2 week trip, Chicago to ???, suggestions???

Hey there,

My buddy and I are planning a trip from Chicago to (insert destinations here).

We'd like to be gone for about two weeks - do you guys have any suggestions of where to go? I'd like to hit some twisties and a mix of highway driving.

Ideas? Good experiences? I'm all ears!

(PS: his bike is carbed, so high elevations are a bit of an exception)

Ride North into Wisconsin and then do the Lake Michigan circle tour. Enter Michigan's Upper Peninsula and follow the Lake Superior shoreline towards the Mackinac Bridge. Ride M-119 towards Harbor Springs then ride towards Charevoix and down to Traverse City. Do the M-22 route towards Leland, then head down to Frankfort. If you come through the Petoskey/ Charlevoix area, I could show you some neat back roads around the Antrim County chain of lakes.

I've never been South of Frankfort, so you're on your own after that. There's a ton of riding and things to see in the UP.

If you have time and an interest, check out the iron mines in Negaunee and the freighter docks in Marquette. Tahquamenon Falls are pretty cool, and Whitefish Point is nearby. Lake of the Clouds is another cool spot and it's Michigan's highest point. Don't bother going East of the Mackinac Bridge because it's really boring (flat and straight roads).

BTW, don't worry about carb jetting while touring Michigan. Even at Michigan's highest point, your buddies bike will still run pretty good unless he's jetted for Death Valley at 120 degrees.

philosopheriam said:

Hey there,

My buddy and I are planning a trip from Chicago to Brisbane , Australia.

Click to expand...

There you go , all sorted :thumbup:

Nyc all day!!!:blaa:

Head West!

Sunny SoCal. We've got rides and topography all day and night. Stop in Vegas along the way! :rockon:

There's always Deals Gap, NC. Ride that dragon. Just don't get bit. Ever dragged knee at 40mph? Me either, but I've seen it there.

So want to go back with my bike. We were camping with the family last time, and I'm the only rider.

Then a day ride will (or two days of leisurely ride, Northern GA has some good riding) will get you to Florida. Chill at the beach!

Hmm... all great suggestions!

My riding buddy is a relatively new rider, so, I don;t want to get into anything too tricky, but some moderate twisties would be nice.

Do you have a "typical" deals gap run?

dealsgap.com, Deal's Gap, NC, Webcams, Area Map, Deal's Gap Map

That's also the site for the hotel that a lot of people start from. And the infamous "Tree of Shame" is there too. There are plenty of turn arounds, and pull offs. I didn't drive too far up it, just a couple of miles to a decent turn and watched for an hour or so.

2 weeks?? Colorado, Utah, etc..
And carbed bikes are no issue at altitude. I've ridden out there twice on Airhead BMW's with simple Bing carbs with no problem.. Sure, you're not going to make any horsepower, but that's what dropping down a gear will solve with no issues.. Even fuely bikes don't make any power at altitude, so ride and enjoy!!

You can be in Colorado from Chicago (I'm 60 minutes Northwest of you near Rockford) in 2 days if you want to hammer the slabs, or 3 if you want to wander the back roads.. Once out there, you're in motorcycle heaven!! Hit the passes.. Watch the freaks in Tuluride, ride 550 and spend some time in Silverton and Ouray, see how the rich folks live in Aspen.. And wander Utah..

If you don't wish to go that far, wander the U.P. of Michigan, and do a loop around Lake Superior.. Spend time in Houghton and hang out with the college kids, drinking beer at the Keweenaw Brewing Company.. Go to the Gay Bar (it's in Gay, Michigan, and don't forget to get a photo of yourself at the Gay Bar sign), hit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, spend some time in the Sault Ste. Marie on both sides of the border.. From there, wander across Canada and then jut down to South Baymouth, and take the ferry to Tobermory, and then wander to the Niagara Falls...

2 weeks... Man, the options are endless!!!

Well guys, here's the result of the trip...

On the way to Deals Gap, I was stopped at a light in Maryville, TN (highway 411). There must have been a previous accident at this intersection, as the ground was covered in a 50ft slick of oil and antifreeze. I was at the leftmost part of the lane, as I was trying to avoid being dead center in this giant pile of goo.

Within seconds, I was knocked feet-first onto the ground and my bike went down on it's left side between my legs - I was still standing upright with my hands on the bars. When I looked behind me, it was my buddy's 1982 Suzuki GS650G that had crashed into me. He hit the oily pile of goo and slid over 30ft into the back of my motorcycle.

The stator cover of his bike hit the R/R corner of my swingarm and essentially side-swiped the R/H side of my bike. After hitting me, his bike went down on its R/H side.

Damage to my bike:
Gouged swingarm
R/H passenger peg and mount completely broken
R/H main peg and mount completely broken
Rear tailsection bent at the R/H peg mount
L/H clutch lever bent
Miscellaneous scratches on RH and LH engine covers
RH plastic frame cover completely broken off/missing
etc, etc...

Damage to his bike:
Shattered stator cover
Destroyed stator
Destroyed flywheel
Bent handlebars
Busted brakeline
Oil everywhere
etc, etc...

Both of us had our gear on, he needed 12 stitches in his knee, I received a nasty bruise on my right ankle. My bike is currently at a specialized collision shop for motorcycles in Knoxville, TN (Shrader's Cycle Center). My buddy's bike is sitting in my parents garage in Sevierville, TN - I have all of the parts on order to put it back together.

Overall, the cops were insanely courteous and my buddy's insurance company (Geico) is not giving me any hassle when it comes to having my bike fixed. Also, I'm lucky enough to have parents that lived nearby with a truck and trailer to get the bikes home.

Damage grand total:
My bike - almost $3800, a hair away from being totaled
His bike - $800 in parts alone

Lessons learned:
Watch for oil slicks
Always let new riders ride in front of you