TFC
Well-known member
I bought my FJR specifically for this trip. I had been dreaming of a road bike for years - glad they finally both happened.
Said trip had been in discussions between my brother and I for over 2 years. The discussions were usually pretty short.
Me: "Let's go on a motorcycle trip. We can go here, and there, and over there too..."
Brother: "You need a bike"
Me: "Damn."
After a long, consistently-applied, well thought-out psychological campaign, I finally felt comfortable that the FJR purchase would not end in divorce. The funny thing was that after making the decision to purchase, but before going down to the dealer my old man ends buying a valkyrie! Now there would be three of us going on the trip. Way to go pops! Not bad for a 71 year old.
Anyhoo, pics are attached below. I don't have the skill or patience to do a proper report, so I included my favorite pics only.
Our planned route, which was pretty much followed to the t.
Anyone ride through Oatman, AZ outside Kingman? It was mostly an afterthought on our trip plan, but wanted to hopefully see something interesting on our way to Kingman. I was surprised at what we found. A nice old mining town conveniently converted to a tourist trap. Mules roaming the streets. A gunfight reenactment. A visiting marching band made up of 80 yr olds with fez style hats. Classic. The pic below was on the east side of Oatman, out behind an old gas station that doesn't serve gas anymore but has plenty of antiques.
TV is important:
The Moki Dugway was one of the "we must go here" destinations while planning. While it didn't disappoint, I can say I was worried about nothing. Although dirt, it's a proper road.
So strong. So powerful.
A quick stop at the south side of the Grand Canyon suggests somebody erected the largest mural painting ever - the place didn't seem real.
I'm not even sure where this picture was taken, but it's definitely my favorite of the entire trip. Most likely somewhere between the Grand Canyon and Mexican hat.
Monticello, UT was the site of my favorite meal of the whole trip. Glad we stopped to ask some locals for a suggestion.
Did my brother bite off more than he could chew?
I like burrito snacks.
At Mesa Verde national park we took a tour of the cliff dwellings. Amazing stuff.
Once in Colorado, I was reminded of the sheltered life we live out here in SoCal. First of all, someone dialed the thermostat waaay below 70 (our coldest morning ride was 37 before windchill). Second of all, apparently there are seasons in the rest of the country. I had never seen such colors on trees before. I must have 20 pictures of these "gold" trees.
Gunnison canyon and the roads north up to Glenwood Springs were highlights.
During the trip I repeatedly got caught riding into the sun and immediately became jealous of my brother's/dad's modular helmets with the flip down fighter pilot visor. My el cheapo sunglasses were no match for the sun's harsh glare. I finally broke down and customized my shoei.
(PM me if you need the spec sheets)
While these pics don't do it justice, Capitol Reef nat'l park was another highlight and welcomed surprise. The day was overcast and riding weather perfect.
While we stopped at Bryce Canyon one morning, all the pics tend to look the same. Also, if you stay on your bike the whole time, Bryce is a "ride to see something" park. Zion on the other hand is a "look at alll this stuff while riding" kinda place. Zion pics:
Overall this was an awesome trip. I wish we had more than just one week to take off from work.
Pesky valkryies were keeping the miles between gas stations no more than 140 miles. In retrospect though, I'm happy to keep ride time at no more than two hours between rest stops (sorry iron butts).
Total Best Worst Average
MPG 53.94 32.50 45.11
Cost of Fuel $218.72 $4.40 $3.42 $3.76
Number of gallons 58.011 5.36 1.97 2.90
Miles each tank 2,601 214 81 130
Said trip had been in discussions between my brother and I for over 2 years. The discussions were usually pretty short.
Me: "Let's go on a motorcycle trip. We can go here, and there, and over there too..."
Brother: "You need a bike"
Me: "Damn."
After a long, consistently-applied, well thought-out psychological campaign, I finally felt comfortable that the FJR purchase would not end in divorce. The funny thing was that after making the decision to purchase, but before going down to the dealer my old man ends buying a valkyrie! Now there would be three of us going on the trip. Way to go pops! Not bad for a 71 year old.
Anyhoo, pics are attached below. I don't have the skill or patience to do a proper report, so I included my favorite pics only.
Our planned route, which was pretty much followed to the t.
Anyone ride through Oatman, AZ outside Kingman? It was mostly an afterthought on our trip plan, but wanted to hopefully see something interesting on our way to Kingman. I was surprised at what we found. A nice old mining town conveniently converted to a tourist trap. Mules roaming the streets. A gunfight reenactment. A visiting marching band made up of 80 yr olds with fez style hats. Classic. The pic below was on the east side of Oatman, out behind an old gas station that doesn't serve gas anymore but has plenty of antiques.
TV is important:
The Moki Dugway was one of the "we must go here" destinations while planning. While it didn't disappoint, I can say I was worried about nothing. Although dirt, it's a proper road.
So strong. So powerful.
A quick stop at the south side of the Grand Canyon suggests somebody erected the largest mural painting ever - the place didn't seem real.
I'm not even sure where this picture was taken, but it's definitely my favorite of the entire trip. Most likely somewhere between the Grand Canyon and Mexican hat.
Monticello, UT was the site of my favorite meal of the whole trip. Glad we stopped to ask some locals for a suggestion.
Did my brother bite off more than he could chew?
I like burrito snacks.
At Mesa Verde national park we took a tour of the cliff dwellings. Amazing stuff.
Once in Colorado, I was reminded of the sheltered life we live out here in SoCal. First of all, someone dialed the thermostat waaay below 70 (our coldest morning ride was 37 before windchill). Second of all, apparently there are seasons in the rest of the country. I had never seen such colors on trees before. I must have 20 pictures of these "gold" trees.
Gunnison canyon and the roads north up to Glenwood Springs were highlights.
During the trip I repeatedly got caught riding into the sun and immediately became jealous of my brother's/dad's modular helmets with the flip down fighter pilot visor. My el cheapo sunglasses were no match for the sun's harsh glare. I finally broke down and customized my shoei.
(PM me if you need the spec sheets)
While these pics don't do it justice, Capitol Reef nat'l park was another highlight and welcomed surprise. The day was overcast and riding weather perfect.
While we stopped at Bryce Canyon one morning, all the pics tend to look the same. Also, if you stay on your bike the whole time, Bryce is a "ride to see something" park. Zion on the other hand is a "look at alll this stuff while riding" kinda place. Zion pics:
Overall this was an awesome trip. I wish we had more than just one week to take off from work.
Pesky valkryies were keeping the miles between gas stations no more than 140 miles. In retrospect though, I'm happy to keep ride time at no more than two hours between rest stops (sorry iron butts).
Total Best Worst Average
MPG 53.94 32.50 45.11
Cost of Fuel $218.72 $4.40 $3.42 $3.76
Number of gallons 58.011 5.36 1.97 2.90
Miles each tank 2,601 214 81 130
Last edited by a moderator:
