I did an Iron Butt Association ride on my FZ6 this past summer – and loved it. I’ve been bitten by the long distance riding bug and I’ve spent a lot of time preparing my bike for longer trips. I have a lot of flexibility during the summer from my job, although I don’t like to be away from home without the wife/kids for more than a couple of weeks at a time (and work already takes me away a few times a year).

Where to go? I dug out a map of North America and started thinking about the places I’d like to ride and the riding events I’d like to complete. Here’s where I am now… (see this map link for details) from:albion, mi 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:I-5 S to:I-805 S to:CA-78/CA-86 to:I-75 S to:I-75 S to:Collier Blvd/SR-951 to:key west, fl to:US-13 to:Ocean Gateway/US-50 to:Ocean Gateway

(1) I started with a trip from here (Michigan) to Idaho. I’ve never been to the north-west or the plains before, but I’m giving a speech at a conference there next June, so I thought maybe I’d ride there rather than fly (work will pay mileage up to what a flight there would cost). It’s about 2000 miles away and I hear the roads in Idaho are amazing.

(2) I’ve also thought about doing another Iron Butt ride. My last one was 1000 miles in under 24h (Saddlesore 1000 – their easiest ride). The next one up from that is a BunBurner 1500 (1500 miles in 36 hours). It’s a bit over 1500 miles from my part of Michigan to Bozeman, Montana, so I figured maybe I’d ride the first 1500 (across the plains) as an Iron Butt ride and then take a day to do the last 500 through the Idaho hills.

(3) Then I started dreaming BIG. After a ‘rest’ in Idaho, what if I took a different road home? My first thought was to take a day and ride west to Vancouver, BC (Canada) and then back across Canada – maybe all the way to the Atlantic coast! I’ve got family in several places in Canada and it would be a great way to visit everyone. Ending in Nova Scotia would also allow me to visit friends as well (I grew up there). I looked into doing the Iron Butt ‘TransCanada Quest/Gold” (Vancouver to Halifax in 90/60 hours, but I’d have to average close to 1000 miles for nearly 4 days to complete the ‘easier’ version! Perhaps too much riding pressure on one trip (on top of a long ride west to start and a ride home at the end).

(4) Then I started looking at a larger map and searching the web. I’m now thinking about doing the 4 corners U.S. tour. This consists of riding to the 4 far corners of the continental U.S. (Blaine WA, San Ysidro CA, Key West FL, Madawaska ME) in any order and in under 21 days. Yeah, it’s a LOT of riding (over 10,000 miles total), but there’s plenty of time to complete it. I came up with a schedule of about 600 miles per day that would have me back home in about 21 days (including my trip west from Michigan, my time at the Idaho conference, and the trip back from the last corner in Maine- all of which wouldn’t count against the 21 day limit of touching the 4 corners). Doing this ride would also give me a chance to visit a friend who lives in the Florida Keys, catch up with some close friends who just moved to Maryland, and visit my family in eastern Canada on the way to the last ‘corner’ in Maine. It would also be my first visit to much of the country.
An FZ6 would seem to be the smallest displacement bike to do the ‘official’ 4 corners ride since they started listing bikes on the website several years ago (an SV650 did one a few years ago and a couple of V-stroms and smallish cruisers have done it). I’m sure it’s do-able on an FZ6.

Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
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mastakilla

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man that 4 Corners US Tour sounds awesome! I'd go for that one. It's great to dream, but even greater to actually do it!

Me and my brother-in-law will do a 4 day tour next year, and we're already fantasizing about it all the time :)
 

D-Mac

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If you're ever near Sacramento, CA, I could give you a tour of the California's gold country.

That would be cool. One of my reasons for going on the trip would be to check out California (redwoods, vinyards, Pacific Ocean, various other landscapes).
 

D-Mac

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man that 4 Corners US Tour sounds awesome! I'd go for that one. It's great to dream, but even greater to actually do it!

Me and my brother-in-law will do a 4 day tour next year, and we're already fantasizing about it all the time :)

I agree - I spend a lot of time just thinking about what it would be like to ride in different places.

Where are you going next year?
 

Mississippi

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If you come through Memphis, I will meet you for dinner or something. I would love to hear some of the stories of the trip first hand.
 

hardway

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If you do the four corners you're in for a serious treat riding up (or down) the west coast. Roads just don't get any twistier or scenic than what we have out here.
 

Trncaba

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Idaho girl here, Hubby and I and my Dad love Idaho roads.
As far as rides go, Hubby and I are planning on a cross country ride next year from Idaho to ???? The ?? is because we don't know where we will be living next year and so planning is just at the stage of we'll take the bokes ( his FJR my FZ6) from Idaho to ....
 

LERecords

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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.
 

bmccrary

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Well if you make to the east coast, you need to head up to App. mountains. Lots and lots of great riding in them there mtns. Dragon, Snake, Great Smokey Mtn Parkway. wouldn't mind taking you around that way if you like. Also, you are more than welcome to stay the night at my place in Charlotte if you decided to come out this way. Save you a hotel night and have a nice dry place to park the bike and do some work if needed.

Just putting the option on the table.

Nice thread, btw!

-bryan
 

mastakilla

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I agree - I spend a lot of time just thinking about what it would be like to ride in different places.

Where are you going next year?

We are going to cruise through "the Black Forst" in Germany, and the "Alsace" in France. Pretty much around Strasbourg where you see mountains on the attached images.

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Old Fart

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sounds like a great ride no matter were you go. acouple questions about your gear. do you have to remove engine guard to change oil? and how to you like your windshield? have a great ride
 

VEGASRIDER

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I've been everywhere, all 50 states, and all I got to say is head WEST!

The Great Smoky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, and any other mountains out east, I'm sorry, but those are just big hills. Go hit the Rockies and the Cascade Mountain Ranges, it will take your breath away.
The Grand Tetons in Wyoming or Mt. Hood in Oregon, being from Michigan, you will be in awe.

Hit the pacific coast, especially the Pacific Northwest, nothing like seeing the rugged Pacifi pounding the Oregon Coast. Totally opposite of the Atlantic, where it's pretty much flat and gentle.

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.
 

Fred

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I'd recommend a tire change before you go. Put a touring tire on the rear. A sport tire isn't going to be able to last through that trip with loaded saddlebags.
 

cv_rider

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Sounds really fun. I've thought I'm "thinking big" when I look at 150 mile rides around Northern Cal (my area). This expands my horizons!

Looking at your map, Google chooses the most boring and lame N-S route through CA - the I-5. You'll want to hug the coast the whole way down.

I bet you could find a couple of major cities along the way where us local Sixers would like to meet you for dinner and hear how it's going! Lots of us in the SF Bay Area that would probably be up for that.
 

D-Mac

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sounds like a great ride no matter were you go. acouple questions about your gear. do you have to remove engine guard to change oil? and how to you like your windshield? have a great ride

I'm sure you won't have to remove the guard to change a 'standard' size filter the bike comes with. You can fit a larger filter behind it (I have one on now), but I haven't changed it yet so I don't know if there's enough clearance.

I posted a bunch of photos of the engine guard on a thread in General Discussion (it's posted as a poll and should be somewhere on the first couple of pages).

I LOVE the windshield. It's a CalSci mid-size. I'd recommend it highly.
 

D-Mac

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Well if you make to the east coast, you need to head up to App. mountains. Lots and lots of great riding in them there mtns. Dragon, Snake, Great Smokey Mtn Parkway. wouldn't mind taking you around that way if you like. Also, you are more than welcome to stay the night at my place in Charlotte if you decided to come out this way. Save you a hotel night and have a nice dry place to park the bike and do some work if needed.

Just putting the option on the table.

Nice thread, btw!

-bryan

Bryan,

Thanks for the invite! I will definitely try to plan a route through your area.
 

D-Mac

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I'd recommend a tire change before you go. Put a touring tire on the rear. A sport tire isn't going to be able to last through that trip with loaded saddlebags.

Yup. You're right.

I've got 4200 miles on my current tires (BT-020s). They are ok, although I'd like to try something different. There's just starting to show some wear, but by the time I leave, I'll likely have about 6000-7000 miles on the current set and they'll be wearing a lot.

Right now, I think I might ride these tires as far as Idaho (~2000 miles) and then change them before doing the last 8000 miles of the trip. If I buy a longer-lasting tire I think that will work.

I've also got to plan on at least one or two oil changes and make sure my other maintenance is up to date (e.g., I'll change the spark plugs before I leave). Chain/sprockets should be ok for a long time.
 

FZ1inNH

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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?

FWIW, anyone who comes through NH is welcome at my place. I can garage the bike, lock and stow your stuff, provide a hot shower, laundry facility to wash your clothes and re-pack, and a roof for a night or two. :thumbup:

I can even be convinced to tour the area with you on my bike, grill some food and drink plenty of beer or wine in the evenings as stories are shared.

High-speed internet is always free!
 
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