CA to WI, Route advice needed.

[SJBFJR]

I need some advice for a trip I have coming up next week. I will be traveling from the Central Valley (Visalia) CA to WI on my bike. My question has to do with routes. I have lived here under two years and this will be my first trip back. Weather will play a role in which way I go.

But I’m tentatively going south through Barstow then up I-15 to Vegas. Once in Utah, I plan on taking I-70 over the Rockies. My other thought was to go north and take I-80 but going north would add 150 miles or more. If I go south, I would be going through Death Valley and Vegas in late July. To get around the worst heat of the day, I was planning on leaving early enough to hit Vegas by noon. I know it will still be hot in the morning, but I would really like to see the Rockies. Then maybe take I-80 home into CA.

Any advice or recommendations from anyone who has made trips in these areas would be greatly appreciated.

It should be fun.

Thank you in advance.

Steve

 

[odot]

Dude, any route you take will have all kinds of cool shit to check out. Even a direct route......enjoy.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

I need some advice for a trip I have coming up next week. ... Barstow .. I-15 ..Vegas. ..Utah...I-70 ..Rockies. .. I-80 ... add 150 miles ... hit Vegas by noon. .. Rockies....I-80 home into CA.Any advice or recommendations from anyone who has made trips in these areas would be greatly appreciated.

It should be fun.

Thank you in advance.

It may be more fun if you knew of more roads than Interstates? In my experience, big cities aren't much fun when on a motorcycle vacation. Maps/an atlas may be in order? Follow routes that pique your interest -- for whatever reason (that may, or may not, mean Interstates).

You're welcome.

 

[Aasland]

Hit death valley in the morning and you'll probably be fine.

Southern utah looks like a motorcycle playground - I've had my eyes on Hwy 12 (the hogsback) for a few years, and it seems every time I look at routes in that area I find myself planning more hiking than riding.

In colorado, don't miss Ouray - awesome scenery there.

Try to throw in some roads in SW Wisconsin - after KS / NE / IA you'll need them.

 

[krashdragon]

What general area of Wi? top or bottom?

How long do you have to do this?

the routes you picked out are ....ok, I guess. The only decent part of I70 is the bit west of Denver.

I 80 in Cali sucks. some of my friends were on it a few weeks ago, and the pavement is really bad. dont' know about furthur east.

I've ridden from Cleveland to Sacramento and back.

Which roads actually depend on how much time you have.

There's tons of great roads, especially out west, awesome rides.

I took 4 1/2 days because some idiot (me) shaved the seat on my FJR down to almost nothing. Was like sitting on a board. Basically I 80 tp I 76 to I 70 to US 50 to Sac. Return over I 80 similar, but went sound and picked up I 70.

Your route is an easy three - four boring days. Oh, with a stop in Vegas, that's not boring! <G> Five days gives you lots of time. six for sightseeing.

Also.... how long can you sit and ride each day?

My average speed (including stop, eats, etc) was 55 mph. But that included running thru several big cities each day. Only did a bit under 600 miles a day.

You can also call ahead while your on the road for a motel room. sign up for some of the big chains, you can also get a directory with phone numbers. Very convenient. also tell them you're be checking in late ( after 6 pm) so they'll hold your room for you.

My last short trip from DFW to Denver averaged 65 mph. But hey, I was on my way to a party! And no stops in big towns, just gas and potty, one short stop for lunch. Dinner was after done riding for the day. Should have been one day each way, but due to rain, thunderstorms and wind, I took two days each way. Motel rooms, was just too much rain and lightning to camp.

Or...take 5 and 58 to Barstow, and I 15 to get out of town, up to St George, Utah 9 thru Zion NP, US 89 north to I 70, East on I 70 to Denver, pick up I 76 to I 80. Or stay on I 70 to I 35. You still have to go thru DesMoines, but quicker and better than St Louis for traffic.

At least you don't have to go past the Chicago supermess....

Some nice scenery in places, and a fairly straight route. You're about about 2200-2300 miles on Streets and trips.

You can also hit sections of US 50. some of them are pretty decent, especially the furthur west you go. Utah is supurb. I took US 50 across Utah and Cali ) ... WAY COOL!

Drink lots and lots and lots of water. Use a camelback and every time you fill up the gas tank, fill up the camelbak. Drink a coke or gatoraide, something with electrolites or salt, it does get a bit warm out there.

A mesh jacket over a long sleeved shirt would be good. also sunblock, You can get a burn even under a tinted visor.

You make your own shade. I saw mostly Goldwingers and some Harley riders in tank tops, shorts and brilliant red hues of sunburn.

The part from Wi to Denver is basically flat. Once you see the Rockies, totally way cool.

Nebraska is boring. The longest ride of your life is I 80 all the way across Nebraska. Even riding across Texas seems shorter! <G>

There is no easy way to get from west to east and back. The whole middle of the country is comparatively flat.

Oh yeah..... and WINDY!

Have fun. Wish I could go with you!

Mary

 

[SJBFJR]

I will be entering the Southwest corner of Wisconsin and then on to the Madison area. I also have a family reunion near Milwaukee to go to.

I have two weeks off of work but a lot of family and friends to visit, so I will try to make good time. As for how long I can sit, I will find out in a little over a week. I have had long day rides but nothing like this.

My wife and her daughter are flying a few days earlier and will be available if I need any help finding hotels.

I have always wanted to ride for days and enjoy the road. My kids have graduated and left so its time to see if its as much fun as I imagined. If I love it I will plan some more trips. If I don’t, well at least I did it once.

I synced the TBs, changed the engine, final gear and fork oils. I lubed cables and checked and cleaned the brakes among other things. The bike should be ready and so should I. The posts on the FJR Forum have been great for tips on what to bring, tools and gear and how to stay hydrated. Thank you to all who share your info and experiences, it is a wealth of knowledge

I am really looking forward to this ride.

Thanks again.

Steve

 

[cpsfjr]

Somehow you must find a way to include Utah 12 and any of the numerous mountain passes in Colorado. Southern Utah and western Colorado are ideal motorcycle playgrounds!

 

[Silver Penguin]

Somehow you must find a way to include Utah 12 and any of the numerous mountain passes in Colorado. Southern Utah and western Colorado are ideal motorcycle playgrounds!

+1 on that. If you head out through Vegas, St George is a good place for an overnight stay (as long as you find air conditioning because it's HOT). From there, ride through Zion National Park which is just spectacular. Even without the opportunity for stopping and hiking, you can catch amazing vistas from the road which goes right through the park. Despite having ridden that way before, we've planned our route to NAFO this way, to see the sights once again.

That route puts you onto the 12 which is another must-see. If you find your way north to I-70 from there, the part leading up to the Rockies is said to be one of the most scenic freeways in the world.

Hope you have a great trip.

Jill

 

[SJBFJR]

I wanted to give an update on my cross country ride to Wisconsin. I decided to go straight there; no stopping other than for gas, food and sleep.

I took I-15 through Vegas then I-70 through Denver. The views were fantastic through Arizona, Utah and Colorado. Then I -76 to I- 80 was very boring. My butt was my biggest concern. My legs and rear end were a little sore but not bad. I made it 880 miles the first day, 850 the second and 400+ the third.

While in Wisconsin, I enjoyed a lot of good food and beer with family and friends. On my way back, I decided to try the IBA SS 1000. I went back to CA the same way I came. I made it from Madison, WI to Silverthorne, CO. This made for a ride of 1056 miles (I threw in a few extra miles for a buffer just in case my odometer was off a bit). It went surprisingly well, although Iowa and Nebraska about put me to sleep. (I’m sure you have good riding roads there, just I-80 sucked) My second day was great! I hit every scenic pullout on I-70 in CO and Utah. In Utah, I took Hwy 72 south to Hwy 24 then on to Hwy 12 as was recommended CPSFJR and Silver Penguin. I have to say that I was very glad to hit the bottom of 12. I never thought I was going to make it to the end. It seemed like I was stopping about every mile to take pictures. In fact, I took 357 pictures on day 2. The scenery was amazing. I would highly recommend Hwy 12 if you are in the area. It's worth the detour. I finished the day riding through Zion National Park. Day three was a 500 mile straight shot home from Hurricane, Utah.

I would have liked to have spent more time sightseeing throughout my entire trip.

That just means I will have to plan more rides with that as my goal.

Overall I had one of the best vacations; even when there wasn’t much to look at I was happy because I was riding. My bike never let me down, although a custom seat and highway pegs would be at the top of my list for improvements. I had good weather both ways and no idiots trying to take my spot on the road.

I have my documentation for the IBA, just have to get it ready and send them in.

Ride safe,

Steve